It’s happily ironic that only two days before Robert Habermann’s farewell tribute to Pizza on the Park, the venue was given a three-month reprieve and will be in operation at least until the end of September. Fabulous news, huh?!!!

Robert Habermann’s show paid tribute to many of the greats who have appeared at the venue since it opened, concentrating on Americans in the first set, and Brits in the second.  Robert was joined by three guest artists: Earl Okin, Joan Viskant and Duncan Lamont, who paid their own tributes. Ah, what a lovely reminiscence – Blossom Dearie, Marion Montgomery, Richard Rodney Bennett, KT Sullivan, Steve Ross, Annie Ross, John Pizzarelli, Margaret Whiting…

Robert has a nice voice. I found it a mix of Harry Connick, Jr. and Frank Sinatra, which gives it a slight pastiche quality.

I’m appreciative of the idea of the show, but I have two problems with it. Most importantly, the evening was inconsistent in that some of the songs seemed very well rehearsed while too many of the others were clearly under-rehearsed. In far too many of the songs, Robert was reading lyrics, rather than interpreting. There also was a sameness to not all, but many, of the arrangements. A bit more variety would have given the show more color.

Robert was well supported by Alex Stanford on piano and John Gee on bass.

Harold Sanditen
Cabaret Scenes
May 26, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org