She is fascinating to watch—Andrea Marcovicci on stage, spinning her web and working her magic. Currently marking her 25th season at the Oak Room, Marcovicci is New York’s traditional holiday cabaret superstar.  This year, her new show, No Strings, veers from her usual tributes to classic songwriters, old movies, World War II, or legendary performers, and turns inward.  In a light-hearted spirit, she reflects on her travels—literally and figuratively—through today and yesterday.  With a photo of her teenage daughter on the piano and her mother in the audience, Marcovicci’s life is right here as she skims through life’s travels from Rio to Paris to New York City.

Part of the Marcovicci magic is the charm, a graceful nymph moving across the stage, wandering into the audience with microphone in hand, rarely still except to perch on top of the piano. She likes to zero in on an audience member to share the romance of Leslie Bricusse and Henry Mancini’s “Two for the Road,” and urge everyone to sing along to “As Time Goes By.”  After mentioning that the song was written by Herman Hupfeld, not the best known American songwriter,  Marcovicci tackles a less familiar Hupfeld tune, “When Yuba Plays the Rhumba on the Tuba,” a challenge of tongue-twisting lyrics.

Marcovicci’s shows are meticulously researched and organized.  She delves beneath the lyrics, understands them, and with intuitive savvy, lays out the soul of a song, like Holt Marvell and Jack Strachey’s poignant “These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You).”  Other outstanding moments include a well-constructed nostalgic trio—“How Are Things in Glocca Morra?” (Burton Lane/Yip Harburg), “It Never Was You,” (Kurt Weill/Maxwell Anderson) and “My Love Is a Wanderer” by Bart Howard.  Also memorable is the delivery of Ronald Jeans and Philip Braham’s specialty tune, “I Don’t Know,” introduced in 1919 by Gertrude Lawrence.  Marcovicci picks up a miniature traveling case and slickly uses her long black gown decorated with white doves as a period costume, posing as a sprightly, naïve young traveler.

Vocal phrasing is problematic, the rhythm is peculiar and her voice, while full of emotion, is tenuously wavering. Nevertheless, the strength of Andrea Marcovicci’s show is her intelligent appreciation of the lyricist’s intent and her own acting ability. Accompanists Jered Egan (bass) and long-time Musical Director, Shelly Markham, surround the music with imaginative arrangements.

Andrea continues at the Oak Room though December 30.

Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes
November 16, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org