Carole J. Bufford named her show An Inappropriate Evening, with a song list inexplicably numbered from 53 to 65. She's young, attractive and vivacious with an acting background that she incorporates into her singing.

The "inappropriate" designation seemed less directed at her few songs with sexual double entendres than it was to the numbers she elected to sing in spite of their being conventionally sung by men. Mr. Cellophane, Henry Higgins' epic grouse from My Fair Lady, the Hymn to Him ("Why can't a women be more like a man?"), or Dan Cooke's Sugar Dumpling.

Or perhaps Bufford intended the title to refer to her character reversal, where she parodies Ethel Merman singing a lullaby, or emulates Julie Andrews at her Brit-best singing the hooker's lament, The Oldest Profession, from The Life. She also offered one number in the style of Carole Channing and yet another as she envisioned it being sung by Bernadette Peters. If the impersonations were less than perfect, they were enough on target to be easily recognizable and to send her audience into gales of laughter.

Bufford enjoys an effective mezzo with a wide range and a ingratiating personality. One senses that this show, with her imitations and songs that varied from blues to Gimmee a Pigfoot ("and a bottle of beer") to Old Man River, was intended to be a showcase of her varied talents. Although she missed the depth of the lyrics in a few numbers, as such, An Inappropriate Evening did its job.

The show was produced by Jeff Landsman and directed by Ben Rimalower, with Ray Fellman as musical director. Thomas Honeck was technical director.

Peter Leavy
Cabaret Scenes
February 21, 2007
www.cabaretscenes.org