Cristina Fontanelli is a softer, gentler Ethel Merman with a dash of Maria Callas.  One can imagine how a sleepy infant might have reacted to a Merman lullaby, but, in spite of her big sound, Fontanelli is capable of transporting babies to dreamland.  From the Borscht Belt, concert halls and opera houses to the White House, the classically-trained soprano is comfortable performing in all sorts of venues, genres and languages.

Appearing at Feinstein’s for the fifth time, she was dressed in a vibrant, red-sequined dress, her chestnut-colored hair worn up.  Behind her was an excellent combo: Dennis Buck (piano), Ray Grappone (drums) and Mark Schmied (bass).  The singing actress, who has an expressive and sparkling personality, was barely into the smartly-chosen program when the audience became hers.

Fontanelli opened strongly – “With a Song in My Heart” (Rodgers & Hart) and “I Feel a Song Coming On” (Fields & McHugh), her powerful voice filling the room.  In a show well stocked with showstoppers, she included a medley of songs from Anything Goes – “Anything Goes”/“I Get a Kick Out of You”/“Blow, Gabriel, Blow,” channeling  Merman and on the verge of getting the audience to jump up and shout “Hallelujah!” Switching gears several times, Fontanelli demonstrated an ability to convey warmth and feeling, such as in “Over the Rainbow,” “Mama” and “All the Way,” the second in honor of her mother, Francesca, a former resident of Hoboken, New Jersey, the last for Frank Sinatra, the best-known person to emerge from the waterfront town.

In the audience was another famous Italian, Paul Sorvino, the Brooklyn-born actor acclaimed for his performance in the Broadway production of That Championship Season and his portrayal of mob boss Paul Cicero in the film Goodfellas.  Sorvino is also known to be a good singer.  Before making his mark as an actor, he dreamed of being an opera performer.  Fontanelli coaxed him to the stage where he told the audience that his aunt Louisa had been the inspiration for “O Sole Mio,” which he proceeded to sing with great gusto, the last chorus with Fontanelli.  That iconic Neapolitan ballad was one of several songs with Italian roots, the others: “Quando, Quando, Quando” “Vissi d’arte” from Puccini’s Tosca, and “Con te partiro,” which made Andrea Bocelli a star.  Better known as “Time to Say Goodbye,” the aria was sung so beautifully by Fontanelli that chills literally ran up and down my spine.

She’s a good storyteller, drawing a lot of humor from the telling of an episode which occurred in September.  In Central Park for the taping of Bocelli’s live performance, she was acting as co-host with Denise Richardson of WNET for an eventual broadcast on PBS.  During a break in the filming, Fontanelli became a kind of roving reporter.  Managing to collar Bocelli’s mother, she began to interview her.  When Mama Bocelli found out that the impromptu interview was not on the schedule, she politely told Fontanelli to beat it.  In remembering the evening, Fontanelli exclaimed, “This is my life; I’m not lying!”

“Per il gran finale,” the stellar performer sang “Funiculì, Funicula,” inviting the energetic audience to sing along.  It was a perfect ending to a virtual variety show.  Fontanelli is eager to please her fans, old and new, and makes it all look almost effortless.  She has been called “la diva della canzone.” For someone who is more associated with large venues, she seems equally at home in the intimate world of cabaret, living up to her reputation as “the goddess of song.”

Jerry Osterberg
Cabaret Scenes
October 17, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org