With confidence and a clear soprano voice, Shana Farr added cabaret to her résumé. Her debut performance, Pure Imagination, encouraged inspiration with a healthy strain of humor. The show was smart and slick, reflecting the savvy of a young woman blessed with poise, musical theater experience, an outgoing personality and personal goals. An upcoming jewelry line was mentioned several times.

Oh, and the fact that this tall, slender blonde resembles a young Christie Brinkley only enhances her stage presence.

Unlike many new cabaret performers, Farr seemed comfortable in the close-up world of cabaret. Well-focused by director Lennie Watts and musical director Steven Ray Watkins, she shared what she is all about, and part of this was accomplished through an eclectic song mix.

In "Girl in 14G" (Scanlan/Tesori), Farr had a chance to demonstrate the opera training utilized in musical comedy. She showed she can get down and dirty, sort of, with "Let Me Entertain You" (Sondheim/Styne) paired with "Not Wearing Underwear Today" (Lopez and Marx). A "girlie" segment gave her a chance to hint at Madonna ("Material Girl") and Marilyn Monroe ("Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend"), and a James Bond medley, busy with body language, was a rush through film titles. The show often felt like an audition for a one-woman revue.

This polish and confidence, both appreciated, here pointed out the absence of vulnerability. While Farr's technical prowess was on target, interpretation was weak. Often a song was more about displaying her voice rather than the song's honesty. It was hard to discern if she was really taken in by "The Lies of Handsome Men" (Francesca Blumenthal'). "I Had Myself a True Love" (Mercer/Arlen) lacked the heartache of lost love and intense regret and although she was perky and funny with Evans and Livingston's "I'm Just a Square in a Social Circle," she lacked the zaniness.

This debut adeptly displayed Shana Farr's performing abilities. It's now up to her to demonstrate what the songs mean to her.

Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes
July 7, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org