Cami Thompson Music

“Imagine a production of Stephen Sondheim’s comic-horror musical “Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” starring John Goodman and Carol Burnett. And they could both sing, really well. That will give you a rough idea of what the Redwood Symphony put on last Saturday at Cañada College.......Cami Thompson, under a shock of red hair, played Mrs. Lovett. She was, if anything, even finer than Mayes. She brought a bawdy fishwife goofiness to the role that fits the character better than the coquettishness of Angela Lansbury, the original actress. Her comedy, and her cockney accent, are what reminded me of Carol Burnett. From Thompson’s first appearance, serving “The Worst Pies in London” as she kneaded a lump of dough to the irregular rhythm of the song’s accompaniment, she was splendidly funny, in fine voice, and on top of her lines. Her big character song, “By the Sea,” expressed herself and fit into the flow of the drama instead of standing as a digression.” - David Bratman

“Cami Thompson and Michael Hatfield *Facility: JCCSF Jewish Community Center of SF/ MontifioreDate: 5/14/2013Host:  Barb WithersEssence Story by Barb Withers:  On a beautiful afternoon, the sun streamed from the many skylights at the Jewish Community Center, landing like beams in the spacious lobby. Dozens of seniors sat in lined-up chairs ready and waiting for our Bread and Roses concert, a black piano gleaming at the front. Michael Hatfield sat at the piano and after my introduction, he launched into a country version of the Beatles "I've Just Seen a Face," which prompted people walking by to stop and find a seat. Funny how music does that to people!  As he continued singing and playing the upbeat song, many staff members stopped on the floors above and looked over the railings to check out the sounds. Everyone was smiling. Michael played and sang "Norwegian Wood" then Cami kicked off a medley of standard jazz tunes, introducing Duke Ellington's "I'm Beginning to See the Light" as a song from your generation when songs were "beautiful and crafted like a home."  Many of the seniors looked at one another and smiled.  Cami and Michael made a great team: Cami would scat and Michael would echo her scat on the piano. It was clearly a mutual admiration between the two performers as they sang, scatted, and Michael played toe-tapping instrumentals. If there was a dance floor, the place would have been jumping!  Cami sang a diverse songbook - from Hammerstein's "Showboat" (Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man) and "State Fair" (It Might as Well Be Spring) to Gershwin's "Crazy Girl" (I've Got Rhythm and Embraceable You) to Cole Porter's "In the Still of the Night" ad Let's Dit It".  While Cami was singing, she often danced among the seniors, and one elderly gentleman in the audience gently tipped his hat to her with a broad smile. One man stood and gave a standing ovation at the end of every song and said, "Just wonderful, just wonderful," with a beaming smile.  During the song "Night and Day," while Michael played a beautiful instrumental piece, Cami danced up to one man and extended her hand asking him to dance. He immediately stood and accepted and they danced for a few minutes, until she thanked him, then raced back to the front to take the microphone and continue the song. At one point, several little kids in the audience stood up and starting dancing, while the many seniors smiled and bobbed their heads to the old standards. At the end of one song, Cami said "Well! I was tired when I first got here, but not anymore after seeing all your smiling faces!"  The audience returned the love. They closed the show with Michael playing a sublime "What a Wonderful World" and Cami slowly singing the beautiful lines. They received a long, standing ovation and one elderly man danced with Cami for a few minutes. He talked with her afterwards and recognizing his Austrian accent, she began to talk with him in Austrian-German and he was just absolutely delighted, beaming with joy.  That's what you get when you have two incredible performers who gave their hearts to the audience at the Jewish Community Center and they got smiles and love given back, with a bit of dancing thrown in.” - Barb Withers

“When it comes to showbiz entertainers, we've all heard introductions for them, like "incomparable!... fantastic!... phenomenal!... one and only!Well, when it comes to Cami Thompson, they all apply. What a performer! At our event, Cami -- with her winning smile and personality -- won us over immediately... The moment she got onstage, it was as if a whirlwind had come into the room and decided we were going to go spinning with it.... This is the kind of performance skill that cannot be learned. It is in you or it isn't.... I assure you, Cami is a consummate performer with a style and personality for entertaining that one could only be born with.” - Larry Bedini

“"Early Sunday morn, I stopped into the Coconut Grove to catch the wonderful singer Cami Thompson ... ... She makes me smile!"” - HERB CAEN

“The hour-long concert embracing some 20 love songs of George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Duke Ellington before a large, enthusiastic audience ... was the most exciting star turn I've heard since Liza Minelli was at the peak of her powers. ... (Cami) generates that kind of excitement, while remaining indelibly her own person. She's self-effacing in a fun-loving way, with a voice that caresses, scats, soars, and gets way under the skin of every tune she sings.... (She's) a first-rate actress with what it takes to touch the soul of a song.” - JACK NEAL

“Thompson sings with the clarity of a Barbara Cook, the range and control of a Cleo Laine, and the emotional impact of a Lena Horne. There's no denying the sincerity of Thompson's matchless articulation and the depth of her seamless shifts of mood in all she sings - Cami Thompon is a superb singing actress. (Reno Philharmonic's Pops on the River: An Inspired Evening of Music)” - Jack Neal

“Cami Thompson is one of the most evolved performers I've ever seen or had the opportunity to work with. She is a jazz singer of extraordinary talent and skill; she has the command of a room, the envy of many in musical theater. But it is her impact on an audience which transforms these abilities into an absolutely remarkable communication. To see her perform is to become an immediate fan; to play music with her is transcendental.” - Fritz Kasten, Professional Drummer

“Crazy for the Gershwins' `Girl Crazy' - "There’s nothing quite like a Gershwin revival to brighten the musical scene. 42nd Street Moon presented a staged version of “Girl Crazy,” the 1930 hit with music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and a book by Guy Bolton and John McGowan. ........ (edited)....In the role made famous by Ethel Merman in her Broadway debut is Cami Thompson, (making her debut with 42nd Street Moon) who imbues Frisco Kate with Mae West sass and a voice West could only dream of and Merman would have to envy. Thompson’s “Sam and Delilah” is a showstopper followed quickly by yet another showstopper, “I Got Rhythm.” In Act 2, which is short on memorable tunes, she saves the day with the ballad “Boy! What Love Has Done to Me!”... The charm of seeing a show like “Girl Crazy” from our vantage point is that we can appreciate it from both a historical perspective as well as one of pure enjoyment.” - Chad Jones

“A Zestful Production of George and Ira Gershwin's "Girl Crazy"... "The 42nd Street Moon Company is presenting the unique 1930 production of George and Ira Gershwin's Girl Crazy with the original script. The slam-bang musical opened at the Alvin Theatre in October 1930 and made a star of Ethel Merman after she brought down the house with "I've Got Rhythm," holding one note for 16 bars as the pit band continued the jumping chorus, stopping the show.Girl Crazy features a wealth of the Gershwin brothers' classic songs that have become standards, such as "Embraceable You," and "But Not for Me" ....... Cami Thompson as Kate (the Ethel Merman role) is marvelous singing "I've Got Rhythm" and "Sam and Delilah.” - Richard Connema

“Dahling...you were maaahhhvelous!" (After seeing Cami's performance at San Francisco's famous "Coconut Grove Supper Club", dancing with his wife, while fellow actor Nicholas Cage looked on. (I nearly fainted when he walked off the dance floor to the bandstand and spoke those words to me!)” - SEAN CONNERY said...