
Leading Ladies at Nacho Daddy
The best way to describe the Leading Ladies concert last night at Nacho Daddy is to start at the finale and work backward to the beginning of this joyous collaboration of three singers and a musical director.
Gouda Gabor hosted the show and teamed with Broadway star Nicolas King, with Maestro David Maiocco (legendary Liberace Tribute artist) accompanying on piano; the three recreated the 1963 duet between Judy Garland (it was on her TV show) and Barbra Streisand. The song: Happy Days/Get Happy, in a glorious mash-up. The spontaneous standing ovation returned the joy to Gouda, Nico, the too-funny, full-throttle voice of Amy Armstrong, and Maiocco on piano, who I thought was going to fly off the piano stool, he was having such a blast playing for these consummate pros who were enjoying themselves immensely.
This seems to be the trend thus far in 2025, on various stages in Vallarta with three concerts standing out vividly, starting with ELO at Coco, an intimate cabaret – a small crowd but a band giving everything they had musically to an audience eating out of their hand. Then, at the downright cavernous Teatro Vallarta, which holds 900 people and was not quite sold out for Stars With a Heart, – the underlying feeling was the same at all three memorable concerts. Even the melancholy, on the sad side of some songs sung during Leading Ladies, there was a tinge of optimism and nary a drop of despair.
Whatever cheerful undercurrent or eddy is happening in town, I am delighted by the incandescent freedom of it all. My walk home was buoyant from the gifted voices, David’s perfectly placed fingers on the keyboard, the smile rarely leaving his face, the audience singing along when appropriate (ahh-ooh!), tapping toes, and chair-dancing; it was uplifting and easy.
Next Monday, at 7:30 pm, at Nacho Daddy is the Opening Night of Glee and stars Gouda Gabor, somewhat dressed down, and the irrepressible Sargento Dan. It will be quirky!
I am off this afternoon to the jungle to hopefully catch Perros del Rio at Rancho Santiago and, a bit later at 5:30, the Eagles Tribute. Looking forward to hearing Marty’s voice and great guitar work again, then back to town for Open Mic at Nacho Daddy. See you there and everywhere.