Cabaret Review By Andrew Poretz . . . .
Award-winning singer and songwriter Carolyn Montgomery had been away from the performing side of cabaret for some years, spending much of her time as the Executive Director of Education and Outreach for the American Songbook Association (ASA). Montgomery returned to the stage earlier this year at Birdland for her newest show, girlSINGER, a tribute to the late, great actress and singer Rosemary Clooney. That first performance sold out, and did so again at 54 Below.
Clooney had many hit records back in the 1950s, including several novelty songs, and later, after recovering from a nervous breakdown in the 1960s, became a beloved singer of jazz standards. She may well be best remembered for the movie White Christmas, with Bing Crosby. Her nephew is actor George Clooney.
Montgomery was inspired to create girlSINGER after much cajoling from her artistic director, Sally Mayes, who repeatedly had Montgomery read Clooney’s second memoir, Girl Singer: An Autobiography until she saw the strong parallels of their lives. The result was a rather satisfying and well-constructed cabaret show with fine singing, humor, and musicianship from several of the best musicians in the business: pianist and music director Tedd Firth, bassist Tom Hubbard, drummer Sherrie Maricle, saxophonist and clarinetist Jonathan Kantor, and trumpeter Warren Vaché.
The show was off to a lively start with “Fancy Meeting You Here” (Jimmy Van Heusen/Sammy Cahn), a vocal call and response from the band members. The arrangement made good use of Vaché’ trumpet chops.
The arrangement for “Hey There,” a hit for both Clooney and Sammy Davis, Jr., had clear influences from Nelson Riddle, a frequent arranger for Clooney, as well as one of her lovers. Montgomery’s strong vocals were strong and sure.
Montgomery sang the clever verse to “I Can’t Get Started” (Vernon Duke/Ira Gershwin), with lines like the headline-within-a-lyric “Superman Turns Out to Be Flash in the Pan.” The rest of the song became increasingly bluesy, with some great unison playing by Kantor and Vaché, which created an illusion of a larger band. Although this song is probably best known for the version by trumpeter/vocalist Bunny Berrigan, with its wild trumpet solo after the lyric – which Vaché would have a field day with, the arrangement stayed truer to the Clooney recording.
The anecdotes Montgomery told about Clooney and the parallels to her own life were fascinating and revealing. She spoke of Clooney’s lusty sexuality, with several husbands, and many lovers, including, purportedly, Marlene Dietrich. If Clooney was “unable to pick a team,” a young Montgomery got in trouble when she was caught kissing a boy, and sent for therapy when caught kissing a girl. The medley that followed meshed quite well with the ambivalent sexuality, seamlessly melding “Straighten Up and Fly Right” (Nat King Cole/Irving Mills), “Nice and Easy” (Lew Spance/Alan and Marilyn Bergman) and “Oh You Beautiful Doll” (Nad D. Ayer/A. Seymour Brown).
Clooney’s biggest selling singles in the 1950s were oddities like “Come on-A My House” and “Mambo Italiano.” Why, Montgomery wondered, is this Irish gal from Kentucky singing these odd accents? These novelty songs would surely be considered politically incorrect today, sung in faux Italian accents. Firth brilliantly combined these two, along with Mangos,” “Sway” and “Botch-A-Me (Ba-Ba-Baciami Piccina).” This medley was one of the show’s biggest highlights.
Montgomery opened “Tenderly” (Walter Gross/Jack Lawrence) rubato with just Firth, and in mid-song spoke of Clooney’s philanderer husband, Mel Ferrer. Just weeks after their marriage, she confronted him after catching him discussing a sexual dalliance that week. He responded, “You’ve not going to be THAT kind of wife, are you?” Montgomery fantasized about how she would have handled it. “I would have gone down and seduced the French mistress!” She instead answered musically. Seated on a stool next to the piano, Montgomery performed a powerful and emotional “The Masquerade is Over” (Walter Wrubel/Herb Madison), while Kantor provided a tenor sax obligato. Montgomery’s emotional connection with this material was palpable. She read directly from Girl Singer to set up the next song.
The final medley of the evening was also an exceptional mashup of “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” (George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin), “Still Crazy After All These Years” (Paul Simon) and “The Second Time Around” (Jimmy Van Heusen/Sammy Cahn.) The third song, sung completely, was lush and gorgeous. Here, Montgomery was singing personally from the experience of finding love again. Montgomery received a well-deserved standing ovation.
This was a triumphant return for Montgomery, and is well worth your time when she brings it back – if you can get a ticket.
girlSINGER played on at 54 Below, 254 West 54th Street, between Eighth Avenue and Broadway (www.54below.org).
Photos: James Gavin, except where indicated
