Review: FRANCES RUFFELLE Brings A Little Bit of Paris to Kennedy Center

When I was a musical theatre-loving teenager in the 90s, I spent hours upon hours singing "On My Own" in my bedroom. My original cast recording of LES MISERABLES was well-worn for sure and I could recognize Frances Ruffelle's voice anywhere. The first to play the little street urchin Eponine in London's original West End production, she went on to play the much coveted role in the pre-Broadway production at the Kennedy Center, and then on Broadway, winning the Tony Award. Some thirty years later, Ms. Ruffelle returned to the Kennedy Center to charm the audience with her solo cabaret - the last offering in the ten year Barbara Cook Spotlight cabaret series.

Now "all grown up," Ms. Ruffelle certainly received the loudest and longest applause of the night after she sang "On My Own" from atop a grand piano, accompanied by music director John Obermuller and three other talented musicians (Tim Basom on guitar, Samuel Zerna on bass, and Jake Robinson on drums). Her rendition of THE song from my teenage years didn't disappoint at all. It was as angst-ridden and vocally strong as ever, but over the course of the evening, the talented songstress made it abundantly clear that, as an artist, she is more than simply 'that girl who played Eponine.'

Entering the stage from the audience singing "L'Un Vers L'Autre" (a song written for Eponine, but ultimately cut from LES MISERABLES), Frances set the seductive and sultry tone for the evening. In the course of ninety minutes, she would take the audience on a little bit of a journey to Paris, one of her favorite cities, and explore the ups and downs of life, and especially romantic relationships with a series of known and lesser known French and English language songs.

As a viewer, the journey was not without a few bumps in the road. She had to restart a song or two, but did so with much natural charm. Yet, the major takeaway for me was that Ms. Ruffelle is a natural and emotional performer. "Hymne a L'Amour," showcased her perfectly velvety vocals, and her ability to tell a personal story with well-known lyrics. There was a heavy dose of Edith Piaf throughout the evening, and one need not look further than her vocally strong rendition of "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien" as further evidence of Frances' knack for singing a song with some believable emotional depth. A strong and comfortable duet with Rowan John on "Paris Summer" early in the show was also a highlight for this same reason (Rockville, Maryland native Claire Ortúzar joined Frances on another duet later in the show, and made a strong showing thanks to her classically trained voice and obvious love for performing for a crowd).

The quirky and slightly off-kilter moments ("Bang Bang," for instance - one of the many numbers accompanied by modern dance moves) stood in contrast to the former more emotionally satisfying selections, but nonetheless demonstrated Ms. Ruffelle's enviable versatility as a performer.

Certainly, the musical theatre geek in me would have preferred a few more songs from the stage because her voice, at its fullest, is perfectly suited for many contemporary musical theatre numbers. I was disappointed when she only sang a line or two from Ahrens and Flaherty's "Times Like This" from LUCKY STIFF before quickly moving into another number. I would have also liked to hear a few more personal anecdotes or patter that contextualized the songs she did sing (especially the ones that were completely in French) to give the evening an even more personal touch - connecting Frances, the artist with Frances, the person. Yet, there's something to be said about Ms. Ruffelle embracing her own originality and zest for life, and selecting songs that emphasize she's very much her own person and does things her own way. Her cabaret was unlike any other you'd experience from most of the women who have graced the Broadway or West End stages. Uniqueness can be a good thing.

Running Time: 90 minutes with no intermission.

Frances Ruffelle played the Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater in Washington, DC on March 25, 2016.

Photo: Courtesy of Kennedy Center Publicity Office.

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