Gilmore Rizzo is a self-described Italian-American — a key to his lively, emotional and well-crafted show. Using his heritage as a taking-off point, Rizzo easily and cleverly combines his cultural identity and the songs that were sung by other Italian-Americans while he was growing up, with stories about his relationships with the female members of his family to tell the story of his life — or, as he put it, “the delicious, wonderful life those ladies gave me.”

Rizzo’s voice is smooth and expressive and stirring in its power and subtle gentleness. As he talks about each of his grandmothers, his sister and his mother in moving, very personal terms, he is able to make his very specific memories universal by allowing audience members to recall their own childhoods with their own relatives, regardless of heritage.

It didn’t take long for Rizzo to get in touch with his own emotions.  No sooner had he finished his first song — “Tonight’s My Night” (Benny Davis/Murray Mencher) — and begun talking about his maternal grandmother, Katerina, than he teared up.  “My friends made a bet when I’d start crying,” he acknowledged. The only other time his emotions visibly caught up with him was when he talked about his mother Lucille’s death, and the song he sang at her funeral, recovering sufficiently to recreate the moment with a stunning rendition of “Mama” (Harold Barlow/Phil Brito/Cesare Andrea Bixio)— a moment that had several audience members tearing up on their own.

But the show was primarily funny and upbeat as he saluted Grandma Kay with a gorgeous medley of Italian standards that included: “Santa Lucia” (a traditional Neapolitan song, with English lyrics by Howard Johnson); “Volare” (Domenico Modugno and Francesco Migliacci, English lyrics by Mitchell Parish); “Return to Me” (Dan Hartman/Charlie Midnight); and “Funiculi Funicla” (Peppino Turco/Luigi Denza).

For his sister Debby, he sang two novelty songs from records they listened to as children: ”Pepino, the Italian Mouse” (Ray Allen/Wanda Merrell, with a new translation by Rizzo’s Italian coach, Robin Ray Eller); and “Angelina, the Waitress at the Pizzeria” (Allan Roberts/Doris Fisher); and because they were only allowed to listen to Italian music or music by Disney, he included a rich version of “Bella Notte” from Lady and the Tramp (Peggy Lee/Sonny Burke).

For his paternal grandmother Lucy — whose memory also brought some tears — he recalled the 45 rpm records he used to play at her house, featuring popular hits like “Everybody Loves Somebody” (Irving Taylor/Ken Lane); “Mambo Italiano” (Bob Merrill); and “A Dreamer’s Holiday” (Kim Gannon/Mabel Wayne).

While each family member had his or her own favorite Italian singer, they all agreed on the virtues of Perry Como, Rizzo said, prompting him to sing a rock-inspired song (but only barely so) that Como recorded in the 1950s called “Tina Marie” (Bob Merrill).  For the song, Rizzo called on a trio of not-so-Italian friends, dubbed The Three Goombahs, to provide musical backup — Paul Katz, Tod Macofsky and Wayne Moore.

The trio also provided musical support on Rizzo’s finale, “That’s Amore” (Jack Brooks/Harry Warren).  Rizzo was backed throughout by Musical Director Bryan Miller, with some medleys and arrangements credited to Wayne Moore.

Elliot Zwiebach
Cabaret Scenes
November 13, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org