Francesca Capetta: An Italian in New York
Francesca Capetta
An Italian in New York
Feinstein’s/54 Below, NYC, June 18, 2016
Reviewed by Ron Forman for Cabaret Scenes
The very beautiful Italian import, Francesca Capetta, was greeted by a large, enthusiastic crowd for her premiere cabaret show An Italian in New York. She immediately won them over with a big smile and a loud and lively “That’s Amore.” The very kinetic Capetta had remarkable stage presence and confidence for a performer making her cabaret debut. Her voice is strong, her manner confident. She made the story of her coming to America interesting and entertaining.
After her opening number, she followed with a medley of Italian-American favorites: “Botch-A-Me” (“…Ba-ba-baciami, piccina…”) and “Oh Marie.” She displayed her sense of humor with a very funny “Be Italian.” After mentioning that America’s best gift to Italy is music, she performed, at super speed, Louis Prima’s classic medley of “Angelina”/”Zooma Zooma.” Capetta amusingly apologized before the “had to be performed” “Volare.”
Guest performer Brian Charles Rooney, as he has whenever I have seen him, thrilled with his booming “Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise,” he then joined beautifully with Capetta for a a marvelous duet of “The Prayer” performed in Italian. Capetta then performed “La Vie en rose” in both French and English. Gay Marshall, an American performer best known for her Edith Piaf shows, delightfully performed the French song “La Foule,” before joining Capetta for a bilingual “Bella Notte.” Capetta closed as she had opened, with a loud, lively and swinging “Buona Sera.”
Category: Cabaret Reviews, New York City, New York City Cabaret Reviews, Regional
