By Rex Reed 4/17 8:23pm

cabaret

Cook.

Me, Myself and Babs: A Night at Feinstein’s at Loew’s Regency

Warm as a cashmere muffler, relaxed as a happy kitten, and ready for an attack of total perfection, Barbara Cook’s new show at Feinstein’s at Loew’s Regency shows off the legendary singer in a more intimate light than ever. She calls this appearance “Let’s Fall in Love,” and for good reason. Spring is a time for love songs, so through April 21, she’s up to her Easter bonnet brim with them. And this is the first time she has ever selected the song list on her own, without the aid of a musical “boss,” and done the layouts and interpolations herself. The result is fresh and as personal as if you were spending an evening in her own living room while she pulled favorite tunes from her piano bench. I have never heard that magical voice more mercurial or sparkling with so much musical magic.  Read More

By Rex Reed 12/14/11 10:29am

cabaret

Cook and Feinstein.

Remember, Remember: Babs and Mike in December

Among the things the cherished soprano Barbara Cook and the cabaret saloon singer and pianist Michael Feinstein possess in abundance—aside from the pleasure of singing, sharing the stage with other respected artists and spreading joy—is an undiminished passion for preserving the classics in the Great American Songbook. Their annual holiday shows at Feinstein’s at Loew’s Regency no longer have a seasonal bent. They’re just a welcome excuse for some favorite songs, served up in tinsel and holly. It’s not until the encore at the end of the evening that they examine their first and only nod to the festive season of eggnog and mistletoe, with Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas.” Still, if you can afford the outrageous prices, the show will leave you with a Yuletide glow through the end of December. Read More

By Rex Reed 3/11/08 4:46pm

Totally Tovah; Cook at the Carlyle

In weeks this bad, there’s no underestimating the calming value of cabaret. Tovah Feldshuh’s master class in versatility at Feinstein’s is called “Tovah in a Nutshell.” She means it. She’s won awards as Tallulah Bankhead, Kate Hepburn and Golda Meir. Now you feel like she’s throwing a party in her own family room and you’re Read More

By Rex Reed 3/20/06 12:00am

Cook and Carlyle: Last of the Best

Barbara Cook is always opening somewhere. This is good for those of you who are still interested in hearing what the most beautiful voice on the cabaret planet sounds like. But this is bad for those of us who get paid to write abut her. Every time she works Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Center or Read More

By Rex Reed 5/02/05 12:00am

Dench, Smith Play Spicy Dames

The word “legend” is randomly kicked around so much these days that it seems to apply to just about everyone who has lived long enough to win an Oscar, sell a million rock CD’s, headline at Carnegie Hall or survive at least one war. With so many phony legends jockeying for applause, it’s hard to Read More

By John Heilpern 1/28/02 12:00am

Pretentious Pigs Don’t Fly; Barbara Cook Simply Soars

Lee Breuer’s epic investigation of the artist as a pig, Ecco Porco , is the kind of experimental piece that gives avant-garde theater a bad name, which is usually fine by any self-respecting member of the avant-garde. Mr. Breuer and his renowned, award-winning Mabou Mines troupe have been confusing and infuriating people for over 30 Read More

By Rex Reed 4/12/99 12:00am

Most Likely to Bomb … Neil Simon Should Sue

Most Likely to Bomb

Suffering through Never Been Kissed and The Out-of-Towners on the same day (or any day) is like eating bad clams–upsetting but not life-threatening, and eventually the pain goes away. Every time I ask “Does anybody know how to make movies anymore?” the answer is usually a fast “No,” but I have Read More