Directed by Scott Barnes and accompanied by David Brunetti, Leonard’s selections are well-suited for a lady of a certain age. Leonard infuses Patterns and What About Today? with a been-there, done-that nuance uniquely flavored with her upbeat spirit. This optimistic/disillusioned mood pervading the show is effectively defined with the pairing of Porter’s hopeful At Long Last Love with an acknowledgement of disenchantment in Maltby and Shire’s I’ve Been Here Before.
Leonard has a big voice and one problem in her shows has been that she over-uses it. This time she tones down the decibels in some of the Maltby and Shire tunes, and also in Porter’s So In Love, which she performs with poignant desperation.
Petite and chic in a gorgeous black gown, if this is Tennie Leonard’s first farewell show, she’s got quite a few more to go. It seems she’s got more to say than ever before, and there are a lot of songs to help her say it.
Cabaret Scenes