Eric Comstock & Barbara Fasano
This Thing Called Love
The Cabaret at Germano’s, Baltimore, MD, February 14, 2018
Reviewed by Michael Miyazaki for Cabaret Scenes
Eric Comstock and Barbara Fasano, America’s First Couple of Cabaret, hosted a Valentine’s Day celebration at Germano’s. Their show was all about love (what else?) in multiple guises, following a roadmap careening through courtship (a charming “Haven’t We Met”), obsession (an intense “Tonight”), joy (“a stunning medley of “Lucky to Be Me” and “It’s Love”), humor (“Forbidden Fruit”), and everyday joy (“New Sun in the Sky” with “A Shine on Your Shoes”).
The two display a bond that magnifies the impact of their work. For example, in their duet on the the Marvin Hamlisch /Craig Carnelia “I Cannot Hear the City,” not only do they hit stunning harmonies, but their relationship also magnifies the impact of a lyric like, “I’ll keep you safe, and also set you free.” The hum of satisfaction that ends the song nearly says as much as the entire preceding lyric. It also allows them to be stylistically consistent while being stylistically fluid, whether it is a restrained formalism in their “Blue Skies” or the jazzy sass of a medley of “Love Like Ours” and “Old Friends.”
Each had individual successes in the show. Comstock presented a world weary yet hopeful reading of “Small World” and tickled our fancy with two Oscar Brown, Jr. blues numbers. Fasano presented a master class in how to make a song a three-act play in “Remind Me,” veering from temptation to love to heartbreak to wisdom in the course of three minutes. Her “Thunder Road” is a masterpiece, particularly well set-up with a reminiscence of growing up on Long Island.
Comstock provides solid support on the piano for the couple. He clearly understands their needs as performers and provides them in the accompaniment and clearly sets the stage for their stylistic jaunts. A favorite moment in the show was the use of “The Little Things You Do Together” as the accompaniment counterpoint to “Love Is in the Air,” giving the song much more weight and edge than it usually has.
One of the delights of a Comstock & Fasano show is their unexpected approach to programming within a theme. They deserve plaudits for being willing not to include the dreaded “My Funny Valentine” in a Valentine’s show and, instead, finding the charming Annie Dinerman song “Valentine” to celebrate the holiday!
