James Beaman Made an Instantly Relevant Return to Cabaret with “Lived Experience,” at the Triad

By Scott Barbarino***No matter how you dice it, Cabaret is a tough business. Most performers self produce their shows with tight budgets. Many are also their own marketing and social media people. Then there’s mounting the performance itself, which is what it’s all about, of course. And there’s the suspense of waiting on the whim of audiences and reviewers. We’ve all seen a lot of great shows that were epic but that failed financially. With that said, after a twenty year absence from the cabaret stages that he once owned when he stepped on them, James Beaman has returned with James Beaman – Lived Experience at the Triad.

The MAC and Bistro Award winner Beaman joined forces with his longtime musical director, MAC and Bistro Award winner David Maiocco, on (Thursday, October 19) and after a twenty-year absence from cabaret, was instantly relevant—yet again, an “older and wiser” cabaret artist and working thespian.

He’s celebrating his anniversary of a third of a century in showbiz sans all the costuming, makeup, wigs and glitter he was known for in the nineties, a decade in which he reigned as one of cabaret’s finest female impersonators. Those characters he mastered: Marlene Dietrich and Lauren Becall, were certainly known as personalities whose vessels contained lots of personality with very little filtering.

Beaman’s personal filter stays off as he tackles some of the pressing issues of the day from a definite standpoint. His opinions verge on the controversial and one number “Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist” (Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx) was a brave choice that works, because as he walks the highwire, Maiocco serves as the perfect net. Their collaboration takes full bloom as they together deliver the song “It’s Never Too Late to Fall In Love.” We get insight into some of Jamie’s annoyances in his satirical take on Gilbert & Sullivan’s “I’ve Got A Little List” aka “The Executioner’s Song.” And boy does he have a list!

For those who need to be reminded or for those unfamiliar to those still to be dazzled, there’s a feature video retrospective of Beaman’s drag career inserted in the program, with a studio track of “This is Me,” adapted by Beaman and Maiocco (from the hit musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie). The show features songs by Sondheim, Coward, Kander & Ebb and Hamlisch, plus two numbers choreographed by Broadway dancer, former Rockette, director and choreographer, Ann Cooley. Then there are great sidemen Matt Scharfglass on bass and David Silliman on drums, and backup singers Goldie Dver and Sierra Rein bringing in some exquisite harmonies. Plus there’s a shoe collection to die for.

There’s one more date—Thursday October 26 at 9:30 PM— to catch up with this “older and wiser” cabaret artist and working thespian. And this show happens to fall on Beaman’s birthday and will be live-streamed. There is a $25 cover/two-drink minimum. Tickets at triadnyc.com. Triad Theatre is located at 158 West 72nd Street, NYC.