Direct from L.A. and pleasing to the eye, Linda Purl and her svelte, black slip dress figure graced the stage of the Metropolitan Room. She is best known for her TV appearances on The Office, Happy Days and Matlock. Sharing stories about growing up in Japan, she proved her language prowess with a charming rendition of “I Whistle a Happy Tune” in Japanese with English smatterings. Her smoky vocals were best suited to a haunting arrangement of “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” but she was most connected to a unique arrangement of “I’ll Be Seeing You” intertwined with “I See Your Face Before Me.”

Purl has a tendency to pose, with mannerisms that can be distracting to the viewer, leaving a feeling that too much has been pre-orchestrated. There also seems to be a lack of connection to many of her songs and an occasional tendency toward singing too loud unnecessarily (“Come Rain or Come Shine”).

A duet, “Oh Me, Oh My, Oh You,” with invited guest James Naughton, was sweet, incorporating some scat. She appeared to have the most fun with country-western material, especially “I’m Gonna Hire a Wino to Decorate Our Home.” An especially touching moment was the encore, “New Words” (Maury Yeston).

Sandi Durell
Cabaret Scenes
January 7, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org