By Andrew Poretz***Most audiences get up to leave a movie the moment they see “The End” on the screen. If you’re the rare type who stays through to the final credit, you have no doubt been rewarded with the occasional “Easter egg” of an extra scene, a bloopers reel, or a closing theme song. Diane D’Angelo’s Closing Credits mines 
those closing themes, with pleasing results, in a well-constructed show directed by Lina Koutrakos. Some of the songs presented were first introduced in those opening credits, though many existed previously.
D’Angelo is a classically trained singer who has appeared on cabaret stages around the world, and is the 2025 MAC Hanson Award winner. This is her second show since returning to New York cabaret. At this performance, at Chelsea Table + Stage, she was accompanied by musical director-pianist Gregory Toroian, bassist Tom Hubbard and drummer David Silliman. Toroian’s arrangements throughout were superb, and often surprising.
The show opened with “Let the River Run” (Carly Simon) from Working Girl, during which D’Angelo interspersed her own story. A rather interesting choice was a brilliant arrangement of “Burning Love” (Dennis Linde), Elvis Presley’s final Top 10 hit, used in Lilo & Stitch. D’Angelo sang it as a slow blues. It was unrecognizable from the Elvis high-octane recording, though it briefly followed that version towards the end, before slowing back down.
A medley of songs from two separate films “Against All Odds” (Phil Collins) from the film of the same name and “Watch Closely Now” (Paul Williams,Kenny Ascher) for the 1976 movie A Star is Born started in a dramatic fashion, growing more powerful by the last third of the piece. D’Angelo here made a strong emotional connection to the material. In a revealing, vulnerable moment, she spoke of the “perfect man” she “foolishly” broke up with as a young woman. “Listen to your own heart beating,” she said, as Hubbard created a beating-heart bass riff for “I’m Alright” (Kenny Loggins). This jazzy blues arrangement was quite a change from the rocker heard in Caddyshack.
D’Angelo’s subdued vocals on “To Sir With Love” (Mark London, R. Granier, Don Black) from the film of the same name did not reveal the passion and power of Lulu’s original, but she followed this with the two best numbers of the evening: “Gently Down the Stream” (Christine Ebersole) from The Big Wedding incorporates the nursery rhyme/round “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” into a wonderful new song that 
would make a fine jazz standard. Continuing the nursery rhyme theme, D’Angelo performed “Mockingbird Lullaby” (Amanda McBroom, Michele Brourman) from The Great Lillian Hall. Toroian helped out with harmonies and counterpoint of the nursery rhyme quote. This and the previous number were especially lovely.
In a James Bond medley of the themes from Diamonds are Forever (John Barry, Don Black) and Goldfinger (John Barry, Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley), D’Angelo wisely dialed it down from the intense power of the Shirley Bassey originals; rather than compete with the memory of those recordings, she took a more intimate take. Still, she gave “Goldfinger” the big finish. Another excellent choice was the obscure “Calling You” (Bob Telson), a beautiful, haunting song from Bagdad Cafe. D’Angelo’s singing here was dramatic and powerful.
A funny and sexy finale of a Randy Newman song, “You Can Leave Your Hat On,” from The Full Monty, had an inspired, seductive interaction between D’Angelo and the audience. The encore number was itself a delightful “closing credits” Easter egg that will not be detailed here. Suffice it to say, should D’Angelo encore this show again, don’t leave before the end!
Closing Credits is a great premise for a cabaret show. D’Angelo proved a fine storyteller and performer. The musicianship and direction were quite good. D’Angelo will likely encore this show, though tehre is plenty of material out there for a part two.
Photos by Andrew Poretz
