Chicago Cabaret Professionals: Musical Mondays: Feeling Groovy—Songs of a New Generation

Carla Gordon | September 30, 2014

Chicago Cabaret Professionals

Musical Mondays: Feeling Groovy—Songs of a New Generation

Victory Gardens Theater, Chcaig, IL, September 22, 2014

Reviewed by Carla Gordon for Cabaret Scenes

Given the SRO crowd, Chicago’s cabaret fans seem delighted with the return of Chicago Cabaret Professionals’ Musical Mondays. After successfully saluting Broadway in July, this second show in the series features pop songs of the sixties. While the show was well received throughout (standing ovation), certain performances stood out. A grounded, vocally solid Melissa Young delivered “To Sir with Love,” with much heart, looking ageless in the boat-necked black dress with the flowered skirt. Beckie Menzie’s “Me and Bobby McGee” grew from reflection to an unbridled confession of passion with her piano matching each moment of insight and heat from Janis Joplin’s classic. A student at Chicago’s High School for the Arts, Feinstein Award winner Milla Guerra landed “Easy to Be Hard“(Hair) with aplomb. In a program featuring complex arrangements and harmonics, several simple performances shone. One was Marianne Murphy-Orland’s unadorned delivery of the Beatles’ “She’s Leaving Home“ with simple guitar accompaniment by husband Tom Orland. His leading the sing-along to Cat Stevens’s “Moonshadow” was inclusive and fun. Musical Mondays continues in January with Words and Music.