Kati Neiheisel Plays Lovely Encore Of Carpenters Tribute Show YESTERDAY... ONCE MORE At Pangea

Kati Neiheisel brought warmth, sincerity, and a deep appreciation for the music of the Carpenters to Pangea on Saturday evening, September 30th, with an encore performance of her tribute show YESTERDAY... ONCE MORE. The tasteful, intimate cabaret room at the rear of the East Village Italian restaurant and bar was the perfect space for this beautiful, poignant evening of renowned Carpenters classics and some surprise commercial interludes.

Performers who take on the task of creating tribute shows can sometimes fall into the trap of emulating or copying performances of the artists and/or tunes to which they are trying to pay homage, but Neiheisel has not fallen into that trap.  She and musical director/arranger extraordinaire Gregory Toroian have masterfully created sublime jazz-infused treatments of songs like We’ve Only Just Begun and A Song For You, giving Neiheisel the chance to make them her own, as well as a chance for the audience to experience several exquisite piano solos from Toroian. Neiheisel’s exemplary band also included the ever-impressive Skip Ward on bass, and David Silliman on drums (who “played the part of Karen Carpenter” to perfection during All I Can Do).

Neiheisel’s smooth, clarion-clear voice shone during each song as brightly as her smile did when she shared memories of her family gathering together to enjoy the music of the famed brother-sister duo. Having studied with greats such as Marilyn Maye and the late Barry Levitt, and having been directed in this show by Lina Koutrakos, Neiheisel has learned how to carve the perfect balance between sharing informative anecdotes about the Carpenters, as well as meaningful personal stories.

Neiheisel did have a slight tendency to sing with her eyes closed, or carry her gaze up and above the crowd, but when she did make eye contact, she drew her audience in wholeheartedly with her storytelling, intricate musical phrasing, and love of these timeless ballads.

By sharing her deep connection with the material, Neiheisel had this writer reminiscing over memories of hearing my mom singing along to her beloved Carpenters records back in my native Australia. It is these moments of connection and the sharing of lived experiences that make cabaret the truly intimate and engaging art form that it is. Kati Neiheisel captures this essence of cabaret in her gem of a show.

Kati Neiheisel has completed her run of performances of YESTERDAY… ONCE MORE but Pangea has other great shows on their calendar HERE.

Kati Neiheisel has a website with links to all her social media HERE.

Photo Credit: BWW-Staff