By Bart Greenberg***Broadway, concert and cabaret star, Karen Mason, came striding onto the stage of Birdland Jazz Club, looking fabulous in a white pants suit and her new silver hair, to be greeted by a packed house that welcomed her with a roar of approval. As it subsided, she glanced around the room and proclaimed “well, that was fun!” Confessing to be nervous because she was aware of so many friends in the room (among them Lee Roy Reams, Richard Skipper, Deborah Stone, Penny Fuller, director Barry Kleinbort and the two Karens—Ziemba and Akers, as well as a very special guest, 95-year old John Kander, who “still 
goes out to nightclubs,” and who received a standing ovation when introduced from the stage later in the evening. Kander’s presence was because the evening was devoted to the works written by him and his partner of 40 plus-years, the late Fred Ebb.
Kander & Ebb & All That Jazz!, as the evening was dubbed, formed an excellent overview of their work, mixing standards (“All That Jazz,” “Cabaret”) with lesser known works (“Life of the Party,” “I’m One of the Smart Ones”) and the very obscure (“Sorry I Asked”). All were presented with the same passion, intelligence and clarity thanks to Mason’s skill as a singer and actor. For instance, the medley of “Theme From New York, New York” and “All I Need Is One Good Break” began soft and low with a yearning to travel to the city that never sleeps and then grew as the singer arrived and determined to make it all work, culminating in a celebratory roar.
Music director Christopher Denny (another long-lasting partnership of nearly 30 years) filled his arrangements with musical jokes and teases that delighted the audience, such as the razzle dazzle “Life of the Party” which references “colored lights” and the piano sneaked in the phrase “where are my colored lights?”—a song that would be delivered in full later in the show. Let Mason make reference to Kander’s trademark vamps for the pianist to launch into a medley of them. The excellent Ritt Henn, on bass, contributed his share of fun as well. And Kleinbort’s deft hand as a director was in evidence, exemplified in the wit and intelligence that threaded through the evening.
Mason sparkled in her patter as well, telling some very funny tales about appearing in the original cast of the Off-Broadway revue And the World Goes Round, the
best of which was an elaborate tale (with assistance from co-star Karen Ziemba from the audience) of the five cast members attempting to roller skate on stage, when only two of them could actually perform the athletics required. She also recalled her big solo unfortunately cut from the cast album for time reasons, which required to her to fly through the air. Then, she performed “Ring Them Bells” without the services of the show’s “Foys,” but still turning it into a show-stopper.
The brassy, flashy numbers were great fun, but Mason worked her magic with the ballads as well. Quiet and still, her “Go Back Home” was heartbreaking and “Married” was filled with sweet longing as it led to the devastating “Sorry I Asked.” And her encore of “A Quiet Thing,” was filled with warmth and growing confidence. Actually, every number in the evening was a gem without a single wrong motion. The night was a triumph for Kander and Ebb—and for Mason.
Photos by Maryann Lopinto
