Review: Mary, Maggy and Marta Are Better named Veni, Vidi, and Vici after THE MOIPEI TRIPLETS EMBRACE NEW YORK Plays Birdland Theater

Well, the Moipei Triplets had a heck of a month in October. On the 27th they emerged as the darlings of The Cabaret Convention, garnering a throng of new admirers, made up almost entirely of members of the cabaret community. Then, on All Hallows' Eve, the three sisters made their debut to an impressively stocked room in the basement at Birdland. It is more than obvious that Mary, Maggy and Marta have claimed a brand-new family, right here in New York City, and that that family has claimed them.

Born in Nairobi, Kenya, these amiable young women have trained tirelessly to create an effect with their voices, and that training has paid off in ways that made the audiences at both of their recent appearances sigh with both joy and wonder, before going out into the night and the week to sing the praises of the vocal group in one family. One could make comparisons to all of the great vocal groups and sister acts of the past, but why take up time and space with an exercise in futility? The simple and economic truth is that The Moipei Triplets sound sensational when they sing - at times mind-blowing, others endearing, but always, always enjoyable, something that originates with the actual sound of each individual voice being presented within their three part harmonies. Each of the ladies is possessing of a voice that carries with it a rich, full-bodied, bold sound; that might sound like a description for a fine wine and, in many ways, these voices are rather like a great vintage bevvie, filled with character, uniqueness, texture, and totally intoxicating. That, by the way, is even before the women begin to talk and reveal their personalities, which are on a par with their voices.

For their musical program, the sisters (attired in matching frocks of different colors with Marta in green, Mary in black, and Maggy in red) worked with their skilled Musical Director Phil Reno to create a set ranging from Beyonce and Miley Cyrus to Benny Goodman and Cole Porter, and they sound wonderful in every genre, having rehearsed all aspects of the show to the nth degree, though there were disappointments in the occasional truncating of songs that would have been fun to hear sung in their entirety. When the ladies are engaged in the act of singing, they are beyond reproach - every word, every note, every harmony all have perfect placement and flawless execution. An audience member could basically close their eyes and float away on the pleasure to be derived from these renditions of songs like "The Sound of Silence" and "If I Fell" but the closing of eyes would completely negate the cheeky senses of humor and playful repartee exchanged between the siblings during a medley of tunes about female empowerment, or some Broadway by way of West Side Story and Hamilton. Maggy, Mary and Marta are accomplished entertainers whose proficiency belies their age, and a welcome addition to the cabaret community of New York and the cabaret industry at large.

They are not, though, accomplished enough to have noted that their script is a little clumsy at times and their patter a little hokey, and director Matthew Inge, who directs them with a clear understanding of their talent and aesthetic, might consider sitting down with the triplets to smooth out some of the non sequiturs in the storyline, one that takes the Moipei's through discussions of life in Kenya, their upbringing, coming to New York, and dating, all topics perfectly fit for a club act, but topics that, here, sometimes seem to be dropped into the middle of an ongoing conversation without warning. Understandably, when a young performer or a group of young performers starts out with a club act in a city where nobody knows them, finding things about which to talk with the audience can be complicated. It is a path requiring navigation, as one seeks out just the right tales to tell and facets to share, and it may take some time and effort. It also takes complete sincerity, and there are times when the ladies' dialogue savors of a joke and punchline format requiring a rimshot from the drummer, when the moment would have been more effective with a little straightforward chit-chat to allow the audience an opportunity to really get to know the women. This is, by no means, a criticism - merely an observation, a suggestion, if you will, to assist the Moipei's in the reaching of the heights due them. Nothing on Sunday night could diminish their enchantment, either as singers or as people, an enchantment that will bewitch all who see and hear them in future performances destined to increase their fan base. How appropriate that these three lovely ladies should bring such special sorcery to their Halloween concert at Birdland, thus bewitching an entire room of, now, besotted people.

All hail the conquering sisters.

THE MOIPEI TRIPLETS EMBRACE NEW YORK was a one-off but other great shows can be found at the Birdland website HERE.

The Moipei Triplets have an online presence HERE and HERE.

The Moipei Triplets get a five out of five microphones rating for performing their entire show without the use of a lyric sheet, tablet, or music stand.

Photos by Stephen Mosher

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