Melissa Driscol: Twenty Years of Dating

One of the best parts of frequenting piano bars like the Duplex or the Laurie Beechman is discovering fresh new talent on the rise. For a prime example, take Melissa Driscol. Several years ago, she attracted some attention with her Duplex duo-act For a Good Time Call... with Hannah Ingram. Last week, she returned to the Duplex stage to star in her cabaret-cum-(mostly)-one-woman-show Twenty Years of Dating to show off her chops as both a solo performer and singer.

Anyone who has heard Driscol at Mostly Sondheim or in her previous engagements will be familiar with her strong voice and cookie-full-of-arsenic wit, and happily, both are out in full force in Twenty Years.... Formatted as a retrospective of Driscol's romantic life and career from childhood to present, the show nicely blends the bitter with the sweet, never lingering for too long on any one emotion or moment before moving on to the next story and song.

And therein, perhaps, is the show's structural weakness (and probably the most easily fixed). While all of Driscol's romantic anecdotes are fun to hear, they are rather uneven emotionally. Her story of a childhood experimentation, for example, leads into a fierce "I Kissed a Girl" (the KaTy Perry song, not Jill Sobule's) that, while energetic and well-sung, doesn't add much to the emotional journey of the show. The scene could be cut and the time given to the more emotionally powerful moments of the story's arc.

Fortunately, most of the other songs are very well chosen and well placed. Duplex regular (and the show's director) Maria Gentile's "Friend of Mine" is a wonderfully powerful anthem, Christina Aguilera's "Candyman" is deliciously raunchy, and Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" becomes a darkly humorous sign of a troubled relationship. Her rendition of "A Way Back to Then" from [title of show] is also wonderfully effective, simultaneously dreamy and determined. Wisely, Driscol avoids constant belting and focuses instead on what each song requires from her, making each emotional moment unique.

Helping out in that regard is Ms. Gentile's direction, which occasionally veers off course (some unnecessary costume changes; the aforementioned plot detours), but is otherwise on target, moving smoothly from moment to moment. Scott Evan Davis' musical direction (and backup vocals) also contribute much to the evening, and his chemistry with Driscol is adorable to watch.

The show's final song, also written by Gentile, is entitled "Work in Progress," which might make for a better overall title for the show than "Twenty Years of Dating." While the current title certainly explains the evening's plot and premise, it doesn't convey the emotional range of the story. The show, like Driscol's life and career, is still developing--a work in progress that is taking shape into a fun and truly emotional musical journey. Here's looking forward to the next incarnation.