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If you read Thursday's NiteLife article the three day Cabaret Fest in P'town last weekend, you already knows Friday's Opening Night was a smash hit! Hosting for the second year in a row, the insanely funny Jim Caruso (MC of NY's popular Cast Party at Birdland), shared the stage with renowned piano player/singer/arranger Billy Stritch.
Held at the new Crown and Anchor Cabaret Room and sponsored by the P'town Business Guild (PBG), the two sang, joked and opened the microphone up to fifteen talented singers, from locals to long distance visitors (What's 1,000 miles when you're going to have Billy Stritch play for you ...even if it's just one song?).
Patricia Fitpatrick, Paul Motondo, Bubba McNeeley, Zoe Lewis, Lisa Jason and Barbara Nye each took the stage and made themselves known to a new and very appreciative audience. As enthusiastic as the audience was however, they were also awaiting a sneak peak of the three “Hot Ticket” main acts playing the Cabaret Room for the rest of the weekend. These were:
Dane Vannatter and Krisanthi Pappas: Saturday at 5pm. Caruso and Stritch: Saturday at 8pm and the solo Brunch Show of the the legendary Boston songstress, Carol O'Shaughnessy Sunday at 11:30am.
Following is the review of the first of the shows: Vannatter and Pappas, followed in Thursday's edition by reviews of the Stritch/Caruso and Carol O'Shaugnessy shows.
THE MAIN EVENT
Act One: Krisanthi Pappas
Although Krisanthi Pappas and Dane Vannatter (both “Main Events” by themselves) chose to do a combined show, featuring each of them as soloists, and then joining forces as a team, nothing was lost in translation (or shortcomings) by this decision. These two have obviously worked together before.
The band quietly took their seats, the lights dimmed ...and out popped Pappas. Literally.
The attractive curly, long-haired brunette with the short green, metallic dress, immediately dazzled with a jumping, swinging version of "Anything Goes." It's a great feeling when you realize you can just kick back and relax after hearing just one song, safe in the knowledge that it's going to be a really good show. And the fresh faced, clear throated singer from Boston (who's played more than a few NY clubs) did not disappoint. Although she is often called a “singer/songwriter,” tonight ...she showed us Pappas: The singer/entertainer!
Moving forward, she immediate launched into an original country tune called, "Singin' to the Rhythm of the Breeze," a song she said tells the story of why she began to sing. Pappas, now starting to let us see her underlying musicianship also began to reveal real vocal versatility ….as she sang the song the way Patsy Cline might have. This ability to change the timber and tenor of her voice is one of Pappas's greatest assets as a singer.
With barely a pause, except to bow, Pappas (with the incredible Bart Weisman Trio behind her) jumped into the lyrics (not often done) and sang a pumped out and pumped up version of Glenn Miller's "In The Mood." In this tempo, and all those words; not as easy as it may sound. She was spot on.
Again showing her versatility, Pappas moved into a scat (something that ought NOT be attempted by those ill equipped for the job). Let's just say this wild “Manilow/Midler-esque” version of the old standard had Pappas romping and hopping all over the stage like a hybrid of the Andrews Sisters and Betty Hutton! It rocked!
Pappas, then eased into a wonderfully romantic original song, "One Slow Dance A Day." This truly beautiful tune, evoking thoughts of Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer, will actually be making its prime time television debut very soon on the TV show, "Parenthood" (NBC 10pm est)! According to an email received just hours ago from Pappas, her band will be playing and, “It's my voice singing, so keep your ears tuned in.”
Back to the show. Pappas with a quick “"Ha ha ha, ho ho ho and a couple of tra la las..." actually became a Munchkin as she banged out a wild and wonderful version of, "In the Merry Old Land of Oz." With total enthusiasm ...and a childlike love of make believe, she had the audience singing along to the well known strains of our common childhoods. This change of voice, into mimicry, was once again another example of the vocal abilities of this woman.
As people applauded, laughed and were still chuckling, Pappas sat down at the piano. Having just won second prize in Billboard's World Contest for songwriters (she will be honored at the NY Sheet Music Society in NY on May 8th by Sandi Durell), she admitted it was the wrong time of the year to play it, but, nevertheless introduced "You and Me by the Christmas Tree." It's actually a lovely tune (not yet in league with Torme's "Christmas Song"), but given time, some of Pappas's songs are no doubt destined for greatness. Pappas seems to have what it takes to be a prolific songwriter (she's already published twenty songs).
Back on her feet, Pappas closed with what could have been “just another”
version of, "And All That Jazz," but even here she did not disappoint (although this writer felt a weird chill, when, it seemed for a moment Pappas even morphed her looks into Chita Rivera for a few seconds).
Starting out slowly, the singer not only built it up, but then took it sideways with a WHAM ...as she slammed into a double time that blew the roof off and brought down the house! This was greeted by a unanimous standing ovation from all! They liked her, they really, really liked her (good taste)!
Before the audience even had a chance to sit back down, Pappas was quickly joined on stage by Dane Vannatter. The musically matched and adorable twosome (who thought this duo up?) then shared a lovely duet of, "They Can't Take That Away From Me," complete with absolutely perfect harmony and an obvious adoration of each other. When the song ended, Pappas took a well-deserved bow ….waved thanks to the band and was off to much applause.
Act Two: Dane Vannatter
This transition duet was the opening of the Dane Vannatter Show.
A tall, handsome man with a smile that could melt ice (and a voice to match), Vannatter eased himself into the spotlight with a cool rendition of, "I Didn't Know What Time It Was."
Moving from that directly into the bluesy, "You Send Me," done in the traditional tempo, Vannatter started early on showing his vocal range. As he took the song back and forth from falsetto to real voice ...and then back again, he not only showed his knowledge of the tune, but his incredible range ...with some notes beyond most male singers in the business today.
Vannatter, a Bostonian, began his life on a farm in Indiana, credits his love of music 
to his minister grandmother, who sang for Church functions. Although obviously appreciative of his beginnings, this talented farm boy left for the big city lights and has not looked back since.
An easy man to like, with a truly funny side to him, Vannatter told the audience on this cold and rainy night that he was fighting a little, “Frog in my throat.” He did not, however, blame it on the salty Cape Cod air (as many singers do), but, rather, “Icelandic volcanic ash.”
He then went on to say that, “I love marriage” (he's engaged) and I love my therapist (that's his business), “But most of all, "I Love My Bed," the title of his next song, a cute little ditty that started and ended with just voice and bass.
One of the brightest spots of this singer/entertainers altogether terrific show came in the form of a torchy, bluesy, big ballad called, "The House is Haunted." Originally written for Jane Froman for a Ziegfeld Follies show, but ultimately rejected by her husband, this song was resurrected in a remarkable way by Vannatter. The arrangement began in a way George Shearing might have played it, with Vannatter sounding like a young Tony Bennett. Carefully caressing each word tenderly, the singer soon began to unleash himself into a belting wail that ran the gamut of his extensive vocal range. The high notes, the long notes, the guttural sounds of the blues coupled with an underlying understanding of a great lyric all mixed together into one primal merge of music, with Vannatter at the top of his game! This primal song brought the house to its feet!
The frog, no doubt totally exorcised by this point, found Vannatter feeling the energy of the room as he slipped into Gordon Parks slow, meaningful, "Don't Misunderstand." The classic arrangement and the easy whisper of the lyric in the sweet side of Vannatter's voice made this reviewer think: Nat Cole. Literally sharing the song with the Bart Weisman Trio, pianist Fred Boyle's soft piano hypnotized, as did the sweeping gentleness of Weisman's brushes on the drums. There was a feeling of being swept back seventy years to a real old style nightclub. Just one more side to the voice of Vannatter.
Then with a quick 1,2,3,4, Vannatter and the band took off with a swinging Bobby Darren style version of "That's All," which led the singer into the audience to croon one on one to some of the patrons.
Heading into the homestretch, the singer explained, in a lovely and true story, how the next song had been written specifically for George Burns 100th birthday. Softly articulating the lines, “No complaints and no regrets, I still believe in chasing dreams and placing bets,” Vannatter actually poeticized the tune, "Here's to Life." The now quintessential cabaret tune, done by so many, was here treated very poignantly and pointedly as the artist took it from a small, quiet place, to a big beautiful large scale ending, which pulled the entire room to their feet for his second ovation of the night.
Closing out the show, Vannatter chose a Gospely, Broadwayish , Rock Ballad version of a song called, "Gimme Somethin' Real," which literally took just about everything the singer had left in him. It was like he channeled his grandmother and James Brown into a last burst of energy, music and showmanship that was like a Super Nova.
Dane Vannatter is just one of those performers who could not give less than 110% of themselves if they tried.
Taking bows to thunderous applause, Kris Pappas rejoined him on stage to close this wonderful show with a fun and very original version of the “either/either” song, "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off." As they sang and played off each other with personal lyrics like, “You say Van-ahhhtta and I say Van-adder,” and “You say Kris-ahhhntha and I say Kris-ant-tha” the only thing I could think of is that these two were as good together as cookies and milk!
The duo thanked the fabulous musicians and the audience and left the stage to wildy enthusiastic applause...meant for both of them. These performers would be a hot ticket separately, but if you ever get the rare chance to catch them together, don't miss it!
*Both performers appear in Boston and New York ...check listings of the Boston Association of Cabaret Artists (BACA). Vannatter holds a BACA produced open mic show at Club Cafe (www.clubcafe.com), every Thursday night.
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