JEANNETTE d'ARMAND'S SUMMER BREAK SCORES AT THUMPER'S 
CABARET

by Milton Hamlin

Jeannette d'Armand, one of the Emerald City's most popular 
and talented musical and cabaret performers, teams with 
the always reliable Mark Rabe for Summer Break, the new 
show in Thumper's Cabaret On The Hill series. "Sweltering 
songs likely to change your temperature" is the theme and 
Rabe and d'Armand meet that goal easily.

A turn-away crowd greeted the first of just two 
performances last weekend-the show ends with tomorrow's 
performance so check your calendar and make plans (and 
reservations) now.

With a sweltering room full of family and friends, 
d'Armand opened the show with "The Girls Of Summer" and 
segued into a slow and sultry version of Oklahoma!'s "I'm 
Just A Girl Who Can't Say Know," a cabaret classic that 
scored with a different approach. Finger snapping followed 
with a traditional "Fever," a song made for the 
evening-and for the talented vocalist.

"Day In, Day Out," set a new record for speedy delivery, 
but the melancholy "A Small Day Tomorrow" and "Lush Life" 
provided superb contrasts.

An original by d'Armand from her college days, "The 
Broccoli Song," cracked up her family, friends and 
long-time fans. She wrote the music for the song while a 
student at NYU for a revue based on the writings of the 
Marquis de Sade-and it is a winner. Lyrics by de Sade, 
music by d'Armand-you had to be there. It was new to this 
scribe who would happily return to the show just to hear 
that one song again.

A snappy, polished "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie" ended Act 
One and gave Rabe and d'Armand a chance to visit with the 
cheering audience and attempt to cool down.

Act Two got off to a jaunty start with "Murder, He Says," 
a Betty Hutton novelty swing number from a long forgotten 
Paramount musical of the early 1940's. "That's Him" and a 
haunting "'Round Midnight" quieted the boisterous crowd, 
but a spirited "The Saga Of Jenny" revved 'em up again.

"It's a song my father sang to me my whole life," 
Jeannette laughed to the audience. Musical fans of the 
showstopper from Broadway's Lady In The Dark will remember 
one of the number's most famous "naughty" lyrics-"and in 
27 languages she couldn't say no"-and slowly digest that 
bit of family lore.

Her father, a professional musician and voice teacher, 
joined her for her first encore, the Gershwins' 
"Summertime." He provided a striking accompaniment on the 
harmonica for the immortal classic from Porgy And Bess. It 
was truly a moment to remember.

"You have been so great on such a hot night," she gushed 
to the audience, "you're my first sold out show." Her 
final encore, the classic cabaret favorite "Black Coffee," 
ended the evening on a mellow note. Reminding her that 
Irving Berlin's "Heat Wave" would have been a perfect 
choice for the Summer Break theme, the exuberant d'Armand 
laughed and smiled and said, "Maybe next week."