These past few years, a program that qualifies as one of the year’s best cabaret showcases isn’t exactly that. It’s Porchlight Music Theatre’s annual benefit concert. Performers include Porchlight ensemble members, but some cabaret pals as well. Difficult as it is to select highlights from this top-shelf showcase, certain performances were especially compelling. Among those was Peggy Roeder’s “Put It Back On,” delivered with flawless comic build. E. Faye Butler had the audience howling as she “read” the words to Mame’s title song off her smartphone. Ross Lehman delivered a multi-layered “I Won’t Send Roses,” finding the perfect blend of tenderness, regret and independence which that song engenders. Chicago’s cabaret community was well represented by Joan Curto offering “Before the Parade Passes By” and by Tom Michael delivering a well-interpreted “Song on the Sand.” Diminutive octogenarian Renee Matthews charmed with “Almost Young.” “My Best Beau” (Mame) took on new dimension as a duet shared by two capable tenors, Devin De Santis and Stephen Shildhart. Rob Lindley’s direction and Doug Peck’s musical direction made it all hum. These folks are definitely Jerry’s folks.
Carla Gordon
Cabaret Scenes
June 18, 2012
www.cabaretscenes.org
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