2003 Chicago Cabaret Convention - Saturday Night

SECOND NIGHT AT THE CHICAGO CABARET CONVENTION
Saturday, February 15, 2003 - 8:00 pm
PARK WEST, Chicago, Illinois
by Todd Shuman

Please note: No "song lists" distributed at the convention, so some of the song titles in these reports may not be accurate and/or misspelled.

The second evening of the 2nd Chicago Cabaret Convention could very well have been called "Chicago night," as nearly half of the performers were Chicago-based artists. This was simply a thrilling evening! Celebrating the American Popular Songbook, tonight's performance included songs by, among others, Cole Porter, Cy Coleman, Rodgers and Hart, and Amanda McBroom. This was a stellar night, and a great kick-off to this 3-night festival at the Park West!

The night got off to a great start with former Chicago (now New York) wonder Johnny Rodgers, who performed two of his own wonderful compositions - "Take Another Chance on Love" and "Home to Mendocino." Next up, Chicago artist Jennifer Chada brought down the house and drew cheers from the sold-out crowd with "I Want to be Bad" and "Lifelines." Colleen McHugh followed with "Right as the Rain" and her hysterical translation of "Mon Dieu" (as Morgan Duke performed that song in the original French). Rounding out this "Chicago section," was the brilliant Patty Morabito who performed "Prairie Melancholy" (which comes from her recently released CD THE DELICATE HOUR) and Irving Berlin's "I Love a Piano."

Mark Coffin was the first "out-of-towner" for the evening and performed "Anyplace I Hang My Hat is Home" and "I'm a Flexible Man." While his performance was fine, I was somewhat under-whelmed. Daryl Sherman followed by equally under-whelming rendition of "Living in a Great Big Way" and a very long version of "Bewitched." Chicago favorite Joan Curto performed next and performed fantastic versions of "Everything I've Got Belongs to You" and "I Have Dreamed." Closing this fine first act was Georga Osborne, who slew the audience with "I Think I May Want to Remember Today/Can't Stop Talking" and her hysterical "Gypsy Medley."

Chicago cabaret stars Beckie Menzie and Tom Michael opened the second act. Ms. Menzie performed a typically tasty arrangement of "Let Yourself Go," and Mr. Michael followed with "Sailing On." They closed their portion of the evening with Cy Coleman's "Rhythm of Life." Natalie Douglas stopped the show with "It's All Right with Me" and Amanda McBroom's "The Portrait."

I have never been a huge fan of Joyce Breech, and, I must confess, she did not manage to convert me this evening with her impersonal renditions of "Carry Me Back to Old Manhattan" and "Look at Him." On the other hand, I am a big fan of Spider Saloff, and, quite expectedly, she drew great applause with "Nature Boy" and "Alone in the Dark."

BJ Crosby closed this fine evening (and brought the house down) with "Just One of Those Things" and a lovely arrangement of "All By Myself" and "Who Can I Turn To?"

Todd Shuman

On to Chicago Cabaret Convention Night Three - Sunday, February 16. 2003

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