from THE BEVERLY HILLS OUTLOOK - September, 2004

KAREN AND ALAN AND JENNIFER, OH YES!
BY DORIAN

At the risk of sounding redundant, I'll say it again: Karen Benjamin and Alan Chapman are phenomenal, a unique cabaret duo who specialize in delighting their audiences.  We recently caught them at the Ruth B. Shannon Theater at Whittier College - and it was worth the schlep - in spades.  Great venue.  Great performance.  They were joined this evening by the equally phenomenal Jennifer Leitham who arguably is the greatest bassist on the planet.  Am I filled with hyperbole?  You bet!

The variety of material and styles keep the act fresh and exciting from start to finish.  Both in patter, musicianship and vocal performance they broaden their image, their appeal and undoubtedly their audience.  But the reason to go see and hear this duo has less to do with the material than with the exceptional talent of Karen and Alan themselves.  Karen commands the stage with her voice, her interpretive skills and her beauty.  She has a sound that is calorically rich and establishes her distinctive interpretations that are fully felt, both by her and the audience.  Alan is the creative half with his clever riffs on what matters: money, careers, sports and dieting.  She and Alan and Jennifer are the kind of fully developed talent that is the power of cabaret.

"Pick Yourself Up and Start All Over Again" with mean scatting from Karen started us off like a super-sized tonic; her paean to medicine vs. music has become a standard that is unfailingly Benjamin/Chapman clever as is their paean to real estate in "90210" (except that the cost of a "fixer-upper" has been adjusted upwards for current Beverly Hills prices).  From cute and clever they segued into a bluesy "Can't Help Lovin' That Man Of Mine" - and real love poured out toward each other, giving me a vicarious thrill.  But Alan takes it a step further with his naughty "Can't Help Lovin' That Lamb Of Mine," in praise of our staunch Midwestern farmers.

They really know how to keep an audience off kilter when Karen melts your heart with "That's All I Ask of You."  But then back to the wild and hilarious: Alan Chapman will forever be identified with his brilliant "Everybody Wants To Be Sondheim But Me."  Weaving in and out of Sondheim's musicals with right-on-the-money lyrics and rapid-fire patter, it's no wonder this has become Alan's standard, a perennial favorite with audiences.  Immediately following is Sondheim's Spanish-language spoof that could be presented only by Karen, Alan and Jennifer joining in.  (I came disastrously close to falling on the floor laughing.)

Karen is no stranger to the stage having appeared in the long-running "Phantom of the Opera," yet she is able easily to transition to a small intimate space with eloquence.  Her voice, that of a legitimate lyric soprano, is always in complete control whether it be a comic ditty or a sensitive and moving ballad.  "Music of the Night" from "Phantom" was breathtakingly beautiful and nobody on this earth sings "Summertime" better, especially when accompanied by the amazing Jennifer Leitham - their telepathic rapport is irresistible.  They blend seamlessly and effectively while Karen's spectacular soprano soars over the house and sends shivers down our spines.  As she shifts among blues, ballads and comedy, revealing all their nuances, Karen creates a searing connection with her listeners' hearts.

Alan works his magic with the keys and casts his spell over the audience; as a songwriter and a song stylist, his talents are astronomical, but while many of the time-tested songs presented capture the essence of other people through what they do or what they feel, it is Alan's personal song to his father that catches so much emotional dimension through his own music and his own pain.

Performers who limit themselves to standard songs play it safe.  If Cabaret is to survive, it needs performers like Karen and Alan willing to take chances on writing and trying out new material, enhanced by a virtuoso accompaniment from Jennifer Leitham of course!
 

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