CHICAGO
- MIDWEST CABARET REVIEWS
KOUTRAKOS HOLDS HER TORCH HIGH
Lina Koutrakos at DAVENPORT'S
Reviewed
by Carla Gordon
Lina
Koutrakos may be petite, but in "Torch" performed at Davenport's her
song interpretations stand tall.
Although her recording history is mainly original rock
tunes, Koutrakos shines at cabaret. I first saw her in a faculty showcase
at the Cabaret Conference at Yale. Her duet with Sally Mayes presented
both the wife and lover of one man. Each effectively shared the emotions
of the triangle. That performance stayed with me a long time. When
I learned that Koutrakos was building an entire program of torch songs,
I was pleased. However, I did have my concerns that an entire evening
of "He done me wrong" songs could become ponderous. I should have
known not to worry.
Koutrakos brings sensual heat and powerful intensity
to Torch. She reminds us, though, that anyone torching now came from
a place of joy. That statement enabled Koutrakos to bring a lighter
touch to certain tunes. In fact, she should consider taking this notion
farther. Torch could use at least one in your face funny number because
the rest of the material is fairly serious.
Highlights include "You Fascinate Me So" (composed by
Cy Coleman) in which Koutrakous captains our voyage of sexual attraction.
This smartass tune brings a dollop of fun to Torch. With a sly smile,
Koutrakos reminds us that love is not always rooted in intellect or
shared values. Sometimes it's "sweet geography descending from the
eyebrows to the toes" that lights its flame. " Koutrakos' womanly
interpretation of the last line of this tune is among Torch's best
moments.
Carrying a torch, whether in love or in cabaret, requires
enormous passion. It is in Leonard Cohen's "Joan of Arc" that Koutrakos
best explores this. We humans can be as passionate about a cause as
we can become about the romantic or the erotic. Cohen and Koutrakous
steer us gracefully through risky emotional waters. Just as Joan is
consumed by the fire of martyrdom, most of us are consumed by one
fire or another. "Joan of Arc" comes from Katrakos' demanding sense
of truth yet is beautifully supported by her vocal instrument. The
word "torch" takes on layers deeper than the traditional "he done
me wrong". We are touched by the reminder that passions are often
accompanied with equal portions of pain. It is one of those remarkable
moments in cabaret where, as the song ends, the audience's sigh of
emotional recognition is palpable.
At the keyboard, Rick Jensen provides the right support
for a variety of songs ranging from standards like "My Foolish Heart"
(by Ned Washington and Victor Young) to Bob Seger's "Night Moves".
Jensen enhances Koutrakas' intensity without ever upstaging her.
St. Louis-based, Tim Schall opened for Koutrakos. Schall's
does nicely on standards such as Cole Porter's "You'd Be So Nice To
Come Home To." He shines in Mary Chapin Carpenter's "John Doe #24,"
the story of a man both mute and deaf who gets lost in the cracks
over fifty years of institutionalization.
Koutrakos has yummy cabaret vocal chops and honors the
acting side of the art. (Her Cabaret Intensive Workshop is like a
weekend PhD in cabaret acting, but that discussion is for another
article). Although her rock fans may disagree, Lina Koutrakos' remarkable
foray into cabaret is a fine choice. Indeed, she holds her cabaret
torch high.
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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