Patricia Salinski
Girl Talk
Davenport’s, Chicago, IL, November 4, 2017
Reviewed by Carla Gordon for Cabaret Scenes
Patricia Salinski has a way of making her sold-out Davenport’s audiences feel as if they were in her living room enjoying homemade snickerdoodles and elderberry wine. Girl Talk is no exception. It can take a while for her to find her ground, but meanwhile she just talks with us and we happily listen. She will be the first to explain that she will get back to her prepared script soon enough. Her shows are also family affairs, this one featuring grandson Brendan (who was coincidentally celebrating his 14th birthday) accompanying his Grandma sweetly on Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies.”
Although the title and premise of the show is Girl Talk with the accompanying joy and quirkiness of a circle of lady friends, the show explores communicating in several different relationships. “This Nearly Was Mine” paired with “In the Arms of the Angels” was a simply and well-delivered journey about endings, regrets, and acceptance. She shares her own reflections on the challenges of parenting through difficult times with “If I Could” (Ron Miller/Marti Sharon/Ken Hirsch). Salinski brought her honey, Ted, onstage, had him don an apron then lauded his ….ahem…household talents with the double-entendre “Handy Man.” She shared how, before they married, he met one-on-one with each of her children to reach out to create a new family, then she simply delivered Bob Dylan’s “To Make You Feel My Love.
” Exploring how communication can be impeded, Salinski offered a duet of “Sounds of Silence” with guest singer Jan Paszczykowski. The duet would have been more effective, however, if the two singers had been better connected musically as song partners.
Salinski was fearless as she belted out “Pretty Legs and Great Big Knockers,” which was embedded with appropriately cheesy burlesque jokes and ended with an hysterical reveal of the inflatable rubber boobs that had, up until then, been surreptitiously hidden atop the piano. When it comes to focus and a few vocal issues, Salinski still has promises to keep, but her skills grow with every endeavor.
