Caitlin Fahey
Party of One
Don’t Tell Mama, NYC, June 18, 2017
Reviewed by Bart Greenberg for Cabaret Scenes
It’s always a happy day to discover a new cabaret talent. Caitlin Fahey made her New York City cabaret debut at Don’t Tell Mama. She possesses a powerful voice, both a belt and an impressive head voice she doesn’t yet make enough use of. Even more exciting is her acting ability: she takes such standards as “It Might as Well Be Spring” and “I’m Old Fashioned” and makes the lyrics personal and fresh, as if they were simply her thoughts discovered at the moment.
“How About You?” is reimagined as a one-act comedy about a disastrous first (and last) date, leading into a torchy rendition of the haunting “Night Song.”
Fahey also samples more contemporary writers, such as Janis Ian, Fiona Apple and ABBA, and brings the same intensity and personal discovery to these compositions. And she feels free to show her goofy side with a tribute to her family’s favorite ball team, “Meet the Mets” (Ruth Roberts and Bill Katz).
Where the performer needs to improve is in the details in the spaces between the songs. Her voice occasionally goes unpleasantly shrill when telling the punchline to her patter. And she definitely needs to work on her wardrobe: an off-one-shoulder black top and casual black pants, along with her curtain of dark hair, may be very suitable for brunch with friends, but doesn’t possess the dazzle the spotlight demands. Glam up, girl!
Throughout, the singer is ably assisted by her Musical Director Rick Jensen and guided by her director Lina Koutrakos.
Caitlin Fahey is hopefully going to be around for a long while, growing and giving us even more dazzle with each new show.
