To its credit, the New York cabaret community is all-inclusive. Where else, for example, would you expect to find a former refugee from Transylvania, a “black, blind and beautiful” ex-NYS Parole Board employee, and an 87-seven-year-old retired advertising executive all on the same stage at the same time?

This show at Don’t Tell Mama was as lively a party as any I’ve attended in a long while! Make no mistake, Ivan Farkas was the ebullient “host with the most,” but friends Peggy Eason and Jerry Laird both brought their unique talents and personalities to an enthusiastic audience of admirers.

Thanks to the long and loving tutelage of Linda Amiel Burns and her renowned The Singing Experience classes, the three have earned their cabaret stripes and under the direction of another Singing Experience graduate (and now a technical director at Don’t Tell Mama) Jason Ellis, they all put on quite a show. Surprise guest Evelyn Sullivan and Ellis himself added to the camaraderie and fun in versions of Louis Armstrong/Zilner Randolph’s “Ol’ Man Mose” and the Gershwins’ “Blah, Blah, Blah.”

Farkas, resplendent in sequins from top to bottom, was the ever-ebullient life of the party and, given his shapely Dietrich-esque legs, he chose to begin the festivities by showing them off in a rousing rendition of “I Wanna Be a Rockette.” Over his many years with The Singing Experience and in previous forays in venues on Restaurant Row, Farkas has completely overcome his earlier stage shyness and consistently chosen to perform the most challenging “out there” songs he could get his hands on. His list included some of the very best from his extensive repertoire: Kander & Ebb’s “When You’re Good to Mama,” and “Sara Lee,” Cy Coleman/Ira Gasman’s “Use What You Got” and Ray Jessel’s hilarious “Life Sucks and Then You Die.” He delivers them all with great expressive bravado and with his trademark razzle-dazzle style.

Peggy Eason, aka “The Chocolate Diva,” toned down her powerful soprano in a duet with Farkas on “No Two People” and then let it soar on the hilarious “Vodka.” As a performer and as a human being, her willingness to “go for it,” no matter what the obstacle, has shown a level of fortitude that young performers could learn plenty from.

Jerry Laird, a former classmate of Julie Wilson’s back in their hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, delighted his audience in a duet with Farkas on “Let’s Misbehave” and a song entitled “I Wanna Be George Clooney,” written by Laird and Michael Terry. At 87 years young, this remarkable man does more in a week than most men a quarter of his age. He has reached a level of performance after numerous shows—and producing some nine or ten CDs—that is not only impressive, but also quite extraordinary, given that he started seriously pursuing his craft at age 75! An occasional lost lyric was countered with a new-found ability to recover quickly with humor and poise.

Together, and with Farkas holding it all together, it was an example of how important the element of chemistry is when performing a cabaret show. As the axiom goes, when the performers are having a good time and enjoying each other, so too is the audience and, after all, isn't that what it's all supposed to be about?

Lynn DiMenna
Cabaret Scenes
December 8, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org