CABARET REVIEW : Barbeau: From Horror to Harmony

Was it just a coincidence that Adrienne Barbeau, queen of the horror flicks, opened her new cabaret act at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel’s Cinegrill the week before Halloween?

Probably so, since Barbeau, the star of “The Fog,” “Creepshow,” “Swamp Thing” and George Romero’s new “Two Evil Eyes,” has some impressive musical credentials that have nothing to do with her sundry cinematic jeopardies.

She debuted on Broadway as one of the sisters in “Fiddler on the Roof,” and went on to be nominated for a Tony Award for her performance of Rizzo in the original production of “Grease.”

Despite a controlled touch of nervousness, Barbeau’s opening night set was an appealingly contemporary cabaret turn. Her voice was a colorful instrument with a slightly burry edge, and she brought a clear and present musicality to everything she sang.

Equally attractive was her choice of material, which was determinedly contemporary, without so much as a whisper of a reference to classic popular songs. In a medium which sees virtually every over-40 female wallowing in Sondheimesque Angst , it was particularly appealing that Barbeau was adventurous enough to choose a different path.

There were a few rough spots, however. Up-tempo pieces tended to be a bit too bright and perky, and her head tones were not always completely dependable. The program itself revealed little sense of programming and continuity, and Barbeau made the woeful mistake of failing to mention the name of so much as a single composer of her songs.

She was at her best on pieces that had strong emotional references--especially the Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell and James Taylor numbers. It was during songs like “My Father” and “The Moon’s a Harsh Mistress” that one finally could see past images of frightened horror heroines, as well as the memory of “Maude’s” wisecracking daughter, and welcome the arrival of a promising new cabaret performer.

Barbeau was accompanied by Diane Loo on piano and Peter Snell on guitar. She continues at the Cinegrill through Saturday.