By Bart Greenberg***There’s probably no better Parisian tour guide in the New York cabaret community than chanteuse Karen Akers. Her newest program, Come With Me to Paris, at Birdland was as seductive, romantic and desirable
as the city itself. With the sterling Alex Rybeck serving as music director-accompanist, under the direction of Sara Louise Lazarus, the evening captured the contradictory moods of the metropolis with a mix of standards and lovely discoveries in three different languages.
Akers delivered “The Last Time I Saw Paris” (Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II) as the lyricist advised, without sadness, and in fact very conversationally, adding to its poignancy (The song was inspired by the Fall of France in 1940, which resulted in Paris coming under control of Nazi Germany in World War II). On the other hand, her deliv
ery of “Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup” (Anna Sosenko) was abundant with charm. Lots of charm. Akers brought a bittersweet quality to Dave Frishberg’s “Another Song About Paris” and a great knowingness to a Cole Porter medley of “I Love Paris” and “You Don’t Know Paree.”
Akers also shared some classic songs by French songwriters. (She also thanked Rybeck for learning how to play the piano in French.) No tour of Paris would be complete without numbers such as “La Vie en Rose” (Louiguy, Edith Piaf), “Padam, Padam” (Henri Contet, Hebert Glanzberg), and “Marieke” (Jacques Brel, Gerard Jouannest), the last in Fle
mish and English. Each song was offered flawlessly and with such clarity that the audience could appreciate the material even without having an understanding of the words. A fine surprise was Piaf’s 1940 classic “The Accordinist” (Michel Emer) with a world premiere of special lyrics by Sheldon Harnick.
Throughout Come With Me to Paris, Akers was aware of her audience on three sides of the stage and was careful to include them all in her performance. Her warmth and wit embraced all those assembled. Lazarus’ direction helped to keep her moving around the platform—Akers’ special brand of magic was everywhere.
Photos by Mark Wallis
