Two Cabarets Return to the Duplex

Last year, two new cabarets made some waves at the Duplex. The Sexless Years recounted creator and star Kate Pazakis' adventures in dating and romance, while Nick Cearley's The Most Overdone Songs Ever was a fun reminder of why we love the songs we love. Last week, both shows ended their all-too-brief return engagements at their original launch pad, giving the cheering audiences one more taste of the wit, fun, and great voices that made the previous incarnations so enjoyable.

The Most Overdone Songs Ever remained the bright, buoyant romp through popular showtunes it was last year, with the additions of a few new songs (several of them pop standards) and a new co-star. Sweeney Todd's Lauren Molina added her lovely cello playing to music director Ray Fellman's tireless piano work. Ms. Molina's vocal and instrumental contributions to "I'd Give It All For You" and Madonna's "Crazy for You" added nice layers to the songs, though her solo rendition of "On My Own" (performed on the cello with no other accompaniment), while impressive for its ingenuity, did not work as well.

Mr. Cearley also added several pop standards to the show, including Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" and the above-mentioned "Crazy for You." While he delivered the songs very well, they felt somewhat shoehorned into the cabaret setting, and seemed out of place. To be fair, of course, these minor missteps were at least innovative and original, and made in the spirit of exploration. The best numbers, including two adorable medleys, Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin's "Sensitive Song," and innovative reimaginings of "On The Street Where You Live" and "Everything's Coming Up Roses" remain, and on their own could make the evening worthwhile. The Most Overdone Songs Ever is a delightful stroll down memory lane, with a true connoisseur of the genre as an eager guide. Mr. Cearley clearly loves all these songs, and his affection is wonderfully infectious. Here's looking forward to more revivals of the show, with more standards being added each year.

Kate Pazakis' The Sexless Years, a story of love, sex and deception, was as scathingly funny and heartbreakingly poignant as it was last year, and like a good wine, has nicely matured in intensity and intimacy. The story is unabashedly emotional and personal, and for all its humor, it goes right for the heart. Susan Lovell's sharp direction tightened up Noel Carmichael's original work from last year, keeping the spirit of the previous production while upping the emotional levels. Ms. Pazakis began the show sans microphone, entering sultrily through the audience and gliding up to the stage, immediately commanding attention and connecting with the crowd.

The gorgeous back-up boys (Glenn Bassett and Matt Shofner, down from three last year) were refined into a sharp duo act that nicely accentuated the mood while never distracting attention. Brian Nash's piano accompaniment and musical direction remained sharp and effective, and nicely conveyed the complex emotions inherent to the story. Several new and original songs were added to the show, nicely furthering the story while giving Ms. Pazakis a chance to show off her inimitable voice. (And yes, the deliciously raunchy parody of "Defying Gravity" remains, and is as fresh as ever, in every sense of the word.) Even the officially-unplanned encore, "Holding Out For A Hero," served as a perfect end to the story arc, and should definitely be kept in all future productions… which we can only hope will be frequent.

At a space like the Duplex, one can always catch rising stars and discover new and noteworthy talent. Take note, then, and remember the names of Kate Pazakis and Nick Cearley. These are the new faces and voices of the next generation of cabaret, and the genre is in very good hands.