The packed-to-capacity cabaret room at Don’t Tell Mama contained a sprinkling of current and past students from Helen’s Cabaret Performance Workshop, all no doubt eager to see if she could put into practice what she advocated in theory in the class. In that respect only they will be able to judge. For the rest of us, the show provided a high energy tour de force in the art of delivering material with true panache and style.

From the moment she burst onto the stage, Baldassare hardly let the energy level drop for a single moment. The ‘Opening Number’ written by Michael Orland and Frank Fontana, set the tone for the rest of the evening perfectly. Skilfully revealing not only the clever lyrics but also the range of comic phrasing and timing Baldasarre would use throughout the evening to maximum effect. Comedic material is notoriously difficult to present successfully but in the manner of a true professional she made the task look easy. By the end of the number she had the enthusiastic audience eating out of her hand.

The set largely consisted of comedic songs, or more accurately in some cases, songs given a comedic twist. Highlights included an absolutely hysterical rendition of ‘Save The Snails’ by Camille West and George Winters’ ‘Cincinnati’. Here the challenge of the incredibly complex lyrics and racing melody was compounded by the fact that George himself was in the audience. The combination of these factors produced a minor mishap with the words along the way, which was swiftly turned to comic advantage, so that no-one minded or cared, not even George!

It would be entirely inappropriate to bracket Baldassare as a ‘comic performer’. The contrast to the comedic material was provided by a sensitive rendition of ‘Not Exactly Paris’ and bridging the gap, ‘Laughing Matters’, which seemed nicely to illustrate the point that humour can also be poignant. allowing plenty of scope for the nuances of the material to be explored, fully exploited by Baldassare’s delicate and expressive vibrato.

Playing an important part in the evening was Helen’s accompanist Bobby Peaco who joined in the vocal fun as well as providing accomplished and varied support on the piano for Helen’s vocals. The evening ended with as much energy as it started with a rousing version of Susan Werner’s ‘Ain’t I Lonely Tonight’ before the audience reluctantly vacated the room in order to make way for the next show.

Based on this show, it would seem we would need to correct George Bernard Shaw’s words. It is possible to both ‘do’ and ‘teach’, as in this case it turned out to be a masterclass, expertly directed by Gerry Geddes, that showcased Baldassare’s considerable talents. As such, it was a shining example to her students and a wonderful entertainment for her many fans.