The only missing elements were scenery and sets, as the evening opened with Howard McGillin and Christiane Noll singing Brigadoon’s (Lerner/Lowe) “Almost Like Being in Love.” Marc Kudisch’s glorious bass profundo voice introduced host and creator Scott Siegel. 1947 was a very good year with the first UFO sightings, the Tony Awards were born, as well as Hillary Clinton, and the invention of the Frisbee and Tupperware, or as Scott said “it was a good year for plastics”. Finian’s Rainbow’s (Lane/Harburg) “When I’m Not Near The Girl I Love,” was ably sung by the impish Eddie Korbich, followed by “Security”—High Button Shoes (Styne/Cahn) sung and danced by the lovely ladies in red, Meredith Patterson, Kristen Beth Williams and Erin Crouch.

Choreography was Broadway at its finest, with production and staging by director-choreographer Jeffrey Denman, along with the aid of Noah Racey—“Old Devil Moon” (ever so Fosse to a Latin drumbeat) and the collaboration between Jeffrey and Noah for their smooth tap, song and dance “ Necessity” (Finian’s Rainbow)—a highlight among many! Marc Kudisch sang  “A Fella Needs A Girl” from Allegro (Rodgers/Hammerstein) and the sexy “Wouldn’t You Like to Be On Broadway?” from Street Scene (Weill/Hughes). Kerry O’Malley, the beautiful Irish redhead, sang “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?” while Jeffrey Denman and Meredith Patterson made charming lovers in ‘Heather On The Hill” (both from Brigadoon) and Donna Lynne Champlin did the bluesy “If It Were Easy To Do” while Eddie Korbich made the audience roar with the “1000 Island Song” as he “rowed up the River St. Lawrence yelling Florence where can you be“ (both from Angel in the Wings (Hillard/Sigman).

From Street Scene, unplugged (sans mic), Howard McGillin sang “Lonely House” and Christiane Noll sang “What Good Would the Moon Be?.” Marc Kudisch was back with “The Balalaika Serenade”—Music In My Heart (Tchaikovsky/Brown) and tenor Alexander Gemignani (and the Scottish Lads) did a funfilled “I’ll Go Home With Bonnie Jean” (Brigadoon), closing Act I and cleverly opening Act II as it segued into “Papa Won’t You Dance With Me” (High Button Shoes). Louisiana Lady ran only 4 performances but had a catchy song and dance, “Cuckoo Cheena” (Sanders/Carlo) that gave young Kendrick Jones a chance to perform a thrilling tap number. Donna Lynne Champlin sung “Look to the Rainbow” and showed her talent as a hoofer, joined by the cast.

Surprise guest Christine Pedi brought us to tears as she invoked the spirit of Elaine Stritch in “Civilization” (Angel in the Wings) with Scott saying, “Do it in the key of Stritch.” The show ended with a full cast song and dance production to “That Great Come and Get It Day” and a standing ovation from the audience. Glorious dance routines, superb voices and the clever creation of this evening were only enhanced by the musical direction/arranging and piano of Ross Patterson and his Little Big Band.

Sandi Durell
Cabaret Scenes
March 3, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org