Andrea Marcovicci: Still the gracious 'First Lady of Cabaret'
January 26, 6:41 PM
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Andrea Marcovicci (Photo by Pat Johnson Photography)
There's an ethereal quality to Andrea Marcovicci. It's as if she beams in from a gentler, more gracious place to share the experience of good manners and genteel joie de vivre with our boisterous and jostling world. That in no way implies that the lady is dull or a Lily Tomlin / Dana Carvey caricature. No, Marcovicci has a decidedly playful, even sassy side that's been pouring forth from the stage of The Rrazz Room last week and continues through the end of January.
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A highlight of any Marcovicci show is the incredible scholarship that backs up her presentation. She researches intently and processes the gathered data into a delightful "101" of insights that buttress the musical selections. The things you think you know and they things you should know about the subject are elegantly served up by your smiling hostess with an unbridled enthusiasm that is infectious. Did you know that Mercer founded Capitol Records? That he amassed 18 Oscar nominations (with four wins) and worked with over 200 composers? These are just a few of the snippets that, thanks to Marcovicci's deep and deft preparation, enhance your appreciation of the craftsman behind "Moon River" and "The Days of Wine and Roses" - two of his later hits with Henry Mancini.
Marcovicci doesn't just pluck the obvious crowd pleasers either. There's a reason why "Out of Breath (and Scared to Death of You)" - a little ditty from Garrick Gaieties (1930) - hasn't been heard much since. It's only value today may well be to chart the path of Mercer's evolution and craft as seen (or heard) from the perspective of his first published lyric. It's that kind of content that Marcovicci - who giggles at noting that she and Mercer share the same birthday, but not birth date - delivers in silver-plated spades. With her impossibly slim figure, gorgeous gowns, smart coif and the occasional well-deployed prop, she's the most debonair - and the most engaging - music professor you'll ever want to meet.
It's not all talk either. The songs are plentiful from all phases of Mercer's career. "Charade," "I Wanna Be Around." "P.S. I Love You," "My Sugar Is So Refined," and "Too Marvelous For Words" are among many numbers delivered with appropriate poignancy or gusto. Marcovicci's voice is not as strong as it was early in her career and issues with pitch and support are evident, however they fade from ear as you give over to the pleasure of her company and "Accentuate The Positive" of the joy she emanates in sharing her treasure with you. At one point she hops up on the piano and strikes a pose that would have delighted George Hurrell, the renowned photographer of such glamorous luminaries as Marlene Dietrich and Judy Garland.
Ably supported by long-time music director and accompanist Shelly Markham and the Bay Area bassist Daniel Fabricant (of The Nice Guy Trio, among other ventures), Marcovicci creates an elegant salon, right down to the silver-framed portrait of Mercer and beautifully fringed throw on the piano, that for a brief time transports you to a lush, time-capsule world of swirling "Autumn Leaves" where it's perfectly acceptable to say "I'm Old Fashioned" and "You Were Never Lovelier."
