Good Touch

Last night's fall version of what I call "the Sean Ray Cabaret," Positively Touching 5, was its usual splendor. Sean Ray has a talented group of friends with some seriously fierce pipes. The Sean Ray Cabaret benefits, even with the increase in ticket price, have always been an entertainment value. And the Positive Being center carries out important work and is more than worthy of the full ticket price. This was the first such event Ive been to that wasn't sold out. But filling a cabaret space on a Monday during the holidays is a bit of a tough sell, especially as people are curtailing their entertainment budget.

But seriously, this is some good show.

A special shout out to Ryan, whose soulful love ballad nearly wrecked me (and by the looks of it, him) in the second act. I learned only at intermission that he is no longer with his partner of many years. Laughter and tears and some powerful voices always make these shows memorable. Thanks and applause to Jeanne, Wade, Beth, Jorge (and his hubby Ron, even though he didn't perform this year), Ryan, Pia, Steve, Darla, Thena, and of course Sean Ray.

Shout also to the always lovely Darla Wigginton whose comic timing in An Old Fashioned Love Song had me in guffaws and made me forget for a moment that the dead-on comic Laura had moved away and was no longer of the ensemble.

And final shouts to the now-referred-to-as Constant Cutie/Theater Staple Brett Baker, my lovely table companions Matt Fadness and JohnDerryberry, and emcee Eric Hanson.

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