I WAS THERE . . . The Treats @ The Laurie Beechman Theater, 7/02/09

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The Treats concoct a vocal jazz feast for musical gourmets with the New York debut of “Decadence.”
Photo credit: Lisa Degroff

“I prefer to regard a dessert as I would imagine the perfect woman..” Graham Kerr.

“Drama is like a plate of meat and potatoes, comedy is the dessert—a bit like meringue” Woody Allen

The holiday fireworks started early at the Laurie Beechman Theatre on July 2, when New York’s newest female vocal trio The Treats dished up an hour-long delectable plunge through the decades of vintage and vocal jazz to a high-spirited and appreciative audience.

The dazzling vocal jazz flair of Katie Danielowski, Misha Faucher and Brooke Lyn Hetrick was backed up by the five-piece band The Populars (complete with horn section), while the creative orchestrations of Music Director, Paul Seiz, transformed nearly two dozen jazz favorites old and new into an “Eat Dessert First” flag-waving mélange of melodies.

More than a simple reprise of vintage “girl group” music—The Treats gourmet repertoire of tightly crafted sweet harmonies fueled the audience as the group jumped from the light and bouncy “Jitterbug” of the Wizard of Oz, to the WHAM version of the 80’s. Some of the songs in The Treats boxed sets showcased a delicacy within a delicacy—as the high-spirited singers unwrapped a fresh rendition of “Blue Skies” (that morphed into a soulful “My Funny Valentine”), and later in the set, the women delighted the audience with a high energy (or in this case high fructose) rendition of “Candyman” peeling off into a dynamic uptempo version of “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” to wrap up the jazz fusion festivities.

Never allowing the audience to think they had dialed into the Food Network’s jingle-writing bootcamp—The Treats melted the room with the tightly crafted sultry harmonies of “In the Mood”—each line more breathy and imploring than the next. Yet in a flash—The Treats were off in a mess of moonlight halfway through the show with “Tu Vo Fa L’Americano” and then back in the mozzarella/try-an-enchilada kitchen with a piquant reprise of “Mambo Italiano” (featuring a spirited dance number with three handsome surprise Latino guest dancers joining The Treats on stage).

The trio of Danielowski, Faucher, and Hetrick are a group of poised and confident performers that show the ability to connect to an audience with spirit and panache.

Without a doubt the groups’ moniker is apt—for each song is truly a treat. No problem finding takers for a second helping.

Dana Marshall

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