Lainie Kazan is a big talent with a strong voice and a warmly self-deprecating sense of humor. All served her well in her latest show — a mix of standards, songs from her Broadway past, and salutes to two of her musical heroines: Judy Garland and Sophie Tucker.

Kazan did not utilize her full vocal power on every number but when she did, she proved what an accomplished singer she is. The vocal highlight of the night was her rendition of “The Music That Makes Me Dance” (Jule Styne/Bob Merrill) from Funny Girl — the show in which she understudied Barbra Streisand.  Having sung several previous songs in a more jazzy, up-tempo style, Kazan simply stood at the mic and sang her heart out with truthfulness and power.

Another highlight of the evening was one unlikely to be duplicated soon.  Kazan explained how she won the female lead in Seesaw, only to be fired by director Michael Bennett during an intermission in Detroit and replaced by her friend, Michele Lee.  “She and I didn’t talk for ten years,” Kazan said. She then sang several songs from the show (by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields): a high-energy version of “Poor Everybody Else” followed by “I’m Way Ahead.”  As she began singing the title song, Michele Lee walked up on stage from the audience singing into a hand mic as the pair attempted to sing together, although each went up on different lyrics and scatted while the other sang.

Kazan excelled on torch songs.  Explaining, “Comedy is what I do on screen — here I do life,” she performed soulful versions of “I Fall in Love Too Easily” (Styne/Sammy Cahn); “The Man That Got Away” (Harold Arlen/Ira Gershwin); and the always reliable “Stormy Weather” (Arlen/Ted Koehler). She also did a dynamic version of “Falling in Love with Love” (Rodgers & Hart) and a rich, straightforward reading on “Alfie” (Burt Bachrach/Hal David).

Her Garland salute consisted of a sweet “Over the Rainbow” (Arlen/Yip Harburg) and a combination of “The Trolley Song” (Hugh Martin) in which Kazan, as the singer, became the aggressor on the trolley ride, and “Gotta Have Me Go with You” (Arlen/Ira Gershwin from the 1954 film A Star Is Born).  She opened the show with “Here’s What I’m Here For” from the same film.

Her Sophie Tucker medley combined a hot reading on “Some of These Days” (Shelton Brooks) and a clipped, staccato version — similar to Tucker’s own — of “I’m Living Alone and I Like it” (Jack Yellen/Dan Dougherty).

In a 90-minute show that seemed much shorter, Kazan purred “When I Fall in Love” (Victor Young/Edward Heyman); sang a jazzed-up version of “A Cockeyed Optimist (Rodgers & Hammerstein); and performed a fast-paced “You and the Night and the Music” (Arthur Schwartz/Howard Dietz).

She closed the show with “Here’s to Life” (Artie Butler/Phyllis Molinary), singing it softly, almost like a lullaby. 

Keeping the music going were Bob Kaye on piano; Joel Hamilton on bass; and Eddie Caccavale on drums.

Elliot Zwiebach
Cabaret Scenes
November 20, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org