Currently making waves with legions of fans is operatically trained tenor Aaron Caruso who recently returned to Nicola Paone in Manhattan and Lorenzo's Cabaret on Staten Island for two one-nighters. He embodies a vanishing species: the good natured, good looking, pull-out all the stops showman from the same mold that spawned Dean Martin and Danny Kaye and a bevy of wildly entertaining performers who were once in abundance peppering niteries and concert halls across the country. Bouncing onto the stage like a thunderbolt, he instantly had the sold out crowd in the palm of his hand.

The set included Italian favorites, "Torna a Surriento" and "O Sole Mio," as well as obscure beauties like the Sicilian dialetical "Sicilia Beda," the Neapolitan "Vurria" and "Volare," Tapping the great American songbook he offered evergreens like a dreamy "An Affair to Remember" and a Sinatra-esque reading of "Fly Me To the Moon." His charismatic bantering engaged the room in a lot of audience participation and hand holding. The long set never bored and the crowds were on their feet several times. To boot, he has been chosen to portray Mario Lanza in the eagerly awaited “Be My Love,” slated for Broadway in the fall of 2009. And, it's only the beginning.

John Hoglund
Cabaret Scenes
September 28, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org