Lianne Marie Dobbs – Courtesy of Matt Baker. Used with permission.
The entertainment world, at least in my purview, seems to be getting smaller and smaller as I encounter more publicists representing clients, as well as performers reaching out to me directly and on behalf of others. Such is the case with actor-singer-impressionist Christina Bianco who recently contacted me to recommend her friend and colleague Lianne Marie Dobbs as the subject of a preview article. I interviewed Bianco several times and have reviewed several of her guest appearances with The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra so, in my book, she possesses loads of credibility.
Dobbs, who Variety says is “Saucy and sunny” and whose act was called a “spectacular, intriguing evening by a performer who is captivating on every level.” by Broadway World, makes her debut at Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael Saturday, April 1, in “Why CAN’T a Woman…?” Accompanied by pianist-music director Rob Abel, the New York-based vocalist and stage and screen actor will perform her one-woman show at 7:30 p.m. at the upscale club located in Carmel.
Recently Dobbs and I communicated by email about her act as well as cabaret in general. Below is an edited transcript of our conversation.
Have you ever played Indianapolis?
No, but in the summer of 2019, I was in the Evansville area, at the New Harmony Theatre, portraying “The Cline” herself in “Always… Patsy Cline”. I came out to the lobby every night after the show and created quite a fan base singing 27 Patsy Cline favorites every night! I was blessed with a great band of Indiana musicians. Truly first-rate musicians.
How do you know Christina Bianco?
The first time I met Christina, we were both asked to sing at the Streicker Center, a beautiful large concert venue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, when they were doing an evening commemorating Barbra Streisand and the opening of a museum exhibit “Hello, Gorgeous” in her honor. Christina and I and a few other well-known Broadway voices like Farah Alvin, Mia Gerachis, Jillian Louis and Lisa Howard were selected by the show’s producer to sing and that was the first time she and I ever shared a bill and a dressing room. In “real life” we are both half-Italian and talk a mile-a-minute and are kindred spirits in energy, laughter, determination and have a passion for good food and wine. We have been true friends and supporters of each other’s art ever since, sharing that dressing room.
Do you know Michael Feinstein?
Yes. I am a frequently featured singer in the monthly concert series “54 Below Sings Broadway’s Greatest Hits” produced by Scott Siegel. And Feinstein, former owner of 54 Below, attended a performance and asked to meet me. I remember that I sang “She Touched Me” and he was very complimentary. The song is in my upcoming show and I’ll be singing it on Saturday. Michael and I have also crossed paths at mutual friend’s shows in NYC. I’m friends with Billy Stritch and Maude Maggart and he has made appearances on both of their evenings. But the night that he asked to speak with me after I sang is of course the most memorable. I’d wanted to meet him ever since I first saw him as a guest host on Turner Classic Movies years ago.
Tell me about your show.
It has been so well-received thus far and I am honestly stunned by the encouragement. The debut of “Why CAN’T a Woman…?” was at Green Room 42, a gorgeous cabaret room in NYC off of Times Square. It took place in February of 2020. The reviews were so enthusiastic that it looked like a tour was imminent, but alas, that had to wait awhile. Then in November, the show headlined at 54 Below and ended with standing ovations and encores. So, here we are, with a fun celebratory evening that celebrates women, golden era Broadway ‘served up with a twist of “she.” I am an unabashed passionate actor with a big voice, and I grew up with a handful of really smart and out-spoken female friends, and a ton of used books and brave heroines to brighten each day. I’ve always loved to read and as a kid and teen I loved to talk about what I was reading and why it delighted my imagination. This show captures a variety of female experiences via a quick reference to quotes from books that I have literally grown up with. I think everyone in the audience will have an “aha” moment and maybe even an unexpected spit take or two.
What are some of the songs you are singing?
“Something’s Coming” “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face,” “ If I Ruled the World,” “Man! I Feel Like a Woman,” “How to Handle a Woman” and “A Woman’s Prerogative”, written for Pearl Bailey in “St. Louis Woman.”
How do you interpret songs written for men?
When Ron Abel and I first started working together on the show, there were two songs that were my anchors and that helped us build the arc of the evening. First was “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face.” When I looked at the lyrics alone, without the voice of Professor Higgins, it was so clearly a mother’s lament to me. “I’m so used to hear her say, ‘Good morning!’ every day. Her joys, her woes, her highs, her lows.” I wanted to share the perspective of a mother whose daughter is suddenly eighteen and going off to college. The mother’s home will truly never be the same. And that change is complicated, because it’s not wrong that the daughter is going off to her next stage in life, but the mother is devastated by the loss of all that she has grown accustomed to. I do not change a word. It is not necessary. So, we created an arrangement that supported that perspective. I introduce the song with a short story by satirist Erma Bombeck. The other song is “Something’s Coming” from “West Side Story.” In the musical, Tony really feels that love making is in his near future but if it’s sung by a young woman who really wants to do something with her life, have a career and a purpose, so certain doubtful lyrics come forward: “it’s only just/ out of reach/ down the block/ on a beach…” and then her eventual self-affirmation of “Will it be? Yes, It will!” becomes that much more exciting. I preface that song with a brief passage from “Jane Eyre”, who wanted a purpose and “a field for her efforts as much as her brothers”. That song is always an audience favorite in my show. I think it’s because the female perspective is new to the listener but easily aligned and understood. And Ron Abel’s original arrangement for me of “Something’s Coming” is truly outstanding.
What do you love about cabaret?
In cabaret, there is a special element of sharing and interacting. It’s a “living room” experience mixed with theatrical performance that is so satisfying to me and satisfying both as a performer and a frequent audience member of cabaret. You mentioned, Tom, that performers share a lot about themselves in cabaret. And yes that is true, but I think the fact that I can see you and you can see me also allows the audience to feel like they learn a lot about the performer, intimately. And honestly, I think an audience member can learn and remember more about themselves in a cabaret room than they can in a national tour house, because the sparse visuals of cabaret require that their memories and imagination come with them to listen. I’ve seen Marilyn Maye, and performed in group evenings with her eight or nine times. And I feel like I know her but actually, I know nothing about her personal life at all. But her candid sharing of off-the-cuff humor and her up-close vulnerability when singing ballads lends itself to a feeling of knowing her. I love that so much.
What is the state of cabaret in the U.S.?
Oh goodness I don’t know if I can speak about it from a country-wide perspective. I’ve been in NYC for 17 years now and I know that many of the beloved long-standing supper clubs and cabaret rooms have closed in the past ten years. But I also know that there are new ones popping up. And thanks to a resurgence of vintage music arrangements and treatments from groups like Postmodern Jukebox, there is a new interest in the sounds and styles of a bygone era. I’ve actually had some speakeasy style bar owners in NYC ask for my advice on how to better serve and feature live music and the integration of burlesque, old-fashioned magic acts, and drag in a venue’s calendar week, along with great music and cabaret, is something I am totally behind.
What can audiences expect from your show?
A fun night out celebrating all that women do, through big Broadway songs and sassy standards, featuring a woman’s perspective. Music lovers will adore Ron Abel’s arrangements. He is truly one of the best. His credits include music directing Peter Allen, Lucie Arnaz, John Lloyd Young, Bette Midler, Helen Reddy, and Linda Purl. And Steve Such, a graduate of Indiana University in Bloomington, will be featured on percussion for a few songs. And guitarist Luke Darnell will also be a guest on a song.
You can see Dobbs in a supporting role in HBO’s “The Gilded Age” in the upcoming second season, as well as on recent episodes of Law & Order and The Equalizer.
For tickets to Dobbs’ solo show “Why CAN’T a Woman” visit feinsteinhc.com
