Relatively…Singing—An Evening of Cabaret and Sibling Revelry starring sisters Elizabeth Dreyfuss (Richard Dreyfuss’ sister-in-law) and Dela Zimmer, opened the new ZLounge. The room was packed and they did a fun turn, including family history done with a slide show. Both are England-born and bred, come from theatrical families and are graduates of the London stage. The show started with a BBC radio transcription of twelve-year-old Dela’s singing on a London radio show. (Dela, with her four-octave range, was the singer in the family, their mother decreed. Liz wanted to sing, too, but Mama said no, she was to be the dancer. Liz ended up doing both: in London productions of The Boyfriend and West Side Story.) She narrated the show and sang many numbers; each time Dela sang an aria, Liz did an offstage costume change, each fancier than the last. (Reminded me of the old IRS/Dinah Shore ruling on which gowns are costumes, thus deductible, and which are not—if Dinah couldn’t sit in the gown it was a costume: if she could sit—it was a regular gown. Most of Liz’s, by Marianne of Palm Springs, are definitely costumes! Too many feathers to sit comfortably.)

My favorite number of Liz’s was “Miss Celie’s Blues” (“Sister)” where she came into the audience and sat in the lap of the man next to me. She also sang a lovely “Why Did I Choose You?” to a photo of her husband, Loren. My favorite aria of Dela’s was “Visi D’Arte” from Tosca; she also did a medley from The King and I. They used “Anything You Can Do” as the set-up for several other songs. Later, they sang (of course!) “Bosom Buddies,” then ended the show with “Together Wherever We Go.”

Both are very attractive: Dela tall and brunette and Liz smaller and blonde. It is a very audience-friendly show and they were rewarded with a rousing standing ovation. The unflappable Charlie Creasy, once Music Director for the legendary Hildegarde, was at the grand piano. And a grand time was had by piano and all!

Jack Moore
Cabaret Scenes
February 13, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org