Living the High Life
Sunday night we took Carol Scott and went to the Bay Area Cabaret, in the fabled Venetian Room of the Fairmont Hotel.
Normally, cabaret singers present ultra-hip jazz and soulful blues. I expect serious New York hipsters either crooning or scatting in a mellow, über-cool manner.
Not this time.
Stephanie O’Brien (the Redhead), Marcella Puppini (the Brunette) and Kate Mullins (the Blonde) onstage at the Fairmont
The Puppini Sisters, who aren’t sisters, are loud, brassy, bawdy and frequently hilarious. They also sing well, featuring close harmony in the style of the Andrews Sisters.
Their costumes are ridiculous, pink, yellow and blue outfits covered in absurd pom-poms. The Blonde plays a silly looking instrument that sounds like a harmonica but has a keyboard. The show is more English vaudeville than serious cabaret, but it’s entertaining as hell–the Bay Area Cabaret sold so many tickets they were able to add a second show.
The show runs about 1:15, including the obligatory and perfectly rehearsed encore. Their big finish is Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, to the surprise of no one. The Andrews Sisters did it better, but not in silly costumes.
After the show, we made our traditional trek across the street to the Top of the Mark, which was quite a letdown this time as they were grossly understaffed–we had to wait for a table; although there were many tables available there were no servers to work them. Then I got a bill including items we didn’t order, including $10 for “postcards”. I wasn’t amused. There isn’t any excuse for the management failure to properly staff, and I’ll hope the issue with the bill was just sloppiness.
The view was perfect, though.
Sun setting slowly in the West
We always enjoy the Bay Area Cabaret. The Puppini Sisters are not what I expected but I have an open mind and enjoyed myself nonetheless.
Totally Unauthorized 