Reviews

Lorenzo Lamas at Feinstein’s at the Regency

The television favorite’s cabaret debut has some delightful stories and good vocal performances.

Lorenzo Lamas
(© Joseph Marzullo/Retna)
Lorenzo Lamas
(© Joseph Marzullo/Retna)

Like many patrons last night, we walked into Feinstein’s at the Regency to see Lorenzo Lamas on his opening night without the slightest idea of what to expect. To many people, he is a beloved TV star — best known for his work on The Bold and the Beautiful and Falcon Crest — but he was actually better known to us as the son of actors Fernando Lamas and Arlene Dahl.

The show is called Lorenzo Sings About Love, and the act, like its name, tends to get a little too self-conscious at times. There are awkward moments when he strains to connect his patter to his next love song. These are the times when a theme can do you more harm than good. Nonetheless, some of his patter was purely delightful, especially when he told stories about his mother and father and growing up in Hollywood. And all those years of acting stood him in good stead on those rare times when he had a memory lapse; he never lost his poise and he covered for himself with self-deprecating humor.

But can he sing? His voice has a rough, manly character. His lower register has texture and body. His vocal range is limited, but as the evening progressed we became more and more impressed with the way the act was carefully crafted around his strengths, while minimizing his weaknesses. The arrangements were rich and varied and the excellent four-piece band carried him when his voice could not.

Lamas set the tone of his show with a combination of “Teach Me Tonight” and “Please Be Kind,” both songs intended to remind the audience that he was a beginner. The bar having been lowered, he jumped over it easily, scoring best with Latin-flavored numbers like “Solamente Una Vez” and “Perfidia.” His interpretive skills are modest, but he certainly cuts a romantic figure. Indeed, “Kiss of Fire” was arguably his strongest, most successful performance, melding his persona with a passionate read of this too-little-done romantic gem.

In short, he was good enough to please the fans who will be coming to Feinstein’s to see the star rather than the singer. Still, under the tutelage of Stuart Ross, who helped put this show together, Lamas might someday soon improve enough to please patrons coming in just for the music.

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