54 Below New York, NY
Web: karenmason.com
Contact: [email protected]
Players: Karen Mason, vocals; Christopher Denny, piano, musical director, Barry Kleinbort, director
Material: Mastering the art of cabaret is its own unique challenge. Simply stringing a group of your favorite songs together or finding a theme that grabs you is only the tip of the iceberg. Unlike pop and rock performers that rely heavily on the songwriting and vocals, cabaret artists, who often don’t write their own material, need to take you on a different kind of journey; one that aligns with life experience and how it has influenced their musical choices. Karen Mason did just that in her CD release show, “Karen Mason And All That Jazz,” Mason takes a deep dive into the songs of John Kander & Fred Ebb which is the centerpiece of her new album for which the show was named. The performance not only highlights the parts of her professional life that intersected with theirs but also includes works of other songwriters.
Musicianship: Mason is a vocal tour de force delivering each song with forethought and a dynamic range that follows the storyline. She reigns it in when called for but can belt with the best of them. Partnering well with Denny, they play off each other adding to the overall entertainment factor.
Performance: Kicking off the show with “All That Jazz,” from Chicago, Mason delivered a sultry rendition inviting you to an evening that promised to be uplifting. She followed up with “Wilkommen,” from Cabaret, maintaining that same spirit.” The performance went on to combine hits with the more obscure. Another highpoint in the show was “Coloring Book,” the one Kander & Ebb song that did not come out of musical theater. She also performed a particularly refreshing interpretation of “New York, New York” coupled with “One Good Break.” In a running bit throughout the show, Mason intermittingly held up the new CD for the audience to see, eliciting laughs every time.
Summary: Karen Mason knows exactly how to reach an audience and to shape a performance accordingly.
