"I've Got To Be There"

[Tesse]

Posted: 12/21/05 at 11:03pm

For those in search of a great cabaret between Christmas and New Year, I highly recommend a wonderful new show performed by BroadwayWorld's https://www.broadwayworld.com/author.cfm?authorid=57"> Margaret Cross and directed by BroadwayWorld's Michael>https://www.broadwayworld.com/author.cfm?authorid=17">Michael Dale. I've Got to Be There is a funnny and charming journey through the American songbook, with songs by Gershwin, Weill, Coward, Strouse & Adams, and Sondheim. The overall mood is of a classy cocktail party in the '30's, but there's nothing stuffy or snobby about it. The songs are fun, Margaret's banter is witty, and Michael's direction is light and unpretentious. And even better than Margaret's banter is her voice, a brassy soprano (how often do you hear those words together?) that works just as well for the classic songs as the modern ones. (And lest anyone think my judgement influenced by working with the lady, I was praising Margaret's voice back>https://www.broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=3180">back in May, before she joined BWW's staff.)

Michael and Margaret are too classy to hype their show on this site. I'm not. Even if I didn't know them from BWW (and before!), I'd be telling everyone I know to catch this show. The songs are timeless, the singer is excellent, and the evening is nothing but fun. After the exhaustion of the holidays, it's a great way to relax.

I've Got To Be There plays its final performance on Thursday, December 29th at 8:00pm at ROSE'S TURN, 55 Grove Street (at 7th Ave.) Reservations: 212-366-5438 (after 4 pm).