Lorna Dallas is the epitome of an authentic Broadway and West
End star. As she shimmered into the Art Deco-inspired elegance of the Crazy
Coqs at Zedel, she was at home. With an audience clearly made up of dedicated
fans, a few Dallas virgins, and, in the front row, Christopher Biggins, Ms
Dallas was away taking us on a musical romp through aspects of her fulsome and
amazingly successful career.
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| Lorna Dallas |
Stages is effectively part two of her 2017 show, Home Again,
which was her return to the stage after a 20-year hiatus. The stages in the
title refer to those theatres and nightclubs where she performed, having
started out in a small town in Southern Illinois and ultimately reaching the
heights of Broadway and the West End. Devised by her two long-time
collaborators, musical director Christopher Denny and director Barry Kleinbort,
the show is classic cabaret performance – great stories, name drops, and a
truly stunning voice. And, without doubt, Lorna Dallas is the quintessential
exemplar of the genre.
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| Chris Denny, Lorna Dallas, Barry Kleinbort |
With a 20-strong playlist, Dallas took us through some classic
Irving Berlin with There No Business Like Showbusiness, Sondheim, Kander and
Ebb, Jerome Kern and Cole Porter. She also gossiped about working with lyricist
Sammy Cahn in London who dubbed her Priscilla Perfect before giving a superb
rendition of Teach Me Tonight. She also sang Stranger in Paradise in three
styles, recounting how she was performing in Kismet at the Shaftesbury by
night, then dashing off to the Savoy to do late-night cabaret, while
simultaneously for two weeks flying to Germany by day to record a TV special.
And yes, she sang it in German too!
There was also a great story about turning down Anna in the King
and I on Broadway with Yul Brenner – love got in the way, and she happily married
an Englishman instead! And of course, there was the story about the late Queen
Mother, but enough.
The stories all make up the perfect cabaret performance, but
above all Ms Dallas has the most exquisite soprano voice which she uses with
dexterous fluidity through this captivating, magical and heart-warming
performance. She is the consummate, totally-engaging professional and it was a
joy and privilege to be present for the ultimate master class in the art of
stylish cabaret. A must-see anytime, especially when next in London!
Photographs: Kevin Alvey
lornadallas.com
lornadallas.com
Lorna Dallas: Stages at Crazy Coqs Live at Zedel 20 Sherwood Street London W1F 7ED
Musical Director: Chris Denny
Director: Barry Kleinbort
Press: Kevin Wilson
Musical Director: Chris Denny
Director: Barry Kleinbort
Press: Kevin Wilson
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