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Margaret Whiting and Paul Bernhardt: "Together At First"

At: Arci's Place

Reviewer: David Roberts for Theatre Reviews Limited

Yin and yang. Older and younger. Female and male. Shorter and taller. Musical legend and young jazzer. Legendary phrasing and wit and irreverent asides. Margaret Whiting and Paul Bernhardt. Yin and yang.

Margaret Whiting and Paul Bernhardt together at Arci's Place works as a concept not because "opposites attract;" rather their particular combination makes for a kind of completeness or wholeness that is both attractive and attracting. They just look good together and sing well together and patter well together and share stories well together. They are an interesting team, a marketing success story.

They share the stage with Victor Young's "When I Fall In Love" and "My Foolish Heart." Their "Baby It's Cold Outside" (Frank Loesser) is surprisingly touching and makes the audience yearn for more duets in this program they dubbed "Together At First."

When they are apart and sing alone, the energy shifts and Margaret Whiting becomes the star of the evening. And why shouldn't she! Who else could spin those wonderful and engaging stories about her father and Johnny Mercer and Frank Loesser. Who else could deliver "Old Black Magic" (Johnny Mercer/Harold Arlen) or "Come Rain Or Come Shine" or "One For My Baby" like Margaret Whiting can?

Ms. Whiting sings songs that truly belong to her and by the last note of each of them, she has unselfishly turned them over to her audience with everything they need to not only understand them but incorporate them into their repertoire of living. In many ways she not only is a legend, Margaret Whiting defines legend.

Paul Bernhardt wisely defers to Ms. Whiting most of the time, though they both obviously enjoy working with one another and hold each other in high esteem. But when he does sing alone his high male jazz voice does well with "Straighten Up And Fly Right," "Hound Dog," "Don't Deny Me," and Sondheim's "I Remember."

Margaret Whiting convincingly sings Hoagy Carmichael's "I Get Along Without You Very Well;" however one is aware by the end of "Together At First" that she and Paul Bernhardt get along very well on stage and bring out each other's best. Their auspicious meeting at the Cabaret Symposium proves to be a blessing to the cabaret audiences at the wonderful Arci's Place.

"Too Marvelous For Words," Margaret Whiting continues to entertain and interpret songs like no one else ever has or ever will.

Reviewed on Tuesday March 27, 2001

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Directed by Jack Wrangler. With Don Rebic (piano) and Brian Glassman (bass). Presented by Arci's Place, 450 Park Avenue South between 30th and 31st Streets. Performance schedule: Tuesday through Thursday at 9:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday at 8:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. through Saturday April 7th. There is a $30.00 cover charge with a $15.00 food/drink minimum. For show/dinner reservations call (212) 532-4370.

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