Review: IF I HAVE TO GO Deftly Explores Uncertainty at 54 Below

Isabella Araque’s cabaret show If I have to Go featured a mix of two of Araque’s passions: musical theater and Latin American music. The actress/singer’s deeply personal performance explores her own story, more specifically the uncertainty that has undergirded much of the immigrant experience for many, especially in these times.

Araque has a nervous, yet endearing, charisma, allowing herself to be quite vulnerable on stage. The show’s central narrative, that of potentially being forced to say goodbye, looms large throughout. She navigates that uncertainty, sometimes in conversation with the audience, to some deeply personal and compelling places. The tone of the music varies, but Araque sticks to the emotional core of her show quite well. There’s a sense of celebration that gets contrasted with more reflective and quiet moments, tying them together as two sides of the same coin and thus finding new meaning in both.

The two sources of the setlist come together in a medley of "Why We Build the Wall" (Hadestown) and "Derechos de nacimiento" (“Birthright”, a tune from popular Mexican lyric soprano Natalia Lafourcade). Araque arranges the moment in a unique fashion. She employed her upper register while singing Lafourcade’s tune by herself, leaving her backup singers on the Hadestown number, arranged so as to not-quite overpower Araque’s voice, creating an interesting effect.

While Araque’s musical theater bona fides are quite solid, the real highlight of the show were the Spanish-language songs. Another Natalie Lafourcade tune, "Mi Tierra Veracruzana" (“My homeland Veracruz”), opened the evening. Araque and her backup singers imbued a lively and fun energy into the number that grabbed attention right from the get-go.

The themes of home and leaving are both quite present in these songs, often presented through ballads detailing romantic longing and sorrow. Her performance of Julián Mesri’s "Si Te Vas" (“If You Leave”) is a softer number Araque does by herself, one that allows her to fill all the space in the room with her voice, something she excels at throughout the show.

In keeping with the spirit of cabaret, some enduring old pop standards are mixed into the setlist, such as "Sabor a mi" (“Taste of Me”) and "Bésame mucho" (“Kiss me a lot”), the latter of which is one of the best-known Spanish-language songs. In order to more closely match the midcentury Mexican singers who often recorded and popularized both tunes, Araque adjusts her delivery, inflection, and at points even accent (Araque is originally from Venezuela, which has a different accent from that of Mexico).

Araque wisely saved "Bésame mucho" for the encore, which she performs as a spellbinding duet with her guitarist Yahir Montes. Her performance stayed close to traditional arrangements, as she went from belting to whispering, giving an excellent performance of such a popular classic. The song itself is a romantic number laced with uncertainty and sorrow, providing a common catharsis that wraps everything up quite nicely.

Isabella Araque’s If I Have to Go was a heartwarming, emotional, and fun performance. The sense of uncertainty and unease permeates, and watching Araque work through that on stage feels intimate and poignant. She chose to end the show on a quiet note of acceptance and determination amidst all the uncertainty. There was no major narrative climax, because the story is not yet done. And yet, one gets the sense that no matter what comes next, Araque is ready.

Header photo credit: Briton David (@briton.dvd on Instagram)

Learn more about Isabella Araque online at www.isabellaraque.com