There's no business....

This has been a heady theatrical week for David and me. Tuesday was Barrington Stage 2, Friday was Barrington Main Stage, Saturday was Berkshire Choral Festival and tonight was Mr. Finn's Cabaret at Barrington Stage. Whew! That's more shows than I saw in any week when I lived in New York!

Tonight Alix Korey did her 'Ethel Merman' show, Doin' What Comes Naturally', proving that there was really only one Ethel Merman.

Ms. Korey has a very loud voice and sang a lot of Ethel's songs, but I heard Merman many times on Broadway, and Ms. Korey is no Ethel Merman.

Actually, no one is or was Ethel Merman, except Ethel.

Ethel certainly had a big voice that could be heard in the back row of any second balcony in any theatre in the country, without amplification, but it was never pushed. It was just there!

Ms. Korey put on an interesting show combining tales from Ethel's career interspersed with songs from many of her Broadway shows.

Christopher Marlowe ( no, not that one) was the able pianist.

Anyone who tries to do Ethel is almost bound to fail; she was unique.

Ms. Korey's voice always had a rough edge to it and, seeing the veins stand out in her neck, it is obvious where the voice was coming from. She has been singing like this for a number of years, apparently, so she must have an iron neck.

We get a few days off before our next theatrical venture. We'll try to be ready.