Frank Torren keeps one eye on a calendar and one eye on life.  His Broadway Baby show, First Times, featured songs related to a variety of significant times.  Opening with the Charles Aznavour/Jeff Davis “There is A Time,” he proceeded to showcase his multi-lingual background with “Chitarra Romana” (by Bruno and DiLazzaro), “Amor, Amor, Amor” (by Mendez and Ruiz) and Jerry Herman’s “The Best of Times,” in English, Italian and Spanish.  

He clicked again with another Aznavour song, “I Didn’t See the Time Go By.”  Jacques Brel’s classic, “The Days of the Waltz,” received an exciting and moving rendition, as did “Today I Saw a Rose” by Allan Sherman and Albert Hague.  The three-song medley of “Another Saturday Night” (Sam Cooke), “Same Old Saturday Night” (Cahn and Reardon) and “Saturday Night” (Cahn and Styne) was particularly well done.

Torren is a personable performer, at ease with his audience.  His smooth, pleasing and uncomplicated baritone voice showed to best advantage with his up-tempo numbers.  Rick Unterberg, Torren’s musical director, provided excellent support at the piano. Kyle Groff was technical director, and the show was written by Jan Wallman.

Seymour Spilka
Cabaret Scenes
May 21, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org