There’s something about the impressions of Mario Cantone that makes me think of the cartoonist and illustrator Drew Friedman. Mr. Friedman specializes in caricatures of celebrities – particularly “Old Jewish Comedians” – that show us what we love about these but also revels in what’s bizarre – and even freakish – about the likes of Shemp Howard or Milton Berle.
Mario Cantone does the same for iconic divas (and the occasional male superstar) with physical caricatures that somehow seem simultaneously savage and yet also affectionate. Also, like Mr. Friedman, he specializes in depictions of these living and non-living legends in the latter parts of their lives. He goes after Miss Peggy Lee with a scathing parody of “Is That All There Is” that somehow includes Santa Claus into a central character in the narrative, then takes down Lauren Bacall, Kathleen Turner, and points out Connie Francis’s “slightly hairy upper lip.” Along the way, there’s also a riff on Bob Dylan’s Christmas album – funny as Mr. Cantone’s routine is, it’s still less ridiculous than the actual thing itself – and a decoding of homosexual subtext in the classic 1964 Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer TV special.
Mr. Cantone’s current offering at the Café Carlyle is a practically-perfect 75 minutes, fairly evenly divided between comic rants about the world, delivered from the perspective of a 62-year-old short, gay, Italian-American man; those amazing impressions, and songs, delivered both sincerely and ironically. (On these, he is accompanied by his trio, with musical director Paul Masse, piano; Craig Magnano, guitar, and Clayton Craddock, drums.)
Some of his homages are, surprisingly, devoid of any sarcastic edge, like a medley of two songs sung by Mama Cass Elliot: the famous “Make Your Own Kind of Music” and the obscure “Different,” which Mama Cass performed in Witchiepoo drag in the 1970 children’s movie Pufnstuf. Mr. Cantone actually began the evening with “I’m Gonna Live Till I Die,” a 1950 song which served as a generic go-to opening anthem for entertainers in the glory years of Vegas, which serves as an indicator of Mr. Cantone’s deep, abiding immersion in the extreme recesses of pop culture.
His comic climax, however, catches even longtime super Mario fans by surprise: a deeply considered send-up of Bruce Springsteen. Here, he brilliantly captures the rock icon’s voice, toothy grin, singing stance, and even offers a remarkable song, “Pam (My Non-Stick Girl),” which isn’t a parody of a specific Springsteen tune but a new comedy piece composed in “The Boss”’s style. Original comedy songwriting this well-done elevates Mr. Cantone to something near the level of master musical mischief makers like Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman – or even Mel Brooks or Tom Lehrer.
Still, his centerpiece is an extended impression of Liza Minnelli – and it’s kind of amazing that after “doing” Liza for decades, he can still extract maximum comic mileage by accentuating her foibles, i.e. replicating her face by positioning his mouth so that the upper and lower lips point in opposite directions. The Liza portion now concludes in a dialog between Ms. Minnelli and her long-departed mother, Judy Garland, in which the latter is portrayed with surprising subtlety and even reverence. Cantone’s “Judy” serves mainly as a straight woman (you should forgive the expression) to play against Liza. After finishing this bit, he tells the crowd, “I feel so gay right now that even I’m a little nauseous.”
Mario Cantone opened April 12, 2022, at Café Carlyle and runs through April 16. Tickets and information: rosewoodhotels.com
