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Written by Sarah Boslaugh Monday, 02 February 2009 14:37

February 5 & 6

The high point of the 2007 Muny season for me was a single moment in the production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, brought about as the result of a technological malfunction. Eric Kunze as Joseph was confined to an Egyptian prison and about to sing "Close Every Door" when his body mic conked out. No song, no end to the first act, and visions of a longer stay in prison than originally planned flashed through my mind.  Fortunately, the Narrator in the person of Liz Callaway strode out on stage and, to appreciative applause, gave Kunze a handheld mic so he could sing the song and move the show on to intermission.

That show was my introduction to Liz Callaway, and I must say that her poise under fire impressed me as much as her voice and stage presence. Of course, were I a better student of cabaret and musical theater, I would have expected no less, because she's been a consummate pro on stages large and small for more years than many readers of PLAYBACK:stl  have been alive.

Cabaret St. Louis is presenting Callaway for two very special nights this week at the Sheldon, accompanied by Alex Rybeck, another Broadway and cabaret veteran. Callaway made her Broadway debut in Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along, in the role of Nightclub Waitress and as understudy to Ann Morrison in the role of Mary Flynn. Her most recent Broadway appearance was in the Actor's Fund benefit performance of Hair in 2004. Between the two, she appeared in Cats (Grizabella) and Baby (Lizzie Fields, for which she received a Tony nomination) among other shows. Off Broadway, her credits include Marry Me A Little, Godspell and The Spitfire Grill (Shelby), for which she received a Drama Desk Nomination.

In addition to her Broadway credits, Callway appeared in the legendary Follies in Concert at Lincoln Center, and as a soloist has appeared at Feinstein's and the Rainbow Room in New York, the Donmar Warehouse in London, and with orchestras from Carnegie Hall and the Hollywood Bowl to Iceland and Slovenia. If that's not enough, she has even sung on the soundtracks of some of the most beloved animated films including Beauty and the Beast, Anastasia, and Aladdin and the Prince of Thieves.

I'm exhausted just reciting this list of accomplishments. I'll try to recover by Thursday, when Liz Callaway and Alex Rybeck appear at the Sheldon. For tickets and information, visit www.cabaretstl.org. | Sarah Boslaugh