By John Amodeo***Broadway leading man Brent Barrett and his talented husband, Bernie Blanks, made their paired Puerto Vallarta cabaret debut at Act2PV’s Red Room with their touching and highly entertaining show“Islands in the Stream”—a show that charts the course of their 20-plus year-long relationship. 
Through story and song, with the incredibly versatile Mark Hartman at the piano, the pair, dressed in their all-white wedding suits, were as visually striking as they were mellifluous.
It’s rare to see two men in love on a cabaret stage sing, speak and joke about their relationship. What a pleasure it was to witness their easy banter, romantic duets and affectionate teasing, while taking us from tears to belly laughs. The eclectic program of Broadway, pop, country and R&B songs showcased their accomplishments as actors and singers, while also creating a versatile palette from which they could paint their story.
Barrett, whose high-profile Broadway career includes playing Billy Flynn in Broadway’s longest running musical, the revival of Chicago, and the Baron in Grand Hotel, as well as the Phantom in the German production of Phantom of the Opera, has a resonant, highly-trained baritone that has been well-suited to those roles. In a cabaret setting, where songs are sung more conversationally, such a dramatic voice can sometimes sound a bit jarring, and it takes a few songs to tune one’s ear to his resonance. Blanks, whose background in pop musical theater, in contrast, such as Starlight Express, which he performed for many years in Germany, has a softer, more relaxed sound. As the show progressed, their two voices pulled each other to an interesting center, bringing more character out of Blanks and easing the edges of Barrett’s baritone.
Their beautifully arranged duets “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough/I Got You Babe,” and “Just in Time/You Make Me Feel So Young” set a nice romantic tone, while Blanks’ adorable “Popular” (Wicked) teased Barrett about his lack of wardrobe and facial regimen. They were especially touching with “A Whole New World” (Aladdin), which they sang to each other on their wedding day, and their giggle on the word “Princess” was cutely comic. A moment of truth in their relationship came when separate European tours kept them long apart, creating strain and heartache, beautifully captured in Blanks’ original country song “Old Stone Temple;” it was one of the most honest and moving moments in the show, chronicling where they met up in Athens to salvage what they still have.
While Act Two had the pair in more casual wear of muscle shirts, leather and leopard skin, the romance quotient escalated as Barrett beautifully recreated the moment he proposed to Blanks, kneeling on one knee singing the pairing “Married”/”Marry Me” (Cabaret/The Rink), with both Blanks and the audience in tears. Their closing duet, “I’ll Cover You” (Rent) and their encore “Come What May” (Moulin Rouge) allowed their voices and emotions to soar, sweeping us into their world of romance as we wiped away tears to cheer wildly.
Photos by John Amodeo
