Lisa Asher is one of those relatively few cabaret singers who take the stage and immediately own it. Her joie de vivre, strong voice, and professionalism account for this. That, at least, is what happened on Valentine’s Day at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.  It wasn’t a matter of some deficiency in the audience, but rather Asher’s style and vocal skill that immediately gave life to the room. Her expressive voice, face and body movements were wonderfully funny and compelling as she sang ”Ain’t There Anyone Here for Love?”  She also called out to the audience, “Happy Valentine’s Day, people,” in the midst of that first song.  Her ability to entertain was more than just rapport; it was all encapsulating.

Intelligent, interesting, and funny song choices all suited Asher because she is such a gifted performer. That she did not sing the expected tunes for the occasion (such as “My Funny Valentine”) also made the act more interesting.  No mushy, sentimental numbers filled the bill.  The closest Asher came to that was “Love for Sale,” about which she quipped, ”Who’d think Cole Porter would write the hooker’s lament?,” so one can hardly call Porter’s song mushy or sentimental.

An outstanding number was the patter song "The Princess and the Frog.”   Why?  Because Asher did at least two things superbly:  First, she was able to sing the lyrics very quickly and at the same time articulate them so clearly that the audience was able to follow the storyline without a problem.  Second, her voice conveyed in turn three different characters so uniquely that the punch line delivered by the frog’s wife was wonderfully funny and was enjoyed uproariously by the audience.  That was no small feat and it's part of what makes her a remarkable performer.

Asher was more than capably assisted by Jeff Waxman, her Musical Director, piano accompanist (and husband).  He performed a piano solo at the beginning of  “Birth of the Blues” that was tremendously popular with the crowd.  Asher called her inclusion of this song her “Valentine to the South where [she’s] from.”  This song was part of a medley that included “Memphis,” which also had her accompanist-husband join in and provide background to her singing.

In part, Lisa Asher is a “belter,” in the style of Aretha Franklin, and with additional participation in the singing by Waxman, brought the show to a wow of a finish when she sang “Put a Little Love in Your Heart.”  It seemed as though the room was alive from the moment Asher stepped on stage, but this ending pushed it up a notch or two, which hardly seemed possible. A lot of smiling, laughing, cheering people left the Laurie Beechman Theatre Valentine’s night, 2009.

Gloria Taplin
Cabaret Scenes
February 14, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org