BWW Reviews: Beth Malone Brings New York-Bound SO FAR to Sterling's

On Saturday August 28 actress/singer Beth Malone returned to Sterling's Upstairs @ Vitello's to try out a newer installment of her cabaret show 'in progress' So Far to an enthusiastic SRO audience. Malone is a lesbian and is totally open about it. In fact, the show is not about her fabulous theatrical career, but about her personal life: recognizing a first crush on Barbara Mandrell, as she watched her weekly TV show - "I wanted to kiss her", and the subsequent journey that brought her to the comfortable place she is in today. She is happily married to another woman.

"I don't need a cowboy who can tell a joke, I am one!" Hailing from Colorado, her mom was a night club singer and her beloved dad - a cowboy! Malone wanted to be like him, and of course, as he wished, marry another cowboy and have the life she was accustomed to as a little girl. Along the way, she was infatuated with girls, had the usual 'experimental' sex with them that most little girls do and eventually had a short term affair with a dancer, and one with an Aspen waitress, that also fizzled, and at the same time was engaged to a journalist from her home town. Of course, she broke off her engagement, told her mom about her desires, who told her dad, and was immediately and painfully disowned by her father. Today she is married to the waitress gal Shelley, has made amends with her dad and is one ecstatic lesbian lady.

The honesty with which Malone tells her story is so touching, and with her ultimately appealing storytelling technique as a fine actress, that weaves around the songs with such tremendous humor, So Far becomes one sensational and uniquely entertaining evening. There are pix to play with of fellow lesbians Jodie Foster and Kristy McNichol and a fun audience participation Q and A: 'ask a lesbian a question you were afraid to ask'. "Do you like the term lesbian or would you prefer to change it?" Her answer, "I like the word; it's the word cervix I hate!" Another example was "What are five things a lesbian needs?" Answer, "One thing. An excellent pair of nail clippers!"Funny impromptu responses!

The evening was co-written by Patricia Cotter with excellent direction from Peter Schneider, and wonderful musicians Marty Jabara at piano and Bruce Carver on percussion. These guys really rock!
Musical highlights from contemporary composers included: "The Happiest Girl", "If Lovin' You Is Wrong, I Don't Want To Be Right", "The Life I Never Led" - a hilarious description of a New York dressing room full of straight actresses and their obnoxious drivel about male/female relationships - "What I Cannot Change", "Hero" and "I Think I Love You".

Malone has the chops to do an hour of pure singing, but her show goes beyond the norm and is indeed something special.

This is a jubilant, genuinely open story of a lesbian actress/singer brilliantly performed by the supertalented lady herself. Don't miss Beth Malone when she brings So Far to New York in September!

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