Singers Nina Pelton and Kellie Ishmael are long-time friends who met 30 years ago in the band Jigsaww; since then, they have pursued solo careers and on occasion guested in each other’s shows. But to celebrate the longevity of their relationship both personal and professional they created their new duo show, Two Most Wanted—their very first act as a twosome. The show was filled with duets and solos of mostly recognizable soul, funk, pop, and theatre songs wonderfully arranged and played by pianist Jody Shelton—the perfect music director for this project.
Kellie Ishmael, Nina Pelton (Photo: Michael Kushner)
Pelton and Ishmael are both powerhouse vocalists with (for better or worse) a propensity for “diva energy” and “diva phrasing.” When the material fit the style they generated genuine electricity and excitement as they did to great effect on Chaka Khan’s “Tell Me Something Good” (Stevie Wonder), Aretha Franklin’s “I Never Loved a Man (the Way That I Love You)” (Ronnie Shannon), and Broadway’s “Independently Owned” (Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally, from Shucked) although the last one had little to offer beyond its piano bar bigness since the story it tells is so specific to its original show. Too often the vocalists were content with recreating the hits they love rather investing them with any personal storytelling. At the end of the show, I knew what music they liked, and what performances they could mimic, but precious little about who they were. Through their patter and the crowd’s reaction to it, I gathered that many in the audience were well aware of who they were but that familiarity did not translate well for those of us who had happened upon them for the first time.
There were a few promising numbers that indicated where they might venture in future, more adventurous and intriguingly curated shows. A pairing of “Aged and Mellow” (Johnny Otis, Preston Love) and ”Tennessee Whiskey” (Dean Dillon, Linda Hargrove) was a totally captivating blues monologue that held the audience in thrall from the first note to the last. Bruce Springsteen’s “Fire” smoldered nicely and built to an exciting finish. “Oscar Winning Tears” (Raye, Mike Sabath) was the most intriguing choice of the night, and while it did not succeed fully, the attempt was laudable and what was there justified further work on it.
Too often, though, the singers seemed to be in open mic/karaoke mode, smiling at inappropriate moments because they were enjoying themselves at the expense of the story the song was telling. Much of the humor seemed forced and fell flat or would have without the equally forced response of friends in the audience. This was especially true of an extended bit involving “Where Is My Husband” (Raye, Sabath) and a “volunteer” from the crowd.
Nina Pelton and Kellie Ishmael are good singers whose first duet venture proved a bit misguided. It needed shaping and depth but was content with just hitting big, sustained notes to draw whoops and applause from an audience trained to respond to these moments that often amounted to duplicating vocal gymnastics rather than investigating the material. This may have been Two Most Wanted, but the show I wanted would have been a lot more thoughtful and structured, with a lot more feeling and a lot less bravado. Maybe next time.
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Presented at The Laurie Beechman Theatre at The West Bank Café, 407 W. 42nd St., NYC, August 6, 2026.
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.
