No doubt there will be many a tribute show for Johnny Mercer in this, the 100^th anniversary of his birth. Certainly Mercer’s lyrical legacy warrants such attention and this show, created by Lessack, may be one of the finest. With his romantic lyric baritone, sincerity and lush phrasing, Lessack is a natural for the material presented here. Add theater, television and cabaret star Linda Purl and the combination is a winner.

The ambitious set list covers the gamut of Mercer’s incredibly prolific career, with over twenty full songs and a medley of 8 bars each from another six tunes. Trading the mic back and forth, Lessack shined on sentimental ballads like "I Remember You," "Out of This World" and "I Wanna Be Around" while Purl delivered a brilliant "When October Goes," "Midnight Sun" and "I Thought About You." Both vocalists have crisp deliveries and no-nonsense styles. The sophisticated lyrics shine through on all numbers, illuminating Mercer’s genius.

Many big hits are covered ("Old Black Magic," "Charade," "Days of Wine and Roses," "Come Rain or Come Shine") along  with some more obscure novelty songs ("Pineapple Pete" and "The Bathtub Ran Over Again") with Lessack accompanying himself on the “fluke", a cousin to the ukulele. I had some issue with the duets. The disparity between their voices became apparent and the harmony just wasn’t there. But the solos makethe show a great success.

Steve Murray
Cabaret Scenes
November 23, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org