Like Animals

Top a night that begins with a duo singing "Karma Chameleon," I dare you.

Yea, I knew you couldn't.

The Ghost Light afterparty had an animal theme and apparently lizards were the first animals to come to mind.

Pianist sandy, clearly a product of the '80s, harmonized along with host Matt while playing a mean piano.

The woman is a wonder.

Starlet Knight, wearing her snazzy new slacks from Diversity Thrift, announced she'd be singing "Run, Rabbit, Run," a song "from the '30s before things were politically correct."

It was all about a farmer having fun with a gun.

Yep, that wouldn't fly anymore.

Keeping to the theme, Matt and Jason did "Alone in the Universe," a song sung by Horton the elephant in "Seussical," the musical."

It got an added degree of humor because Matt was wearing a green knit cap and goggles, I think hoping for a frog look.

Stretching the theme halfway, Sarah sang "part of Your World," from "The Little Mermaid," so half fish, half girl.

Close enough.

Sara P. had a decided animal motif going on with leopard pants and doing a song from "Lord of the Rings" which she dedicated to a young cancer victim she'd known.

Just before she began singing, a guy sat down in the front row and held up two phones, causing Sara to wave at them and say hello to her Mom and Dad, as he filmed her perform via the magic of technology.

"That's the first time the GLAP has had telephoned-in audience members," Matt laughed.

Honestly, nothing that happens at the GLAP is all that surprising.

The handsome Nick was next and he's definitely one of my favorites because he's got such a terrific voice.

He did "Why, God, Why?" from "Miss Saigon" and had me melted in my seat.

Dan got up to sing, with host Maggie saying, "I can't think of many people more adorable than Dan" and with his hot pink sunglasses nestled in his curly black hair, I was inclined to agree.

The scenery is always so attractive at GLAP, if you know what I mean.

Eschewing the whole animal theme, he sang "I Found a Boy," causing Matt to observe, "Only Adele would put a key change in the middle of an a capella part."

"Adele's disgusting," Maggie agreed, acknowledging the singer's effortless vocal prowess.

Starlet got back up to sing along with Rico, the green puppet pianist Sandy had brought, making for the first time we've had a puppet show at the GLAP.

Next, mime?

Robin was a GLAP virgin but her killer voice had audience members cheering in their seats for some of the notes she hit.

Must be nice to be born with a voice that silences a room.

We veered back into Disney territory (they do have a wealth of animal songs, after all) with Josh doing "Be Prepared," from "The Lion King," clearly a childhood favorite of the better part of the crowd.

Katie and Ian, looking like a darling indie duo, stood butt to butt to sing "I Will Never Leave You" from "Sideshow," a musical about Siamese twins.

Again, straying a bit from the theme, but done well enough that an audience member found her way to teeh front row and waved her Bic lighter in the air, swaying side to side.

When the music moves you at GLAP, you do what you gotta do.

Another of my favorite performers is Ben, the multi-talented Ben, still sporting a mohawk and tonight letting Sandy play (he usually does his own ivory duty) while he sang "Johanna," from "Sweeney Todd."

It was particularly satisfying for me since I'd just seen ":Sweeney Todd" the other night, but in a version without music.

Leaving the stage, Matt and Maggie cracked wise about how Sondheim songs are "so easy, hardly any notes and no meaning to them."

You see, it's okay to be a smartass at the GLAP.

"The Lion King" roared its head again with Josh and Sara doing "Just Can't Wait to be King, much to the delight of the crowd.

Of all the songs done and redone at GLAP, surely one of the most popular has been "Suddenly, Seymour," which Andrew and Tricia did yet again tonight, albeit, as Maggie said, "the most hippie-dippie, kumbaya version ever."

It's not often we get hippie-dippie, kumbaya versions of anything at GLAP.

Starlet brought her retro talent back onstage with "Straighten Up and Fly Right" with Matt hilariously taking on puppet duties.

Once last call was announced, Maggie took charge, saying shed picked the last song and it was to be an animal singalong.

"Cats!" one of the Saras screamed.

Yes, "Cats" as in "Memory," as tried and trite a song as ever written and done in full-on singalong by the last remaining audience members, although not me because I've never seen "Cats."

Well, that and I can't sing.

Midway through, Maggie began some interpretive dance and finally Matt joined in, doing his best ballet moves and ending with a dying swan dip that ended the song.

And, fittingly, animal night at GLAP, may the poor creatures rest in peace.