Veronica Klaus could do no wrong in front of a sold-out home crowd determined to lavish its affection on San Francisco’s latest cabaret jewel. And there is much reason for this admiration. Backed wonderfully by the talented Tammy Hall Trio (Ruth Davies on bass and Kent Bryson on drums), Klaus has a talent for choosing perfectly complementary material for her shows and delivers it in her sultry, measured contralto. This new show examines themes of luck and romance from a decidedly feminine perspective and Klaus has smartly paced the show through tempo and witty song intro banter.

Opening with Funny Lady’s “How Lucky Can You Get?,” “Baubles, Bangles and Beads” and “Girl Talk,” Klaus, dressed elegantly in a black satin couture look with matching black hat and veil, set the mood and ignited the audience’s imagination.  Like her role models Streisand, Peggy Lee and Julie London (who sang those first three songs), Veronica is a strong, confident woman capable of anything.  Falling in love in “Old Devil Moon,” mocking romance in The Turtles’ 1967 smash hit “Happy Together,” or lamenting tortured emotions in Amy Winehouse’s starkly beautiful “Love Is a Losing Game,” Klaus moves seamlessly through a variety of emotional happenstances and musical styles.

She shines on some tender ballads, given power by the resonance in her lower range. Nancy Wilson’s soulful hit “Face It Girl, It’s Over,” Joni Mitchell’s bittersweet tome on commercial success,s “For Free,” and Janis Ian’s haunting “Stars” are Veronica’s best work to date.  She closes the show with her own take on the classic standards “Taking a Chance on Love,” “I’m Just a Lucky So and So” and “The Best Is Yet to Come”—which put the icing on the cake—and the way Veronica is performing, I’d have to agree.

Steve Murray
Cabaret Scenes
January 25, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org