BWW Reviews: Ginger Newman stars in FOOL'S GAMES at The Keeton Theatre

What to make of this flush of cabaret performances in Nashville - is it a cultural renaissance of sorts or just a matter of coincidence? Last week opened with the sold-out MAS Nashville presentation of FIVE at Street Theatre Company on Monday night and concluded with Ginger Newman headlining Fool's Games at The Keeton Theatre over the weekend. If you live in other American cities, two cabaret performances in one week would barely cause a ripple of comment, but for Nashville (where cabaret has never quite caught on as it has elsewhere) it's big news and the fact that both performances were so stellar begs the question: Why isn't there a thriving cabaret scene in Music City?

Maybe it's because "cabaret" is an ever-changing, always evolving art form. "Cabaret is an art form determined by the artist," Newman told her Saturday night audience. It's made up of all sorts of music, some of it standing alone, other pieces joined together to represent an overarching theme, still more telling a self-contained story.

Newman - whom we hereby crown "the doyenne of Nashville cabaret" - obliquely hinted that more may be on our artistic horizon, telling her audience Saturday night that she hopes to spread the gospel of cabaret to a larger audience on a more regular basis. Clearly, if anyone can do it, it is she: Ginger Newman (about whom I've famously said I would "drink her bathwater" on numerous occasions) has the charm, the verve, the vitality and no-holds-barred stage presence to make cabaret as ubiquitous and as much a part of this city's entertainment scene as running into Keith and Nicole at Starbucks. And as good as those five women in FIVE were (and they were fabulous, make no mistake about it), they'd do themselves a favor by taking advantage of the opportunity to study the song stylings - and song selection - of Ginger Newman.

The woman is truly a force to be reckoned with - possessing a personality perfectly suited for cabaret, Newman and her right-hand man Russell Davis (who not only plays keyboards, conducts the music and provides backup vocals, but who also serves as her comic foil) know exactly how to control and manipulate an audience, for sure, but perhaps most importantly they understand something even more important to a show's success: how to keep it moving at a good pace.

Throughout the more than two hours of virtually non-stop entertainment (save for a 15-minute intermission that stretched into 20), the snappy patter and exceptional musical numbers continued at a pleasant pace, ensuring the audience's rapt attention and complete adoration of our star, the aforementioned Ms. Newman. Even when she wanders off-path in her well-crafted storytelling between songs, she leads you along in a very crafty manner, never boring you and always tickling your funny-bone with her delightful musings. She's as sexy as all get out and if you put her in a dimly lit room, with the cocktails flowing, I bet her stories would take on a naughtier, livelier tone, although her patter nonetheless fit the venue to perfection last weekend.

During the show (which focuses on the thematic, musical question of "why do fools fall in love?" - although that song is never sung or mentioned), Newman pretty much bares her soul between those flashes of quick wit and good humor, but in a way that invites you to share in the intimacy. You instantly become good friends, old pals and confidants as she mesmerizes you with her amazing voice which is on exemplary display in this cabaret.

At one moment, she's singing a torchy ballad, while the next she's creating the funny voice of a cartoonish character; she can belt out a showtune (like the Leslie Bricusse/Anthony Newley standard "What Kind of Fool Am I?" from Stop The World I Want to Get Off or Avenue Q's "There's A Fine, Fine Line") with the best of them, but she can also masterfully interpret a country tune (Lorrie Morgan's "Something in Red" or the Dottie West/Kenny Rogers duet "When Two Fools Collide"). Her versatility clearly knows no bounds, as she presents a varied program of musical offerings that includes nods to everyone from Michelle Branch and Jewel to The Carpenters (her rendition of "Solitaire" is nothing short of stunning) and one-hit wonder Melanie ("Brand New Key" never sounded better). And she caps off the evening with a performance of Gilbert and Sullivan's "Poor, Wand'ring One" from The Pirates of Penzance that shows off her legit voice to gaily, glittering perfection (oh, what we wouldn't give to hear her do "Glitter and Be Gay" from Candide).

As good as she is, Newman sounded even better with the expressive musical accompaniment of Russell Davis and his two cohorts: two-time Grammy nominee Jeff Kirk on reeds and Paul Nelson on cello. The three men are as impressive as the night's headliner, who throughout the show made it clear how happy and proud she was to share the stage with them. The artistic collaboration - and shared trust - of those four exceptionally talented performers leaves you awestruck.

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