By Marilyn Lester***When Steve Allen wrote “This Could Be the Start of Something Big,” he was, of course, referring to roman
ce; but the title aptly applies to Samantha Talora, who made her New York cabaret debut in Trust the Wind: Samantha Talora Sings the Songs of David Friedman. And music directing at the piano was no less a personage than the multi-partite, multi-award winning composer Friedman himself. Making her dramatic entrance singing from the back of the house, Talora unleashed the mighty power of her operatic soprano on the title song, “Trust the Wind.” The rest was gravy.
But by no means is Talora a newbie. She’s a trained vocalist. Her day job has been in event planning and most recently was as the Programming Manager at Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires. That region is where she’s made connections and which has been the location of her developing career as a performer. Friedman explained how the pair met, and since then, much like his relationship with the late Nancy LaMott, Talora has become somewhat of a muse. It would seem (it 
wasn’t), that his humorous and fun “If Life Was More Like a Musical” was written just for her.
With a tight narrative geared to introducing each song, the self-effacing Talora also revealed a talent for humor. She slyly compared herself to Dolly Parton. Beat…in that they are both women with real but also mysteriously mythical partners. “Just because someone is invisible doesn’t mean they’re not important,” she said. It was the perfect setup for “My White Night.” The musical satire “A Miracle for Christmas” was as fun as “Time Does Not Bring Relief” was serious. The song is an aria about grief, and it was sensitively delivered, demonstrating the impact of Talora’s emotional range.
Another colleague and mentor, Ron Ramsay was on hand for a duet. Ramsay is another multi-hyphenate: performer, singer, pianist, organist, dancer, musical director and coach based in the Berkshires. They performed the tune that was originally written for a folk singer and an operatic tenor, and here adapted for none-of-the-above
, with delightful results. Contrast of mood also came in the form of Friedman husband, Shawn Moninger, an ordained Unity minister and former tech director at Don’t Tell Mama. His passion for a certain edible in “The Cookie Song” was splendidly over the top with cookie-love. A memory song, “We Live on Borrowed Time,” brought us all to church.
Ending with a song of hope, “Help Is on the Way” and an encore of unity, “I’ll Be Here with You,” Talora put a stamp on her performance, reading “Good to Go.” She more than Mama-ready, a room we hope to see her in again and again in 2025 and beyond.
