Ilene Graff & Nikka Graff Lanzarone
Together Again for the First Time
Upstairs at Vitello’s, Studio City, CA, January 12, 2019
Reviewed by Les Traub for Cabaret Scenes
Nikka Graff Lanzarone
Two theater pros who just happen to be mother and daughter, Ilene Graff and Nikka Graff Lanzarone, together with a musical director Ben Lanzarone (who happens to be husband and father to them respectively), joined forces to present a joyously entertaining evening. A mix of duets and solo numbers featured songs associated with the immediate and extended Graff family along with other well-chosen selections.
Nikka appropriated Kander & Ebb’s “Say Liza (Liza with a ‘Z’)” to clarify her name as “Nikka with an ‘A’” with special lyrics by Kevin Jaeger. She handled the tongue-twisting lyrics and break-neck speed with great aplomb. Her theater voice filled the large room without overwhelming it on this and her other numbers. She had fun with “Broadway Boogie Woogie” (Edward Kleban) as she and Ilene related audition stories, including a couple of amusing ones in which Ilene auditioned with Ben as accompanist and Ben, not Ilene, ended up getting a job out of the auditions.
The “Family Medley” included numbers from Ilene’s extensive show list including “I’ll Never Fall in Love” (Promises, Promises), “Love Revolution” (I Love My Wife), and “Look at Me, I’m Sandra Dee” (Grease). Cousin Randy Graff got acknowledged by Nikka with “You Can Count on Me” (City of Angels), and Nikka saluted her Uncle Todd Graff with “I Chose Right” (Baby). Ilene and Ben hit an emotional high-note with their rendition of “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” (Michel Legrand/Alan and Marilyn Bergman). Her sensitive take on the lyric was punctuated with Ben’s mystical, magical arrangement, which could have served as a concert solo yet worked beautifully as accompaniment.
The scripted show was delivered naturally, which kept the evening flowing, but these pros often went beyond the script with amusing asides to each other. Brian Nash contributed the fine arrangements for Nikka’s solos, and Ben’s arrangements for Ilene and for the duets were sublime.
