Reviewed by: Paulanne Simmons
Veronica Klaus, who sang the Peggy Lee songbook at Joe’s Pub on Aug. 29, walked onstage with her long blond hair in a dramatic up-do, wearing a slinky, glittering dress and elbow-length gloves. If she only had a birthmark on her right cheek she would be a dead ringer for the great chanteuse herself.
Klaus, a 5-foot-10 transsexual who has made a name for herself in San Francisco nightlife, says it’s not necessary to “google Peggy till you bleed” in order to “pay tribute to the late great Peggy Lee.” In fact, Klaus claims she learned everything she needed to know from After Dark, particularly the June 1974 issue. Whatever her sources, Klaus certainly has captured Lee’s sultry voice and delivery, from Lee’s first big hit, “Why Don’t You Do Right” to her famous cover version of Eddie Cooley and John Davenport’s “Fever.”
Several similarities in their personal lives also may have helped. For instance both singers were born in small towns, Lee in North Dakota and Klaus in Illinois. And Klaus’ mother, like Lee, was married “four or five times – but who’s counting?”
Backed by the swinging Tammy Hall Trio, Klaus easily shifted from ballads like “He Needs Me” to the bluesy “I Lost My Sugar in Salt Lake City.” The latter song ends with the words, “With a Salt Lake City blues,” something Klaus warned we might have for a long time if we’re not careful in the next few months. In Billie Holiday’s classic, “God Bless the Child” she was accompanied by cabaret singer Joey Arias, who is much acclaimed for his ability to channel the legendary Lady Day.
Klaus noted that “Is That All There Is?” was a very personal song for Lee. She then changed the lyrics to make it a very personal (and funny) song for herself. Her interpretation of “Fever” also included original lyrics with allusions to Liberace and his chauffeur, and Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas.
As Klaus noted, Peggy Lee, who wrote 150 songs and had a career that spanned over five decades, followed all the trends, from big band to soft rock. It takes an artist of considerable talent to cover the many directions Lee’s career took. Fortunately the exceptional Miss Veronica Klaus has no trouble keeping up with the extraordinary Miss Peggy Lee.
Posted by Sandi Durell
on August 31, 2012. Filed under Cabaret,Cabaret and Interviews - Sandi Durell,COLUMNS,ENTERTAIMENT.
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