Cabaret Review By Andrew Poretz . . . .
There’s this weird week between Christmas and New Year’s when everyone’s done with “the holidays” and await the New Year. Every possible holiday song has been overplayed, all presents exchanged, and, bloated by holiday cheer, everyone’s ready for that diet resolution. On “Boxing Day,” there was one last gift, perhaps the best one yet. The fabulous Callaway sisters, jazz and cabaret singer/songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway and Broadway and cabaret star Liz Callaway, opened a five-night run of their new Yuletide Revelry! holiday show.
The statuesque Ann has a rich, glorious mezzo voice, consummate jazz chops and great wit, while the petite Liz, a Tony-nominated Broadway star, uses her equally exquisite, if higher, vocal instrument to more dramatic effect. It’s always great fun when they work together, blending together so marvelously in that intimate way only siblings who have sung together since childhood could.
The Callaways were accompanied by double-masked music director Alex Rybeck, bassist Ritt Henn, and drummer Ron Tierno.
The sisters arrived to the stage adorably dressed in identical Christmas nightgowns, and performed the whimsical “There Is a Santa Claus” (Matthew Sklar/Chad Beguelin), from the musical Elf. Midway through, they ripped off their nightgowns, revealing matching red tops and black slacks. The delightful “Sisters” (Irving Berlin) from White Christmas was made extra-special by their tight harmonies and sisterly repartee.
A surprising, wonderful mashup of two songs called “Joy to the World” (consisting mainly of the traditional Christmas song, with some strains of the Three Dog Night song by Lowell Mason and Isaac Watts, had vocal assistance from Alex Rybeck and Ritt Henn. “Nothing says ‘holiday’ like Three Dog Night,” quipped Liz.
A lovely medley of “Silent Night” (Franz Zaver Gruber/Joseph Mohr) and “Mary Did You Know” (Buddy Green/Mark Lowry) displayed exquisite harmonies, though the lyrics to the second song prompted Ann to declare, “Welcome to Pagan Cabaret!”
In this faux battle of sisters, Ann lobbed the first shot with the solo, swinging arrangement of “Winter Wonderland” she originally worked up with Billy Stritch. She scatted and added some vocalese, at one point inviting the audience to “sing along” to the scat. “Now, just me!” This was one of several major show highlights. Liz promptly returned fire with an equally wonderful “Grown-Up Christmas List” (David Foster, Linda Thompson Jenner and Amy Grant).
The lights came up to reveal Ann in the audience, seemingly selling her newest CD to a patron, while Liz, on stage, bragged about her recent Grammy nomination. The pair took turns bragging and dishing on one another, until they broke into the famous frenemy duet, “Friendship” (Cole Porter), from Anything Goes. This was the most fun version of this duet this reviewer has seen. The great arrangement by Alex Rybeck, with Alex and Ritt providing Manhattan-Transfer-style harmonies, along with brilliantly funny and sarcastic special lyrics (presumably written by Ann), made this number the biggest highlight of the evening.
Ann sang the first of her two original songs of the set, “At the Same Time,” first recorded by Barbra Streisand some years ago, which has reached some nine million listeners to date. Ann finally recorded her own version for her newest album. It is a beautiful, poignant and powerful song, which she delivered beautifully.
Both sisters had picked “Jingle Bells” (James Lord Pierpont) as a solo number, so they did it together. This unique arrangement was quite fun and challenging, with multiple changes in tempo and key.
For a beautiful ballad medley of “River” (Joni Mitchell) with “Hard Candy Christmas” (Carol Hall), when one sister sang, the other was seen only in silhouette, a clever device. The touching lyrics caused Ann to wipe away tears at the end.
The rousing closing medley of “New World Coming” (Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil) and “Brand New Day” (Charlie Smalls) from The Wiz garnered a standing ovation. For an encore, Ann took to the piano, and the sisters performed “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” (Hugh Martin/Ralph Blane). They invited the audience to sing along. With an audience packed with musical theater professionals as well as devotees, it was quite the beautiful singalong.
My “plus one” might have put it best: “It was quite a treat, especially in this troubled world, to soak up some joy from the Christmas/holiday classics so artfully and playfully performed. It was heartening to hear some deeply felt messages of peace from both sisters. It was this personal note that resonated the most.”
The sisters were in great voice and spirit. Unfortunately, Ann Hampton Callaway had to bow out of two of the five performances due to illness, and Liz Callaway stepped up to perform solo. Ann returned for the final performance on December 30.
Ann Hampton Callaway and Liz Callaway: Yuletide Revelry! took place from December 26 to December 30 at 54 Below, 254 West 54th Street (cellar), between Eighth Avenue and Broadway (www.54below.org).
Photos: Andrew Poretz/guest
