That Dean Regan is a bundle of enormous musical theater talent is undisputable. His voice is a wondrous instrument of shading, power and volume. His presentation of Give My Regards to Broadway is very theatrical: Regan stomps feet, mugs and feigns reluctance to perform the speeded-up version of “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major General.” Physically and vocally, he is so strong that virtually every song seems like an eleven o’clock number. The problem is that, for the cozy little Sunday night crowd at Davenport’s, all that volume was, well, overwhelming. The sometimes ear-splitting loudness generally does not work in a small cabaret room. In “This Nearly Was Mine,” Regan begins with simple quiet reflection and it is welcome in the show. Of course, he gave us impressive money notes as the song progressed. However, what is fascinating in all this is that when he just talks with the audience, his stories are open-hearted and real. He tells of being mentored by high school teacher Mrs. Matthews and her husband and being introduced to Broadway musicals by them. We relate to his discovery and wonder. At the end of the show, he expresses the wish that each of us find our Mrs. Matthews to help us uncover and travel along our journey. Ultimately, and in ways different from musical theater, cabaret is less about candy for the ear and more about candy for the heart.

Carla Gordon
Cabaret Scenes
September 25, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org