'All That Jazz' with Joan Houston in the Red Room Gary R. Beck - Beck's Best
April 19, 2015

Joan Houston is a native of Seattle, Washington and has lived in Puerto Vallarta for 4 years after many visits, making her Puerto Vallarta acting debut as in The Boutique Theater production of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas." She has since appeared in the local productions "The Rocky Horror Show" and "Sordid Lives."

"All That Jazz" is Joan's first-ever cabaret performance and will not be her last. The audience was enthralled. Bob Bruneau, creator of the Puerto Vallarta Mens Chorus and Joan's Musical Director, accompanied her on the piano fantastically, at times having his own solos showing everyone his talent on the ivories.

She started with gliding onto the stage to "When You're Good to Mama" from the play and movie "Chicago". Swinging, twisting, turning and pointing, she brought everyone into her show. It foreshadowed that a pleasurable evening was in store.

From the vast libraries of singers who expressed jazz and the blues, she saluted in her own way people as Peggy Lee, "I Don't Know Enough About You" and the great classic tunes as Fats Waller's "Honeysuckle Rose", "Ain't Misbehaving" and from "Damn Yankees": "Whatever Lola Wants."

Joan slowed down the night with a stunning rendition of Margaret Whiting's 1944 hit "Moonlight in Vermont". She crooned with the best of them, slithering along the lines like the meadowlark in this tune. She exudes a glowing joy of life and performance with these feelings oozing all through the room resulting in a one big party. Uplifting was "Straighten Up and Fly Right", a black folk tale from 1943 composed by Nat King Cole, a metaphor about a buzzard who takes forest animals for a ride while being watched by a monkey.

Then she thrilled the crowd inducing laughter while listening to "Hard Hearted Hannah (The Vamp of Savannah)" from 1923. Joan has the ability to make everyone relaxed and raise to a higher mood and laughter throughout.

She returned with another song from "Chicago": "All That Jazz", which would work well as her opener setting the theme for the evening. It got shoulders swaying and vibrating to the beat and words. Her jazz songs series followed including "Satin Doll", "Paper Moon" and "Embraceable You". The song at the finale which everyone knows: "What a Wonderful World", first recorded by mega-giant Louis Armstrong in 1967 and covered by many hundred singers since.

Joan Houston presented a true cabaret show. It was easy to envision being in a 1940's Harlem nightclub, swaying back and forth to this historical rendition of jazz and blues.

Bob has found a niche for his talent with introducing unheralded artists by developing an act which is best suited to their forte. He has assembled songs in a complimentary order formulated for artists to convey their particular strengths.

Joan and Bob will have another performance on Saturday, April 25, 2015, at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available at the Stage II Entertainment Box Office open daily at 12:00 pm or online at Vallarta Tickets.

The Act II Red Room Cabaret is located upstairs at the corner of Basilio Badillo and Insurgentes in Old Town Vallarta.