★★★★★ Lorna Dallas – Home Again
part of the Stay at Home with Crazy Coqs on YouTube
I reviewed
Lorna Dallas in cabaret at the Crazy Coqs with her show, Stages, last year –
link here. This was in effect the follow-up to Home Again, her return to show
business after a 20-year hiatus. I wasn’t lucky enough to see a live performance
of this show in July 2017 but was delighted when the Stay at Home with Crazy
Coqs series on YouTube announced it was to be featured.
Checking the
definition of doyenne - the most respected or prominent woman in a particular
field – I decided Lorna Dallas should be simply added in so many categories. A
sublime cabaret performer, with immaculate musical style and, as I’ve said
before, always gives the ultimate master-class in the genre. I could go on!
Home Again
features an eclectic and historically diverse songbook ranging from Sondheim, Lloyd-Webber
and Herman to Ivor Novello, Jerome Kern and Rodgers & Hammerstein. Dallas
weaves an engrossing narrative throughout the evening with the overriding theme
of love, especially for her husband, cleverly punctuated with well-known songs
and some more obscure offerings too. And all beautifully showcasing her exquisite
soprano voice. She also has a superfluity of amusing showbiz stories ranging
from her experiences in Las Vegas seeing Sinatra, working with Cleo Laine in
Showboat and more surprising playing Miss Malloy to Danny La Rue’s Dolly Levi
in Hello, Dolly! That must surely have been fun?
Smartly
introducing the set with As If We Never Said Goodbye from Sunset Boulevard was
a clever autobiographical comment, followed by other classics such as Younger
Than Springtime, Before The Parade Passes By, Nobody Else But Me – minus dance
break – and her first-time duet with Joseph Carr, her musical director of 29
years. And what better song for a confessed Follies addict but You’re Gonna
Love Tomorrow, accompanied here with a sneaky request for I’m Still Here in a
future show?
Lorna Dallas
is a joy to watch, a consummate and inspirational professional with her craft comfortably
at her fingertips. She remains a must-see performer, so if you missed her
master-class shows last time at Crazy Coqs, this recording will have to suffice
until the real thing comes along. Hopefully in the not too distant future!
Director Barry Kleinbort
Press Kevin Wilson
Press Kevin Wilson
'LORNA DALLAS: HOME AGAIN'
- the full show is being streamed FREE on the Crazy Coqs YouTube channel
- the full show is being streamed FREE on the Crazy Coqs YouTube channel
Stay at Home with Crazy Coqs is a free, online series bringing
you new videos every day from leading artists across music, cabaret, comedy and
more. Like what you see? Show your support for artists across the industry and
donate now: https://www.justgiving.com/cc-stay-at...
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