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I attended this cabaret fresh from seeing a show where the performers were not committed to the music they were presenting, so it was wonderful to spend an hour with two local talents whose joy in performing these songs was utterly infectious. I have admired Michael Raabe's work as musical director at freeFall Theatre for some time. From the audience, I usually can only watch him from behind, but his happiness is almost always palpable. Getting to watch him full-on only made the experience much better. His glances toward Ms. DelBeato when she was singing or when they were singing together suggested a loving history of shared projects.

All the expected tunes were to be found: "Home" and "Ease on Down the Road" from The Wiz, "Popular" and "Defying Gravity" from Wicked, as well as "If I Only Had a Brain/Heart," "The Merry Old Land of Oz" and others from The Wizard of Oz. With a few unexpected twists and turns such as "Good Bye Yellow Brick Road" and "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" which was done in tandem with "If I Were King of the Forest," an interesting program was offered.

Mr. Raabe and Ms. DelBeato seemed strongly vested in presenting these songs in tempos and styles different from what I am used to. Some of them I liked and a few I did not care for. The obvious closer, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," was presented in the arrangement by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, with ukulele accompaniment by Nick LeRew, currently featured in freeFall's The Light in the Piazza.

The entire event was great fun. The show was sold out and the other members of the audience seemed to enjoy it as much as I did.

Friends of Dorothy: Music from the "Land of Oz" was presented June 28, 2016, at The Catherine Hickman Theater, 5501 5th Avenue South, Gulfport Florida.