Ann Hampton Callaway’s industrial-strength tribute to Barbra Streisand tears through 54Below like a rogue Humvee. Deploying her formidable voice with clarity and control, the Callaway offers familiar selections from Streisand’s repertoire as well as two songs Callaway authored which were performed by Streisand: “At the Same Time,” a clarion call for brotherhood and “I’ve Dreamed of You” (set to a melody by Rolf Lovland), which the icon sang at her wedding to James Brolin. Peppering the evening with historical tidbits and deliciously witty remarks, Callaway has the room laughing, clapping, whooping, finger-snapping and singing.

The evening, though fluid, might be divided into three sections: 1. Jazzy choices, like “Lover Come Back to Me” and “Down with Love” let Callaway capitalize on her ease with slip-sliding lyrics and showcase one of the great contemporary skills with scatting.

2. Renditions with more traditional arrangements, including “People,” “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” (“Isn’t it nice that show tunes can be self-help books,” she quips) and “A Piece of Sky.” My issue with these, like an open throttle interpretation of “Cry Me a River” which rightfully brings down the house, is superb musicality without personal investment. In this one, phrases soar above the kind of lover’s fox trot where partners barely move. Gorgeous notes are held to inhuman length, eliciting gasps from the audience. During none of these poignant, pithy songs do we feel implicit suffering, however. In fact, a smile hovers.

3. Inhabited numbers, like “Lazy Afternoon,” which conjures the stillness of a drifting rowboat in every sensuous, drawn-out lyric, sweep of brushes, whispering cymbals, and tiptoeing sticks. “If you hold my hand and sit real still/You can hear the grass as it gro-o-o-o-ows” she sings, utilizing an effectively rising scale for the last word. The tandem “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever” with “Happy Days Are Here Again” deploys a rise in octaves and emphasis exhibiting beautiful restraint.

This is a show filled with respect and admiration rather than illumination. Callaway even admits to using Streisand’s early handling of her career as a template. The entertainer is terrific fun when she addresses those of her audience within sight, but otherwise looks over our heads. There’s no question she has the goods, the power, and the finesse. One simply misses the woman.

Alix Cohen
Cabaret Scenes
September 27, 2012
www.cabaretscenes.org