Is it fair to use the word “adorable” when you're talking about someone no longer in her pre-teens? Well, she may be married and a mother, but Lisa Viggiano is just that – attractive, impish and charming. With Daryl Kojak at the piano, it didn't take long for her to warm up the room with “Yes,” an upbeat appeal to break loose. Viggiano made the most of it, stepping up her conviction and enthusiasm for the plea as she went, delivering an infectious powerhouse opener.

She let things simmer down with “Doodlin',” an easy-going melody showing off a wide-ranging lovely voice and permitting pianist Kojak a solo break to show off his own well-established proficiency on the keyboard. More unusual was Kojak's own vocalizing as he scatted along with his playing.

The show's  selections were engagingly varied, from a relaxed arrangement of “Surrey with the Fringe on Top” to Viggiano's appropriately manic delivery of “Saga,” reliving in song 30-plus hours giving birth to her first-born.

Whatever the number, Viggiano's visuals were squarely on target, an added plus to her ease of communicating the essence of her lyrics to her audience. Loving, perturbed or content, her body language was key to the song. Kojak's arrangements and accompaniment were equally well tailored to Viggiano. One number was his own composition, “I Ate the Pantry.”

The Duplex is one of cabaret's coziest rooms, enhancing the contact between the performer and her audience. A consequent temptation to be overly casual may have loosened up Viggiano a shade too much at times, sacrificing some polish in her patter. But 'twas a minor flaw, and one not hard to accommodate for such an appealing vocalist as is she.

There's one more chance to see Lisa Viggiano and The Viggiano Monologues at The Duplex May 14^th at 7:00pm. You won't be sorry.

Peter Leavy
Cabaret Scenes
May 7, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org