You never know what's just around the corner and that's the fascinating thing about discovering cabaret artists who are new to your milieu. Last night it was at the corner of 71st Street and 2nd Avenue at the Beach Cafe. Friend Ron Abel, one of the music industry's preeminent pianists/ arrangers/music directors in his heads up to me about this artist said ..."Sometimes you get lucky. You get to work with a smart actress whose ability to understand a lyric translates to her being able to take the song to a place that people haven't heard before. And then, she has the vocal range and ability to take it that one step further." That folks is Lianne Marie Dobbs who while new to me is well known by cabaret enthusiasts.
Starting with a stack of books written by women placed on Ron's piano, Lianne in her show titled "Why Can't a Woman Be More Like A Man?" then prefaced each song with a poignant passage from the literary gems by famous feminist authors.
It was a spectacular intriguing evening created by a performer who has the acting and vocal ability that is completely captivating on every level. Ron Abel's musical accompaniment and arrangements effectively complemented the thought-provoking song list of standards. Lianne's delivery of "Something's Coming" was one of the best I've heard. "If I Were A Man" (Mancini/Bricusse), "I Feel Like A Woman" (Shania Twain), "She Likes Basketball" (Barcharach/David), "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" (1917), "How To Handle a Woman" (Lerner Lowe) were just some of the tunes Lianne used to celebrate the lyrical beauty and strength of women.
To quote one of her song titles..."She Touched Me"
Photo Credit: Stephen Sorokoff
Lianne Marie Dobbs & Ron Abel, Music Director/Arranger
Luke Darnell, (her man) & Lianne Marie Dobbs
Beach Cafe
Luke Darnell, Lianne Marie Dobbs, Ron Abel, Michael Warren
Marissa Mulder, Will Friedwald, Lianne Marie Dobbs
Beach Cafe
Beach Cafe
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