Review: RON DROTOS AND FRIENDS Excellence in Entertainment at Pangea
Here's hoping this is the beginning of a residency.
There is the potential for an exciting new residency in downtown cabaret. When I say potential, I mean nothing has been announced, but if you take a deep breath, you can smell it in the air. It seems almost impossible that it shouldn’t happen, and, honestly, having been there at the first night, I’ve got my fingers crossed that it WILL happen.
On April 24th Pangea presented Ron Drotos AND FRIENDS. Now, I’ve seen Mr. Drotos helm cabaret shows before, but I’ve never had a chance to see him in his own light, so, naturally, I wanted to get in on the action, see what all the talk is about. And people do talk about Ron Drotos, his reputation as a musician and as one of the good guys has been bandied about, and not casually so, but with respect; this was a good opportunity to see both reputations put to good use. Naturally enough, I had no idea whether MR. D would be playing and singing, or playing while the “and friends” did the singing, but what I knew, right off the bat, was that it was going to be a fine night of storytelling, musical and otherwise. The audience at Pangea was packed with cabaret luminaries, people of taste and distinction whose presence there served as a good letter of reference. It’s no secret that I think Pangea is the coziest, warmest, most welcoming club in town (and the smells from the kitchen! Heavens to Murgatroyd.) but there’s something special about looking around a cabaret room and seeing that half of the audience is made up of artists from the industry. And once the show started, I knew why they were there.
Ron Drotos is a charming fellow, benevolent, gregarious, and comfortable at the mic. He tells stories with ease and a complete lack of tension or pretense. He is an artist and a host, and that makes him perfect for a gig such as this. He plays his part at the piano, and he introduces his friends with effusive affection for who they are and what they create. The pressure rests not on the shoulders of the pianist, but all four of the artists who tread the boards during the hour squarely elevate the proceedings, and each one with their own unique style of storytelling. For his outing (again, hopefully the first of many) Drotos invited a crooner, a balladeer, and a belter, and with their singular performance styles and his profound proficiency at the keyboards, the four artists made for a rounded out cabaret experience.
First up on the bill was Juliet Ewing, and although the word crooner is most often applied to boy singers, Ms. Ewing fits fabulously into the lane with the fellas. She has a way with jazz accents and a theatricality that lends itself to storytelling, and that fleshes out her ability as a vocalist in ways reminiscent of some of the great songstresses of the sixties, women like Julie London and June Christy, but always with a sense of humor, a cocked eyebrow and a glint in her eye. She has a good deal of power and a nice texture to her tone, which Drotos supported sweetly with an intentional treatment for “Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most” and a whimsical jazz arrangement of “Get Out of Town,” but the highlight of Ms. Ewing’s time onstage was a sensational collaboration with Ron on “Summertime” that brought all the elements of her artistry into the spotlight with detailed elegance and attentive presence.
The balladeer of the evening (and it should be no surprise) was Dorian Woodruff, who is very open about his most frequent choice of material. Even during his Barry Manilow show, on this very stage, he said out loud that he is not afraid of a power ballad, so that is what people have come to anticipate. But The Woodruff has a new trick up his sleeve: “Nice ‘n’ Easy.” The jaunty jazzy number by Marilyn Bergman, Alan Bergman, and Lew Spence is rapidly becoming Dorian’s signature song, and well it should be - he has one of the best versions of it out there. Any time he gets to sing it, the audience is sure to relax more into their seat, and with a warming smile on every face. Oh, he got in the ballads at the Drotos show, but Dorian kicked off his set with the sweet tune from his Bergman show, then segued to “Alone in the World,” and closed off his section of the night with an unquestionable triumph, Beegie Adair and Lori Mechem’s “Fly Away,” which DW should probably put in his regular rotation, as well.
And then we have the the finale of the evening, Lina Koutrakos. Koutrakos has star power. She has always had star power, and she will always have star power. And, yes, she was the belter of the night but she was also the rocker, and, frankly, the comic. For her three song set, Lina ran the gamut from a showstopping “Is You Is or Is You Ain’t?” to a showstopping “Satan’s Little Lamb,” and even though these two numbers and Koutrakos are showstoppers, what really landed resoundingly as a stunning rendition of “You Go To My Head” that left the room replete and roaring. The entire Koutrakos set SHOULD have left the room wondering why it has been so long since we’ve seen Lina in a new show of her own in NYC. Yes, she has a lot of cabaret artists to direct, and several to teach, and she has other concerns (like her role as a newlywed), but it has to be said that it has been way too long, and we are all waiting. Are you listening, Lina?
Now, these three artists and friends of Ron (FOR) are all stellar, and they all had a great set, including a highlight, but Dotros himself WAS the highlight. In between each FOR mini-set, Ron had a performance of his own, each one sensational and each one accompanied by an enchating bit of chit and a lovely bit of chat. The gent is a delight and the artist is a titan. Whether working off of intricate opening number “Armand’s Rhumba,” a gorgeous “All The Things You Are,” an emotional “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free,” or the brilliant “Pachelbel's Canon Rag,” everything Mr. Drotos brought to the stage was excellence in entertainment. Truth be told, he could just do The Ron Drotos Show every month (every other month? Every week?) and it would be worth leaving the house for; but everyone knows how much more fun it is to have friends in your sandbox. So Ron Drotos and Friends is the order of the day - in fact, it should be fun to see who the upcoming cast members will be… that is, if this writer and lover of live music gets his wish. I’m kind of counting on it. It would be an awesome thing to have happen in this or any other cabaret season, especially in the intimate and homey (and sweet smelling) cabaret room at Pangea. It's a pefect fit.
Find great shows to see on the Pangea website HERE.
Visit the Ron Drotos IG page HERE.
Find Juliet Ewing online HERE, Dorian Woodruff can be found HERE, and Lina Koutrakos has a presence HERE.
Photos by Stephen Mosher
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