Barbara Porteus launched into her act at Don’t Tell Mama with the complete confidence of a seasoned performer.  She immediately began singing a medley of songs, and there was no room for doubt that she had every right to be confident in her beautiful voice and her vibrant presence.  Though Porteus was making a comeback after an absence from the stage, which she later informed the audience about, one wouldn’t have known it from her exceptional comfort and the splendidly entertaining performance she gave.  If one weren’t convinced before of her outstanding ability, she nailed it when she sang “Come Rain or Come Shine.”  One had to be hooked by her complex, sensational treatment of this lyric.  In fact, making appropriate adjustments, she delivered not one but two versions of the song; each was different in tempo, vocal technique, body movement, and facial expression, yet both were equally captivating.

Barry Levitt, her Musical Director, deserves special plaudits and appreciation for his encouragement of Porteus’s comeback, she told the audience.  He and bass guitarist, Eric Udel, did an equally outstanding job of accompanying Porteus.  And their solos garnered loud and enthusiastic applause from the audience.  But most exceptional was the tight bond between singer and accompanists, who were with her every step of the way.

The intimacy of cabaret is what makes it an especially different entertainment experience.  Barbara Porteus not only looks at members of the audience, but also sings in such a way as to convey the feeling that she is singing to you, looking at you, performing for you.  This rapport was apparent from the beginning of her act.  Furthermore, she conveyed her wonderful sense of humor, which was especially clear in “If I Were a Bell” when she sang the lyric, “If I were a bridge I’d be burning” with hands raised high and fingers moving like flames, her whole body shook as though it were on fire.  Her humor was her way of expressing the feeling appropriate to her interpretation of the song.  Can you imagine what she made of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The Gentleman Is a Dope”?  Throughout the show, her interpretation of each song and manner of expressing it were impeccable.

With her closing number, Barbara Porteus, in a low-keyed way, made her politics clear.  She dedicated the song to President-elect Barak Obama.  In its introduction she sang to a “little sprout,” and the last part ended with “There’ll be a whole lot of sunlight shining for you and for me.”  Her optimism was very moving.  The only thing missing was a verbalized “Amen” in response, but it was there in the ecstatic cheers and applause that followed.

Gloria Taplin
Cabaret Scenes
November 14, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org