An Officer, A Lady, and an Oklahomosexual

The title of Phillip Officer’s new show is I Hear Music, but when this exquisite interpreter steps up to the microphone, he’ll make you feel that an even more appropriate title would be We Hear Lyrics. We’re hard-pressed to name another male singer in cabaret who so consistently brings song lyrics to full bloom, delivering each line with fresh texture and color.

Officer doesn’t reinvent songs, finding new meanings in old classics; rather, he rediscovers what was always there, ming the rich musical motherlode of the Great American Songbook. In his current show, devoted to the works of composer Burton Lane, he gives one of the finest performances you may see this year.

Take a number like “Old Devil Moon” from Finian’s Rainbow (Burton Lane/E.Y. Harburg). The song has been sung nearly to death, usually with an uptempo swing. Officer stays true to Lane’s melody but pays particular attention to Harburg’s lyrics, getting inside the song’s passionate words and giving them new life. His deeply romantic rendition is a revelation, and this show is full of them. Officer’s duet of “The Begat” (also from Finian’s Rainbow) with musical director Dick Gallagher is beguiling because they deliver Harburg’s witty words with the proper pacing and attitude.

This show is as tasty as Swiss chocolate and is crafted like a Swiss watch. Unlike Swiss cheese, it has no holes; there isn’t a lame song in the show. The patter is quick, amusing, and informative. As befits an Officer, this one commands the stage — or, rather, the floor, as there is no stage at the King Kong Room. In fact, he uses the lack of stage to his advantage by smoothly stepping out into the audience to sing “Howdja Like to Love Me” (Lane/Loesser) directly to several patrons, building laughter with each turn of his body and each turn of phrase.

Aside from his ability to deliver a lyric, Officer has a warm, reliable voice that has become richer and fuller over time. Combine his musical and theatrical skills with Dick Gallagher’s insightful arrangements and nimble piano playing, and you’ve got a show that truly sings. Phillip Officer performs next at the King Kong Room on Monday, August 25 at 7pm.

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Ludmilla Ilieva is greater than the sum of her parts — and that’s saying a lot. An exotic combination of Russian aristocracy and down-home country girl, Ilieva is a veritable musical melting pot that bubbles with talent, and her vocal versatility is a match for her heritage: She’s a classically trained soprano with a gift for musical comedy as well as a natural affinity for songs in the style of Patsy Cline. No wonder, then, that her new show at Dillon’s — amusingly titled Do Re Milla — is a wonderfully eclectic mix of songs held together by the strongest of cabaret threads: excellence.

In this audacious show, Ilieva challenges her audience with a program that consists largely of lesser-known songs, but she has chosen her material with care: Her selections are often deliciously witty, musically engaging, and smartly performed. Among the tunes she has conquered and carried into the cabaret sphere are a sly and sexy piece of musical comedy called “Bower Bird” (Croswell/Pockriss) and a dry country/western spoof called “Tear Joint” by Jim Morgan and her musical director, Paul Trueblood. Ilieva’s no slouch with a ballad, either: Her coupling of “Losing My Mind” (Sondheim) with “Thinking of You” (Kalmar/Ruby) is as original as it is effective. Her pungent patter sets up the songs humorously and gracefully, and Margery Beddow has directed the show at a level of economy rarely seen in cabaret. Nothing is wasted.

This is a tight, well-crafted show that boasts masterful arrangements by Trueblood and a star that actually gives a star performance. Do Re Milla can be seen at Dillon’s at 8:30pm on Monday, August 25, and Tuesdays, September 2, 9, 16.

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Sometimes, talent isn’t enough. Brad Loekle has a terrific voice and a fertile mind but a fundamental mistake has derailed Oklahomosexual, his cleverly titled show at Don’t Tell Mama.

In song and story, the show details Loekle’s experiences as a performer in summer stock in the Deep South; unfortunately, he begins alienating his audience even before his autobiographical character has left New York. Arrogant and self-important, this character is downright insulting to a “hateful bitch” whom he serves in a posh New York restaurant. His reaction to her seems so wildly out of proportion that he makes us feel sorry for her and suspicious of him.

Those suspicions deepen when Loekle looks down his nose at virtually everyone he meets during his summer in the South. He pokes fun with so much cruelty that he becomes increasingly unlikable. The show keeps us hanging in because his co-star, Traci Reynolds, is game and winning as Loekle’s musical comedy foil. Musical director D. Jay Bradley serves up some funny asides as well, while Loekle offers strong, pleasing vocals and some cleverly written set pieces, including a puppet routine that has Jesus at the center of the hilarity.

But none of this masks the show’s flaws. Amazingly, this inventive writer doesn’t seem to understand that self-deprecating humor would have undercut the nastiness of the show and kept us in his corner. When Loekle attempts to sweeten his persona with a kind and generous turn at the end, ain’t nobody buyin’.