Marnie Klar: “Accidental Happiness”

June 8, 2013 Category: Category 1

Posted by Sue Matsuki, June 8, 2013MARNIE KLAR in ACCIDENTAL HAPPINESS at DON’T TELL MAMA (343 West 46th Street, NYC – 212-757-0788) – Featuring: Jeff Cubeta (Musical Director/piano/back up vocals); Matt Scharfglass (bass); Greg Ritchie (drums); Erin Cronican (back up vocals). Directed by: Tanya Moberly – RETURNS: Tuesday, July 16th at 7:00 pm & Wednesday, July 24th at 9:30 pm.
While I stand by my quote below from 2011, I would add that there was also a lot of growth from then until now. I always try to review artists on the level that they enter into Cabaret. In 2011, Marnie did her very first cabaret show and it was very good but my only constructive comment at the time was that I wanted to see more of Marnie in the show.In her 2nd show and 2nd collaboration with Musical Director Jeff Cubeta and Director Tanya Moberly, I see much more of Marnie because this is her story. She has a heightened level of confidence and stage presence in this show. Marnie started by telling us that when discussing the program for this new show she was torn between her love of theater tunes vs. a collection of pop tunes that she has been collecting. Tanya smartly told her to “sing her heart music” and I believe this show is something Marnie really wanted to sing and needed to sing to us.Since she is bringing the show back I will not divulge the specific meaning of the name of the show’s title but know this, this show takes you from a place of darkness to a place of light and joy and gratitude and it is so worth the ride and the cover charge! (NOTE: I did not say “journey” because I get made fun of!) To Marnie’s credit, with a great voice and good acting she introduced me to some wonderful new music. She sings a very eclectic and diversified program. I love when this happens. Thank you. The flow of songs really made sense to me without needing a lot of patter to explain everything. Good job by this team in creating a show and allowing the lyrics to move the story. I’m a gal that likes chat in a show but where needed. Good choices were made in putting this show together so “props” to Tanya Moberly as well.* Sometimes in the duo and trio work, it was hard to tell who was singing. Marnie, Jeff and Erin’s voices blended so beautifully. Very impressive and BEAUTIFUL work by both Matt (this man can make you cry with his bowing) and Greg who knows how to play percussion in a smaller room. Marine didn’t just grow in her performance from her first show to her second show; she jumped over a couple of levels and is heading towards becoming a cabaret star. She is someone to watch! At the end when she sings Sting’s, “Every Breath You Take”, while initially I thought it was an odd closer, I realized that, to me, it became her message to us about (perhaps) a higher power always being there for us … watching over us. I am a firm believer that we all filter our own song meanings through our own filters so it’s probable that this song meant different things to different people in the room but for me, it was stunning. *NOTE: Re: Tanya’s advice above … This is GREAT advice to all of you out there … ALWAYS sing what you want to sing while still listening to your team on songs that may or may not be working for you but DO sing what you feel a need to sing. Please read my October 12th 2011 column where I wrote: ” … singing from her soul in a very connected place in relation to her lyric in a voice from the heavens. This gal can really sing and has a tremendous vocal range.”

Posted by Sue Matsuki, June 8, 2013MARNIE KLAR in ACCIDENTAL HAPPINESS at DON’T TELL MAMA (343 West 46th Street, NYC – 212-757-0788) – Featuring: Jeff Cubeta (Musical Director/piano/back up vocals); Matt Scharfglass (bass); Greg Ritchie (drums); Erin Cronican (back up vocals). Directed by: Tanya Moberly – RETURNS: Tuesday, July 16th at 7:00 pm & Wednesday, July 24th at 9:30 pm.

While I stand by my quote below from 2011, I would add that there was also a lot of growth from then until now. I always try to review artists on the level that they enter into Cabaret. In 2011, Marnie did her very first cabaret show and it was very good but my only constructive comment at the time was that I wanted to see more of Marnie in the show.In her 2nd show and 2nd collaboration with Musical Director Jeff Cubeta and Director Tanya Moberly, I see much more of Marnie because this is her story. She has a heightened level of confidence and stage presence in this show.

Marnie started by telling us that when discussing the program for this new show she was torn between her love of theater tunes vs. a collection of pop tunes that she has been collecting. *Tanya smartly told her to “sing her heart music” and I believe this show is something Marnie really wanted to sing and needed to sing to us.Since she is bringing the show back I will not divulge the specific meaning of the name of the show’s title but know this, this show takes you from a place of darkness to a place of light and joy and gratitude and it is so worth the ride and the cover charge! (NOTE: I did not say “journey” because I get made fun of!)

To Marnie’s credit, with a great voice and good acting she introduced me to some wonderful new music. She sings a very eclectic and diversified program. I love when this happens. Thank you. The flow of songs really made sense to me without needing a lot of patter to explain everything. Good job by this team in creating a show and allowing the lyrics to move the story. I’m a gal that likes chat in a show but where needed. Good choices were made in putting this show together so “props” to Tanya Moberly as well.

Sometimes in the duo and trio work, it was hard to tell who was singing. Marnie, Jeff and Erin’s voices blended so beautifully. Very impressive and BEAUTIFUL work by both Matt (this man can make you cry with his bowing) and Greg who knows how to play percussion in a smaller room.

Marine didn’t just grow in her performance from her first show to her second show; she jumped over a couple of levels and is heading towards becoming a cabaret star. She is someone to watch!

At the end when she sings Sting’s, “Every Breath You Take”, while initially I thought it was an odd closer, I realized that, to me, it became her message to us about (perhaps) a higher power always being there for us … watching over us. I am a firm believer that we all filter our own song meanings through our own filters so it’s probable that this song meant different things to different people in the room but for me, it was stunning.

*NOTE: Re: Tanya’s advice above … This is GREAT advice to all of you out there … ALWAYS sing what you want to sing while still listening to your team on songs that may or may not be working for you but DO sing what you feel a need to sing.

Please read my October 12th 2011 column where I wrote: ” … singing from her soul in a very connected place in relation to her lyric in a voice from the heavens. This gal can really sing and has a tremendous vocal range.”