| The
Best of 2002:
Theatrical/Show Albums
January 3, 2003
By Jonathan Frank
Talkin' Broadway.com
Tribute shows are a tricky beast, as
they not only have to live up to the subject but find a personal
spin as well. In Everything the Traffic Will Allow, Klea Blackhurst
not only did justice to her subject, Ethel Merman, but also
crafted an incredibly entertaining cabaret show in the process,
one that Time Out called one of the best shows of 2001. Her
show was preserved on disc and makes for an incredibly entertaining
listen. Throughout its 74 minute length, Klea displays a remarkable
balancing act with nary a misstep: she manages to embody the
energy and spark of one of the biggest stars (and voices)
Broadway has ever produced, but does so without resorting
to impersonation (the fact that Klea has a big, brassy voice
and a solid comic spark aided in no small part). She also
manages to provide valuable information on her subject without
swamping us in details, and keeps us entertained all the while.
The show features songs from all fifteen Broadway shows that
Merman was in, from her 1930 debut in Girl Crazy to her turn
as Dolly Levi in 1970, and Klea is remarkable on all of them.
From the brassy, belty "I Got Rhythm" (Girl Crazy)
to the quietly introspective "Just a Moment Ago"
(Happy Hunting), Blackhurst makes each song her own, all the
while evoking the spirit of the legendary women she is lovingly
referencing.
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