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“Out of Order”
Don’t Tell Mama – April 28, May 12, June 17, July 23, August 21, September 22, October 23
Perhaps it’s a sign of our times, but when Barbara Malley takes center stage at Don’t Tell Mama and begins her show with “The Lord’s Prayer” (traditional) and segues into Pete Seeger’s “Turn! Turn! Turn!,” adapted from the book of Ecclesiastes, one is waiting for the punch line, or for the singer to veer into something off-color or even raunchy. There is no such detour. Malley’s “Out of Order” is a sincere, intelligent, and uplifting memoir of her twelve years as a nun in the convent, starting in the early ’60s, when she was twenty-one. Her detailed and animated storytelling is sprinkled with pop and theatre songs from that era, to very nice effect. The entire show is best seen as a one-woman theatre piece, although it works well in the cabaret setting.
Malley begins her journey by saying that cabaret “is often a place to come clean, like a confessional.” The septuagenarian admits that many of her current friends did not know of her past, but that one friend kept insisting it would make a terrific show, and piqued her interest by asking her, “How would your life be different if you hadn’t been in the convent?”
The show works dramatically because it deals with a number of opposing influences and forces. Malley tells us that she was a conflicted young woman when she graduated from college—she dreamed of being in the theatre, had a crush on Harry Belafonte, argued with her best friend and her parents, who disapproved of her choice to become a nun, and was caught up in a church that was undergoing seismic shifts just as the outside world was.
Malley confidently delivers each song in her pleasing, sturdy alto voice, successfully entertaining in old-school style—no theatrics or riffs, just giving us the best she’s got, which is considerable. She is strongest on the comic numbers. Recalling that her parents phoned to tell her that Harry Belafonte had divorced (as a way to tempt her to leave the convent), Malley directs a sultry gaze front and center and passionately sighs, “Day-O”—all the funnier because the homonym, deo, is Latin for “God.” She then playfully sings Belafonte’s signature song, also known as “The Banana Boat Song” (lyrics by Irving Burgie and William Attaway, traditional melody).
About halfway through the show, she replaces her sparkling cabaret-wear with a habit, a visual that adds to the full-blown mirth of “Repent” (Cy Coleman, Comden & Green, from On the 20th Century). It’s a fairly long, showstopper kind of piece, but the line at the end is well worth waiting for. Funny lines are frequent in her patter, as when she tells us what one of her colleagues said when presented with the possibility of going to a stricter order: “Are you kidding me? I’m not going to give up men and meat in the same life!” Eventually, of course, Malley decided to leave the convent after much prayer and meditation. She had other dreams, which leads her to sing “Dream Lover” (Bobby Darin) and Jerry Herman’s “Before the Parade Passes By,” both appropriate to the narrative.
In many ways, “Out of Order” is eye-opening as well as entertaining. With her thorough grasp of history, Malley enlightens us about the important role played by the nuns of her time, who were at the forefront of work with the poor and with AIDS victims and also challenged the thoughts and actions of the greater Catholic Church. When she reveals that there are now only about one-third the number of nuns as there were when she was serving—and that most of those remaining are in their sixties and seventies—a touching sadness seems to fall over the crowd.
I might add a few minor criticisms. Although Malley’s voice is in fine shape, there is a sameness to the delivery, which may have to do with the song selections (a lot of feel-good anthems) or arrangements. Musical director David Gaines keeps a light underscoring throughout Malley’s narrative, a definite plus, but he could possibly add some pizzazz to the songs. Donna Kelly helps out on drums, but the nature of the material doesn’t allow her to showcase her work much beyond keeping a 2/4 beat.
Director Barry Kleinbort deserves credit for helping Malley put this fine, entertaining script together. I’d like to see it expanded even more, with a little more stage business to enhance the talk. This unique show has the potential to play in a theatre.
Malley ends her show by answering the question she started with, and musically closes with a heartfelt rendition of “What the World Needs Now” (Burt Bacharach, Hal David). Her humanity has clearly deepened and broadened through her experience, and we are lucky to share in her exuberant story.
Kevin Scott Hall performed in cabaret clubs for many years and recorded three CDs, including “New Light Dawning” in 1998, which received national airplay. He also worked at the legendary piano bar, Rose’s Turn, and has taught cabaret workshops and directed shows since 1995. Kevin earned his MFA in Creative Writing at City College of New York. He is an adjunct professor in the Theatre and English departments at City College and Borough of Manhattan Community College. His novel, “Off the Charts!” was published in 2010, and his memoir, “A Quarter Inch from My Heart” (Wisdom Moon), in 2014. Kevin writes a monthly column and entertainment features for Edge Media Network, writes reviews for BistroAwards.com, and freelances for other publications.
Perhaps it’s a sign of our times, but when Barbara Malley takes center stage at Don’t Tell Mama and begins her show with “The Lord’s Prayer” (traditional) and segues into Pete Seeger’s “Turn! Turn! Turn!,” adapted from the book of Ecclesiastes, one is waiting for the punch line, or for the singer to veer into something off-color or even raunchy. There is no such detour. Malley’s “Out of Order” is a sincere, intelligent, and uplifting memoir of her twelve years as a nun in the convent, starting in the early ’60s, when she was twenty-one. Her detailed and animated storytelling is sprinkled with pop and theatre songs from that era, to very nice effect. The entire show is best seen as a one-woman theatre piece, although it works well in the cabaret setting.