Here I Am,” Natalie Toro’s opening number was a bit of an understatement as she quickly established her commanding presence with a strong version of David Yazbek’s song from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. With several major Broadway roles under her belt, she had no difficulty transitioning to a cabaret stage. The challenges faced by a Latina in search of Broadway parts served to focus her act and presented some comedic opportunities. Commenting that just about the only roles available to Puerto Ricans were in West Side Story, she lamented the fact that she couldn’t hit the high notes required of a “Maria” or the dancing demanded of an “Anita.” She got her revenge doing an Anita/Maria duet in a hilarious version of "A Boy Like That.” For good measure, she followed that with Kander & Ebb’s “Cabaret” in Spanish, wondering why it has to be sung by a white woman.

Pianist Tom Griep was cleverly integrated into the show during “A Wink and a Smile” from Sleepless in Seattle. Her well-timed change-of-pace ballads, such as “Where Is It Written” from Yentl, provided the needed emotional balance to the waves of laughter that filled the room the rest of the evening.

Les Traub
Cabaret Scenes
April 27, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org