Brassy Broads

Like fine old wine in a new bottle, Kathy Hallenda pours herself into velvet, deep and shiny scarlet as her lipstick. Jeweled at the neck above considerable cleavage and with a long fuchsia feathered boa as a wrapper, she's bubbly as spumante with a voice strong and clear as corks popping. A year ago she gave Sarasota a taste of Sophie Tucker and became the red-hottest, longest running attraction ever at Florida Studio Theater's Cabaret Club. This time, Sophie's just one of the "Brassy Broads" Kathy identifies with and persuades audiences to celebrate with her.

Fanny Brice, Bette Midler, Ethel Merman, Carol Channing, and Mae West share the salute. Exploiting her own personality and vocal versatility, Kathy's more than a match for them. (Yep, ya heard me right.) She seldom just imitates, but hits the right notes when she does (a chorus of Channing's "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" and Merman's "Some People"), claiming "they don't call it Broadway for nothing." Kathy does clone Mae West's sexy remarks and innuendos, as well as Brice's Yiddish dialect, to hilarious effect. She captures Bette Midler's style with "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show" as lights flash gaudily. Michael Sebastian in tux at the piano adapts with each turn. In her second "act" Kathy is pure gold (sequined head to toe, and with split-skirt train). "Otto Titsling," dedicated to the (fictitious) man who invented the bra, has Kathy in blond yarn braids and gilded colanders, "broadly" comical. As Miss Piggy, she enlists help from two audience men only too happy to share the stage on "Quanto Le Gusta." "Being Alive" shows off her heartfelt way with a ballad.

The demanded encore is "The Story of Love." That's what keeps being mutual between Kathy Hallenda and her Suncoast fans.