I caught up with Porsche at the Ice Palace at her first Tuesday night show of the season, on June 6, and it was also her first Fire Island show ever with DJ RDK (Richard Kennedy) assisting. Porsche is celebrating her 16th year in Cherry Grove.
Porsche chose Bette Midler’s “The Showgirl Must Go On” for a rousing opening number and continued in a similar vein by singing “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” She fulfilled my pair of requests consecutively, as different as they are, by singing a romantic “Tammy,” in memory of Debbie Reynolds, whose final show was in Cherry Grove, as well as a volcanic “History Repeating,” the Shirley Bassey song. She purred, Eartha Kitt-style, in “Santa Baby,” so appropriate on this frigid night; gave us “The Shoop Shoop Song” (“It’s in His Kiss”), à la Cher; and offered varied variations on Peggy Lee’s “Fever,” giving nods to Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, the “Habanera” from “Carmen,” and the Eurythmics.
Porsche sang an assertive “Natural Woman” in tribute to Aretha Franklin; went on to “I’ll Never Love This Way Again,” Burt Bacharach’s song for Dionne Warwick; and remembered Patsy Cline with a torchy “Crazy” and Amy Winehouse with a sultry “You Know I’m No Good.” She saluted Dolly Parton with “Nine to Five” and Adele with “Rumor Has It.” Suddenly Porsche’s mother was on the phone, greeting us from Austin, Texas, and we all sent our love.
The singer cut loose with Gladys Knight song “I Heard It through the Grapevine” and Taylor Dayne’s “Tell It to My Heart.” Porsche ended the evening with a lively “Boogie Shoes.”