Eric Comstock & Barbara Fasano
Come a Little Closer
The Cabaret at Germano’s, Baltimore, MD, October 24,2019
Reviewed by Michael Miyazaki for Cabaret Scenes
Photo: Maryann Lopinto
In Come a Little Closer, Eric Comstock and Barbara Fasano present a slate of songs exploring the theme of interpersonal connections.
As America’s First Couple of Cabaret, naturally they start with an exploration of marriage. A combination of “Witchcraft” and “How Little We Know” reinforced the mysteries of marriage. The Marvin Hamlisch/Craig Carnelia “I Cannot Hear the City” featured ravishing harmonies and a beautiful visual of the couple intertwined on the piano bench. The duo followed with a particularly romantic duet version of John Wallowitch’s “Come a Little Closer.”
Comstock and Fasano also had noteworthy individual moments. His reading of “If I Only Had a Heart” had a sweet sentimentality that had the audience collectively sighing on the phrase “and be even worthy erv ya,” and he made the satiric Randy Newman song “Political Science” seem like the inevitable solution for our troubled times.
The dramatic highlight of the evening was Fasano’s trilogy of Joni Mitchell songs the included “Cactus Tree,” “A Case of You,” and “Marcie.” The sequence provided a dramatic arc of the stages of sexual awakening, exhilaration, and disappointment, with Mitchell-esque idiosyncrasies flavoring the piano and vocal arrangements.
Of course one expects performers of this caliber to be technically proficient, but still one has to admire how their mastery of the craft of performance allows them to accomplish so much. Their flawless diction is what enabled the audience to appreciate the wit of the lyrics. Comstock’s keen sense of rhythm and innovative arrangements makes us hear standards with fresh ears. Fasano’s ability to vary herself within the performance space provides the audience with a variety of stage pictures that enhance the material.
The rousing ovation at the end of the program and the crowd’s enthusiasm through three encores demonstrated that in the end, Comstock and Fasano’s most important connection, in this show about connections, is with their audience.
