Dream A Little Dream: Live At The Cafe Carlyle
Laura Osnes is a young performer with a large amount of potential. She received the break of a lifetime when she won her Broadway debut by being the last actress standing to play the role of Sandy in the recent revival of "Grease" on NBC’s reality competition, "Grease: You’re the One That I Want." Now she gets the chance to show her developing cabaret skills on her new Broadway Records’ release, "Dream a Little Dream: Live at the Café Carlyle."
This 18-song set, recorded this past June at the famed New York venue, gives a vivid portrayal of the strengths and the "needs-to-improves" of the up-and-coming performer. She begins the set with her bread-and-butter: the Frank Wildhorn / Don Black tune, "How ’Bout a Dance?" from the recent musical, "Bonnie and Clyde," for which Osnes received a Tony nomination. From there, she makes her way through a canon of songs by Rodgers, Hammerstein and Kern ("I Have Confidence," "All The Things You Are"), Randy Newman ("I Think It’s Going to Rain Today," "When She Loved Me"), and Irving Berlin ("Blue Skies" and "Anything You Can Do," which she performs with her "Bonnie and Clyde" co-star, Jeremy Jordan). Her soprano voice has a wide range, and is properly suited for the traditional Broadway repertoire. She is at her best when she delivers the classic "Don’t Rain On My Parade," staying closer to the written page, rather than attempting to imitate the penultimate Barbra Streisand version, as so many women do when performing the Stephen Sondheim / Jule Styne tune.
Not all portions of the singer’s gig are highlights. Osnes has several guests in her set, including the previously mentioned co-star Jordan, "Dukes of Hazzard" alumnus Tom Wopat, and her husband Nathan Johnson, and appears giddy just to be performing on stage with the men, instead of using the opportunity to increase the quality of the show. Her patter is juvenile, making Osnes sound even younger than she is, but the album provides her with another opportunity to further her career, and her fans will adore it.
"Dream a Little Dream: Live at the Café Carlyle"
Laura Osnes
CD and Digital formats
Broadway Records
