GENERAL MEETING REVIEW – February 5th, 2012

ENTERTAINER:  Georgene Barger

SUBMITTED BY DELLIE ROSEN, Co-President

At 11:10 a.m., the room came alive when the very talented vocalist, Georgene Barger took center stage.  A vocal powerhouse and born singer, Georgene opened with, “This Could Be The Start of Something Big,” followed by Rosemary Clooney’s “Mambo Italiano,” sounding very much like Rosemary. 

This was just the start for our performer, who immediately captivated the audience with her incredible voice.  Georgene is a soprano with a range of over three octaves, who can sing any style of music, and demonstrated this by singing jazz, Motown, and an excellent rendition of Diana Ross & The Supremes’ “You Can’t Hurry Love.”

Georgene was charming!  Her delightful personality and quick wit was evidenced when she imparted tidbits of information pertaining to her background.  Right from the start, she assured us she was NOT from New York, but from Cleveland. 

After singing several songs in excellent Yiddish, Georgene confided, “I’m not from Philadelphia and I’m not Jewish.”  She sure could have fooled us when she burst into, “You Gotta Have a Little Mazel” and “Bei Mir Bist Du Shein” in perfect Yiddish.

Georgene is one of those rare vocalists who can sing any style of music, from the “top 40’s,” “all-occasion,” “jazz,” “blues” and “show bands.”  Others have said she should be on Broadway or singing with an opera company.  This was evidenced when she sang “La Traviata” (the drinking song), a magnificent performance in Italian that we hated to see end.