Former Chicagoan Colleen McHugh has set herself a formidable task in The Big Apple: to make each of her once-monthly Calendar Girl shows at The Duplex a brand-new event.  Her varied talents do provide her with plenty of ammunition, musical and otherwise.  She's quick on the draw with her patter, ad libbing and interacting with her audience, which provides plenty of unique opportunities right there.  If she was out to dazzle her audience with that quick wit, she did it handily by creating a song of “the worst experience” described by one member of her audience.  “Tom Showed Mom the Door” was a howl of creativity.  But with all the fun and fireworks, McHugh is a compelling, come-hither songstress who can segue from topical wise cracks to an affecting ballad with the ease of stage magician making the quarter disappear from his hand.

Opening with a bouncy “Blue Skies,” McHugh and her accompanists, Jody Shelton on piano and Michael Pearce on bass, were as together on their songs as a well-choreographed dance team.  Shelton and Pearce, who were permitted ample opportunity to shine in frequent instrumental spots, also knew their oats when it came to supporting their vocalist.  Two of the show's high spots were a love-struck McHugh's rendition of “I've Got the World on a String,” with a captivating accompaniment by the solo bass, and a scintillating presentation of George and Ira Gershwin's last collaboration, the moving “Love is Here to Stay.”

Guest performer Christine Lavin, a prolific and topical songwriter, presented one of her own compositions, with lyrics taken from the venerable political pundit of the twenties and thirties, H. L. Mencken.  It was a revelation, indeed, to see how little human nature changes as time goes by.  Then, Lavin and McHugh teamed up for an audience-tickler, “Boys Want Sex in the Morning.”

Although not overdone, McHugh's early January show, titled Just in Time, did take some pertinent jabs at the imminent changes in Washington and some of the prominent figures on their way in and on their way out of the positions of power.  And her comments on the troubling economic woes brought both knowing agreement from most of the room and a smooth intro to “I Can't Give You Anything But Love.”

Those who won't want to miss Calendar Girl's February tilt at Valentine's Day, Tales of Revenge and Regret, had better book at The Duplex early.  This Windy City Miss is rapidly becoming a downtown New York favorite.  She'll present her “tales of love gone terribly, terribly wrong” on February 9.

Peter Leavy
Cabaret Scenes
January 12, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org