CHICAGO - MIDWEST CABARET REVIEWS

Mood Swings: Menzie and Michael Raise the Bar

Reviewed by Carla Gordon

Arguably, Beckie Menzie and Tom Michael set the bar in Chicago's cabaret community. Combining musical precision with energetic entertainment, their shows routinely sell out. That said, something remarkable happens in their latest show "Mood Swings: The Ins and Outs of Ups and Downs" (performed Saturdays and some Thursdays in April at DAVENPORT'S that places this quality cabaret duo on higher ground.

The title is long, but its theme works. We humans experience emotional highs and lows. While highs are joyful, and the lows not, it is meaningful to reflect on both. Without being forced (sadly, as in too many shows), the tunes in Mood Swings help us explore our own ups and downs in personal ways.

In her 2006 solo show, "Beckie Menzie Has No Standards," Menzie demonstrated her singular ability to become one with each song. This blossoms not only in her voice, but equally in her expressive face. When Great Balls of Fire (composed by Otis Blackwell) became a hit in the 1950s, any performer considered too sexy soon needed another career. Nevertheless, the words to "Great Balls," are revealing: "You broke my will, But what a thrill, Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire!" Fortunately for us, Menzie performs this classic tune in the twenty-first century. Her interpretation ranges from sensually hungry to outright sexy yet without a tinge of crudeness. (I'll bet half the audience retired later than usual that night.)

However, it is Tom Michael making the most noteworthy leap in "Mood Swings". Tom has a power voice which he demonstrates effectively in Rags to Riches (Richard Adler, Jerry Ross), sustaining money notes with control and resonance. But in "Mood Swings," Michael confidently ventures beyond the realm of voice. In Frank Loesser's tender "My Heart is So Full of You" and in other numbers, Tom is less singerly than before. This enables him to connect better with the journey of the lyric. My favorite cabaret singers are those with grand voices who recognize that their glory chops are only part of why we sit in the chairs. Michael finds depth and maturity with his interpretations in "Mood Swings." Bravo.

Menzie and Michael are perhaps best noted for peppy medley duos. They are fast, harmonically complex, and musically demanding. The trade off, however, in making medleys too ornate is that we may lose the lyrical journeys. In "Mood Swings", the medleys are simpler which often helps them convey greater emotion. Combining So in Love with I've Got You Under My Skin (both by Cole Porter) explores love as excess. It's fun, but it gets us thinking, too. Another medley combining Hank Williams, I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry with Are You Lonesome Tonight? (written by Roy Turk and Lou Handman and introduced decades before Elvis crooned ) is simultaneously musically lush and emotionally rich, It is my favorite moment in a cabaret where heart takes no back seat to craft.

At a certain point in Mood Swings, Beckie Menzie says that music helps us truly feel our emotions, whether the highs or the lows. That's what gets away from our Ipods and into the clubs. Goodness, gracious, Menzie described the heart of cabaret to a tee!

DAVENPORT'S is located at 1383 North Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL - 773-278-1830 - http://www.davenportspianobar.com/

Copyright, 2007 by Carla Gordon

 

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