With his new show, at Joe’s Pub, Comme Une Folle: torch songs for tough times because gay, singer Kim DavidSmith stepped out from the shadow of Marlene Dietrich and claimed the spotlight as his own, without an assist from the legendary diva. Not that being in her shadow was in any way a detriment to his sparkling career, when it led him to such delights as a lengthy run of his previous creation, Mostly Marlene, and the resulting, Bistro Award winning recording, Kim David Smith — Live at Joe’s Pub. But involving a whole new world beyond the Weimar age and Berlin and Dietrich’s oeuvres allowed the terrifically talented cabaret artist to blossom into full flower.
Photo: Steven Love Menendez
Working once again with long-time music director-pianist-arranger Tracy Stark, and a top-notch band featuring David Silliman on drums, Skip Ward on bass, and Matt Podd on accordion, Smith added the likes of Julie London,, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Kylie Minogue, and others to his gallery of inspiration. London proved to be a highlight of the set, with especially memorable takes on both the rare “Someone for Me” (Andy Razaf, Bobby Troup, Harry White) and the warhorse “Cry Me a River” (Arthur Hamilton), both of which were handily pocketed as Kiim David Smith songs from now on. Could a London by Smith show be in the offing?
The torch of “The Man That Got Away” (Harold Arlen, Ira Gershwin) burned with a brooding blue flame in sharp contrast to Judy’s blazing inferno but was no less emotionally resonant. “Cabaret” (John Kander, Fred Ebb) was done in German, and the change was striking and managed to include both Minnelli and Dietrich in his unspoken tribute. A major misstep of the evening (and one of the only ones) was the inclusion of “Liza with a Z” (Kander, Ebb) that offered little in the way of surprise or personality. If one’s name is not Liza, the lyrics are meaningless and the energy empty—and there are literally hundreds of other lightning-paced specialty numbers that would have been a more rewarding choice. Next time Porter or Sondheim perhaps?
The other misstep was slight in comparison but still managed to bruise the proceedings slightly. Smith’s patter could have been shaped a little better, and the lack of a set-up really hurt what could have been a fun pairing of Piaf’s “Padam Padam” (Norbert Glanzberg, Henri Contet) with Kylie Minogue’s hit of the same name written by Pete Rycroft of Lost Boy and Ina Wroldsen. The songs worked individually but the witty inspiration of doing them back-to-back was lost.
Two guest stars added to the excitement of the evening. Downtown darling Bright Light Bright Light joined Smith on another Minogue number, the infectious “Your Disco Needs You” (Minogue, Guy Chambers, Robbie Williams). The legendary Charles Busch was on hand to offer a charmingly Gallic visit to Piaf’s “la Foule” (Angel Cabral). I particularly appreciated the resurrection of Marilyn Monroe’s “Every Baby Needs a Da-Da-Daddy” (Lester Lee, Allan Roberts) with sex kitten persona intact. On the opposite end of the emotional spectrum, the highlight of the show was an astonishingly dramatic, piercing rendition of “Pirate Jenny” (Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht, from The Three Penny Opera). This was next-level cabaret and a stunning promise of future treasures that Kim David Smith has waiting to bestow upon us. Comme Une Folle was an important step in a remarkable career.
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Presented at Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St., NYC, October 5, 2025.
Gerry Geddes, critic for BistroAwards.com, is an award-winning director, writer, teacher, performer, lyricist, and a contributor to the podcast Troubadours and Raconteurs. He conceived and directed the acclaimed musical revues Monday in the Dark with George (Bistro and MAC Award winner), Put on Your Saturday Suit—Words & Music by Jimmy Webb, and Gerry Geddes & Company (in its five-year residency at Pangea). He has directed singers André De Shields, Darius de Haas, Helen Baldassare, and Lisa Viggiano. He has been active in the cabaret world for over five decades and has produced numerous CDs; his lyrics have been performed and recorded here and in Europe. Gerry’s workshop, The Art of Vocal Performance, is regularly offered to singers of all levels. His memoir of life in NYC, Didn’t I Ever Tell You This?, was recently published and is available at barnesandnoble.com. He is currently at work on his first novel.
