By Andrew Poretz . . . .
Multi-hyphenate performer Debi Toni is a singer, songwriter and teacher, and much more. At The Laurie Beechman Theatre on July 25, Toni cooled off the July heat with “Naughty ‘n’ Nice,” a “Christmas in July” show that also celebrated her birthday. (As if to add to the festivities, it was cold enough for a reindeer run at the theater.)
This was Toni’s first concert featuring a full band, led by musical director and pianist Michael Lavine, with bassist Clayton Thomas and drummer Chip Fabrizi.
A performer with many film, television and off-Broadway credits, Toni has excellent vocal chops and comedic skills. She has in-the-moment improv instincts that serve her well when things go awry. A true delight, Toni is one of the most endearing performers this writer has ever encountered, both on and off stage. The New York native has a distinctive New York accent with a sound reminiscent of Cyndi Lauper.
Toni started the show with just her voice, a cappella, from behind the “wings,” singing Jerry Herman’s “It’s Today,” which she arranged herself. The birthday girl worked the room en route to the stage.
For those of a certain age, the “Christmas in July” theme instantly brought to mind the old Crazy Eddie “Christmas in August” commercials of the 1980s. Toni incorporated various costumes throughout the show, with several opportunities for the audience to join in song. (Many in the crowd were fellow performers, which made the singalongs quite enjoyable to hear.)
While the show featured some of the usual Christmas (and Hanukkah) songs, she also wrote both original songs and parody lyrics to familiar tunes. In a marvelous “music box” arrangement by Douglas J. Cohen that opened with the strains of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” (Frank Loesser), Toni performed the classic “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” (Jule Styne/Sammy Cahn) as a sweet and charming lullaby, before segueing into her original, “Snow Snow Snow.”
Toni turned “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” (J. Fred Coots/Haven Gillespie) on its head with a sexy/dangerous arrangement utilizing Clayton Thomas’s strong bass work that evoked Peggy Lee’s “Fever,” and was a show highlight.
A hysterically funny parody of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus (Tommie Connor), which Toni wrote, imagined Daddy kissing Santa Claus, where she “got more than I bargained for” when she caught Daddy in handcuffs with a Dom Santa.
Toni’s Hanukkah segment included “Hooray for Hanukkah,” a parody of “Hooray for Hollywood” (Richard Whiting/Johnny Mercer), with special lyrics by Michael Garin. Toni claimed she considered converting to Judaism until she realized the eight days of Hanukkah called for only one gift per night.
After this segment, Toni “read” “The Miracle of 46th Street” (referencing Don’t Tell Mama) from a giant red book, ’Twas the Night Before Cabaret. The trio donned white nightcaps as they represented Christmas Past, Present and Future. The story named various performers familiar to Don’t Tell Mama, particularly Sidney Myer and Richard Skipper, who were present. (Skipper also served as creative consultant for the show.)
After a lovely “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” (Walter Kent/Kim Gannon, Buck Ram) that included strains of “Over the Rainbow” (Harold Arlen), Toni closed the show with a lively singalong of “We Need a Little Christmas.” In a warm twist, tiny cupcakes were given out at the meet and greet upstairs after the show.
This was a well-crafted, entertaining cabaret by Debi Toni. In her hands, minor glitches became opportunities for comedy. Toni is warm and engaging. The choices and arrangements were very good, her patter was funny, and her voice is excellent.
For more information about Debi Toni, visit https://debitoni.com. For more great shows at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, visit https://thebeechman.com.
Photos: Andrew Poretz
