The elder ladies who have recently graced the Rrazz Room (Chita Rivera, 75, Cleo Laine, 82 and now Rita Moreno) are giving their apprentices a run for their money. In Little Tributes, Moreno, age 77, delivers a solid performance based on her long storied career and love of a good song.

Her material, developed along with longtime collaborator Russ Kassoff, more often than not, supports her limited range and subdued delivery. Kander and Ebb's "Broadway My Street" from 70 Girls 70 was well chosen but passive. She came alive in her third selection, "But Alive," the ode to longevity from Applause, which she dubbed her birthday song. From there it was smooth sailing for Moreno as she traded on her acting skills, witty banter, ethnicity and showbiz pizzazz.

She chose some lovely if not obscure Broadway material, breathing new life into Kurt Weil and Ira Gershwin's "My Ship" from 1941's Lady in the Dark and a sensational rendition of Truman Capotes and Harold Arlen's "I Never Has Seen Snow'" from House of Flowers. Acting is in her blood and just to drive home the point, she performed the poignant "With One Look"/"New Ways to Dream" from her starring role as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard.

Comic material? No problem. A foxy and funny "Fever" had Moreno provocatively prone atop her piano followed by a hilariously classless version of Chicago's "Class." Moreno included two Spanish numbers, a lovely "Conciertos de Aranjuez" by Joaquin Rodrigo and the rousing percussive Chrsitmas song "Aguinaldo," a tribute to Puerto Rican folk music.

Her encore of "Here's to Life" holds a special place in my heart and sealed the deal for me on this entertaining and polished show. This much used song is often dependent on the singer's vocal ability and the arrangement, but its success depends entirely on the perspective of the performer. With Moreno's historic background and life experiences, the song is a wise testament to living. Looking sensationally fit and radiant, Rita Moreno embodies the song's earnest wish —"may all your storms be weathered and all that's good get better, here's to life, here's to love, here's to you."

Steve Murray
Cabaret Scenes
November 5, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org