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"Unforgettable," the musical tribute to jazz singer, Nat 'King' Cole, now playing at Physicians Auditorium as part of the Piccolo Spoleto festival, offers a tour-de-force performance by Monroe Kent III and a smooth jazz combo featuring Edison Herbert (guitar), Andre Demps (piano), and Jesse Hautala (bass). Also, Herbert is the musical director and arranger of the jazz numbers that Cole made famous. There are deft solos for each of the musicians, and, for himself, Herbert creates a very poignant guitar accompaniment for the favorite, "Mona Lisa."

Kent is an agile actor, perfectly able to embody the grace and sophistication associated with Cole. His charming delivery softens the details of the racial bigotry that plagued Cole's career. In addition to Cole, Kent sketches a variety of minor characters influential in Cole's life: his preacher father, his two wives, a few racists, and, most importantly, Cole's valet, Sparky, who gives the audience objective details about Cole's life and who remains behind to report Cole's premature death from lung cancer at age 45.

During the two-hour show, Kent sings nearly twenty songs that fans would consider Cole standards, including "Route 66," "Orange Colored Sky," "Smile," "Too Young," and "Let There Be Love," capturing Cole's rich velvet tones, his perfect phrasing, and his elegant enunciation. Also, he masterfully works the audience, getting them to frequently join him in his star turn.

The book "Unforgettable" is based on, which has the same title and was written by Clarke Peters and Larrington Walker provides biographical links to the individual numbers that are respectful of Cole but do not deify him.

In Act One, there is a very funny confrontation between the present Mrs. Cole and the future Mrs. Cole, while Act Two features a hilarious scene as Cole and his musicians half-heartedly try to sing the rock and role number, "Send for Me."

"Unforgettable" is great musical theater, made unforgettable by Cole's music and by Kent's performance.