If you like cabaret you'll love the Cabaret at the Savor. On Friday, November 30^th, Pamela Reckamp presented My Poets, a first-rate evening in the Savor's series of local talents. The Cabaret at Savor, now in its second year, is an utter gem—or rather jewel box—for cabaret. Small, intimate, deliciously crowded, it's done in rich red draperies, with slightly kitschy Egyptian pillars—like a tiny, tiny baby sister of the Fox. 

Ms. Reckamp was almost within touching distance on the little stage, and her engaging personality quite captured the crowd. With warmth and confidence she presented an evening of her favorite songs. Unlike the usual cabaret artist she chose songs not from the "Great American Songbook" but from her own youth. They're pop songs of the seventies—Carole King, the Beatles, John Denver, Billy Joel and others. 

Now I must admit that I was pretty much tuned out of popular music during that decade and I still think that those years were (Beatles aside) not particularly rich in melody or lyric, but Ms. Reckamp found a few that are real winners. She opened with a very nice "Age of Aquarius". Her phrasing in "Killing Me Softly" was beautifully sensitive. In this and a few other selections she was joined in song by her accompanist, Al Fischer. He's a most accomplished performer and their easy camaraderie lent much to the comfort and warmth of the evening. In "Leaving on a Jet Plane" Ms. Reckamp accompanied herself on guitar. She told of youthfully learning the three chords needed to sing John Denver songs. Here the song was pitched just a note or two too low for her. She might acquire another three chords to allow a more comfortable key. She included a medley of seventies TV theme songs—not great music, but most of the audience seemed delighted and even joined in. 

Throughout the evening Ms. Reckamp engaged us with chat about her experiences with song. Generally charming. But at one point she indulged in some talk about her work with prisoner rehabilitation: a little self-serving—even touching on maudlin—and certainly extraneous to this evening of cabaret. When I'm in the palm of a charismatic cabaret singer I simply don't want to know that she has a day job. 

But overall it was a fine, successful evening. In Don McLean's "American Pie" she handled both the song and the audience beautifully. The highlight of the evening, for me, was her rendition of Jason Robert Brown's "Stars and the Moon"—the tale of a girl who rejects romance and adventure for riches and security—but who lives to regret it. Here Ms. Reckamp had the opportunity to use her considerable actor's talent to achieve a quite moving dramatic moment. 

Throughout the evening the technical elements were quite perfect: sound amplification was just right and the subtle lighting changes were really quite beautiful. For more information on the Cabaret at Savor series, visit their web site: cabaretatsavor.com. 

Steve Callahan
Cabaret Scenes
November 30, 2007
www.cabaretscenes.org