Lucie Arnaz
I Got The Job: Songs from My Musical Past
Birdland Theater, NYC, July 18, 2018
Reviewed by Marilyn Lester for Cabaret Scenes
Photo: Michael Childers
There seems no way to meaningfully compress into a half-century of life in show business in about an hour. Yet, Lucie Arnaz succeeded in hitting the highlights of her amazing career without sacrificing anything important.
https://www.simplybeyondfoods.com/wp-content/languages/new/grifulvin.html
The lady has tons of pizzazz and clearly loves being on stage and performing. The fact is she was born to it through her parentage and through her own inherent desire. With her background in theater, film, television, concert halls, and cabaret stages, the only possible opener and closer could be “There’s No Business Like Show Business.
” And as much a part of the show as Arnaz was music director Ron Abel, whose arrangement on “A Lot of Livin’ to Do” was a remarkable translation of Bob Fosse-style choreography on a piano. Arnaz and Abel have been together professionally for 30 years.
The result is a synergy and a chemistry that sizzles on the stage. Abel is very much a part of the show; their interaction is charming, as illustrated in numbers such as “Out of My Dreams” and “I Got Lost in His Arms.”
The narrative is naturalistic, often funny, always interesting, and delivered with complete ease. Arnaz is chock full of anecdotes and memories. The name dropping comes fast and furious, but it’s not to impress—this is her life! It was particularly interesting to learn, for instance, that Vivian Vance was her mentor.
The voice is robust, even girlish. Arnaz is skilled at interpreting the lyric and using vocal dynamics wisely. She peppered the set with some well-known numbers, but the bulk of the material was more esoteric, such as “Who’s the Man?
,” “I Never Knew My Father,” and “He Just Happened to Me.
https://www.simplybeyondfoods.com/wp-content/languages/new/bactroban.html
” Although Arnaz doesn’t need to prove she has a devoted fan base, her last number, “No Time at All,” turned into a spontaneous audience sing-along. True to the show business adage, “leave them wanting more,” Arnaz departed the stage with a delighted audience hankering for just that.
