Miss Spectacular
BY Harry Cherkinian
Shepherd-express.com
Milwaukee
June 12, 2003
Broadway took center stage in Milwaukee this past weekend when veteran performer Faith Prince brought her cabaret show A Leap of Faith to the Stackner Cabaret in a rare treat for fans of this genre.
Prince, best known for her stage work in Tony Award-winning role in the revival of Guys and Dolls and Bells Are Ringing showcased the best of her multi-faceted range of talent, from her impeccable comedic timing to a voice that extends far beyond the walls of any theater setting.
Hers is a voice that can belt with the best of them and few actors today have a voice that opens up with the range and depth of Prince. Even on her opening medley, "Some People" from Gypsy, which segued into "On the Other Side of the Tracks" from Little Me, Prince gave it her all, maintaining total control while giving the sold-out audience a hint of her amazing vocal acrobatics in an all-too-fast 90-minute show.
Prince is all about the total performance, and her interpretation of lyrics coupled with her innate acting abilities made the show an intimate and consummate glimpse into the life of this actor. Medleys from both her hit shows were prominent, showcasing her ability to move from comedy to drama within a verse of a song as in "Miss Adelaide's Lament" from Guys and Dolls.
She excels at comedy, however, and rather than take the popular way out, she chose obscure songs from even more obscure shows, such as the hilarious take on finding Mr. Right in "Where in the World Is My Prince" from the little-known Miss Spectacular. Or in her unique take on "I Have to Do It the Hard Way" from Duffy's Tavern, she deadpanned at song's close, "even this ending is hard."
When Faith Prince performs, she makes it all look and sound so easy.
