REVIEW: Butterfield goes from good to great in 'Cabaret in the Courtyard' show

Judy Butterfield, a 19-year-old cabaret singer with ties to Cedar Rapids, performed two sets for a large crowd on opening night of Brucemore's seventh annual “Cabaret in the Courtyard.” The difference between those two sets can be summed up succinctly: The first was good. The second was great.

Butterfield's vocal gifts were apparent from the very first number. Singing “The Nearness of You,” she wandered comfortably around the gentle beat, warming up her pure tone with vibrato and backing off held notes while maintaining her intonation. It was a nice reading of a classic number and emblematic of much of what was to come.

Appearing completely at ease on stage, Butterfield led the audience into each song with patter that was occasionally just a bit pat, but served her well nonetheless. Her take on “Good Thing He Can't Read My Mind,” revealed her subtle comic gifts which were on display at various times throughout the evening. On the challenging “A Sleepin' Bee” she impressed with her ability to sing softly beautifully.

There were, however, a few imperfections in the first set, including a tendency to narrowly miss notes in the middle of phrases and noticeable struggles with the low end of her range. Still, she sent the crowd to intermission happy, closing the first set with four numbers sung by the young Judy Garland, including a rousing run through “The Trolley Song” from “Meet Me in St. Louis.”

When she returned to the stage for a solid run through Van Morrison's “Moondance,” the few challenges of the previous set were strikingly absent. One number later, she offered up what may have been the performance of the night as she caressed Ira and George Gershwin's “How Long Has This Been Going On.” In command of her full range, she found the song's emotional core.

She was joined by Cedar Rapids' own Adam Hoffman (who can be seen in next week's Cabaret in the Courtyard performances) on an excellent arrangement of “I've Got Rhythm” and the two were a winning combination, trading the lead and scatting in tandem. She engagingly navigated Joni Mitchell's “All I Want,” fully comfortable with the song's loose rhythmic feel. Her quiet, deeply felt read of Bob Dylan's “It Ain't Me Babe” provided the most poignant moments of the night. Closing with a lovely rendition of “All the Things You Are,” she received an easily justified standing ovation.

Butterfield was ably and unobtrusively supported by Tim Daugherty on keys, John Schwabe on bass, and Cassius Coens on drums. The three instrumentalists were a quiet, steady presence all evening, letting the spotlight shine steadily on the impressive young vocalist.

Cabaret in the Courtyard continues with Butterfield tonight at 7:30 p.m. and Aug. 13 to 15 with the Stars of Tomorrow Competition at Brucemore, 2160 Linden Dr. SE. For tickets and details, call (319) 362-7375.