Kim Grogg & Kim Sutton

Whenever I Call You Friend

Don’t Tell Mama, NYC, December 9, 2015

Reviewed by Rob Lester for Cabaret Scenes

It’s two for the price of fun: Two upbeat, female, blonde singers/friends both coincidentally named Kim is a cute concept for a cabaret act. These Kims—Grogg and Sutton—have a blast playing up their different musical tastes, perspectives, and lives. With selections mainly pop/soft rock and many done as duets, contrasts are muddied. More striking differences would help, like the lone jazz standard, “I Ain’t Got Nothin’ but the Blues” in Grogg trumpet tones, attractively arranged by Matt Baker.

While both sing solidly and have loads of peppy personality and sheen, too many oldies were approached with more bonhomie and gusto than musical originality and interpretation, threatening to turn a pleasant songfest into a clap-along cover band one might find at a wedding reception. A quartet led by ubiquitous Musical Director Tracy Stark had drive and the audience seemed entertained, cheering the onstage cheerfulness directed by Lennie Watts.

Prepared patter appeared pat, coming off too flat and transparently scripted in their “opposites attract” female blonde bonding. Repertoire included the heavily applauded duet “Got to Get You Into My Life” from the Beatles’ ouevre and “Touch Me in the Morning,” an old hit ballad for Diana Ross, into which Sutton injected more than a touch of welcome vulnerability. But their inclusion of “Here for the Party” summed up the ambiance more—it was certainly more bright-spirited, breezy, rousing romp than emotionally deep cabaret outing. The joie de vivre vivacity made things, on the whole, wholesome even if some numbers had the potential to approach the edge of edginess. Still, these two kinetic Kims in shiny silver-hued get-ups have get-up-and-go and go a long way towards making their smiles contagious, their own friendship also extended to embrace the crowd. And in their interaction they have undeniable “Kim-estry.”