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Youngstown duo presents cabaret show in New York
By STEPHANIE OTTEY
James McClellan and Liz Rubino have been staples in the Youngstown theater community for years, sharing their talents time and again, both separately and together.
They paired up again two weeks ago for a weekend of cabaret shows in New York. The stint was a landmark in their respective careers.
On March 23-24, the duo launched two new cabaret shows at The Metropolitan Room in New York.
The intimate dinner- theater room was a perfect setting for their personal and moving performances. A simple, white backdrop, two stools and a piano decorated the stage, allowing Rubino and McClellan to mark the space with their presence — and they certainly did.
The one-hour Friday night show titled “A Moment with You” featured songs chosen by the pair to represent their fondest memories and honor the people and moments that shaped their lives. The wide range of musical selections offered a kaleidoscope of styles, and every number had a surprise.
Classic and contemporary pieces blended under the hands of their music director, Michael J. Moritz Jr., also of Youngstown.
Personal stories and friendly banter punctuated the songs with warmth and honesty, bonding the audience with the singers.
Saturday’s set was an offspring of the duo’s first collaboration in creating a show. Titled “Are We A Pair?,” the show was a compilation of Stephen Sondheim songs that told a vague boy-meets-girl story with a wink and a nod. The story connected to the audience in a way different from the prior night’s show, but it was equally effective.
“It’s nice to know that something you were hoping would be sophisticated enough or engaging enough to hold its own in a big-city venue actually was,” said McClellan.
In watching McClellan and Rubino perform, it’s obvious they both own tremendous natural talents. But that doesn’t mean they haven’t worked to earn a spot on a New York stage.
Both began performing early in life. Rubino started acting at The Youngstown Playhouse when she was 6, and McClellan discovered his love for the theater at the same age.
Time passed, talents grew, and the two eventually met at a theater party in 1993. Shortly thereafter, they performed together for the first time.
A strong bond developed, and in 2004, after a decade of friendship, the two debuted their first collaboration, “Our Time,” at The Oakland Center for the Arts. The musical was a collection of Sondheim numbers arranged by McClellan to illustrate the development and trials of a relationship. The full-scale “Our Time” was pared down to create the cabaret show “Are We A Pair?”
Since that debut, Rubino has been working to build a name for herself. After graduating from Youngstown State University, she attended New York University and obtained a degree in drama therapy. She landed a job with Creative Alternatives of New York as a group therapist, and also began coaching vocalists in the New York area.
She continued to work with aspiring performers in Youngstown as well, starting Liz Rubino Studios, which she still maintains.
In 2009, Rubino began performing her one-woman show, “If Only...,” in New York and Florida. To promote the show, she sent a press kit to The Metropolitan Room, and soon they were interested in hosting her as an act. Rubino, however, had another idea.
“Having just done ‘Gypsy’ [at the Youngstown Playhouse earlier this season] and a concert at Ford Recital Hall with Jimmy, I wanted to pull him into the mix, as I so believe in what he offers the world as an artist,” said Rubino. “I thought it may offer him an opportunity to leap, and I feel so very at home on stage with him. ... I couldn’t imagine venturing into this kind of show with anyone else.”
The Metropolitan Room liked her idea.
McClellan and Rubino hope to continue to travel and perform with each other.
They are booked to perform in the first-rate summer entertainment series at Cleveland’s Cain Park on July 26, where they will present a third new musical showcase there. Future performances will be announced on lizrubino.com.
The two also are concentrating on individual projects.
Rubino is working on her second solo album and a book.
McClellan was more secretive about his next step, saying only “big choices are being made right now about how I can best put my energies to use from this point on. I’m crossing my fingers for happiness — doing what I love to do.”