On the last day of August, at the Cherry Grove Community House, the Arts Project of Cherry Grove (APCG) presented a wonderful musical tour, entitled “Around the World in 80 Minutes,” with an excellent music director in songwriter-singer-pianist Dan Daly, guiding a quintet of fine singers, two of them making APCG debuts, and all put together by director and producer Matthew Baney, with the songs interspersed with reminiscences about Matt’s travels, both before he met spouse Chris Caswell and since.
After Jo Ann Orfanos, Doreen Rallo, and Bobbie Green, our hosts, introduced us to the unusual joys of flying IKEA Air, Dan and company put us in the mood for our trip with a dulcet “Leaving on a Jet Plane.” Making her APCG and Community House debut, Jill Conklin took us to the Great White Way, really selling “Broadway Baby,” getting people clapping along and whistling at the end, and then beyond to South America with an understated, bel canto “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina,” with a very grand finale indeed. A glamorous, big-haired Summer Diamond, new to APCG this season, heartily greeted John Waters’ city with “Good Morning Baltimore” and then, with feeling, took us “Walking in Memphis.”
Sweet-toned Chris offered “La Vie en Rose,” in English, and Stephen Sondheim rarity “Take Me to the World” and, with Matt, “Slow Boat to China,” for what Matt called their “Steve [Lawrence] and Eydie [Gormé] moment.” Veteran of many Fire Island Pines Arts Project (FIPAP) shows, but making his APCG debut, Luis Villabon took us to Berlin with a dashing and suggestive “Mein Herr” and then to the west with a steamy “Et maintenant/What Now, My Love?” in French and in English.
A dapper Ken Woodhouse gave us, with verve, “Besame Mucho,” in Spanish and English, as well as “Mambo Italiano.” With Jill, Summer, and Chris, Ken saluted both Louis Armstrong and our own Johny Pool with “What a Wonderful World,” an audience sing-along. For the final number, Dan gave us encouragement in this time of crisis with his own uplifting “Shine the Light” and, waving the tiny flashlights that Jo Ann, Doreen, and Bobbie distributed to all of us, we all sang along with the company here, too.