Christine Andreas: Café Society

Peter Haas | March 1, 2016

Christine Andreas

Café Society

Feinstein’s/54 Below, NYC, February 26, 2016

Reviewed by Peter Haas for Cabaret Scenes

Photo: Stacy Sullivan

It was an era of glamour, freedom and fun, of couples dining and dancing till dawn at such clubs as The Stork, Ruban Bleu and the Plaza. It was the era of Café Society—brought to the stage delightfully this season at Feinstein’s/54 Below by Christine Andreas. Glowing in an off-the-shoulder, floor-length gown, singing as beautifully and crystal-clearly as ever, full of warmth and spirit, Andreas took her audience on a musical tour of a bygone New York, with such excellent companions as songwriters Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, Rodgers & Hart, the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Kurt Weill and more.

Her company on stage was tops, too: a band consisting of Kenny Ascher as musical director and pianist, Dick Sarpola on bass and Warren Odze on drums. Together with Andreas, they brought freshness to such numbers as “Puttin’ On the Ritz,” “How High the Moon,” “In a Sentimental Mood,” a sweet and moving “There’s a Small Hotel,” “Just One of Those Things,” “My Ship” and other classics – delivered by Andreas as though they had just been written. Included were an interesting up-tempo “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” and an absolutely lovely Gershwin medley that included “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “Somebody Loves Me,” “Fascinating Rhythm,” “Embraceable You” and a haunting “A Foggy Day (in London Town).” Andreas’ tales of her own career offered added perspective to the proceedings.

Contributing to enjoyment of the show was a new rearrangement of the venue’s space: a long table that had densely dominated the center of the room is gone and the room is now filled with smaller tables, creating a warm cabaret-style intimacy.

To quote Cole Porter – echoing a line from Andreas’ encore tribute to Mabel Mercer – an evening with Andreas remains “one of those fabulous flights.” This show continues the evenings of March 4 and 5.

Tags: A Foggy Day in London Town, A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square, American Songbook, Broadway, Broadway Musicals, Cabaret, Cabaret Reviews, Cabaret Scenes, Café Society, CD, Christine Andreas, Clubs, Cole Porter, Composers, Dick Sarpola, Duke Ellington, Embraceable You, Fascinating Rhythm, Feinstein’s/54 Below, Gershwins, Great American Songbook, How High the Moon, In a Sentimental Mood, Irving Berlin, Jazz, Jazz Singers, Just One of Those Things, Kenny Ascher, Kurt Weill, lyricists, Mabel Mercer, Musicals, Musicians, My Ship, Nightclubs, NYC, Peter Haas, Plaza, Popular Song, Puttin’ on the Ritz, Revues, Rodgers & Hart, Ruban Bleu, Show Tunes, Singers, Somebody Loves Me, Someone to Watch Over Me, Songbook, Stacy Sullivan, Standards, Supper Clubs, The Stork, There’s a Small Hotel, Venues, Vocalists, Warren Odze