Louise Pitre: Crest Theatre
Louise Pitre
Crest Theatre, Delray Beach, FL, March 2, 2015
Reviewed by Jeffrey Bruce for Cabaret Scenes
Yes, she was the star of Broadway’s Mamma Mia!, but last night, Louise Pitre was so much more. In essence, she gave a master class in what a cabaret performer should be. Blessed with a sexy, clarion alto, she is a superb actress who can interpret even the most hackneyed songs (Do we really need another “If He Walked Into My Life” or “Some People”?) that makes us happy to hear them yet again.
Brel, Piaf, Comden & Green, Lloyd Webber, Kander & Ebb—Pitre sang ’em all for a thrilling 90-minute show. Ably assisted by Diane Leah on piano, each song was a story of multiple layers. Best, hands down, were her songs in French (she is French-Canadian). To introduce each, she explained, thoroughly, what they meant. This woman sings from visceral, raw emotions, and those emotions were clear. Everyone knows “La vie en rose,” but do you know what it means? She broke our hearts with it.
Was anything missing? I kept wanting to hear any Weill. (What a Pirate Jenny she would make!) Rest assured that she was a presence sent by the music gods: An interpreter par excellence, and we in the theater her privileged audience. What a night!
Category: Cabaret Reviews, Florida, Florida Cabaret Reviews
