By Marcia Blondin***Australian singer-songwriter Peter Allen was not only known for his flashy style and catchy 
melodies, but was celebrated for his energetic stage presence and ability to convey deep emotions through his music.
At Casa Karma Red Room, David Sabella paid tribute to Allen through the lens of his own experience. He knows the stage well, particularly after years on Broadway starring as Mary Sunshine in the long-running musical hit Chicago. What Sabella brought to the cabaret stage was an intimate look at Allen and his flamboyant, ground-breaking life in context with his own remarkable career as a counter tenor, hand-picked by none other than Luciano Pavarotti, and as a single parent and now impresario in Puerto Vallarta.
Allen ro
se to fame in the 1970s with hits such as “I Go to Rio” and “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do),” the latter of which won an Academy Award. He also often explored themes of love and heartbreak in his lyrics. He was discovered and championed around the world by Judy Garland; he later married her daughter Liza Minnelli, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Sabella is capable of reaching otherworldly heights with his voice, but that was not the point during this touching tribute to Allen. Sabella knows Allen’s words and feels them to the depth of his being. He remembers deep sadness and even deeper love and conveyed those raw emotions with clarity and precision. I see tears welling in his eyes on the stage (why I sit in the front row), and his chin trembles ever so slightly; he somehow pulls a strength and professionalism from somewhere and leaves it to his audience to she
d his tears.
Surrounding Sabella and his sparkling sequins were a group of some of the finest musicians in Vallarta, starting with musical director Mark Hartman on keys. A cellist added depth, a saxophonist, some brights, plus an accordion (Dabit), drums (Hamlet) and bass guitar (Jared).
Sabella hopes to bring this show back next season. Applause, applause!
