I MY COLUMN LAST WEEK, I OBSERVED THAT, because of the dimensions of cabaret, performances need not be as big as in theatre. Often I have seen artists accustomed to playing on the legitimate stage fail to make this adjustment. As a result, their performances seem to be just that: "performances," i.e., unconvincing, and lacking any sense that these artists are making personal statements (and personal statements are a signal characteristic of cabaret artistry).
Another distinction may be less obvious. From one particular--but critical--perspective, singing a song in cabaret is far more difficult than doing it in a theatre piece. By the time a song makes its appearance in a book musical, the audience typically has a lot of information, including the events that preceded it, the nature of the character singing the song, and the emotional/psychological journey he or she has been on. All of this supplies a wealth of subtext. The singer-actor can get away with simply singing the song "professionally"--such a performance might not be illuminating, but the other elements of the show provide pretty big coattails.
In cabaret, however, artists have nothing to ride on. They come on stage tabula rasa. Whatever texture or subtext a song is to have is their responsibility. In their interpretations, they must find hidden depths, explore nuances, uncover and communicate layers of meaning. (Patter can help--even a single line can focus the audience's receptivity in the right direction.) As I've said before, in cabaret, singing a song well enough isn't good enough. How many times have I seen artists whose theatre work I respect be less persuasive in cabaret because of this factor. I'm convinced that if these performers were to develop their cabaret artistry, their theatrical work would be even stronger. In this column a year or so ago, I cited several people in the business who sang the praises of cabaret as a training ground for theatre.
TURNING TO ANOTHER ART FORM, OPERA HAS much less in common with cabaret than does theatre. Opera is highly stylized, a far cry from the simple directness that is so effective in cabaret. And classical vocal training focuses on producing beautiful, even perfect sounds, a less-than-primary consideration in cabaret. Yet several singers with operatic backgrounds, attracted by the opportunity for personal expression that cabaret offers, have turned their talents to the cabaret stage, with varying degrees of success.
Mezzo-soprano Sandra Warfield, whose operatic career has enjoyed international acclaim, recently did a show at Don't Tell Mama, directed by Barry Kleinbort and musical-directed by Rod Derefinko. Some of the material was not well chosen: "Come Fly With Me" was unsuited to her vocal style, she seemed uncomfortable with "And the World Goes 'Round," and "A Bar on the Piccola Marina" should be done by very few people. [See my article on choosing the right material in the March 1 issue of Back Stage.]
On the other hand, a segment of German songs was very fine, indeed--an evening of her doing this body of work would be marvelous. And she connected perfectly with "Windflowers" from "The Golden Apple." In "Time Heals Every-thing" and "September Song," she tended to overstate the dramatics, but she was clearly on the right track, and her patter was charming and entertaining. I understand that she had a throat affliction the night I saw her, which might conceivably have affected her overall performance, perhaps contributing to her occasional stiffness.
THOUGH SHE IS A CLASSICALLY TRAINED SOP-rano, Lenna seems right at home on the cabaret stage. She and singer-pianist Eric Comstock, with whom she has been performing for about a year, recently completed a three-Sunday run at the Algonquin. Lenna did a dramatically commanding rendition of "Lonely House" from "Street Scene," and was similarly convincing with less stylized material, such as "A Lady Must Live," Rodgers and Hart's unapologetic justification for sensuality. (Though the number was too busily staged.) She sang not only beautifully, but with warmth, sensitivity, and charm.
Among his solo numbers, Comstock did a lovely job on "The Shining Sea," by Johnny Mandel and Peggy Lee, and turned in a solid rendition of a relatively unfamiliar Alec Wilder song. Though Comstock has been on the scene for many years, there is still the young pup about him; this can be appealing, but it is at odds with the sophisticated style he seems to have been aiming for, or perhaps into which he has been cast. One cannot don sophistication as a mantle, and one can't strive for it; it is a result, not a target--one gains sophistication through the breadth of one's experience and the depth of one's understanding. Comstock's taste in material is intelligent and knowledgeable (a lame send-up of Andrew Lloyd-Webber notwithstanding); I suggest that he now work on nuance and subtext, thereby deepening and enriching his interpretations.
Finally, some comments on the pairing. While Lenna and Comstock's interpersonal dynamics seem genuine, artistically speaking they make an odd couple. Her voice is lush and rhapsodic, his much drier; in duets, they do not blend well. Comstock's piano arrangements are sometimes right for her (for example, his ironic colorations in "Lonely House"), but other times a fuller, more lyrical accompaniment would serve better.
BRIEFLY: You have only a few days left to catch Karen Akers at Rainbow & Stars (through May 10). There is a very warm glow to this evening of songs about love. With the possible exception of her program of songs about France, which she did some time back, this is Akers at her radiant best. And what a delightful idea to include songs from "When Pigs Fly."
At Maxim's recently, Claiborne Cary demonstrated why she is one of cabaret's treasures. Not only was her singing topnotch, but the irresistible magnetism of her personality illustrated the important role that personal presence can play in this most intimate of the performing arts.
Stephen Schwartz brought the ASCAP Sunday-night series at Rainbow & Stars to a grand close. Much of the evening comprised songs not written for a particular character or show. They are pretty wonderful, and you can find them on his new CD, "Reluctant Pilgrim." And Schwartz proved to be a most ingratiating performer.
AROUND TOWN: Diana Templeton sings at Judys', Saturdays--May 10, 5 pm, and May 17, 9 pm . Marcia Lewis performs at the Village Gate, Mondays, May 19-June 2, 8 pm . Yanna Avis makes her Maxim's debut, May 15-17, Thursday-Friday, 8:30 pm; Saturday, 8:30 and 10:30 pm . Stephanie Zagoren plays Don't Tell Mama Sat., May 10, 6 pm; Sundays--May 18 and June 1, 3 pm . "Seedless Grapes," a tragi-comedy about a dysfunctional family, is at The Duplex Fridays, May 9-30, 8 pm.
Sundays and Mondays at the Algonquin: Singer Samantha Samuels, May 11-12, 8 pm (featuring songs from her current CD, "Simply Sam"). Singer-pianist Charles Tichenor, May 18-19, 8:30 pm. (On Sunday, Tichenor pays tribute to Richard Rodgers, on Monday, it's "Moviola," songs of Hollywood).
Finally, some comments on the pairing. While Lenna and Comstock's interpersonal dynamics seem genuine, artistically speaking they make an odd couple. Her voice is lush and rhapsodic, his much drier; in duets, they do not blend well. Comstock's piano arrangements are sometimes right for her (for example, his ironic colorations in "Lonely House"), but other times a fuller, more lyrical accompaniment would serve better.
BRIEFLY: You have only a few days left to catch Karen Akers at Rainbow & Stars (through May 10). There is a very warm glow to this evening of songs about love. With the possible exception of her program of songs about France, which she did some time back, this is Akers at her radiant best. And what a delightful idea to include songs from "When Pigs Fly."
At Maxim's recently, Claiborne Cary demonstrated why she is one of cabaret's treasures. Not only was her singing topnotch, but the irresistible magnetism of her personality illustrated the important role that personal presence can play in this most intimate of the performing arts.
Stephen Schwartz brought the ASCAP Sunday-night series at Rainbow & Stars to a grand close. Much of the evening comprised songs not written for a particular character or show. They are pretty wonderful, and you can find them on his new CD, "Reluctant Pilgrim." And Schwartz proved to be a most ingratiating performer.
AROUND TOWN: Diana Templeton sings at Judys', Saturdays--May 10, 5 pm, and May 17, 9 pm . Marcia Lewis performs at the Village Gate, Mondays, May 19-June 2, 8 pm . Yanna Avis makes her Maxim's debut, May 15-17, Thursday-Friday, 8:30 pm; Saturday, 8:30 and 10:30 pm . Stephanie Zagoren plays Don't Tell Mama Sat., May 10, 6 pm; Sundays--May 18 and June 1, 3 pm . "Seedless Grapes," a tragi-comedy about a dysfunctional family, is at The Duplex Fridays, May 9-30, 8 pm.
Sundays and Mondays at the Algonquin: Singer Samantha Samuels, May 11-12, 8 pm (featuring songs from her current CD, "Simply Sam"). Singer-pianist Charles Tichenor, May 18-19, 8:30 pm. (On Sunday, Tichenor pays tribute to Richard Rodgers, on Monday, it's "Moviola," songs of Hollyw