KT Sullivan

ORLANDO WEEKLY

 

5/2010

 

 

 

 

The Arts -------al krulick

Cabaret fever

The romp through the swinging sixties has run a little long, so management has held the curtain for Stage Left’s headliner, New York cabaret singer KT Sullivan. We scoot down the hall to see her and join a crowd that’s a bit larger and a tad younger. There are no tables here, just the usual seats. Onstage, jazz pianist Jon Weber tickles the keys on a grand piano, awaiting the
star’s entrance.

Sullivan sashays into view, dressed in a chic black and gold gown with a flirty thigh-length slit up one side; her golden hair is piled high upon her head, highlighting her long and sparkly earrings. She takes hold of the microphone and all of a sudden a hint of Upper West Side Manhattan is remarkably present in the room. Tonight, Sullivan is set to explore the eclectic songbook of Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz, two of the 20th century’s most erudite musical theater collaborators.

In addition to well-known tunes – “Dancing in the Dark,” “You and the Night and the Music,” “A Rainy Night in Rio” – Sullivan offers several of the pair’s lesser-known gems. The hour of superb songs range from stunningly beautiful to romantic to comedic. Her vocals are rich and precise, and the elegance of her cabaret style is most delightfully on view.