Loretta Devine has a list of film and stage credits a mile long, and is a critical and popular actress, winning 5 NCAAP Image Awards. Enticed back to the cabaret stage by Rrazz Room owners Rory and Robert, Devine showed another brilliant side to her performing talents with an intimate, powerhouse show. She has origins in musical theater, and with her exquisite deliveries and musical choices, she’s created a flowing success.

Covering many genres from R&B, pop, ballads to blues, Devine crafted a near-perfect cabaret act with the help of local pianist/arranger Kelly Park and bassist Daniel Fabricant, whom she met that morning. A lovely original spoken word poem, "Panties and Pearls," about a romantic breakup, segued nicely into Bonnie Raitt’s bittersweet "I Can’t Make You Love Me." Whether it be Karrin Allyson’s bluesy "Sweet Home Cooking Man" or the spiritual "Moving On," Devine always hit the mark. Many of the shows numbers illuminated different facets of the female side of romance and relationships. An exquisite rendition of the Arthur Herzog Jr. / Billie Holiday tune "Don’t Explain," was followed by the contemporary Jazmine Sullivan hit "Bust Your Windows," where broken love and revenge equals a little harmless vehicular vandalism. It was delicious to see Devine segue from such sublime poignancy to modern pop lyrics like “I bust the windows out your car/and no, it didn’t mend my broken heart/I’ll probably always have these ugly scars/but right now I don’t care about that part.” Devine couldn’t help but lose it on the number, and her humor and joy was infectious.

Devine is a busy working actor but I sure wish she returns to the small stage as often as she can.

Steve Murray
Cabaret Scenes
November 27, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org