Lainie Kazan
Lainie Kazan
Iridium, NYC, October 15 2016
Reviewed by Ron Forman for Cabaret Scenes
Lainie Kazan
Seeing Lainie Kazan on television, in a movie or live on stage is always a very entertaining experience. Despite her having a severe cold, her show at Iridium was no exception. The cold affected her singing voice for the first portion of the 90-minute show; however, it got stronger and less hoarse as the show went on. Talking about the sound of her voice is largely irrelevant when describing a Kazan appearance, because her acting skill allows her to be able to put over a song with the best of them, despite the cold. In addition, her haimish demeanor and reminiscences between numbers make her a joy to watch and listen to.
Kazan opened with “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” followed by a dreamy “You Go to My Head” and an intertwining of “The Sweetest Sounds” and “Tonight.” She then hilariously spoke about her early life with a mom who was a “Jewish Blanche Dubois” and her dad, a bookmaker (she thought he was a publisher), ending by telling of her first appearance on stage singing “La Vie en rose” in a fourth grade talent show in Brooklyn. After talking about her first meeting with Judy Garland, Kazan did a medley of songs associated with Garland. After describing her experiences as Barbra Streisand’s understudy in Funny Girl (she went on just once in 18 months), she performed what has become her signature song, that score’s “The Music That Makes Me Dance.” A story about a date with William Shatner had the audience in stitches. Her dramatic skill showed through on “If You Go Away” and her closing number, “The Man That Got Away. The encore was a medley of two songs associated with Sophie Tucker: “Some of These Days” and “I’m Living Alone and I Like It” had the audience cheering.
Category: Cabaret Reviews, New York City, New York City Cabaret Reviews, Regional
