28th New York Cabaret Convention
Too Marvelous for Words/Star Dust:
The Music of Hoagy Carmichael & Richard Whiting
Rose Theater, NYC, October 19, 2017
Reviewed by Peter Haas for Cabaret Scenes
Photos: Maryann Lopinto
The fourth and final evening of the New York Cabaret Convention saluted two of popular music’s famed songwriters: Richard Whiting and Hoagy Carmichael.
Returning to the Convention as its finale-show hostess was the ever-delightful Klea Blackhurst, who opened the program with Carmichael’s “One Morning in May” (lyrics: Mitchell Parish), featuring Billy Stritch at the piano. Following the next number—Amra-Faye Wright performing Whiting’s “Hooray for Hollywood” (Johnny Mercer)—the evening’s first act was Carmichael territory, which included Wright and Carol Woods partnering on “In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening” (Merer); the silken-voiced Stacy Sullivan with “How Little We Know” (Mercer); pianist Matt Baker’s instrumental of “Georgia on My Mind” (Stuart Gorrell); Valerie Lemon with “I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)” (Jane Brown Thompson); and Kristoffer Lowe with a smooth “The Nearness of You” (Ned Washington). Joie Bianco, 16 years old and well on her way to stardom, contributed “Ole Buttermilk Sky” (Jack Brooks) and “Skylark” (Mercer). Between songs, she was presented with the Julie Wilson Award. Gregory Generet, too-long absent from the Convention, scored with “Baltimore Oriole” (Paul Francis Webster). Following more performers, with songs such as “Heart and Soul” (Frank Loesser), “Up a Lazy River” (Sidney Arodin), and the timeless “Star Dust” (Parish). Blackhurst and Stritch closed the act with the upbeat “Walk It Off” (Sidney Miller and Inez James).
The second half of the evening featured the songs of Richard Whiting. Blackhurst started it off, on her ukulele, with “You’re an Ol’ Smoothie” (Buddy G. DeSylva/Nacio Herb Brown). She was followed “Breezin’ Along with the Breeze” (Haven Gillespie/Seymour Simons) and “When Did You Leave Heaven” (Walter Bullock), both sung by Josephine Sanges. As she was about to leave the stage, she was surprised by the appearance of Debi Bush Whiting, Richard Whiting’s granddaughter and the daughter of famed singer Margaret Whiting, who presented Josephine with the Margaret Whiting Award. The music resumed with pianist/singer Eric Yves Garcia performing “Have You Got Any Castles, Baby” (Mercer) and “One Hour with You” (Oscar Hammerstein), then Shana Farr performed “Beyond the Blue Horizon” (W. Franke Harling/Robin) to cheers. It was cheers again for Stacy Sullivan’s warm performance of “My Ideal” (Newell Chase/Robin), and an enthusiastic reception for Carol Woods’ performances of “Too Marvelous for Words” (Mercer) and “She’s Funny That Way” (Neil Moret). Blackhurst’s finale was “Ain’t We Got Fun?” (Raymond B. Egan/Gus Kahn).
As the show– and this year’s Cabaret Convention—came to a close, the evening’s cast assembled on stage, with the audience invited to join them in singing a most appropriate song: Richard Whiting and Egan’s warm-hearted “Till We Meet Again.” Stay tuned for 2018.
