By Marcia Blondin***This tall, majestic 61-year-old wife and mother is used to big crowds seeing her perform in such productions as Chicago and Pippin. And, yet, here she was, Stephanie Pope, onstage at The Palm with hermusical director, Mark Hartman, at the keys, with percussionist Hamlet CV and bass guitarist Jared Garcia—performing a cabaret show that was intimate and full of love and 
light, and giving her energy away to us as if we were the most critical audience in her life.
Maybe it’s the hot yoga she has been practicing and teaching in her native East Harlem since 2008. ( I can attest to the benefits of having studied with an Indian yogi here in Vallarta, especially in the summertime, when you leave the studio and hit the soaring temperatures and 85%+ humidity, and remark on the cool weather outside!) Whatever has kept her fit, toned and lovely needs another look-see!
Pope’s master dance class was well-received, with a handful of students, including Steven Retchless, learning to dance like a multiple-award-winning Bob Fosse, who taught the diva all her moves. It cannot get much better than that. In performance, I was fascinated watching h
er expressive face, hearing her sing lyrics such as “I Wanna Be Wicked” and interpret Tina Turner to a tee, invoking the beautiful Diana Ross and revering the late Whitney Houston.
I believe that Stephanie Pope walks in gratitude wherever she goes. After her premiere performance at The Palm, I asked her what she felt about Vallarta. She replied, “Warm, it feels warm, not the temperature,” as she crossed both hands over her heart and continued, “I can feel the love everywhere.”
David Sabella and his charitable Foundation, Bella Vox, brought Stephanie Pope to us in Vallarta, The two had performed together in Chicago in Las Vegas over the millennium, from 1999 to 2001. And going forward into the season, Sabella has more Eastern Seaboard talent to share with us.
Here’s Ed Gill’s video of Stephanie Pope:
Photos by Marcia Blondin
