By Marilyn Lester***It’s intriguing to contemplate why a cabaret artist chooses the theme of a show. In Lianne Marie Dobbs: The Windmills of My Mind… for Dusty Springfield, the answer to the question was clear: Dobbs not only found something to identify with in the English star, but realized her vocal 
style and repertoire were well-suited to her.
In the opener, a pairing of “Stay Awhile” (Mike Hawker, Ivor Raymonde) with “The Look of Love” (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) there was an instant ka-boom; two well-known songs revealed the powerhouse that is Dobbs. She’s a bundle of energy, bright, enthusiastic, with a radiant, million-dollar smile. With those assets you can’t help but be drawn to her charm and appeal. Dobbs is also polished, especially in how she uses her rich, powerful voice—much like Springfields, a mezzo soprano of depth, flexibility and versatility. A Motown Medley of various artists might have been a playground for singers who just want to belt and leave it at that. But Dobbs manages her voice with precision: there’s nuance and smart vocal dynamics, which also helps with a natural vibrato that might otherwise become distracting.
At the top, Dobbs revealed one trait that she shares with Springfield, and that’s an over-active mind, or as she put it, “hamsters in the brain.” Two tunes, “Doodlin” (Horace Silver) and “I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself” (Bacharach, David), with Dobbs demonstrating 
pen-clicking therapy, underscored the issue. As the evening unfolded, Dobbs touched on Springfield’s troubled private life. This icon was a megastar, yet battled with alcoholism, drug use and sexual identity. In the telling of Springfield’s story, Dobbs the actress was compelling and evocative, particularly in lyric interpretation. “A House Is Not a Home” (Bacharach, David) and “Goin’ Back/Up on the Roof” (Gerry Goffin, Carole King) were examples of interpreting the material as story songs. The cherry on the interpretative sundae was a splendid rendition of “The Windmills of Your Mind” (Michel Legrand, Marilyn and Alan Bergman) with a slow, balladic start, rising to a musical denouement before finishing on a slower, stirring ending.
One measure of a show’s success is in the musicians who back up a performer. Sometimes they are simply that: accompanists; at best, as in this instance, the musicians are fully engaged—active participants in the presentation. Pianist and music director Ron Abel, one of the very best in the field, created spectacular 
arrangements for Dobbs. One example: the gospel-rock ” “Son of a Preacher Man” (John Hurley, Ronnie Wilkins). Guitarist Sean Harkness in short features and riffs throughout proved again why he’s a first-call master of his instrument. It was a treat to hear Tom Hubbard solely on electric bass, while drummer Rex Benincasa proved the perfect match for the Springfield repertoire.
By the closing number, “Quiet Please There’s a Lady on Stage” (Peter Allen} and encore, “Home to Myself” (Carole Bayer Sager, Melissa Manchester), the legacy of Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O’Brien, aka Dusty Springfield, was superbly served by the sensitive and masterful Dobbs.
