With youth, intelligence and solid experience on their side, the adorable Amanda Conlon (Red) and the somewhat quirky Michael Morch (Slim) took on some of the wordiest and most difficult show tunes from the Great White Way and did it with great aplomb. Individually and in duet, both wove the songs effectively into a show they called Red and Slim Have Issues: The Return of Diego.

Issues indeed! Like other twenty-to-thirty-something’s in this new millennium, they’re coping with the crazy Internet dating scene, stressful urban relationships and technological complexities that collectively challenge their mental stability. That they choose to deal with these issues through song, specifically, the songs of Stephen Sondheim, Jonathan Larson, Maltby & Shire and Goldrich & Goldrich, among others, suggests that “Red” (Amanda) and “Slim” (Michael) are two bright, clever and very talented young people who, though they may presently lack a certain je ne sais quoi to immediately propel them to another level, have enough confidence and chutzpah to mount a very entertaining evening for family, friends, fans and this reviewer.

One of the songs that stood out came from the Goldrich/Heisler songbook: ”Taylor, the Latte Boy,” a staple in the repertoires of young Broadway ingénues. It was parodied and taken from a fresh, male perspective and convincingly sung by Morch. Conlon, similarly, sang a very humorous parody of “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables.

Sara Statler, on piano, who also acted as musical director, deserves kudos for providing solid but non-intrusive accompaniment throughout. This is especially essential since these were lyrically loaded songs and she needed to be "laser-beam" focused on what both Red and Slim were singing about in order to add nuance and energy to their performances.

Lynn DiMenna
Cabaret Scenes
August 28, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org