Scott Siegel opened his new Town Hall series, Summer Broadway Festival, with A Night at the Operetta. While operetta is not a contemporary crowd-pleaser, having lost its aficionados before the 1930's, I admittedly love this music, and there were moments of sheer delight and intense emotion.

If one performer rose to the top that night -- and one did -- it had to be opera tenor John Easterlin. He closed Act I with "Serenade" (Sigmund Romberg), off the mike, eliciting the song's heart with simple sincerity, beginning gently and building as the song's emotion intensified. It was a thrilling rendition.

Easterlin returned later to join Christiane Noll in closing the show with "Deep in My Heart, Dear," also from The Student Prince. To Easterlin's credit, he did not overwhelm Noll, who sang beautifully but does not share Easterlin's perch of excellence.

Before Easterlin's appearance, there was another standout performance, Douglas Ladnier, who sang "I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now." "Is that operetta?" you wonder. Isn't it a pop song made famous by singers like Perry Como, Ray Charles and Bobby Darin? The song was featured in the Hough-Adams-Howard 1909 operetta, The Prince of Tonight. Interestingly, the song, credited to Joe Howard, was actually written by Harold Orlob, who sold Howard the rights. Douglas Ladnier, tall and handsome, lent his deep baritone vocal tone to interpret the song with bittersweet, uncontrived honesty and understanding.

Karen Murphy brought her own bright savvy personality and soprano voice to join Paul Schoeffler in "Talk About This, Talk About That," and threw herself, literally, into a solo "Art is Calling for Me" (Victor Herbert). Mark Jacoby and Paul Schoeffler delivered Herbert's "When You're Wearing the Ball and Chain," with comic timing and phrasing. Marc Kudisch was hilarious with "Donkey Serenade" (Wright, Forrest, Friml, Stothart). Lanky Gavin Lee was as delightful at Town Hall tapping away on "The Streets of New York" (Herbert) as he is on Broadway in Mary Poppins.

Music director/arranger/pianist, Fred Barton led a small string band supporting a night of fine singers, also including Sarah Jane McMahon, Manu Narayan, Rebecca Eichenberger, William Michals, and Milla Ilieva. Scott Siegel continues to present his evenings with wit and knowledge, and thankfully encouraged many singers to forgo the microphone. A special salute for offering this neglected genre of musical theatre.

Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes
July 16, 2007
www.cabaretscenes.org