New CD, New CD, New CD!

Hello all!

Well, I'm just about ready to burst with excitement - the new CD is due out on Tuesday, November 3rd, and I really can't wait! The CD is a live recording of my Connie Franics tribute show, recorded at the Metropolitan Room in June and July of this year. From its inception, the "Connie Francis project" has been so very special to me, and I'm thrilled to have been able to turn it into a CD. There were so many people involved in making both the show and the CD happen, and I'm so grateful for their collaboration! My director, Lennie Watts; my musical director, Fortune Esposito; all of the fabulous musicians who've played the show; my tireless graphic designer Hector Coris; my wonderful family...and of course, the legendary Connie Francis. It's funny; when I first started working on the show, I approached it the way I normally approach a show - I listened to music, read as much as I could, started working on the structure of the show...but what I wasn't counting on was absolutely falling in love with Connie Francis, both as a singer and as a person. She has the unique ability to absolutely infuse a song with an incredible amount of emotion, more so than any other singer I can think of. At the same time, her voice has a special warmth that just draws the listener in, and makes each song seem like a one-on-one conversation. As a person...well, she's passionate, courageous, and resilient. She's faced some tremendous obstacles in her life and come back every time. When I first saw her in concert this past April, I burst into tears as soon as she entered, because I was just overwhelmed to be in the presence of this amazing woman. Suffice it to say, what started out as a typical project for me has turned into one of the best experiences of my life. I've loved every second of working on my Connie Francis show, as well as the CD, and I'm so very happy to be celebrating the release of the CD next week!

To coincide with the launch of the CD, we've added a brand new section to my website, which has ALL of the details about the "Connie Francis Project," including performance information, a link to buy the CD, pictures, and sound clips! Please stop by and take a look - we're very excited about it! Special thanks to Dimitri Moderbacher, my hardworking webmaster, for getting everything up and running, and again to Hector Coris, my graphic designer, for creating the look of the project. To check out the new area of the site, click here.

Now, besides working on the show and the CD, I've been keeping busy as usual, running around the city to check out the best of NYC nightlife - be sure to check out my weekly Broadway World column for the latest scoop on what I've been seeing!

That's about all for now, folks, but check back for another update soon!

My Brush With a Beatle!

I love living in NYC! For all of the times that I get annoyed with subway problems, tourists clogging up the sidewalks, smelly garbage, overcrowded stores and other everyday nuisances, once in a while, there comes a moment so incredible, it makes it all worthwhile. Last night, I had just such a moment. Little did I know when I left my apartment last evening, heading to hear Tony DeSare at Bemelmans Bar, that I was going to meet a living legend, a piece of history, a man who has been one of the biggest influences on popular music EVER! Funny thing was, I almost didn't go! I'd spent nearly eight hours in a photo shoot for my forthcoming CD yesterday and I was utterly wiped out! However, I decided that going to a classy venue, having a glass of wine, and hearing some great music would be a perfect way to unwind, so off I went! I met my friend, Angela, at Bemelmans and we settled onto a banquette facing the music, ordered our cocktails, and relaxed! Our table was right by the entrance of the bar, and shortly into the second set (I believe it was during "Girl From Ipanema"), I noticed a VERY familiar profile coming into the room, along with his date. "No!" I thought to myself, "It can't be...." His back was to me at this point, but when he turned around to face me, it was unmistakable: I was looking directly at Sir Paul McCartney!! I nudged Angela and felt my heart start to pound. All of those nights of insisting to my parents that I needed to fall asleep listening to my Beatles tape, all of those hours of discovering album after album, of learning the harmonies and singing them with my dad, the two amazing concerts I'd seen Sir Paul play...all of those memories came flooding back as I gazed at the man standing in front of me, who, it seemed, had his eye on the table right next to mine! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! As he slid into the banquette, right next to me, my leather jacket serving as the only barrier between us, I found that I couldn't even look at him! I didn't want to give off "crazy obsessed fan" vibes, and I knew that if I looked, I'd simply stare! I leaned over to Angela, though, and said, "Ok, before he leaves, I HAVE to talk to him. At some point this evening, I just have to!" A few minutes later, his date got up from the table, and Angela whispered to me, "Now might be a good time!" So, I leaned over to him and said, "I don't want to interrupt, but I just have to tell you what an honor it is to be sharing this bench with you!" And he chuckled and said, "Thank you!" So, then, I proceeded to tell him that, from the time I was 6 years old, I had to fall asleep to a Beatles tape every night, and that my dad had brought me up right! So, he said to thank my dad - no, congratulate my dad for him! I said, "I will...but I have to tell you, he'll be a little bit jealous," to which he replied, "Well, thank him for me!" Of course, after the fact, I realized that I still had my '60s hair and makeup done from my photo shoot and I was wearing a '60s-style short dress and high boots...Paul McCartney was probably thinking, "Wow, this poor obsessed girl...stuck in the '60s: a Beatles fanatic, retro hair makeup, and clothes...yikes!" Anyway, after my chat with Sir Paul, I turned around to face the band again, and I have to say, it was pretty cool to hear little "buh-buh-buh-bum"s as Sir Paul improvised along with the music! He and his date left after the set, but he did take a few minutes to talk to Tony on his way out and tell him that he enjoyed his music and his songwriting...how cool is that?!!! :)
So, that's it...my brief, exciting "brush with a Beatle," which I will treasure for the rest of my life! Now, back to the day job...

Happy September!

Hello All!
Apologies for slacking on the posts - it was a busy, busy summer! Vacation? What's that?!!
I spent the first portion of the summer working hard on my Connie Francis show, and the second half mixing the live recording of the show! We're SO close to being finished on the recording, which is very exciting! Our release date is set for November 3rd, and we'll be doing a special CD Release Party at the Metropolitan Room to celebrate!
In between the day job, the performing, and the mixing, I've also managed to squeeze in quite a few shows, which I've written about in my Broadway World column - you can read the latest article by clicking here. While I don't have time to write about all of the shows in this post, there are definitely a few that stand out in my mind - like seeing Connie Francis AND Frankie Valli sharing the bill at a FREE concert at Coney Island...unbelievable! Connie is just such a special performer...she has a vulnerability and raw emotional quality in her singing that just draws you in and embraces you. It's hard to put into words; it's more something you have to experience...and boy am I happy that I've had the opportunity to do so! Frankie Valli sounded incredible, and the "Four Seasons" (NOT the originals, but four terrifically talented young men!) were spot on with their harmonies and choreography. The crowd was huge - probably between 9,000 and 10,000 people, and everyone had an absolute blast!

Another standout for me was seeing Tony DeSare at Bemelmans Bar. I've seen Tony a number of times before and there's a reason I keep going back to see him - he's THAT good! He's got a smooth, jazzy, easy-to-listen-to voice, and his piano playing is amazing! He always puts on a classy, entertaining show, mixing in well-loved standards with his own compositions (many of which sound like they should be well-loved standards), and has an easygoing, understated charm that makes him a pleasure to watch and listen to.

Klea Blackhurst in Everything The Traffic Will Allow, her acclaimed tribute to Ethel Merman, was also another favorite of mine. I just saw the show a few weeks ago at the Snapple Theater Center (where the revival of The Fantasticks) is playing, and I'm still in awe. Klea is an amazingly gifted singer and actress, which, combined with the excellent material and entertaining anecdotes in this show, make for a quite remarkable evening.

What's coming up next for me, you ask? Well, I've got to stop writing in a minute or two so I can dash off to sing and chat on the Barry Z show, then I'm running downtown to catch KT Sullivan performing at the newest venue in town, Kathleen Downey's Granite Room, which is located under City Hall Restaurant.

That's all I've got time for right now, but check back for another update soon!

This and That...oh, and the Other!

Well, hello everyone! Hope you're enjoying the summer so far - I know I am! It's been a busy one, but some great things have been happening, so you won't hear me complaining! I had a great run of my show, Jenna Esposito Sings Connie Francis, at the Metropolitan Room, and we're actually heading into the studio next week to begin mixing the live recording! We're hoping for a CD release date sometime this fall, so make sure to stay tuned for details!

In addition to doing my own shows, I've gotten to see some really terrific performances...you can read details on just about all of them in my Broadway World column (check out the most recent one by clicking here), but off the top of my head, there are definitely a few standouts! Marilyn Maye's new Mercer show at the Metropolitan Room simply blew me away on June 20th, then there was yet another terrific concert at Tudor City Greens on July 8th. Produced by Broadway/cabaret veteran Raissa Katona Bennett, this outdoor concert series always boasts a stellar lineup of talent and draws in a huge audience! The June show featured Ms. Katona Bennett herself, as well as Eric Michael Gillett, Nina Hennessey, Julie Reyburn, Daryl Glenn, Ricky Ritzel, Spider Saloff and Philip Chaffin - what a great show! Then, last week, I ventured over to Citi Field (a tough trip for a Yankee fan) to catch Paul McCartney in concert - and I'm still in awe, a week later! At 67 years old, he is still in incredible voice, and boy, can he rock! His band was amazing, and they delivered fantastic renditions of sooooooo many favorite Beatles tunes and Wings tunes. It was a really special night, and I was thrilled to be able to witness it! Besides all of the shows I've seen, I've been hitting the open mics as regularly as possible and having a great time at all of them: Cast Party, The Algonquin Salon, The Summer Oak Room Salon and, of course, MetroJam (which I now host)! So, as I said, it's been a busy summer so far, but a great one!

I've got to go get gussied up to head out to see Tony DeSare perform at Bemelmans Bar, so that's about all I've got time for right now, but stay tuned for another update soon!

Okay...now where did JUNE go?!

Hello everyone!

Apologies for the delay in blog entries - you know I'm always a busy girl, but I think this June has to have been one of my busiest months EVER! Between preparing for the opening of my new show, Jenna Esposito Sings Connie Francis, taking over as the host of MetroJam at the Metropolitan Room, settling into a new day job, and finding time to see shows and write about them on my Broadway World column, I've hardly had a second to breathe!

That being said, I do have some fun news to share - I've been doing a number of radio interviews, promoting both my Connie Francis show and my CD, and they've been going very well! My CD is now being played on select radio stations across the country, which is very exciting! And the Connie Francis show opened last week to rave reviews, which will be posted on my website shortly - I'm thrilled!

Now, you can read about my most recent cabaret-going activities on my Broadway World column by clicking here, but I do want to share a fun story that I didn't include in the column. On this past Monday night, I headed to Cast Party at Birdland as usual, and after I finished my song, I started making the rounds, handing out postcards to promote my Connie show. Well, I got to this one table, and Paul Shaffer (you know, THE Paul Shaffer of Letterman fame!) was sitting there with a group of people. Now, he's actually been to Cast Party a number of times before, and I was thrilled when he actually said hello to me the last time he was there, which was several months ago. Well, on this past Monday, he actually took my hand and said, "Jenna, that song was great - one of my favorites!" Which would have been cool enough...and THEN, he said, "Jenna, meet my friend Marty." And he moved his head aside, and sitting behind him was MARTIN SHORT!!! I almost fell over! I think I gasped (which was completely un-cool of me, but REALLY - how was I to know?!) and then Martin Short shook my hand and said, "Nice to meet you." I can't even remember what I managed to stammer after that, but I when I got back to my table, boy did I have a fun story to share! A few minutes later, "Marty" got up onstage, and, accompanied by Paul Shaffer, did a hilarious parody to the tune of "Almost Like Being In Love," titled "Summer Makes Me Want To Cheat On My Wife!" Definitely one of my favorite Cast Parties ever!

Anyhoo, that's about all I've got time for today - I promise to try to give another update soon, though!!

What Happened To May?!

Hello friends!

Okay, where did May go? It seems like two days ago that I was typing my last blog entry...but it was on May 3rd, and it's now May 29th - yikes!! Actually, I started typing this two days ago (May 27th), but only got about 2 sentences done when I got pulled away! Whew!

So, it's been a great month - tons of stuff going on! I presented the "sneak preview" of my Connie Francis show on May 14th at John's Harvest Inn in Middletown, NY, and let me tell you - I can't WAIT to do the show in the city! It has been a monumental project for me and the entire creative team has put a ton of work in on it...and we had a fantastic time performing it a few weeks ago! So, mark those calendars! We open at the Metropolitan Room on Tuesday, June 23rd and we'll be there for four Tuesdays in a row!

In addition to my show, there was the excitement of the MAC Awards, which took place on Monday, May 18th at BB King Blues Club & Grill. I was nominated in the category of female vocalist for the second year in a row, and even though I didn't win (congrats to my friend Terese Genecco, who DID win!), I still had a blast! All of the male and female vocalist nominees this year were asked to sing at the awards, so I got to get glammed up, wear a pretty gown, and sing for a packed house at BB King's - not too shabby! There were many great performances that night, two of my favorites coming from Polly Bergen, who was the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, and the Marvelous Marilyn Maye, who took home the award in the "Celebrity Artist" category this year.

So, what else is going on, you ask? Well, I just saw a terrific show last night - Maxine Linehan's show, Who Am I? A Tribute To Petula Clark! Maxine has a lovely voice and a very engaging presence on stage, and, of course, there was great material to work with in this show! Musical Director Gerald Stockstill created some terrific arrangements, and Maxine was surrounded by a terrific band (including her fiancee Andrew Koss on guitar) and backup vocalists (Rosemary Loar and Kami Graves). The show touched on some of Petula's biggest pop hits as well as some of her musical theatre triumphs, which provided nice musical variety. This was the first time I'd seen a full show of Maxine's, and I'm looking forward to seeing more!

There's another tribute show going on this weekend, which I'm unfortunately not going to be able to get to, but I would if I could! Singer Grace Cosgrove (producer and host of the monthly "Singers' Soiree," Grace Notes), is doing her solo show, Wishin' and Hopin': Cosgrove Sings Bacharach tonight and tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. at the Metropolitan Room! Again, it promises to be a fun show with great material! Break a leg, Grace!

That's about all for now, but be sure to check out my Broadway World column for more info on what I've been up to!

Have a great weekend, and I'll post again soon!

Happy May!

Hello all!

Well, it's been a busy week or so since my last post, but it's been a "good busy!"

On Saturday, April 25th, I had a fabulous time singing backup and a few duets in Rob Langeder's new show, Anyplace I Hang My Hat...! Backed by a rockin' band (led my dad, Fortune Esposito on guitar!), Rob puts on a super-high-energy show packed with well-loved standards and showtunes, as well as a few lesser-known gems. The songs and arrangements do a great job of showing off his vocal prowess as well as his powerful acting chops, and I'm honored to be a part of the show! There's one performance left, on Wednesday, May 20th at 8 p.m. - I can't wait!

On the following evening, it was off the the Algonquin Salon, which is held every Sunday evening from 7-10 p.m. in the lobby of the historic Algonquin Hotel. Founded by Mark Janas and produced by Peter Napolitano, the Salon has quickly become THE destination for singers, songwriters, and musicians on Sunday evenings. Mark serves as host/house accompanist, and every week, there is a special "guest co-host," as well as an optional theme, which always makes for a unique, never-the-same-thing-twice, evening! This past week's guest co-host was my good friend Hector Coris (who did a great job!), and the optional theme was "The First Time," so performers brought in a lot of interesting material - everything from the first song they performed in public to songs containing the phrase "the first time," to songs that they were trying out for the very first time that evening! Performers included 2009 Bistro Award winners Susan Winter and Deb Berman, as well as Salon regulars Gretchen Reinhagen, Richie Eisenberg, Rob Langeder, and Sierra Rein. To add to the excitement, legendary performers Marilyn Maye and Celeste Holm were in the audience - wow!! Also, special kudos to Matthew Ward who did an admirable job filling in for Mark Janas as host/pianist!

On Monday night, I headed over to Birdland for yet another fab Cast Party - sooooooo many talented folks performed, it was unbelievable! Let's see...there were uber-divas Ann Hampton Callaway, Marilyn Maye, and Klea Blackhurst; R&B singer/songwriter Chaz Langley; folk goddess Christine Lavin; talented songbird Maude Maggart, and YouTube sensation Miranda, plus tons of fabulous regulars - definitely a Cast Party for the books!

The next night, it was off to the Bistro Awards at Gotham Comedy Club, which ended up being another terrific show. Liza Minnelli was honored with a special award for enduring artistry and international singer/songwriter/actor Charles Aznavour was presented with a lifetime achievement award. The show was a wonderful celebration of NYC nightlife, and it was a real treat to hear the performances and acceptance speeches from the winners! For a full list of recipients, click here.

On Friday, May 1st, I headed to Metrojam, which is the monthly open mic at the Metropolitan Room, to celebrate Joe Bachana's last night as host! After nearly three years, Joe is stepping down, and he's actually asked ME to take over! So, starting next month, I'll be the host of Metrojam! This past Friday was a great night - many of the performers who have attended Metrojam over the last three years showed up to make Joe's last night special, and they succeeded! Susan Winter, Hector Coris, Rob Langeder, Deb Berman, Richie Eisenberg, Dawn Derow, Miles Phillips, Karen Oberlin, and Maureen Taylor were among the performers, and they were backed by a fantastic house band of John DiPinto on piano, Ritt Henn on bass, and Bobby Sher on drums. Congratulations to Joe on building Metrojam up from the ground and thanks for leaving me with a terrific open mic to host!

The rest of my weekend was spent rehearsing for my upcoming Connie Francis show, so that just about brings us up to date!

I've got another busy coupla weeks ahead, so be sure to check back for an update soon!