Eileen Fulton, daytime siren and nightclub diva, is a petite spark plug in teal sequins. Looking below the glitter and gloss, however, and you will find a good-natured southern lady, ebullient with charm and fun. Fulton draws on her years of professional and personal experiences and brings them to life with her unique honesty. She has spent enough years in show business to interpret the poignant "Something Cool," as a song her character, Lisa (As the World Turns), might sing. At the same time, Fulton retains the grounded down-home values to appreciate the perception in "Fireflies" by Francesca Blumenthal and "I Know a Place" by Tony Hatch.

Fulton conceives and sculpts her shows with care, know-how, and enthusiasm, choosing songs with strong, dramatic lyrics. She has learned to stress the phrasing with her own point of view, which can be whimsical, like her takes on Rodgers and Hart's "Blue Moon" and "The Bad in Everyman," or heartbreaking with "Good Thing Going" and "Send in the Clowns" (Sondheim). The stories are Fulton's strengths, and while there are repeats from previous shows, she works on new, fresh twists. "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" (Rodgers and Hart) skips right to the earthy parts, those naughty lyrics censored for so many years. Barnes' "Too Long at the Fair" and Brel/Blau's "Carousel" are familiar closers for her, but she still nails them in the center.

A segment called Looking Back Suite revisited some of her '70's recordings but, unfortunately, over-hawking her CDs diluted the spirit of the section. Sing the songs, Eileen, and leave the CDs for apres-show.

At Feinstein's at the Regency, Fulton is supported by musical director, Bob Goldstone and his imaginative arrangements. A quartet adds to her quicksilver moods, with Jerry Vivino on reeds, drummer Steve Bartosok, and bassist Tom Hubbard.

A lovable ham with joie de vivre, Eileen Fulton continues to prove she has the stuff of entertainment.

Eileen Fulton performs at Feinstein's at the Regency April 22, 23, 29, 30, 2007

Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes
April 23, 2007
www.cabaretscenes.org