Cabaret Scenes Review - Petula Clark

At one time, long ago in the 1960s, Petula Clark’s recordings like “Downtown” (Tony Hatch) and “Don’t Sleep in the Subway” (Hatch with Jackie Trent) ruled the airwaves. They were lyrical and accessible, just like Clark, a cute blonde. While she has not been in a New York club since the 1970s, Clark has led a busy life, working in films, theater and concert halls.

She is now back in New York at Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, still blonde, with finely-carved features and a lot of personality. At 79, she’s a lively sprite with a secure, flexible voice and dramatic savvy. She has put together a well-crafted show with a little bit of bio and a lot of songs. At the end of the evening, you may not have a date-by-date of the past half-century, but who needs that? What you’ll have is a picture of a Welsh singer who has lived in Paris, starred internationally in major theater musicals, won her first Grammy Award for “Downtown” and a second for “I Know a Place,” also by Hatch.

And a lot more. With David Hadzis (music), after 9/11, she wrote the lyrics for “Starting All Over Again,” with an undercurrent of optimism fighting through “the tears and anger and pain.” Saluting the legendary Peggy Lee, she takes an audaciously cool turn singing Cole Porter’s “Miss Otis Regrets (She’s Unable to Lunch Today),” with a finger-snapping accompaniment by her quartet (and some ringsiders). From Finian’s Rainbow, a film she made with Fred Astaire, she wonders, “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?” (Burton Lane and E.Y. Harburg) and, at the piano, she demonstrates her precise French accent in “La Vie en rose.” Perky and country is her new rendition of “I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love” (Hatch and Trent), spotlighting drummer Dan Gross, and building to a vigorous finale.

“This Is My Song” (Charlie Chaplin), she has performed in French, Italian and German. Here, the audience joins in with a spirited “La, la-la-la…” Adding an original poem, Clark reveals her thoughts about the magic of the theater. “The magic is here, in you and me,” she said, and her encore is a touching rendition of “You and I” by Leslie Bricusse for the film Goodbye, Mr. Chips.

Of course, she eventually includes “Downtown,” encouraging the very willing audience to join in. She then notes that downtown and uptown, New York today is filled with drugstores. To spoof the comment, creative Barry Kleinbort provided her with a hilarious parody, replacing “Downtown” with "Duane Reade." It rounds out an evening of impressive variety, presenting a multifaceted Petula Clark sharing humor, musicality, vivaciousness and a sense of fun.

She is accompanied by Musical Director and pianist Grant Sturiale, guitarist Courtney Sappington, Jason Di Matteo on bass and Dan Gross on drums.

Petula Clark is at Feinstein's 2/3.4. 9-11.

Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes
January 25, 2012
www.cabaretscenes.org



	Petula Clark Feinstein's at Loews Regency New York, NY
At one time, long ago in the 1960s, Petula Clark’s recordings like “Downtown” (Tony Hatch) and “Don’t Sleep in the Subway” (Hatch with Jackie Trent) ruled the airwaves. They were lyrical and accessible, just like Clark, a cute blonde. While she has not been in a New York club since the 1970s, Clark has led a busy life, working in films, theater and concert halls. She is now back in New York at Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, still blonde, with finely-carved features and a lot of personality. At 79, she’s a lively sprite with a secure, flexible voice and dramatic savvy. She has put together a well-crafted show with a little bit of bio and a lot of songs. At the end of the evening, you may not have a date-by-date of the past half-century, but who needs that? What you’ll have is a picture of a Welsh singer who has lived in Paris, starred internationally in major theater musicals, won her first Grammy Award for “Downtown” and a second for “I Know a Place,” also by Hatch. And a lot more. With David Hadzis (music), after 9/11, she wrote the lyrics for “Starting All Over Again,” with an undercurrent of optimism fighting through “the tears and anger and pain.” Saluting the legendary Peggy Lee, she takes an audaciously cool turn singing Cole Porter’s “Miss Otis Regrets (She’s Unable to Lunch Today),” with a finger-snapping accompaniment by her quartet (and some ringsiders). From Finian’s Rainbow, a film she made with Fred Astaire, she wonders, “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?” (Burton Lane and E.Y. Harburg) and, at the piano, she demonstrates her precise French accent in “La Vie en rose.” Perky and country is her new rendition of “I Couldn’t Live Without Your Love” (Hatch and Trent), spotlighting drummer Dan Gross, and building to a vigorous finale. “This Is My Song” (Charlie Chaplin), she has performed in French, Italian and German. Here, the audience joins in with a spirited “La, la-la-la…” Adding an original poem, Clark reveals her thoughts about the magic of the theater. “The magic is here, in you and me,” she said, and her encore is a touching rendition of “You and I” by Leslie Bricusse for the film Goodbye, Mr. Chips. Of course, she eventually includes “Downtown,” encouraging the very willing audience to join in. She then notes that downtown and uptown, New York today is filled with drugstores. To spoof the comment, creative Barry Kleinbort provided her with a hilarious parody, replacing “Downtown” with "Duane Reade." It rounds out an evening of impressive variety, presenting a multifaceted Petula Clark sharing humor, musicality, vivaciousness and a sense of fun. She is accompanied by Musical Director and pianist Grant Sturiale, guitarist Courtney Sappington, Jason Di Matteo on bass and Dan Gross on drums. Petula Clark is at Feinstein's 2/3.4. 9-11. Elizabeth Ahlfors Cabaret Scenes January 25, 2012 www.cabaretscenes.org

Petula Clark

Feinstein's at Loews Regency New York, NY

Feinstein's at Loews Regency
New York, NY