‘Starting Here’ a tuneful reminder of love, ’70s-style

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Teddy Boone stars with Hillary Patingre (left) and Stephanie Herman in "Starting Here, Starting Now" at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre.

Updated: September 27, 2011 4:55PM

All artists have their obsessions. And one of the most interesting aspects of “Starting Here, Starting Now,” featuring the songs of lyricist Richard Maltby Jr. and composer David Shire, is how this musical revue so clearly reveals what these men were most strongly focused on back in 1976, when the show debuted in New York.

Maltby is a deft wordsmith (also known for conceiving the hit revue “Ain’t Misbehavin’”). while Shire is the composer of many fabled movie scores. The pair also collaborated on such full-scale musicals as “Big” and “Baby.” In “Starting Here, Starting Now,” it is the sense of how adult lives get launched (or not) that is of the essence. The show’s two dozen songs capture the hunger for romantic relationships and experience, and for the chance to be “seen.” And they come with a keen awareness that life is rarely fair, that some things will probably always remain out of reach or stubbornly elusive, and that happiness frequently is followed by crushing disappointment and disillusionment.

Stephanie Herman, Hillary Patingre and Teddy Boone are the three formidable performers in the intimate but high-powered and vocally impressive revival of this show at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre, where director Fred Anzevino and choreographer Maggie Portman work their magic. Each actor gets a chance to explore the quest for connection and happiness in different ways, with a 1970s aura in the air thanks to lava lamps, a wink at smoking joints, a still new sense of sexual freedom and the even newer phenomenon of “personal ads” all part of the mix.

Herman, with her sensational belt and emotional rawness, is most frequently the voice of experience and pain. She is riveting in her fervent, knockout rendering of “A Girl You Should Know,” which suggests she has so much to offer but is sadly without takers. She gives her all to “What About Today?,” a searing anthem about grabbing hold of the moment. And she does a terrific job with “Crossword Puzzle,” a song that serves as a reminder that Maltby also happens to be a skilled constructor of cryptic crosswords.

Patingre is the more overtly innocent woman, though her sensational figure sends its own message. Her performance of “Watching the Big Parade Go By” is a charmer, as she suggests a girl forever observing life from the sidelines but clearly wishing she might join in. The full range of her talent is apparent in “I Don’t Believe It,” where she becomes hilariously tipsy at a party and offers her jaded comments on others people’s seemingly happy relationships.

Boone, who has a bit of the old-fashioned song-and-dance man about him, moves from one woman to the next, but he is not always the macho heel. In fact, he comes close to stopping the show with his rendition of “I Don’t Remember Christmas,” a searing song about trying to erase memories of the girl who left him. In “Flair,” he steps out with style as the ordinary man with dreams of panache.
Eugene Dizon, new to Theo Ubique after years with Porchlight Music Theater, brings his formidable skills to bear as musical director and pianist, with Cody Siragusa (bass) and Lindsay Williams (percussion) his fine collaborators.

The performers at Theo Ubique not only work their magic a breath (or less) away from the audience, but they double as waiters, serving meals and drinks before the show and at intermission. If they can perform here without displaying a hint of nerves, they can perform anywhere.

By the way, Theo Ubique’s storefront space in Rogers Park has been spruced up, with new tables and chairs and a fresh paint job. Coming up next this season will be “Pump Boys and Dinettes,” “The Light in the Piazza” and “Breaking Up is Hard To Do.”