Paul Chamlin and Rochelle Breyer met nearly four years ago at a choral gig at Kutscher’s in the Catskills and celebrated their courtship and marriage with two previous shows Mutual Admiration Society and The Honeymoon is Over.  This show honors composers Ray Evans, Lew Spence and David Heneker, each man having long and prolific careers but not receiving any major retrospectives in the NY area this year.

Their latest show is delightful as Paul and Rochelle did their homework singing many of the hits of these great songwriters, along with “unsung gems” from Paul’s extensive collection.  Paul Chamlin is one of the best and busiest musical directors in town and it is a pleasure to see him at the piano singing and playing this show with his vocalist wife.  They make a great team with Paul’s strong vocals and Rochelle, who trained as a classical singer, having more fun in this genre and loosening up as a performer. At one point, she donned a boa and came to life with the raunchy “I Wouldn’t Have Had To” from Let It Ride.

Lew Spence’s big hit “Nice and Easy” (with the Bergman’s) opened the show along with “I Never Could Make It Alone," a beautiful ballad that expressed how Paul was feeling before he met Rochelle.  David Heneker was the first Brit to have two major Broadway shows run for over 500 performances: Irma La Douce. and Half a Sixpence.  We heard the title song from Sixpence along with “Manhattan My Home Town” from Peg and “The Moment I Close My Eyes” from The Biograph Girl.

The bulk of the material performed was by the Ray Evans and his writing partner Jay Livingston, including their Academy Award winning songs “Que Sera, Sera,” "Buttons and Bows,” and “Silver Bells.”  Not too many people were aware that these esteemed composers also wrote the themes from the TV hit, Bonanza as well as Mr. Ed.

Paul and Rochelle explained the plot and performed many of the songs from the Evans/Livingston musical Oh Captain based on the Alec Guinness film, Captain’s Paradise.  This show, that starred the late Tony Randall, was not a hit but the under appreciated score came to life in the hands of this talented duo.  “Goodbye Now” from Hellzapoppin (1941) closed the show and it is hoped that Paul & Rochelle will continue to bring their charming and informative shows to Don’t Tell Mama every year.

Linda Amiel Burns
Cabaret Scenes
May 16, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org