UH OH! Kendal Hartse Question Mark Live and In Concert Question Mark

Kendal Hartse. Photo by Cat Washington.

The thing about solo theatre is that it gives an artist space to bring everything they are to the table. Incongruous traits that don’t fit into one neat casting box are assets in this medium, providing audiences with a new perspective on an artist or an art form that they may think they know. In Kendal Hartse’s Performance Art cabaret, UH OH, the artist’s zaniness, pathos, repertoire that spans genre’s and agile voice combine to create an engaging piece unique to her specific gifts.

In the words of Hartse (who also wrote the piece), her inspiration “was a kind of performance art version of the actor cabaret, by way of a public radio pledge drive. It’s really examining our souls as artists, our ambition, and the struggle to make meaningful work when the pace of modern life means we are constantly asked to sell and promote ourselves.” Director Austin Regan with Alexander Sage Owen (arranger, guitar, drums and electronics) and Mike Cifalo (piano) are adept partners in bringing this vision to life, with the musicians providing solid support while also having occasional moments in the spotlight themselves. Cifalo’s lovely, yearning performance of “While My Lady Sleeps” (Bronislaw Kaper / Gus Kahn) was an especially wonderful moment.

The material, ranging from classic & contemporary Broadway to pop and even opera, gives Hartse a large canvas on which to work her magic. Her version of Irving Berlin’s “I Got Lost in His Arms” from “Annie Get Your Gun” is deeply felt and beautifully sung. The combination of Jeff Buckley’s “Liliac Wine” and “So Real” is a high point of the show, starting off sweetly lyrical and growing into a raw rock ballad. Ravel’s Bolero provides a divinely inspired moment of clowning complete with red nose, while a coquettish version of Ariana Grande’s “Needy” delights with a Neo-Burlesque glove peel. The two final tunes, Puccini’s “Vissi d’arte” from “Tosca” and Jude Sill’s “Crayon Angels” could not be more disparate and yet make perfect sense within the context of the show. They are also masterfully performed.

Uh Oh! is in turn weird, funny, musically diverse, brilliantly performed, and keeps its audience ever so slightly off balance. And that is the beauty of solo theatre.

UH OH! Kendal Hartse Question Mark Live and In Concert Question Mark

Written and Performed by Kendal Hartse

Musical direction by Austin Regan

June 14 - 15, 2025

The Gym at Judson (243 Thompson Street, NYC)

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Wendy Lane Bailey has a powerful classic pop voice and a rather cavalier attitude towards the idea of genre. Wendy-Lane’s debut solo recording, Breathing, was produced by composer/arranger/pianist Michele Brourman. Her performances in venues across the country have earned critical praise for versatility and sophistication. She has appeared as a guest artist on multiple recordings, including Leslie Gore’s and Susan Egan’s. She studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, HB Studios and the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center. Off-stage Wendy Lane is a creative advocate for artists. While living in Washington, D.C., she founded a regional networking organization for musicians and for five years, was the Associate Director of the Cabaret Conference at Yale University. She received a 2007 Bistro Award for outstanding achievement and was nominated for a Washington Area Music Association Award. While serving on the board of NJ’s Pioneer productions, she produced, directed, and appeared in several theatre pieces. She is currently developing Hot Coffee, MS, a solo theatre piece with music in collaboration with Michele Brourman & Gretchen Cryer. In 2020, she accepted the position of Assistant Artistic Director of the United Solo Theatre Festival. In addition to her performing work, she teaches and consults privately and in master classes for singers of all genres.