My wife and I celebrated our anniversary this past Saturday night with a marvelous dinner, and then capped off the evening by taking in a splendid performance by singer Lina Koutrakos and pianist/arranger Rick Jensen at the Kranzberg Arts Center. This is actually the third time we've seen them perform in St. Louis, so we pretty much knew what to expect. But, even though the material may have been familiar, there was something special about this show that far exceeded expectations.

If you've never caught one of Lina's cabaret concerts, you've really missed the opportunity to hear a vocal talent that pours her heart and soul into every musical phrase and turn of a lyric. It's like watching and hearing the characters from these songs come to life in front of your eyes. And, when you combine this husky voiced chanteuse with Rick Jensen's expert accompaniment, these songs really sparkle.

Opening with Arlen and Mercer's “Come Rain or Come Shine,” Lina set the tone for the night by investing herself fully, disappearing completely into the guise of a femme fatale, if only for the length of a song. A steady parade of classics followed, including: “When the Real Thing Comes Along” (Holiner-Nichols-Cahn-Chapling-Freeman), “Stormy Weather” (Arlen-Koehler), “You Fascinate Me So” (Coleman-Leigh), “My Foolish Heart” (Washington-Young), “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?” (Legrand-Bergman-Bergman), and others. Jensen and Koutrakos approach each of these songs with reverence, but also manage to infuse them with a bluesy sensibility that broadens and deepens their meaning. For me, the real gems are “Night Moves” (Bob Seger), “Walking in Memphis” (Marc Cohn), and “Thin Line Between Love and Hate” (Poindexter-Poindexter-Members). These re-workings are particularly well executed, giving them depth far beyond their obvious pop appeal.

This show is called Torch and the selections presented definitely cover the gamut of pain and heartbreak that comes with the territory. But, in the skillful hands of these two professionals, these downbeat, and mostly downtempo, tunes become a celebration of determination and willpower.

Special mention should also be made concerning the dramatic lighting design of John Taylor. Taylor's contributions gave each number a mood and, most importantly, a nice sense of closure.

For more information on upcoming Cabaret St. Louis presentations, go online to www.cabaretstl.org.

Chris Gibson
Cabaret Scenes
April 25, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org