The premise of Miss-Cast promises intrigue and fun and it delivers. Its premise is that there are songs a singer will never be assigned. The reasons are many; the chanteuse is too young, too perky, too ethnic, too waspy or, well, not male. Nevertheless, such verboten songs continue to intrigue singers. Girl next door-ish Laura Freemon puts the X in sexpot in “When You’ve Got It, Flaunt It” (The Producers). Freeman takes “A Fine, Fine Line (Avenue Q) delivered playfully along with well executed sock puppetry to an honest and edgy conclusion. Her duet with Marianne Murphy Orland which pairs “It’s Never That Easy” with “I’ve Been Here Before” (David Shire and Richard Maltby’s Closer Than Ever) was an honest and edgy conversation that took the shape of real-world conversations between women. Miss-Cast is a breakthrough show for Murphy-Orland, who up to now has demurred from demonstrating the scope of her vocal range and the depth of her interpretive chops. Beckie Menzie’s powerful, anthemic delivery of “Make Them Hear You” (Ragtime by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens ) was soul stirring. Having overcome a period of illness, Menzie’s voice has of late been especially fine. The cast was to have included an additional singer, but unfortunately Chicago’s raconteuress about town, Denise Mc Gowan, was sidelined with bronchitis. Miss-Cast is among the better offerings of 2010 for both its grand heart and grand humor.
Carla Gordon
Cabaret Scenes
November 20, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org
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