Nothing is more joyful than a small town girl returning home after going off to the big city and making good (Broadway’s 1990 revival of Fiddler on the Roof, national productions of I Love You, Your Perfect, Now Change, and Menopause, The Musical). That’s just what the irrepressible Kathy St. George did for her native Stoneham on New Year’s Eve, in a rare solo cabaret appearance, a two-hander of song favorites combined with her signature Judy Garland tunes.

St. George packs considerable pizzazz into her petite five-foot frame, an Energizer Bunny of talent, beaming her 1,000-watt smile, and covering every square inch of the huge stage. St. George crosses over to cabaret easily, chatting comfortably with the audience, resilient with spontaneity, and constantly engaging.

She was at her best in the lively up-tempos, such as “I Love a Piano,” and the Garland concert staple, “Chicago,” that showcased her showmanship to the hilt. Also, she was clearly in her element performing the Judy repertoire, replete with dropped consonants, over-the-shoulder mic chord, and quirky choreography that evoked Judy’s spirit, without ever stooping to kitsch. Though not as vocally powerful as Judy, St. George has the physicality and drive that made Judy’s performances so mesmerizing.

St. George didn’t fare as well with the evening’s ballads, emotionally disconnected from both the ABBA song, “I Wonder,” and the evening’s theme song,” What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” But her renditions of comic novelties “Speaking French” (from Lucky Stiff), “A Couple of Swells” and the entire Wizard of Oz in five minutes, were zany gems. And when she closed with a powerhouse “Swanee,” she did her hometown proud.

John Amodeo
Cabaret Scenes
December 31, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org