Review by Bart Greenberg . . .
The omnipresent Scott Siegel evidently had a few spare moments so he created yet another series celebrating the music of Broadway in a new location. With its outstanding acoustic, The Green Room 42 is an excellent venue to celebrate Broadway Belters. In fact, it would have been fun to hear a few of the assembled singers off-mic, but this is a minor quibble in a truly satisfying evening. Defining a “belter” may be a tricky chore, but creator/writer/director/host Siegel assured the audience “you know it when you hear it.”
And heard it, they did. Four carefully chosen and widely different divas shared the stage to present a diverse, thrilling demonstration of the variety within a specific style. Each of the women approached the material with a distinct outlook and a distinct look, and alternating their time on stage simply magnified the differences and similarities (excellent enunciation, thoughtful interpretations) among them.
Kristin Dausch is a direct descendant of the classic Broadway babies, from Ethel Merman to Karen Morrow to Idina Menzel. Lungs seemingly fashioned from iron, with a strong sense of humor brought to balance the stentorian tones. Blasting through “Some People,” (using Siegel as her Papa), “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and “I Can Cook Too,” she presented the good time gal who devours lyrics and men, but it’s all in fun.
Emily Janes, on the other hand, is pure sex. This Australian femme fatale clad in a black dress cut down to here and up to there and seemingly ready to be Playmate of the Month embodied “Life of the Party” from The Wild Party and delivered “On My Own” and “Maybe This Time” seeming to evoke all the fallen ladies of film noir from Rita Hayworth to Raquel Welch, yearning for something they know they’ll never get.
If Lianne M. Dobbs were to have appeared in film noir, she would have been the classy girl gone bad. Chic in her black pantsuit, she brings back memories of great chanteuses such as Polly Bergen and Rebecca Luker. An actress first, she uses her wide range and controlled vibrato to inhabit her dramatic torch songs, such as “The Music That Makes Me Dance,” “As Long as He Needs Me” and a devastating “Fifty Percent”. And boy, does she know how to build her numbers, rising from casual conversation to intense dramatics.
Carole J. Bufford is probably the most identifiable name to New Yorkers, the enchanting American Piaf. She practiced the fine art of minimalism in her delivery of “The Winner Takes It All” and “What Did I Have That I Don’t Have Now?”, and then turned around with an outrageous “Folsom Prison Blues” turning the Johnny Cash classic into a tale of a sister of Hard-Hearted Hannah and the blamed Mame.
The last number gave musical director Ron Abel a show off moment with a fiery demonstration of stride piano. Throughout the program he provided flexible support for all four of these belting divas.
The series will continue at The Greenroom 42 on September 29 and October 6. For tickets, go to https://thegreenroom42.venuetix.com.
Photos: Sophie Rapiejko
