Cathy Taylor is a pragmatist who sees things as they are and talks and sings about them. Enough Already reveals her attitudes and wit toward life and people. Using her strong alto, she opened with “Everything,” sharing the facts of being on the downside of middle age— where gravity has taken your ass hostage, and the learning importance of focusing on inner qualities.

“Ah, But Underneath,” a Sondheim song written for Diana Rigg for a London production of Follies, is the quirky kind of lyric you’d expect to hear from a gal like Taylor. She delivers with a lot of power, which occasionally tends to overtake that which could be better served in a more simple style. Parody lyrics to “This Magic Moment”(called “This Manic Moment”)/”See You in September” were a clever dose of therapist bashing, while “Riddle” produced a serious moment, softly filled with questions and answers about the world and relationships. Hailing from the Lone Star State, Taylor sang another parody to “The Yellow Rose of Texas” renamed “There Are Psychopaths in Texas,” referring to Texans as “perky people with easy access to firearms.”

As the show continued, the content became more introspective and questioning, in lyrics and humor, regarding politics, religion, the “World.” “I’m a stick shift in a world of automatic transmissions,” says she, displaying a soulful “Move On”/”This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore.” Taylor is a thinker, referring to America as an adolescent nation, a huge dysfunctional family always bitching. She’s a serious gal with a campy style that is unique and likeable. Matthew Ward was Music Director.

Sandi Durell
Cabaret Scenes
April 17, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org