Terrence Kennedy

Some Favorite Songs

The Duplex, NYC, May 20, 2018

Reviewed by Chris Struck for Cabaret Scenes

Terrence Kennedy’s show combined a number of lighthearted songs with a few classics like “Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread)” (Johnny Mercer/Rube Bloom) to create an atmosphere with reminiscences about the New York that was. For a few brief moments, I could see how fun and free-spirited the ’80s cabaret scene must have been like when Kennedy debuted in 1982. Hearing his deep, sonorous voice croon “Twist and Shout” alongside a few well-practiced moves and eye rolls, brought a clear vision of the rooms many remember.

Yet, we’re still here and there are a lot more songs to sing. Some are darker and some poke fun at the world around us. Going from “I remember butter/We were quite a team” (“Butter”) to “Everything Is Better When It’s Clean” had Kennedy poking fun at himself, as he talked about new diets and his reputation for cleanliness. However, that was just part of the whole picture of this singer. He enjoyed sharing a little taste of his humor, too. His usually deep voice struck a heartfelt note with the opening of the Elvis hit “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” (Lou Handman/Roy Turk), weaving the intro into a good surprise when he sang the touching lines “Do the chairs in your parlor seem empty and bare?” Then, just when we thought he had cooled the comedy, he launched into the second half of the arrangement, changing the tone to that of talking about stalking a loved one. Nice.

Lucas Holmes joined on the piano and kept things up-tempo and lively. Kennedy seemed to have a tendency to slow songs down to match a voice that leaned baritone, but with quick fingers and good chemistry, they moved synchronously through song after song. Nice to have a blast from the past mixed in with some newer comedic numbers!