Carole Bufford makes a triumphant return to Florida Studio Theater’s summertime Cabaret two years after her first hit. She has developed a whole new program but still celebrates songs from the years dear to the hearts (and ears) of typical older residents and tourists outside of “season” in Sarasota. The subtitle, “When the 60s Met the 70s,” tells the emphasis. Bufford’s formula is to tell the story of each song, how it originated, became a hit, and often why it suited its singer and audiences. She begins with an Otis Redding smash and goes into the hits of singers who’ve won her attention—and kept audiences’. She obviously loves Cher, The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, Janis Joplin, Roberta Flack. She revels in the changes of style they represent and that her wide vocal range handles with ease. Despite the chaos of the eras from which Bufford’s song choices came, she emphasizes their positive aspects. Her early soft “Dream a Little Dream of Me” actually seems to preface a likeable, strong “These Boots Are Made for Walking.” “Killing Me Softly” fits right into her going into the Vietnam War era. The latter part of her program highlights songs like “Spinning Wheel” and “Will You Love Me Tomorrow?”. The onstage Band, directed soulfully by pianist Assaf Gleizner, is a full partner with Bufford in musical range. Chuck Davis strums two types of guitar. Kroy Presley, an FST vet of the period’s music, handles guitar also but mostly his specialty, big bass. The always reliable Tony Bruno displays his drumming prowess, as if without effort. Bruce Price contributes a Tic-Tac-Toe scenic background to the festivities. The theme is echoed in Bufford’s Act I costume, black and white squares running sideways and accessories of black shoes and combined b&w bracelets and earrings. For Act II, to sing varying colorful songs of the 70s, she sports a sheath of multicolored sequins on a black background and wears fuchsia earrings. Despite all the changes manifest in Bufford’s songs and narrative, she still comes across as the jazzy gal FST invited to perform a second time. And may well again.
