At the end of his show Frank Loman told us he was living a dream. Bravo! We should all live our dreams if we can.

However, Sondheim’s dream song, “Johanna,” is another story altogether! Frank explained that an acting teacher once told him to sing the song thinking Johanna’s “yellow hair” was not on her head. While perhaps useful as an acting exercise, I’m not sure how that note translates to a cabaret performance. I understand that in cabaret performance classes students are told to visualize the situation they want to portray before they start singing it. So, was Frank visualizing that?!!! And was he thinking of Johanna……or Johan?.....

Cabaret is an art form — the art of interpreting songs, telling stories, communicating feelings. In some cabaret shows, the performer over-sings — trying to show off his or her voice, but at the expense of the lyrics. In some cabaret shows, the performer doesn’t really interpret songs, but inhabits the character for which the song was written. In these instances, the songs don’t take on any new character.

I’m on a purity kick lately, so here’s my advice to Frank. Pull back and let the songs speak through you and your interpretation of them. Take the audience on a new journey, one that is personal to you. You did this to some extent with “Not While I’m Around.” Now work on the other songs. As for “Johanna,” I think it might’ve just lost its allure, and I always liked that song before.

Harold Sanditen
Cabaret Scenes
March 29, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org