James Barbour has a deep, resonant, powerful Broadway voice that fills every corner of a cabaret venue, whether he’s singing a power ballad or “Jingle Bells.”

But he never overwhelms the listener.  There is enough nuance in his voice and his performance to keep the strength of his delivery in check and offer intimate moments in each number.

In his between-songs patter, Barbour is amiable and good-natured as he talks about his experiences growing up in a neighborhood of mixed religions and points of view, with the result that he comes off as sincere in trying to cast the sacred songs in his holiday repertoire as having a more secular message as well.  Thus, “O Holy Night” and “Silent Night” become as universal in their meaning as his performances of such power ballads as “Who Will Love This Child?” (Dennis DeYoung, from The Hunchback of Notre Dame)  or “Believe” (Glen Ballard/Alan Anthony Silvestri).

Barbour also seemed to touch the audience in a special way when he talked about the death of his mother and what hurts the most — the loss of the ability to communicate with her — to set up a song he wrote with Kyle Puccia called “Happy Christmas Day.” It’s a soft, warm ballad that began in a more relaxed style and built in power as it went along. Barbour also created one of the most winning versions of the usually tedious “Twelve Days of Christmas” by asking individual audience members to volunteer to sing the appropriate lyrics for each day and then proceeding around the room as the song progressed, enabling a lot of good cheer to prevail.

Joining Barbour on stage during the evening was Michael Duff, soloing on a quiet, moving version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and later dueting with Barbour on “The First Noel.”  Offering an uplifting duet of their own on “The Prayer” (David Foster/Carole Bayer Sager) were John Arthur Greene, with a warm, tender, reading, and MacKenzie Mauzy, who seemed to be singing at the upper edge of her vocal range with too much of a pop sound in her voice.

All singers received excellent support from Bettie Ross on piano.

Elliot Zwiebach
Cabaret Scenes
December 17, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org