Carole J. Bufford: Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Carole J. Bufford
Boulevard of Broken Dreams
54 Below, NYC, October 23, 2014
Reviewed by Peter Haas for Cabaret Scenes
One part sultry, one part girl next door, Carole J. Bufford was singing her first song—the show’s title number—as she entered 54 Below from the back of the packed house. The audience cheered as she wove through the tables and mounted the stage, and they continued to cheer after every song as she knocked out songs blue and bawdy, pop and rock, well-known and unfamiliar—all with a minimum of patter.
Among her selections, besides the show’s powerful title number (by Dubin and Warren): the plaintive “Stay” (Nettles); “Mountain Lullaby” (McCreery), a mock hymn to moonshine; “Suzanne,” sultry and sensuous (Newman); “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (Lennon/McCartney), performed poignantly and received as if it were sung for the first time; and two numbers harking back to Harlem—“Gimme a Pigfoot” and the mischievous “You’ve Got the Right Key, but the Wrong Keyhole.” Bufford’s rendition of Scalzo’s “The Way” was enriched by a bowing bass solo by Danny Weller. Rounding out the band were Howie Gordon on drums and the superb Ian Herman as pianist and musical director. As Bufford concluded her set with Gorney/Harburg’s historic “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” and a reprise of “Boulevard…,” the crowd again stood and cheered.
Category: Cabaret Reviews, New York City, New York City Cabaret Reviews
