Review: Sarah Carson Enchants Audience With STRANGE MAGIC at Don't Tell Mama
Her beautiful voice and interesting story made for a hypnotic night! The next show is 10/6 at 4 pm
By: Analisa Bell Oct. 04, 2024
Expertly directed by Lennie Watts, Sarah Carson’s latest cabaret delivers on all fronts, crafting a delightful evening of entertainment! Centered around her unique journey as a licensed hypnotherapist, the show unfolds with an engaging setlist delivered with humor and pathos, and delightfully informative patter.
Entering the room wearing a black and silver sparkly outfit, Carson opened her performance with the enchanting “Welcome to My World” (Winkler/Hancock) before delving into the concepts of the conscious and unconscious mind and dispelling people’s misconstrued thoughts on what hypnosis is. She cleverly clarified the topic in question with a parody entitled, “That’s Hypnosis” to the tune of Harry Warren’s “That’s Amore,” which elicited much laughter from the audience, and set the tone for a fun yet insightful exploration.
The show also delved into some deeper emotions. For example, Pasek and Paul’s “Waving Through A Window” was given a stunningly compelling interpretation, following Carson sharing how crippling performance anxiety had held her back from her true love of singing for much of her early life.
A poignant, seamless mashup of “Windmills of My Mind” (Legrand/ Bergman) and Sondheim’s “Losing My Mind” expertly built tension, with an audible “wow” coming from the audience as the lights went down, as did Carson's stirring rendition of Alanis Morrisette’s “Uninvited.” Another standout moment was “SuperSleepyExtraTrancyUltraDeepHypnosis,” a whimsical twist on a classic from Mary Poppins, with a clever gag from the musicians that added an extra layer of fun!
Speaking of which, her musicians certainly added to the magic of the evening. Her music director Steven Ray Watkins was stellar on the piano and provided beautiful vocal harmonies, with drummer Don Kelly, and bassist Matt Scharfglass also in top form. Overall, Carson and team created a marvelous, hypnotic show!
Carson has one more performance of the show on Sunday, October 6 at 4pm. You can reserve tickets HERE
Performances will be held at Don't Tell Mama, 343 W. 46th St., NYC. $20 General, $15 for MAC Members. $20 Food/drink purchase required. Food menu available.
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