Cabaret aficionados will always have a soft spot for Cole Porter. His sophisticated wit and clever rhymes still elicit chuckles and his compositional style was much admired and copied. And while his references may be dated and out of touch with modern audiences, his charm still seduces.

Akers assembles a collection of Porter’s choice sexual double-entendres ("Let’s Do It" and "Always True to You In My Fashion") and silly comic numbers ("The Physician" with its physiological wordplay and the gastronomical "Come to the Supermarket (In Old Peking)"), but with her elegant diction and slowed down timing, these numbers lose their spontaneous appeal and become stilted. "Can-Can" and ‘Lets Do It’ (with the innumerable additional Coward, Berlin verses), are too similar in style to include in a single set.

A fine actress and balladeer, Akers' theatricality, while it does accentuate the lyrics, eliminates the abandon and joy of Porter's humor. There was no kick in a slowed down rendition of "I Get a Kick Out of You." Her best vocal performances came on the lovely "Where Have You Been" and "I Love Paris"/"AllezVous En" from the 1953 musical Can-Can. Akers does impart the elegance and style of Porter’s music but I could use alittle more spirit.

Steve Murray
Cabaret Scenes
October 20, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org