Part of the Cabaret Intensive Master Class led in Chicago by leaders Lina Koutrakos and Rick Jensen, is a cabaret with the twofold purpose of entertaining fans and showing students how it’s done. The Saturday evening presentation at Davenport’s succeeded at both levels. Intensive producer, St. Louis-based Tim Schall, opened the evening with a layered rendition of Bernie Taupin and Elton John’s “Rocket Man” (although at times during the set, it was difficult to hear him over the piano). Koutrakos’ supple voice and open heart enables her to reach us in everything from uptempo rock numbers to the Great American Songbook. In the edgy “Miss Jones” (co-written by Koutrakos and Jensen), we discover the woman who is hip about music, but maybe not so hip about life. Reprising her excellent show, Torch, Koutrakos balances both dilemma and wit in “You Fascinate Me So.” However, the standout number of the evening’s performance was Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Shall We Dance?” from The King and I. Offered mainly rubato, the song takes on a layer of sensuality beyond the musical’s 1950s’ propriety. We know where this dance will lead. The singer and the one sung to will indeed fly on a bright cloud of music… and then some. So did we.

Carla Gordon
Cabaret Scenes
August 22, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org