White's "Affair" to Remember
author: Timothy Yap
Lari White has no boundaries in her purview. Having been a frequent flyer to the country charts in the 90s, a smashing role in the Tom Hanks’ blockbuster “Cast Away,” and donning a bluesy feminist-soul artist on her previous CD, now she’s a Broadway chanteuse. Actually, assiduous fans have seen it coming along: even when she was churning out country CDs, many of White’s choices (e.g., “Just Thinking” and “Don’t Fence Me In”) had a jazz-tingled influence. Inspired by her performance at the Oak Room in the Algonquin Hotel, a stage that has been graced by stalwarts such as Norah Jones and Diana Krall, White has decided to record her first Broadway CD aptly entitled “My First Affair.” However, this is far from being karaoke-styled cabaret. White continues to push to the envelope in at least two ways. First, instead of just religiously delving into the great American songbook, she has audaciously sidelined 2 of her own compositions. One of which, “Minor Changes,” a humorous take of the feminine habitude of trying to mould her man into her own image, is choke full of witty lines over a lilting melody. Second, without precedence, White has soiled her fingers by handling the sacred canon of Barbra Streisand with a slew of medleys from the soundtrack “Yentl.” Though White’s no match for Streisand subtle yet bombastic delivery, her take is no less impressive. Letting her hair down, White goes for the higher octaves, giving a performance worthy of standing ovations. In short, “My First Affair” is courageous and satisfying; further, it’s primed to add dimension to her already impressive resume.
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