Cindy Firing
Brass Ring
Davenport’s, Chicago, IL, April 5, 2019
Reviewed by Carla Gordon for Cabaret Scenes
Making her Davenport’s debut, Cindy Firing brought impressive vocals, megawatt energy, and heart to Brass Ring. A carousel rider who could grab onto the slippery brass ring would likely earn the best view and a free spin. Metaphorically, grabbing the brass ring reflects the quest for a challenging goal. Firing demonstrates her quest to make it on Broadway very well in a musical-theater medley of seven songs on which her classically trained voice soars.
The medley, embedded with brief comments on why she didn’t get this or that role, was followed by Allen Shamblin and Michael Reid’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” which took on new meaning in the context of auditioning. Firing flexed hilarious comedy chops in the wicked “Yolanda at the Bottom of the Stairs” (Joe Iconis and Robert Maddock). She spins this yarn from the viewpoint of the unrepentant murderess of that overly-made-up, man-stealing tramp, Yolanda. Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer’s “Whistling Away the Dark” went in a unique direction as Firing presented it in the context of communicating via Facebook. Without doubt, Cindy Firing is a promising cabaret artist.
As she continues her journey she may want to consider balancing boffo with more moments of the quiet stillness that touch the innermost chambers of our hearts.
