In the boxing ring of cabaret, Kathleen France is a knockout with a great one-two punch (punchy comedy and powerhouse singing). Pow! To extend the familiar ring of the metaphor, let’s simply say she knocked my socks off. The surprise is: it’s her debut show. But she’s already a pro. In her corner, she has savvy director Lina Koutrakos to “show her the ropes” and terrific harmonizing back-up singers, Wendy A. Russel and Joshua Judge, plus Tracy Stark to add spark and matchless support as Musical Director.

Bubbly Kathleen is an exclamation point of delightful, infectious joy, exhibiting loopy self-deprecating humor about her lack of luck swimming upstream in the dating pool. There’s a method to her madness, as revealed by her deft examination of all facets of Rusty Magee’s “New York Romance”— pathos, reality check, affectionate humor. She can wail and rock out when “Crying” with a big, big voice and bigger heart. “Ain’t No Sunshine” is a highlight, but the opposite of this report: she’s a sunny, funny, cute-as-a-bunny personality who lights up the room. This is someone who knows how to play to—and connect with—an audience, with her twinkling eyes looking right at theirs. She has great timing and provides a great time.

Kathleen returns to the Metropolitan Room on Friday, November 20.

Rob Lester
Cabaret Scenes
October 18, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org