By Scott Barbarino***Newcomer Elvira Tortora’s debut show The Bookmaker’s Daughter at Don’t Tell Mama was absolutely exquisite in every way. When I first saw the promo card in the racks around town, this kid from Brooklyn knew this show would be right up my alley, but I didn’t know how up my alley it would be. This first night of her debut performances as a cabaret artist immediately makes her a contender and a must-see for all. Those that have been in the business for a while and those thinking of becoming a cabaret performer can all benefit from watching her ease and comfortable demeanor as she commands the stage, which is absolutely a result of just how genuine a person she is.
Of course being born in Brooklyn, Tortora has the old school moxie that any of us born and raised in the boroughs know and love. There’s an honesty and quality surrounding her that makes you a part of her family, and indeed the original room at Don’t Tell Mama was packed to the skylight with her family and life-long friends. The positive energy in that room for her and for each other was palpable and even if you weren’t blood you felt like you were by the end of the show.
The basic plot is simple and as she says “nothing was unusual.” And for many of us raised in New York City and its environs in the golden age of the 50s, 60s and 70s, that’s true. We grew up in a world filled with love and with some amazing characters around us. As the daughter of a bookie her tale is filled with great stories and fun. And the patter, which is very well-scripted, sounds quite natural—and is the thing that makes for the flow of the show’s story. The story is bolstered even more by a perfect selection of songs carefully picked from the Great American Songbook, including the songs of John Kander and Fred Ebb, Frank Loesser, Stephen Sondheim, and Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, to mention a few.
And then there’s Tortora’s magnificent voice! One of the best I’ve ever heard—and this is something that can only get better; I must imagine that this being her debut show she held back a bit. It wasn’t really at all perceptible and I have to thank vocal coach Celeste Simone for the work she did with this artist and for bringing this wonderful talent into the cabaret world by introducing her to director Lina Koutrakos. Lina is hands down one of the best Directors in the biz and did a wonderful job of structuring this performance by keeping Tortora real. One can only imagine they had a blast working with each other. Gregory Toroian’s arrangements were spot on and he perfectly underscored the show from start to finish. Kudos to the entire team that brought this show to fruition.
I think The Bookmaker’s Daughter has great promise and could work as an Off Broadway piece—Tortora and her story, though specific in nature, in reality has universal appeal and is a piece of real Americana. After all, who doesn’t love a genuine girl from Brooklyn!
