Callaway – Courtesy of Sally Slick.. Used with permission.
Juggling multiple roles—as a journalist, critic, TV contributor, podcast host, producer, director, and co-owner of a production company—can raise conflicts of interest, especially when reviewing my own work. While traditional outlets have strict rules on this, as a freelance writer, I’m not held to the same journalistic standards.
Ann Hampton Callaway – Courtesy of Sally Slick. Used with permission.
Here are my thoughts on the world premiere of “I Get A Kick Out of You,” Ann Hampton Callaway’s trimphant Cole Porter tribute at The Cabaret in Indianapolis. Callaway performed with The Sean Baker Trio. I emceed and co-produced the event, a Magic Thread Cabaret benefit, with MTC’s Artistic Director Dustin Klein.
The event, which played to a packed house, commenced with a preview of Cabaret Latino, Songs of the Americas, scheduled for October 3 at Hendricks Live! in Plainfield, IN, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. Vocalists Heva Luna Espay and Ray Lyman, accompanied by Klein, who was masterful on piano, presented three selections: Espay performed Corcovado as a solo, Lyman offered Besame Mucho, and together they delivered a duet of Quizas, Quizas, Quizas. Soprano Espay demonstrated notable vocal ability and a stage presence characterized by confidence and grace. In his professional debut, baritone Lyman’s performance was variable; however, it reflected that with continued training and experience he will improve. Exemplifying MTC’s mission, Espay and Lyman can look forward to promising futures as performers.
Porter was born in Peru, Indiana, in 1891 and passed away in 1964. Many of his songs became standards known for their clever, sophisticated double entendre lyrics, while countless others found success on Broadway and in Hollywood films. Callaway is likely the ideal performer to interpret Porter’s work; she recalls growing up in her Chicago home, surrounded by the composer’s music, with her mother a vocal teacher and her father the well-known broadcaster John Callaway.
Conveying a warm, lighthearted attitude, Callaway, whose sharp wit paralleled Porter’s, delivered wry, engaging banter highlighting intriguing aspects of Porter’s life. Facts she shared about Porter included his challenges as a closeted gay artist and a serious accident at age 37 when a horse fell on him. Pointing out the music icon’s joys as well, she also spoke of his deep love for his wife, Linda.
Callaway, a leading swing artist, delivered a 90-minute set of both familiar and obscure Porter songs, backed by Sean Baker’s trio. She opened with “Let’s Misbehave” and performed hits like “What Is This Thing Called Love,” a bossa nova version of “It’s All Right By Me,” “I Get a Kick Out of You,” and “Just One of Those Things.”
Ann Hampton Callaway – Courtesy of Sally Slick.. Used with permission.
Act 2 featured “Love for Sale,” “Night and Day,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” and “From This Moment On.” Highlights included an exquisite romantic ballad titled “I Gaze in Your Eyes,” for which Callaway received permission from the Porter estate to compose music for his unrecorded song. Another was “Every Time We Say Goodbye,” which she dedicated to Ben Solomon. An Indianapolis community leader, arts patron Solomon, was a close friend of MTC Artistic Director Klein, who, along with yours truly, dedicated the concert to his memory.
It was highly significant that an entertainer of Callaway’s talent and fame took time from her busy schedule to perform at a benefit for the small arts group Magic Thread Cabaret. By doing so, she showed genuine support for MTC’s efforts to promote cabaret and The Great American Songbook, as well as encourage new artists. Her actions also highlighted her kindness and generosity.
For information about Magic Thread Cabaret visit magicthreadcabaret.com
