The title of Perry Balin’s show, You Might As Well Live, is from a Dorothy Parker poem about committing suicide. But after hearing her lively program, it’s clear Balin has everything to live for.  She hung a bunch of songs on a vague autobiographical clothesline, displaying a casual persona and a big, expressive voice; so big, in fact, that I question her need for a microphone.

Dressed in a coy little rose-colored skirt, but otherwise in black (except for a charming sweep of red hair), she set the mood with “I’ve Got Them Feelin’ Too Good Today Blues” (Leiber/Stoller) and moved on to a ”love me” medley that went from a torchy, belted “I Want You to Want Me” (Rick Nielsen) to an exulting “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me” (Gamble/Huff/Ross) with a quick stop at a bemused “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” (Krieger/Eyen). After speaking of her shrink, Dr. Wang, she emphasized her pathology with Randy Newman’s “It’s a Jungle Out There” and “Crazy,” then explored the tragic-comic aspects of love in her “girl group” medley using vials of uppers and downers as maracas.  She called these songs—“You Don’t Own Me,” “Leader of the Pack” etc.—“victim songs” and mused on how singing these kinds of songs made Lesley Gore a lesbian!

The songs in her Bacharach/David medley were, to Balin, stories of bad romances, while Joni Mitchell’s “For Free,” sung with wonder and admiration, made her explore her own reasons for singing.

Her encore, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (Carole King/Gerry Goffin) became an emotionally transparent plea to the audience.

Musical Director William TN Hall’s robust arrangements were a show in themselves, and director Steven Strafford clearly had his work cut out for him subduing Balin’s natural, inexhaustible exuberance.

Joel Benjamin
Cabaret Scenes
January 22, 2012
www.cabaretscenes.org