Review: CHRISTINE ANDREAS Goes On a Passionate Road Trip in TWO FOR THE ROAD at Cafe Carlyle

About two-thirds of the way through her Carlyle show last evening, Christine Andreas talked about artistic spaces that are haunted by the ghosts of great performers. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, there is no denying that some rooms have an energy about them that comes from a respect for history and tradition. Without a doubt, Cafe Carlyle is one of those spaces. Since 1955, it has been New York's premiere cabaret and supper club. It is one of the few remaining remnants of mid-century Cafe Society and it wears that heritage with great pride. The room reverberates with the memories of Bobby Short, Eartha Kitt, Elaine Stritch, and Barbara Cook, to name but a few of its most famous artists.

Christine Andreas is the natural successor to Barbara Cook in many ways. Andreas is more of a lyric soprano, as opposed to Cook's coloratura, but the two women have much in common. Both began as Broadway stars and, later, seamlessly added cabaret to their repertoires. Both were quintessential ingenues with career longevity. And, like Cook, Andreas always infuses her work with an almost ethereal passion that belies her natural pragmatism. So it is entirely fitting that Christine Andreas should be performing her evening of passionate songs, TWO FOR THE ROAD, in the place where Ms. Cook gave so many concerts.

Ms. Andreas made her mark in seminal revivals of Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady, and On Your Toes, as well as the original production of The Scarlet Pimpernel and the first national tour of The Light in the Piazza. So it should be no surprise that great storytelling is in her blood. She also has one of the finest of Broadway voices, an instrument with a huge, expressive range, capable of belting to the rafters, and pliable enough to sing the gentlest lullaby. Despite her references to allergies, her vocal pyrotechnics were on full display last night.

The title TWO FOR THE ROAD, as Andreas explained, is to honor the many journeys the past few years have brought to her and her musical director/composer/arranger/husband Martin Silvestri, as they traveled from state to state, and country to country, concertizing and picking up pieces of the culture in each of their destinations. The music reflected this international flair, from the subtle English flavor in "I Could Have Danced All Night" to the slightest trace of a drawl in Clint Black's "Something That We Do."

Andreas hit some of her career highlights such as "Storybook" from The Scarlet Pimpernel, and the previously mentioned My Fair Lady offering. She also gave us some beautifully arranged standards, such as "Fly Me to the Moon," "My Heart Stood Still," "Alfie," and 'What the World Needs Now," as well as a very comprehensive Gershwin medley. She also was particularly engaging in a pair of charm songs, Schwartz and Dietz's "Rhode Island is Famous for You" and "I Remember it Well" from Lerner & Lowe's Gigi. In both numbers, she was joined by her favorite acting partner, Martin Silvestri.

The highlight of the evening was a rapturously sung arrangement of the classic "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square," in which Silvestri incorporated birdsong into his fantastic accompaniment. The pair saved the best for last in a rendition of Cole Porter's "I Love Paris" that was combined with a "La Vie en Rose" that almost outdid Piaf herself. Magnifique!

Christine Andreas and Martin Silvestri continue their run tonight, April 19. If you can get in, you will not be disappointed. The food and service at Cafe Carlye is unparalleled and TWO FOR THE ROAD is the best road trip this side of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. Don't miss it.

For tickets to Christine Andreas and information about future Cafe Carlyle events, go to rosewoodhotels.com > dining > cafe-carlyle. For more about Christine Andreas, visit christineandreas.com or follow her @ninapik on Instagram

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