Respect: Aretha Franklin at Signature Theatre

DC Theater Arts - Recommended

"...The defining distinction between a tribute concert and a cabaret honoring a legend is … what now? Having just subjected myself to the gut-churning but ultimately gratifying experience of Jeff Hamlin’s 16-hour cabaret intensive at the Studio Acting Conservatory, I’d argue it’s the personal touch: If it’s not clear by the end of the evening why the singer cared enough to put the program together, it’s more of the former. If you’ve gotten a sense of who the singer is — and who the honoree is to her — then you’ve got a proper cabaret."