Vivienne LaBarbera: Starr Struck with Kay Starr

Post author:Bart Greenberg
Post published:March 7, 2025
Reading time:2 mins read

Vivienne LaBarbera

Starr Struck with Kay Starr

Don’t Tell Mama, NYC, February 18, 2025

Reviewed by Bart Greenberg

Kay Starr was a major musical star for 30 years, and if her fame is now a bit faded, Vivienne LaBarbera made a good argument for it to be restored to the pantheon with her charming cabaret show. Through her well-researched program, she explored the singer’s wide-ranging repertoire and told of her going from a Native American (with a dash of Irish) farmgirl to a gold-record recording artist with five or six marriages along the way. Under the sure direction of Lennie Watts, and with fine support of music director/pianist Tracy Stark, Skip Ward on bass (he had actually played for Starr), and Don Kelly on drums, LaBarbera brought a bouncy personality and a big voice to the stage of Don’t Tell Mama.

LaBarbera kicked off the show with the upbeat “It’s a Good Day” (Peggy Lee/Dave Barbour), then moved through such musical highlights as Starr’s first gold record, “The Wheel of Fortune” (Bennie Benjamin/George David Weiss), and the delightful novelty number that bridged pop and rock, “Rock N Roll Waltz” (Shorty Allen/Roy Alfred) reminiscent of Starr’s style as a hybrid of pop standards, jazz, and rock and roll. Even a Cole Porter medley reflected this mix when some decidedly un-Porter and slightly rock-ish verses were inserted into “I Love Paris,” which paired with “C’est Magnifique.”

Director Watts joined LaBarbera on stage for a charming duet on “Side by Side” (Harry Woods), which seemed to be as fun for them as for the audience. He also provided vocal back-up duties along with Stark on “Fool, Fool, Fool” (The Clovers), a number that honestly deserves its obscurity. On the other hand, LaBarbera scored on two intensely emotional numbers: the torchy “Glad Rag Doll” (Milton Ager/Dan Dougherty), which she delivered powerfully, and the shattering “Both Sides Now” (Joni Mitchell). The later was a perfect blend of singer and song. These were cabaret moments to treasure.

Tags: Nightclubs, Bass, Singer, The Clovers, Joni Mitchell, C’est Magnifique, Musicals, drums, Cabaret Reviews, Glad Rag Doll, Broadway, Irish, Lyricist, Music Director, CD Reviews, Cabaret, Don Kelly, I Love Paris, Vivienne LaBarbera, Clubs, Broadway Musicals, Harry Woods, NYC, Roy Alfred, It’s a Good Day, Pianist, Starr Struck with Kay Starr, composer, Tracy Stark, Bennie Benjamin, Milton Ager, Native American, Cabaret Scenes, Both Sides Now, Peggy Lee, American Songbook Association, songwriter, “The Wheel of Fortune, Dan Dougherty, Lennie Watts, ASA, Vocalists, Rock N Roll Waltz, Bart Greenberg, George David Weiss, Side by Side, CD, Shorty Allen, Cole Porter, Kay Starr, American Songbook, Don’t Tell Mama, Dave Barbour, Fool Fool Fool, Great American Songbook, Skip Ward

Bart Greenberg

Bart Greenberg first discovered cabaret a few weeks after arriving in New York City by seeing Julie Wilson and William Roy performing Stephen Sondheim and Cole Porter outdoors at Rockefeller Center. It was instant love for both Ms. Wilson and the art form. Some years later, he was given the opportunity to create his own series of cabaret shows while working at Tower Records. "Any Wednesday" was born, a weekly half-hour performance by a singer promoting a new CD release. Ann Hampton Callaway launched the series. When Tower shut down, Bart was lucky to move the program across the street to Barnes & Noble, where it thrived under the generous support of the company. The series received both The MAC Board of Directors Award and The Bistro Award. Some of the performers who took part in "Any Wednesday" include Barbara Fasano and Eric Comstock, Tony Desare, Andrea Marcovicci, Carole Bufford, the Karens, Akers, Mason and Oberlin, and Julie Wilson. Privately, Greenberg is happily married to writer/photographer Mark Wallis, who as a performance artist in his native England gathered a major following as "I Am Cereal Killer."