By Scott Barbarino***Septuagenarian Otto Walberg opened his act at Don’t Tell Mama with the following declaration: “Welcome to my cabaret debut. You may think I’m a bit old to be having a debut… of anything. Most people, when they do their cabaret debut are very young.” But what better way to come to the party than with director Mark Nadler at the helm and Seth Weinstein, musical director at the piano.
“I love those shows,” he continued. “Young people telling all about their lives, their 
short, little lives. I’ve lived long enough to have something to sing about. So tonight you’ll hear a bit about this life I’ve lived.”
short, little lives. I’ve lived long enough to have something to sing about. So tonight you’ll hear a bit about this life I’ve lived.”And so the mid 70-something Walberg proved indeed that he’s still got a lot more life to live as family and friends packed the room at DTM. If any one of them waited this long for this moment they were not disappointed. While a lot of folks his age won’t buy unripe bananas, Otto is a kick and a half, and his stories and his singing are definitely what this 64-year-old kid needed to see.
We all know Mark Nadler as a brilliant entertainer who has directed many a fellow performer, but he outdid himself this time. The show moves quickly—as does Otto still (LOL). And you may have guessed by now the show was thoroughly entertaining.
The reworking of “Getting to Know You” as “Getting To Know Me” with alternate lyrics written by Otto and Mark gets things started; we find out more about his story of growing up, surviving and keeping a fine sense of humor about life all along the way. To give you an idea of Otto’s music choices, some of the songs I particularly enjoyed his delivery on are these classics: “The Nearness Of You,” “Sugartime,” “I Remember Sky,” “No One Is Alone” and “I’ve Got The World On A String.” The comedy set up for “Old Shep” worked to perfection.
Now here’s why you should see this show. Otto’s observations of life are timeless and often not learned by many of us until too late in life. It’s never too late to learn new tricks. This show is for children of all ages. We should all have had such a debut!
Otto Walberg’s next performance is June 15 at 7 PM at Don’t Tell Mama. For more information and to reserve go to www.donttellmamanyc.com
