Review: LEFTOVER LAZZI: A COMMEDIA CABARET at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop

Get ready to experience a cabaret like you’ve never seen before with Faction of Fools Theatre Company’s Leftover Lazzi: A Commedia Cabaret at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW) . Opening in a classic Commedia dell’Arte style, this production quickly changes gears as magic is cast over the theatre and the company bursts into song. Featuring a variety of recognizable musical theatre songs while performing with the physicality of Commedia dell’Arte, Faction of Fools delivers an enchanting yet hilarious cabaret, perfect for a summer night out. 

The second you walk into the CHAW blackbox theatre, you are immediately transported to a different time. Cast members are onstage performing with an Italian backdrop or helping you find your seat and interacting with audience members throughout the house. It’s not every day that the show has started before you’re even seated! 

The cast features Natalie Cutcher, Natalia Fyfe, C.C. Gallagher, Seth Langer, Jasmine Proctor, and Kathryn Zoerb, with Alan Naybor as the accompanist. Each clearly a professional in the Commedia dell’Arte style, they stun with their musicality, stage presence, and ability to play off each other, no matter what the scene is. While Faction of Fools appears to be an acting forward company, great care and thought was taken when it came to selecting songs that fit each actor’s vocal range and style very well.

Natalie Cutcher commands the stage, with her elegant and graceful ballerina-esque movements that draw the audience in, and maintains attention through her comedic timing and delivery of songs, such as “Funny” and “A Trip to the Library.” Cutcher does a wonderful job both as a soloist and an ensemble member, and can clearly thrive in any scene or song. 

Natalia Fyfe immediately captures the attention of the audience upon walking into the theatre, as she assists a fellow cast member (Gallagher) in writing an off-kilter love letter. Her energy is palpable, and once the music begins, her performance is brought to another level. Fyfe belts through songs like “A Little Brains, A Little Talent” and “Two Little Lines,” drawing on the comedic and sultry side but also deep emotion. No matter the scene or song, you can’t help but pay attention to Fyfe on stage! 

C.C. Gallagher demonstrates a wide range of vocal talent and characterization, showing goofiness in the iterations of “Agony” and seriousness as they wield a razor during “The Contest.” Gallagher has wonderful physicality, adding intentional movement to their scenes that, coupled with their vast vocal range, make them a well-rounded actor that is clearly able to portray many types of roles. 

Sneaking into the house in a hoodie and with a suitcase, Seth Langer remains hidden until the magic is ready to happen. Once the hoodie comes off, the sparkling green emcee graces the stage and pulls together the full cast to kick off this original cabaret. Langer is another standout performer, with impressive vocals, dancing abilities, comedic timing (complete with some slapstick comedy), and even instrumental skills. Langer is easily a triple threat, and as someone with a large amount of stage time, is able to keep up his high, engaging energy the entire performance. 

Jasmine Proctor is quite the showstopper and a star vocalist. Her performance of “Little Girls” is full of laughs and nostalgia, as Annie is a recognizable musical for many. In Act II, her tone shifts as she stuns the audience with a beautiful rendition of “I Can Do Better Than That.” She sang effortlessly with a voice that is clearly meant for the stage and received what may have been the loudest applause of the evening. Outside of her vocal performance, she leans into the physicality of Commedia dell’Arte, making her presence onstage known through eye-catching movements and choreography that rounds out each of her performances. 

Kathryn Zoerb plays a unique role in Leftover Lazzi as she assumes a role in the cast, but also acts as the music director and physicality coach. Zoerb shows her versatility as she acts alongside many of the cast members, performing opposite Cutcher in “Funny/The Duck Joke” and Gallagher in “Agony” while also demonstrating her ability as a soloist in her rendition of “Anywhere But Here.” Outside of her own performances, her work as the physicality coach can be seen in each and every cast member, as they honor the Commedia dell’Arte tradition, especially with this musical twist, under her direction. It’s very easy for anyone in the audience to see the importance of Zoerb not only in this particular cast, but in the company as a whole. 

As a man of few words, Alan Naybor garnered many laughs despite never saying a word. His accompaniment was impeccable, flawlessly switching between a wide variety of songs while never breaking his own character. Donning a mime’s costume, Naybor’s commitment to the bit - never letting his piano playing hands rest and responding to all the cast’s antics with just the look in his eyes - struck a chord and had the audience in stitches. Many times, the accompanist is never seen, and as an audience member, I appreciated seeing the pianist onstage and portraying a character of their own. His standout performance is one that will surely be remembered due to the simplistic yet hilarious nature of his character. 

The direction, choreography, and music direction of Deimoni Brewington is genius, especially given the fact that Leftover Lazzi is his directorial debut with Faction of Fools! Brewington chose a variety of songs that meshed well together, telling a variety of stories and allowing each cast member to have their moments in the spotlight. The blocking and stage direction was smartly done, especially given the small stage nature of a blackbox theatre. The set design by Johnny Weissgerber took me by surprise in the most positive way. Upon entering the theatre, I assumed the small stage with a singular backdrop was the extent of it, but when the proverbial curtain was raised to reveal a simple set with fun lights and a lot of depth, it was truly unexpected! I think that the simplicity of the set worked well with the rest of the production - a blank slate with additions here and there to set the scene, just like the costumes done by Cidney Forkpah. 

I’d be remiss to not mention the gorgeous masks created by Tara Cariaso of Waxing Moon Masks. Each unique in color, style, and emotion, the masks worked well with the rest of the production. After a while, I almost didn’t even notice that the cast were wearing masks as they had just become such an integral part of their character. 

Faction of Fools Theatre Company’s Leftover Lazzi: A Commedia Cabaret is a family friendly production (with some mild PG-13 humor) that is sure to delight people of all ages! It is fun, engaging, and has a little something for everyone. Whether you are a musical theatre veteran or just hearing these songs for the first time, you are in for a treat. Leftover Lazzi is a summer show you will not want to miss! 

Run Time: Approximately 100 minutes with a 10 minute intermission. 

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