By Michael Barbieri ****Imagine, if you will, that two renowned gay icons – the ultra-hip Miss Peggy Lee and the ferociously flamboyant Liberace – have never actually left our earthly plane and are still hitting the clubs, performing for their adoring public. Well, imagine no more! You can see them both in Lee Squared: An Evening With Liberace and Miss Peggy Lee, Friday June 28th through Saturday, September 7th all shows at 7:30pm at Pilgrim House. In this loving and very funny tribute show, David Maiocco appears as Liberace, known to the world as Mr. Showmanship, but to his friends as Lee. With him is the incomparable Chuck Sweeney as legendary platinum-haired jazz goddess, Peggy Lee.
Maiocco, a MAC and Bistro Award winning musical director and pianist, has played for some of the most legendary “ladies” of stage and screen – Tommy Femia as Judy Garland, James Beaman as Marlene Dietrich and Lauren Bacall, Richard Skipper as Carol Channing, Steven Brinberg’s Simply Barbra and of course, Chuck Sweeney as Miss Peggy Lee.
Sweeney has performed in some of the most well known cabarets and theatres throughout the U.S. and Canada, including the Waldorf Astoria Grand Ballroom, Madison Square Garden, The Duplex, Don’t Tell Mama, and the Madeira Room in Provincetown. He was a featured Guest Star and Host(ess) of the “Just For Laughs” Montreal Comedy Festival Queer Comics Night and is the recipient of the BackStage Bistro Award and two-time winner of the MAC Award for Outstanding Impersonation.
As Lee Squared, the pair were a camp delight! Maiocco’s Liberace took the stage to the orchestral sounds of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No.1. Dressed in a black tailcoat with silver spangled lapels, a frilly cravat and white ruffled cuffs, he played the grandiose opening piano chords, which soon became a tinkling, music box-like variation on the theme. After greeting the audience, he gave us a jaunty “There’ll Be Some Changes Made” and “Bumble Boogie” – a version of “Flight of the Bumblebee” set to a boogie-woogie rhythm.
From the moment he entered, Maiocco captured Liberace perfectly – his glittering costumes, his famously “wavy hair,” his slightly nasal voice, his sly smile and sideways glances at the audience and of course, the over the top flourishes and sparkling runs on the piano. All that was missing were the Dancing Waters! Liberace then took center stage and using a rhinestone encrusted microphone (of course), he introduced his special guest star, Miss Peggy Lee.
While Maiocco’s performance as Liberace was often eerily accurate, Chuck Sweeney’s Peg is an affectionately comedic parody of the great lady – a bit dippy, with that breathy, almost monotonous speech pattern, the white Cleopatra wig and those infamous dark glasses – so dark, she managed to lose her way to the stage upon her entrance!
Decked out in black sequins and purple feathered sleeves, Sweeney gave us one of Peg’s own compositions, “It’s A Good Day” and one of her signature tunes, Leiber & Stoller’s “I’m a W-O-M-A-N,” with a few hilariously misplaced lyrics.
In one of the show’s memorable moments, Sweeney left the stage and Maiocco took a solo spot, playing Liberace’s “Mack the Knife Variations,” where the iconic Kurt Weill song is done in varying styles; a Strauss waltz or a Mozart sonata, for instance. Again, his reproduction of Liberace’s uniquely embellished playing was remarkable and the song seemed fresh and new.
Peg returned in a glittering new ensemble and Liberace asked if he could “slip out and get into something more spectacular.” This left her alone to tell a ridiculously funny story of the time she met the Dalai Lama. We were also treated to the awkwardly funny sight of watching her clamber atop the piano to give us Bruce Springsteen’s “Fire” and of course, there was her hilarious deadpan rendition of “Fever,” for which Peggy Lee was best known.
Liberace re-entered, resplendent in a silver lamé suit and full length silver sequined cape, which matched Peg’s outfit bling for bling! They reminisced about the pianist’s lavish holiday parties, which allowed Sweeney to demonstrate some of his other vocal impressions.
Two bravura pieces followed – Liberace’s “Boogie Woogie,” a piece he made famous in concert, in which he played a standard boogie, done 8 to the bar. Thrillingly, the piece ended with Maiocco doubling the pace, as Liberace did, to a shockingly fast 16 to the bar, which showcased his exceptional musicianship! Peg then gave us her ultimate party number, “Is That All There Is?”
The fabulously silly finale had the stars trying to prove they’re not behind the times, so they performed a medley of current pop hits! Trust me, you ain’t seen nothing ’til you’ve witnessed Liberace and Peggy Lee rapping away at “Whip/Nae Nae” and “Uptown Funk!”
The pair closed the show with a couple of lovely, quiet encores – “Sing A Rainbow,” which seemed to me a gentle shout-out to the gay community and Liberace’s theme song, “I’ll Be Seeing You,” with the stars joining in simple, beautiful harmony.
Lee Squared gave us a window into a time gone by. We got to experience Peggy Lee’s cool style, albeit filtered through a comedic lens. We got a glimpse into Liberace’s excessive stage persona – the man who said “Too much of a good thing…is WONDERFUL!” We got to laugh. We might’ve even gotten a little misty-eyed. But most of all, we got to remember. For those of us old enough to have seen the real Liberace and Lee, the show was a fun, sequin-spangled walk down memory lane. For the younger generation, who might not have been familiar with them, Lee Squared would be a fabulous primer!
Liberace would’ve loved it, and Peg would be proud!
Lee Squared at Pilgrim House (336 Commercial Street – 508-487-6424), Friday June 28th through Monday, August 19th all shows at 7:30pm
For more info on Lee Squared, click here!
