Carole J. Bufford & Eric Yves Garcia: A Christmas Carole & A New Year’s Yves

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Carole J. Bufford & Eric Yves Garcia

A Christmas Carole & A New Year’s Yves

Laurie Beechman Theatre, NYC, December 18, 2014

Reviewed by Peter Haas for Cabaret Scenes

Photo: Russ Weatherford
Photo: Russ Weatherford

The future of cabaret is in excellent hands, judging by the rich and merry musical evening created and performed by two of the field’s top young talents. The show is A Christmas Carole & A New Year’s Yves, which Carole J. Bufford and Eric Yves Garcia created and performed at a packed-house Laurie Beechman. Each has held audiences on his/her own; together, in solos and duets, bouncing patter off each other with obvious affection, they are an endearing team.

With Matt Baker as accomplished accompanist, the two romped through a bright program of seasonal and popular numbers. For “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” they reversed the song’s familiar roles, with Bufford as seductress. Her “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” captured the song’s poignancy, while “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” as she appeared in giant striped pajamas, heightened the fun. Garcia’s solos—in between his dry, wry comments—included “The Christmas Waltz,” Willie Nelson’s “Pretty Paper” (about a street peddler), and “(Everyone’s Waitin’ for) The Man with the Bag,” presented as a double-entendre number. The two joined forces on a medley of wintertime classics, including “It Happened in Sun Valley,” “June in January” and “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.” A particularly poignant number was Garcia’s rendition of John Meyer’s “After the Holidays,” which Judy Garland sang when they were romantically involved. John was in the audience to accept warm applause.

The evening’s conclusion: a standing ovation for the team.

Peter Haas

Writer, editor, lyricist and banjo plunker, Peter Haas has been contributing features and performance reviews for Cabaret Scenes since the magazine’s infancy. As a young folk-singer, he co-starred on Channel 13’s first children’s series, Once Upon a Day; wrote scripts, lyrics and performed on Pickwick Records’ children’s albums, and co-starred on the folk album, All Day Singing. In a corporate career, Peter managed editorial functions for CBS Records and McGraw-Hill, and today writes for a stable of business magazines. An ASCAP Award-winning lyricist, his work has been performed at Carnegie Hall, Feinstein’s, Metropolitan Room and other fine saloons.