Karen Oberlin: Heart and Soul: The Songs of Frank Loesser

Peter Haas | January 28, 2016

Karen Oberlin

Heart and Soul: The Songs of Frank Loesser

Metropolitan Room, NYC, January 13, 2016

Reviewed by Peter Haas for Cabaret Scenes

Photo: Bill Westmoreland

Too many cabaret shows appear for a few evenings, then vanish forever. That’s now changing, thanks to a new series of evenings produced by Stephen Hanks’ Cabaret Life Productions with Associate Producer Jeffrey Hamblin. First up in 2016: Heart and Soul: The Songs of Frank Loesser, which Karen Oberlin introduced at the Algonquin Hotel’s Oak Room in 2010 for Loesser’s 100th birthday, and which she brought back to life winningly this January at the Metropolitan Room.

With the same fine musicians who played the original show—Jon Weber, musical director and pianist, and Sean Smith on bass—and with her own increasing sureness and easy charm, Oberlin romped through many of Loesser’s now-classic show tunes and popular numbers. His 1950 hit, Guys and Dolls—for which he wrote the music and lyrics—was well represented by “If I Were a Bell,” “My Time of Day,” “I’ve Never Been in Love Before,” “More I Cannot Wish You,” and the seldom-heard “Traveling Light” (which was cut from the show). On hand, too, were his many collaborations, such as “Love Isn’t Born, It’s Made” (music by Arthur Schwartz), “I Don’t Want to Walk Without You” (music by Jule Styne), and the classic “Heart and Soul” (music by Hoagy Carmichael). Oberlin’s sense of fun shone through in her interpretation of “I Believe in You” (How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying) and “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” while her skill with a romantic ballad was front and center with her version of “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?”

For her final number, the sweet “More I Cannot Wish You,” Oberlin simply stepped off the stage, walked through the audience and exited through the curtained door—to warm cheers and applause.

The Greatest Hits series continues, one night each month through this year, at the Metropolitan Room. For information on the who, what and when, contact Stephen at Cabaret Life Productions.

Tags: Algonquin Hotel, American Songbook, Arthur Schwartz, Baby It’s Cold Outside, Bill Westmoreland, Broadway, Broadway Musicals, Cabaret, Cabaret Life Productions, Cabaret Reviews, Cabaret Scenes, CD, Clubs, Composers, Frank Loesser, Great American Songbook, Guys and Dolls, Heart and Soul, Heart and Soul: The Songs of Frank Loesser, Hoagy Carmichael, How To Succeed in Business., I Believe in You, I Don’t Want to Walk Without You, I’ve Never Been in Love Before, If I Were a Bell, Jazz, Jazz Singers, Jeffrey Hambli, Jon Weber, Jule Styne, Karen Oberlin, Love Isn't Born It's Made, lyricists, Metropolitan Room, More I Cannot Wish You, Musicals, Musicians, My Time of Day, Nightclubs, NYC, Oak Room, Peter Haas, Popular Song, Revues, Sean Smith, Show Tunes, Singers, Songbook, Standards, Stephen Hanks, Supper Clubs, Traveling Light, Venues, Vocalists, What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?