You might think that John Epperson, having been for decades in the employ of the glamorous and imposing stage sensation Lypsinka, would have picked up some of his mistress's grand manner. But that's clearly not the case. The eponymous star of "John 'Lypsinka' Epperson: An Evening with Lypsinka's Maid" (at Feinstein's/54 Below) isn't exactly mousy. But he's a far cry from his flamboyant—sometimes almost scariily so—alter ego.
A sunny, thoughtful, gracious performer, Epperson makes you feel as though you've dropped by the Big Star Lady's place while she's out of town for a long weekend. Go ahead. Relax and enjoy a few drinks while John plays, sings, tells stories, and otherwise holds forth at the grand piano. Just keep your feet off the coffee table and watch where you set that Cabernet. You never know when Madame might make a surprise return.
Epperson has a strong singing voice with a slightly wobbly, unembarrassed vibrato that makes itself known on certain sustained notes. He plays piano with skill and verve—if not always with the lightest, nimblest touch. What he has that works most beautifully is a willingness to give unstintingly of himself, to share something of what he's learned about songs and shows and the business of living.
The program (directed by Jay Rogers) is in part a tribute to strong women who influenced Epperson over the years. These include family members from his early days in Mississippi, an unforgettable piano teacher, and ballerinas with whom he worked n New York. Epperson presents medleys of songs associated with three show-business women he has admired: lyricist/performer Betty Comden (whom he knew personally), Jill-of-all-showbiz-trades Kay Thompson, and pioneering transsexual Christine Jorgensen (yes, after transitioning, Jorgensen at one time performed in a nightclub act). The Thompson medley is especially welcome, particularly Epperson's charming takes on Roger Edens and Leonard Gershe's "Think Pink" and Thompson's own "I Love a Violin." On the other hand, the Jorgensen segment—which contains snippets of familiar songs (including Jerry Herman's "It Takes a Woman" and the Gershwins' "They Can't Take That Away from Me") with jokey altered lyrics—is the show's low point. It comes off as quaint and frivolous at a time when the "T" in "LGBT" has become a political force to be reckoned with.
A fourth medley is an engaging tribute to songs with a "Charleston" rhythm. While some of the inclusions are naturals (Sandy Wilson's "Won't You Charleston with Me?" and DeSylva, Brown & Henderson's "Varsity Drag"), the final selection is an unusual suspect: an energetic "You Could Drive a Person Crazy" (from Stephen Sondheim's score to Company).
Sondheim pops up again for one of the best of Epperson's non-medley numbers, an evocative "Anyone Can Whistle." Another likable turn is "Sensitivity" (Mary Rodgers, Marshall Barer), which Epperson performed recently in his role as the Queen in a well-received Manhattan production of Once Upon a Mattress. And Lypsinka herself materializes for one cameo number—a bawdy retro confection called "Cupcakes" (songwriter(s) uncredited). It is just enough of Epperson's other self—and not too much.
"An Evening with Lypsinka's Maid" may not be a terribly deep show. But it is a decidedly warm one. And when temperatures plummet and forecasters predict significant snowfall, "warm" may well be a bigger asset than "deep."
"John 'Lypsinka' Epperson: An Evening with Lypsinka's Maid"
Feinstein's/54 Below – January 20, 21, 23
