Chanticleer- Cabaret - Porter & Gershwin

Where can you hear twenty-four  legendary songs of Cole Porter and George Gershwin in less than ninety minutes?   At the Chanticleer Theater this weekend with music of another era.
As with all shows in a cabaret style, certain numbers work better on particular days and Friday night definitely made some songs be outstanding.
With Terry Debenedictus sizzling the stage with "My Heart Belongs to Daddy", no man on stage was safe from her scarf.   Steve Gillespie hypnotically sang "Night and Day".   The entire group production of "Nice Work if You Can Get It" was fun to watch.   The familiar harmonies sung by Steve and Cindy Mirfield in "True Love" were delightful to hear.  The torch songs sung by Denise Putman, Cindy, and Cheryl Langer were refreshing along with the humor in Kathy Gray's songs.
Glenn Prettyman commanded the stage and the sound system by projecting over the piano perfectly with "I've Got You Under My Skin".   His voice with
"Embraceable You"  caused many a heart to flutter both on stage and in the audience.
Many of the songs reflected the light-hearted humor  of this period such as "Be a Clown", "Friendship", "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" and the stage hogging number "Brush Up Your Shakespeare" masterfully performed by Tim Daugherty and Dave Howard.
Jerry Gray directed and narrated this musical group explaining the history of these songs with Cheryl Langer as the pianist and performer and Samantha
Thomas on the drums.
What is unusual about the Cabaret Series is that the theater becomes a nightclub with food and drink on your table throughout the show. This creates the intimate relationship with the performers as those on stage actually become part of the audience when they are not performing.  The purpose of these shows is to provide the theater additional funds for their expenses throughout their season.
The show continues at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and  at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Chanticleer Theater which is located at 830 Franklin Ave.    For $ 25, you receive over an hour of entertainment which includes hors devours and drinks so reservations are needed.  Call (712)323-9955 or through e-mail at manager@chanticleertheater.com.
The Cabaret Series is a wonderful way for those of any age to enjoy the talents of our local performers and support our community theater.