Review: Cabaret I'LL HAVE ANOTHER Takes Us Lovingly to the Emerald Isle

What better way to celebrate the day after Saint Pat's March 18 than to attend a concert starring Irish tenor Dennis McNeil? He's half Irish; so am I, and that's more than good enough, for at this time of the year everyone has a bit of the blarney in them. Once a month McNeil sings a concert at the Lounge of the Hermosa Comedy and Magic Club in Hermosa Beach. This month he titled his show I'll Have Another and, true to form, on the small table next to his chair was a tall glass of Guinness. At the end of the 90 minute set, the glass was empty. Dean Martin could never get away with that on national television, but on stage, when you're the only star, you can do anything you want, and if anything the Guinness gave McNeil that extra lift to deliver a gloriously tuneful performance. Backed by wonderful musician Ed Martel on electric keyboard, McNeil was aglow the instant he hit the stage and never let down.

Wearing a green hat (pictured below) McNeil sang and told Irish jokes and anecdotes. Even though some of them were corny, they came off as terribly funny and made us laugh uproariously. The Irish are natural born storytellers, and McNeil proved that he is right at the top of the list. My favorite has to be: a Brit, an Irshman and a Scot were in a bar and each ordered a Guinness. Flies dove in their glasses. Neither the Brit nor the Irishman gave a damn, lifted their glasses and drank away. The Scot reached into his glass, grabbed the fly with both hands, pulled on the wings hard and screamed, "Spit it out!" Another had pals Murphy and Casey arguing about turning the sea into Guinness. Casey complained, "Look what you've done. Now we have to pee in the boat."

McNeil has a lovely tenor voice and added class to such favorites as: "A Little Bit of Heaven", "Harrigan", "It's a Long Way to Tipperary", "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling", "Too Ra Loo Ra", "Galway Bay" and his encore the forever beloved "Danny Boy". He also did a lilting rose medley that included "Red is the Rose" and concluded with "My Wild Irish Rose".

Among lesser known tunes, "Ring a Ring a Rosie" created much mirth with the audience. Deeper, more reflective songs were Peter Clark's beautiful "Oh, Ireland" with a captivating visual description of the Isle, "The Town I Loved So Well", a sterling "Grace" about a love affair laced with tragedy. A man who is in jail and facing a firing squad the following morning is allowed to see and marry the girl he loves before the execution. The song expresses great sadness as he barely has time to say goodbye. Leave it to the Irish to find beauty in pathos! Another favorite was "The Fields of Athenry" about a Jean Val Jean like character who steals corn to feed his wife and children during the great famine and must pay for his crime.

Dennis McNeil, as I have said in past reviews, does a cabaret the way cabaret should be performed. He is totally relaxed onstage, sipping Guinness between songs and stories, and pulling his audience in as if they were guests invited into his living room for an informally pleasant evening. He is off to Ireland to perform this show, as his reknown is international. Don't miss him wherever he performs!

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