First things first–I had a smashing time during this almost two-hour intimate cabaret tribute to Eartha Kitt, as reenacted by Thomasina Gross at the Velvet Martini Lounge upstairs at Vitello’s, a space redolent with ambiance. Through a series of body-hugging costume changes and about eight songs, Gross uncannily brought Kitt vividly back to life in An Evening with Eartha Kitt Live. Gross, who has performed on Broadway and network TV, captures the actress/singer/dancer’s purrs, nuances, moves, quips, and sheer sonic verve; she certainly looked the part. It was almost a case of “Eartha to Thomasina,” as Gross embodied the Emmy- and Tony-nominated thesp, who was a pop culture icon known for her stylish sensuality for decades.
As she romped through Kitt hits including “C’est si bon,” “Santa Baby,” “Uska Dara,” and the eye-opening “I Wanna Be Evil,” Thomasina was accompanied by a live four-piece jazzy band, bestowing a nightclub flavor on the Velvet Martini Lounge, which was packed with family, friends, and fans. It was close quarters as Thomasina launched her charm offensive, with Gross gaily dancing through the appreciative throng, periodically disappearing briefly for the diva’s changes of clinging costumes, designed by Ryan Jordan A-W.
When not singing, Thomasina delivered repartee with the sly, wry wit of Ms. Kitt, who had a very distinctive speaking style, which Gross channels flawlessly (but not “clawless-ly”). If one pays close attention, showgoers can learn about North Carolina-born Eartha’s earthy background. Apparently, her father, who completely abandoned her, was Caucasian, while her presumably teenage mother—who gave her up—was Cherokee and African American, hence the multi-cultural star’s “exoticism.” Young Eartha was eventually sent to Harlem, where she was raised by a relative.
Thomasina gives voice to Kitt’s personality quirks, which she freely vents. Her Eartha is extremely seductive and comes across like someone who enjoys “hanky-spanky” and will sexchange sexual favors for material gain, in order to advance in this white man’s world, as evidenced in Thomasina’s rendition of “Just an Old Fashioned Girl” and “My Heart Belongs to Daddy.” While still a teenager, Kitt began her professional career with the Katherine Dunham Company, renowned for its modern dance interpretations. Orson Welles was the first to cast Kitt in a live theater production, as but of course none other than Helen of Troy in 1950s Doctor Faustus at Théâtre Édouard VII in Paris, plus elsewhere in Europe.
In between songs, Thomasina has lots of give and take with the audience, as I’d imagine Eartha did during her live nightclub and cabaret performances at posh spaces like Paris’ Carroll’s Club and Manhattan’s Café Carlyle. Brazenly flirting with men in the audience, at one point Thomasina alluringly purred, “I’m not wearing any panties.” Another time she brought a male ticket buyer onto the stage to be her foil, which had a brassy rendition of the old RKO Pictures logo as its backdrop.
While she regales us with the life, loves, libido, and lyrics of the grand dame Gross is impersonating, for some reason, she only alludes to the two things Eartha Kitt is likely best known for by the general public (assuming she’s remembered at all, 17 years after her death). The first is for famously playing Catwoman opposite Adam West on TV’s Batman series in five episodes, from 1967-68. Her slinky vixen in a form-fitting supervillain costume struck a responsive chord in the pop culture collective psyche. Her notoriety as the supervillainess also seems to have led to what would become Eartha’s greatest moment:
On Jan. 18, 1968, Kitt was invited by President Lyndon Baines Johnson’s wife, “Ladybird,” to a luncheon she hosted for “Women Doers” at the White House. Eartha’s rise to growing prominence due to her Catwoman appearances on a popular TV show is likely a big part of why she was asked to attend the Executive Mansion function. During the lunch, LBJ entered the room and Kitt took the opportunity to ask the president: “Mr. President, what do you do about delinquent parents, those who have to work and are too busy to look after their children?” In a film clip of the exchange, LBJ seemed uneasy and part of his response to her was chauvinistic and patronizing.
But what really made history was that shortly afterwards, Eartha dared to confront Ladybird about the Vietnam War, then raging. This led to her being blacklisted as an entertainer in “the land of the free.” Shortly after Kitt’s confrontations with the Johnsons, the Tet Offensive erupted in Vietnam, and about six weeks later, LBJ dropped out of the 1968 presidential race.
In Thomasina’s Evening with Eartha Kitt Live–which she wrote, as well as starred in – her subject’s most famous role is never specifically mentioned. Although the cabaret act did begin with the popular Batman TV theme song being briefly played, and there is a lot of purring, likely a reference to Kitt-cat’s most memorable character. Instead of as a “Playbill,” the show’s program is cleverly labeled a “Purrr Bill.” But Catwoman, per se, is never directly referred to by Gross. Perhaps this is due to copyright issues, for all I know? (Press notes state that this one-woman show is “not affiliated with or endorsed by the Eartha Kitt estate”—though I like to imagine that Kitt would have gotten a kick out of it.)
In any case, a more egregious oversight is the lack of attention paid to Kitt’s courageous confrontation in Washington. There is some brief dialogue about her being “invited to the White House,” how “motherhood changes one” and “sending boys off to war,” plus this great line: “I’m a Black woman with a spine.” But the details are left out—I don’t remember the word “Vietnam” even being spoken—and unless one already knew about this incident that took place 57 years ago, it’s unlikely a theatergoer would fully understand what’s being referred to.
In dramatizations and beyond, historians and biographers have to be careful about not dwelling too much on some info—and hence boring in-the-know audience members— and telling too little, so newbie viewers/listeners/readers are in the dark and feel left out. It’s a fine art. To Thomasina’s credit, there is a brief film clip played on a screen that drops from the ceiling, with Gross as Kitt, that reveals Eartha, who helped impoverished youth from Watts to Washington, D.C., was under CIA surveillance.
For my money, Kitt’s best screen acting was opposite Sammy Davis Jr. in the underrated 1958 drama Anna Lucasta, which goes unmentioned in Gross’s cabaret act. Nevertheless, having said this, nobody’s “purr-fect.” I guess you can’t have the whole Kitt and kaboodle. There’s only so much you can do in a two-hour show spanning a long life. Although An Evening with Eartha Kitt Live may leave you wanting more, it is terrific good fun and highly recommended (but not for the kiddies).
The show was emceed by Sheldon Craig, who crooned a few numbers out of the Duke Ellington songbook. Eli Baumgarten was the music director and pianist; James Gallardo was the bassist; Brian Cudina was the drummer; and multi-instrumentalist James Fall was the guitarist. Anthony Leones directed, and Jamaican model/actress Keturah Hamilton produced.
Enhancing the show is its setting at the Velvet Martini Lounge upstairs at Vitello’s, which its website describes as being a “Rat Pack-inspired cocktail lounge,” enhancing the piece’s period flair. The smart décor includes an old-fashioned cigarette machine, photos of Jimmy Durante and Frank Sinatra, and the like. The Italian cuisine is delicious, if a bit pricey, and the service is good. Vitello’s has been called “the Valley’s speakeasy,” although it actually opened in 1964, and attained notoriety on May 4, 2001, due to the shooting death of actor Robert Blake’s wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, outside of the Studio City restaurant. Now wouldn’t that be a wild cabaret show: An Evening with Robert Blake Live? Thomasina Gross is so multi-talented that I’d imagine she could impeccably reenact Baretta. After all, life is a cabaret, old chum!
An Evening with Eartha Kitt Live for one night only at The Velvet Martini Lounge, Upstairs at Vitello’s, located at 4349 Tujunga Ave., Studio City, CA 91604. (Future performances are TBD.)
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