Entertainer revitalizes bygone era of Cabaret

By Charles Passy
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 03, 2005
PALM BEACH -- In many ways, cabaret is a lost art. True, there are still singers who claim to be "cabaret" performers. And there are still clubs that consider themselves "cabarets."
But embracing the moniker and genuinely understanding the genre are two separate things.
Fortunately, Jim Caruso is one of the rare ones: a contemporary cabaret artist who knows the difference between stringing some songs together and creating a true and tellingly intimate form of entertainment. And when you place him in the cozy confines of the Colony Hotel's Royal Room, an inviting space that recalls the cabarets of a bygone era, you have a potent evening of music-making.
Caruso's return engagement at the Royal — he plays through next weekend — finds him in as assured form as ever. Billed as a tribute to Fred Astaire, the show features plenty of the classic fare from the American songbook that the film star popularized and Caruso continues to champion. A few other non-Astaire songs are included for balance.
But again, Caruso is not just about song selection. He's about storytelling, using his limber body and expressive face to convey a world of emotions. He knows there's gold to mine in these tunes, so he doesn't settle for merely presenting them with nostalgic affection. (That's Michael Feinstein and Harry Connick Jr.'s shtick.) Rather, he delivers them in a manner that makes an audience hear him contemplating the song aloud.
A case in point during Friday's show: Caruso's measured take on George and Ira Gershwin's How Long Has This Been Going On? — an achingly beautiful version that spoke to the song's essential message of the mystery of love.
But Caruso could switch gears and deliver a fleeter tune with just as much panache. Another case in point: His sure-footed rendition of Irving Berlin's Top Hat, White Tie and Tails, a dapper version that showcased Caruso's smart rhythmic sensibility. (His accompanist, Billy Stritch, contributed greatly in that regard throughout the night.)
That said, it's not always about the music with Caruso. It's about the between-song banter, the casual moments when an audience sees a real person — not a performer — on stage. Caruso always remains a genial, gently funny presence in such instances.
But given the chance to really reveal his comic side, he'll take full advantage. That was the case with his rendition of John Kander and Fred Ebb's Coffee in a Cardboard Cup, a revised version of the decades-old song that brings it up to speed with the Starbucks era. Here, Caruso was as much actor as singer, playing the tune for all its wickedly sophisticated worth. And that's cabaret at its best.
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 03, 2005
PALM BEACH -- In many ways, cabaret is a lost art. True, there are still singers who claim to be "cabaret" performers. And there are still clubs that consider themselves "cabarets."
But embracing the moniker and genuinely understanding the genre are two separate things.
Fortunately, Jim Caruso is one of the rare ones: a contemporary cabaret artist who knows the difference between stringing some songs together and creating a true and tellingly intimate form of entertainment. And when you place him in the cozy confines of the Colony Hotel's Royal Room, an inviting space that recalls the cabarets of a bygone era, you have a potent evening of music-making.
Caruso's return engagement at the Royal — he plays through next weekend — finds him in as assured form as ever. Billed as a tribute to Fred Astaire, the show features plenty of the classic fare from the American songbook that the film star popularized and Caruso continues to champion. A few other non-Astaire songs are included for balance.
But again, Caruso is not just about song selection. He's about storytelling, using his limber body and expressive face to convey a world of emotions. He knows there's gold to mine in these tunes, so he doesn't settle for merely presenting them with nostalgic affection. (That's Michael Feinstein and Harry Connick Jr.'s shtick.) Rather, he delivers them in a manner that makes an audience hear him contemplating the song aloud.
A case in point during Friday's show: Caruso's measured take on George and Ira Gershwin's How Long Has This Been Going On? — an achingly beautiful version that spoke to the song's essential message of the mystery of love.
But Caruso could switch gears and deliver a fleeter tune with just as much panache. Another case in point: His sure-footed rendition of Irving Berlin's Top Hat, White Tie and Tails, a dapper version that showcased Caruso's smart rhythmic sensibility. (His accompanist, Billy Stritch, contributed greatly in that regard throughout the night.)
That said, it's not always about the music with Caruso. It's about the between-song banter, the casual moments when an audience sees a real person — not a performer — on stage. Caruso always remains a genial, gently funny presence in such instances.
But given the chance to really reveal his comic side, he'll take full advantage. That was the case with his rendition of John Kander and Fred Ebb's Coffee in a Cardboard Cup, a revised version of the decades-old song that brings it up to speed with the Starbucks era. Here, Caruso was as much actor as singer, playing the tune for all its wickedly sophisticated worth. And that's cabaret at its best.