The European tradition of cabaret—bohemian and sophisticated (and frequently cerebral, political, satirical, and angsty)—continues to be a major influence on contemporary American cabaret.
But wait…. Don’t forget about the variety tradition: the commercial American entertainment genre that dominated pop culture over many decades, turning up in vaudeville, in casino showrooms, in Catskills resorts, in long-gone snazzy NYC and LA nightclubs, and on mid-20th century television programs such as The Ed Sullivan Show and The Hollywood Palace.
That performance genre, too, has continued to shape today’s cabaret.
Desirée Davar and Nicolas Dromard(Photo: Sy Chounchaisit)
Dance Another Day—an evening of song, comedic patter, and (as the show’s title stresses) dance, from the married team of Nic & Desi (aka Nicolas Dromard and Desirée Davar)—is classic entertainment from the variety tradition. Being a variety entertainer is, in my book, a noble calling. But some people may dismiss shows of this ilk as superficial, hokey, or “lounge-y.” Bill Murray’s portrayal on Saturday Night Live of a louche lounge singer (who happened to be called “Nick”) did no favor to artists earnestly trying to extend the variety tradition into the current millennium.
With Nic & Desi, though, talent vindicates. Each of the two performers is formidable in his or her own way—and when they’re onstage together, they complement each other well. Some classic variety duo acts—The Smothers Brothers, Sonny & Cher, Donny & Marie—relied on mutual jabs and put-downs for laughs. There’s little if any of that with Nic & Desi, even in Nic’s performance of the Damn Yankees song parody “Whatever Desi Wants,” which is a gentle tease, certainly not fighting words. These two repeatedly expressed their devotion to one another throughout Dance Another Day, while also proclaiming the mutual joy and satisfaction they find in entertaining people.
The show opened with the title song from the musical Cabaret, energetic and bright. Throughout the show there was what seemed an ongoing allusion to the music of that song’s creators—John Kander and Fred Ebb—along with that composing team’s muse, Liza Minnelli, and Minnelli’s mother, Judy Garland. At one point, Desi even came to the stage in a Sally Bowles–ish wig to humorously impersonate Liza (singing Beyoncé and Lady Gaga songs, of all things).
In a lovely rendition of Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies,” the exceptional vocal quality of both artists became evident. And it became even clearer in a couple of ballads: an “Over the Rainbow” (Arlen/Harburg) with some sweet, warm harmonies, and an inspiring “Pure Imagination” (Bricusse/Newley).
In one segment the two performed songs from respective Broadway shows in which they appeared—Nic giving us Fiyero’s number from Wicked (“Dancing Through Life” by Stephen Schwartz) and Desi going spitfire with her take as Anita on West Side Story’s “A Boy Like That” (Bernstein/Sondheim). They apologized for it being an odd pairing, but there was no need: the mashup was unusual but worked just fine.
If there was one thing that didn’t quite work, it was the element of dance (including tap), which was—understandably, considering the title—quite pervasive. Both Nic and Desi have danced professionally in the theatre, and they know what they’re doing. But, while the stage of The Green Room 42 probably provides more room for movement than most other Manhattan cabaret venues, I would guess this show would likely play better on a commodious concert stage, where the couple could really cut loose.
Another performing married couple, Q. Smith and Lawrence Stallings, were Nic & Desi’s guest performers, giving us a brief sample of their talents. The evening’s musicians were musical director Michael Lavine (who provided some impressive solo piano interludes), bassist Matt Sharfglass, and drummer Caro Moore.
###
Presented at The Green Room 42, 570 10th Ave., NYC, Oct. 24; returning Dec. 12, 2025with a holiday special.
Mark Dundas Wood is an arts/entertainment journalist and dramaturg. He began writing reviews for BistroAwards.com in 2011. More recently he has contributed "Cabaret Setlist" articles about cabaret repertoire. Other reviews and articles have appeared in theaterscene.net and clydefitchreport.com, as well as in American Theatre and Back Stage. As a dramaturg, he has worked with New Professional Theatre and the New York Musical Theatre Festival. He is currently literary manager for Broad Horizons Theatre Company.
