By Marilyn Lester***If you’ve been away from the cabaret stage for 20 years, it’s probably not a bad idea to explain why to your fellow friends, fans and colleagues. This is exactly what Margaret Curry did in The Space In-Between at The Laurie Beechman Theatre. And in this instance of “all-about-me” cabaret, an excess of narrative may be excusable too. But Curry has plenty of adoring fans and 
colleagues, so her approach was appreciated, especially since the song choices moving her story forward were thoughtfully chosen. More than that, the arrangements by music director Gregory Toroian were nothing short of brilliant, executed by the man himself on piano, with the very talented bassist Skip Ward and drummer David Silliman. Hats off to these musicians who carried the ball to the goal line, adding immeasurable pleasure to Curry’s efforts.
The newly-minted (2024) Bistro Award winner (Outstanding Vocalist) does have a lovely vocal instrument—robust and crystal clear, applied to each song with focus and intent, a particular asset when each tune is very personal and tailored to a specific in Curry’s story line, although some missed the mark in that direction. Of that story line, the title of the show makes it clear: the space in-between is about transition, the time spent from one significant life event, from past evolving into present. Opener was an energetic “Day In, Day Out” (Rube Bloom, Johnny Mercer) with an intense drum intro. Curry was kinetic; she threw herself into each number with gusto, even the ballads. If Mark Nadler has a soul sister of cabaret, Curry is most certainly it.
Unusual song choices reigned (high marks to Curry for digging them out and going beyond the usual). How about Jimmy Webb’s “Elvis and Me” or William Bolcom’s hilarious “Lime Jell-O Marshmallow Cottage Cheese Surprise” or the cleverness of Dave Frishberg in “Let’s Eat Home.” A great source of enjoyment came with Curry’s back-up vocalists: the band. They were welcome on “Black Water” (Patrick Simmons) and downright delightful fun on “It’s Your Thing” (Ronald, Rupert and O’Kelly Isley).
If philosophy is your thing, Curry threw in a generous dollop of that. Female empowerment appeared within Michel Brourman’s “The Ballad of Robin and Marian” and Susan Werner’s “The Last Words of Bonnie Parker.” Creative interpretations included Irving Berlin’s “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” sung almost like a dirge and “Down with Love” (Harold Arlen, E.Y. Harburg) begun as a Mabel Mercer-esque story song before unwisely taking a sharp turn into a full-out jazz delivery, not Curry’s strong suit.
For those who like extreme polish and slickness in a show, Curry hit the jackpot. But for this critic, more authenticity would have been welcome. The show was produced by Deep Flight Productions and ably directed by Lina Koutrakos.
