What does it mean to be “kidding on the square?” It’s joking with real meaning behind it; the truth hidden behind the smile, at which Emily Bergl is quite adept. Her sweet soprano lilt enhances the sly, comedic, quirky and quality performance she displays throughout in this New York City cabaret debut.

Bergl, currently starring in Desperate Housewives and on TNT’s Southland, has a multi-faceted career including Broadway and film. Using all her performance strengths, she and director Sarna Lapine have created a nostalgic evening of old love songs with “a twist.”

Unleashing a mix of comedy and drama in “Mad About the Boy” opened the characterizations of her one-woman show. As Bergl describes, she wanted “to develop a complete piece with an arc. . .songs that are stories.” Using classic songs from the 1920s and ’30s and intertwining her brand of humor on more recent tunes, she successfully accomplished her mission. With G. Scott Lacy at the piano closely watching her every breath and adding his vocals where needed, the flow included “Ten Cents a Dance” and an in-your-face drunken stupor rendition of “Something Cool,” only to be left sadly “Cryin’.”

Bergl weaves in and out of each story with a subtle delightfulness. Her interpretation of PHAT is Perfect Hips And Thighs as she sheds a layer of her gown revealing a short skirt, before beginning Lily Allen & Greg Kurstin’s “The Fear” with the lyrics, “And I’ll take my clothes off and it will be shameless, ’cuz everyone knows that’s how you get famous” segueing into “Material Girl.” Her playfulness with audience members works in her favor.

Guest artist Michael Cerveris, after several stumbles with lyrics, did produce a quality “Smile.”

However, it’s Emily Bergl who is the star entertainment in this show.

Sandi Durell
Cabaret Scenes
August 28, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org