REVIEW: Christine Ebersole Amazes in Cabaret Series Opener at OCPAC

COSTA MESA, CA—There is a good reason the Broadway community has given this accomplished chanteuse two—yes TWO—Tony® Awards: she is just that good. In her four-night return engagement to the Orange County Performing Arts Center (Oct. 8-11), Christine Ebersole performs a beautifully-packaged cabaret act that is an excellent showcase for her musical talents. The intimate Samueli Theater provides an exquisite backdrop for her trip down the landscape of jazz standards and lesser known gems from the Great American Songbook. Within the span of 70+ minutes, she gives the audience a healthy sampling of her musical, comedic and dramatic gifts.

The cabaret act, a transplant of her well-received New York show directed by Scott Wittman (Hairspray, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, the upcoming Catch Me If You Can musical), is filled with familiar tunes—including a few from the Great White Way—rearranged to fit Ebersole's vocal chops. Beginning with "Fascinating Rhythm," she peppers each song with the kind of styling that reveals powerhouse vocals and awe-inspiring control. In between musical numbers, she describes her simple, yet often chaotic family life in New Jersey (that includes a husband, three children, and pets of all breeds and species). Songs like "Cooking Breakfast for the One I Love," "Miss Johnson Phoned Again Today," and "Bill" (a song from Showboat, done in a quiet-storm jazz style, that she dedicates to her husband) paint a portrait of her domestic bliss.

She is a great comic, with the kind of timing that the greats like Carol Channing, Elaine Stritch and Bernadette Peters have in great supply. One of the highlights of her occasionally witty personal vignettes is her confession that she often says "Glamorous!" to herself in the mirror as a mantra to start her day right. And to the delight of her fans of her Tony Award-winning role on Grey Gardens, she morphs briefly into the distinctive accent of Little Edie Beale a few times (but alas no "Another Winter in A Summer Town" is to be heard on this night).

Backed by a four-person jazz ensemble led by musical director John Oddo on piano, Ebersole also talks (and sings) about the country's current financial and political woes, with songs like "I've Got Five Dollars," "Why Don't We Try Staying Home," "In a Shanty in Old Shanty Town," and "I Can't Give You Anything But Love." Obviously comfortable with both swinging jazz and the blues-iest of torch songs, she has a skillful propensity for making the audience laugh at her sharp observations, then have the audience teary-eyed with her pathos-tinged vocal delivery. In perhaps the most touching moment of the entire night, Ebersole digs deep into the early 20th Century songbook and pulls out a remarkably moving, quietly compassionate folk spiritual from Stephen Foster called "Hard Times Come Again No More." Here, she is both hopeful and heartbreaking. Her gorgeous voice is appropriately complimented in the song with the quiet, soul-stirring solo piano accompaniment by Oddo.

She concludes her set with a slow-burn, jazz revisionist take on "42nd Street" from the revival that garnered Ebersole her first Tony Award. Afterwards, she returns for the encore with the charming "Monotonous" as a reverent homage to the late Eartha Kitt, followed with a powerful coda of "My Shining Hour." After a glorious evening of jazz, torch songs and witty monologues, it's not a stretch to conclude that this notable actress of stage, film, and television is just as wonderful in the role of cabaret goddess. More, Ms. Ebersole. More.

Photo by Kit Kittle.

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Tickets to see Christine Ebersole at the Orange County Performing Arts Center's Samueli Theater (concludes Sunday, October 11 at 7 pm) are $72 and are available at OCPAC.org, at the Center’s Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling 714.556.2787. For inquiries about group ticket discounts for 15 or more, call the Group Services office at 714.755.0236. The TTY number is 714.556.2746.

The Center’s Cabaret Series combines an array of artists, from entertainment legends to the best, brightest and most exciting performers making their marks on the music world today. Upcoming performers include Broadway leading lady Christine Andreas (November 12 – 15, 2009), TV's Katey Segal (Center Debut, December 10 – 13, 2009), three-time Tony® award nominee Kelli O’Hara (Center Debut, January 21 – 24, 2010) and her South Pacific co-star Tony® winner Paulo Szot (Center Debut, April 8 – 11, 2010).

Visit www.ocpac.org for more information. For more information on Christine Ebersole, please visit her Web site at www.christineebersole.com.