It's my Birthday Week!

Which means...that my birthday show is nearly upon us! The show is on my actual birthday, which is Saturday, December 2nd, and I'm so excited about it. We've truly got an all-star lineup and we're going to be backed by an incredible band. The performers include Barbara Brussell, Lodi Carr, Angela Carstensen, Hector Coris, Fortune Esposito, Kelly Esposito-Broelmann, David Goldman, Ritt Henn, David Ippolito, Sue Matsuki, Michael Quinn, Ben Rauch, Gretchen Reinhagen, Matt Sigl, Jenny Lynn Stewart, Maureen Taylor and, of course, yours truly! The band is headed up by my dad, Fortune Esposito, who will be playing guitar and pulling things together as music director, and he'll be joined by Michael Blanco on bass, Richard Schacher on piano, and Brian DeWitt on drums. It's all happening at the Laurie Beechman Theatre at the West Bank Cafe at 7 p.m. on Saturday, December 2nd - hope to see you there! Seating is limited, so make sure to call for a reservation (212-695-6909). There's a $10 cover + $15 food/drink minimum. Discounts are available for MAC, Cabaret Hotline, P-M, Yale, and Cast Party.
Okay, so beyond my self-promotion, you're wondering, what else do I have to report today? The answer is "not a heck of a lot!" I actually had 5 WHOLE DAYS off around the Thanksgiving holiday, during which I pretty much baked, ate, and shopped. It was heavenly!
But before that...I saw Colm Reilly's Roy Orbison show at Helen's on Friday, 11/17 and I had a ball! This show truly lets Colm shine in a way that I'd never seen him shine before. I've always enjoyed watching him perform, but something about this music and the way he delivers it is just magical. This is a MUST SEE! I'm already trying to figure out when I can catch it again!
The following night, I saw the always-fabulous Sally Mayes at the Metropolitan Room. Sally put on a dynamite show, and I had a wonderful time. She has a great way of making every single person in the audience feel like her best friend, and it was a really enjoyable way to spend my Saturday night.
On Sunday, 11/19, I returned to the Metropolitan Room to see Scott Coulter in his new show, "Pocket Change." I'd seen Scott perform a number of times before, but never in a solo show, and what a treat it was! His sweet voice, his openness, and his engaging personality make for a show that's tough to beat. I hope he brings it back so I can see it again!
Tonight, I was back at the Metropolitan Room, this time to see Mary Bond Davis. Wow. What a voice! Probably the single biggest voice I've heard in the city, and you all know I hear a lot! The song selection was terrific, and Mary's joy in being able to share her music with the audience was evident.
Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving, and I hope to see you at my show on Saturday!

Happy Friday!

Wow, what a week it's been! Monday night, I went to Broadway Unplugged at Town Hall and it was fantastic. Highlights for me included William Michals' haunting version of "The Impossible Dream," Mary Bond Davis cutting loose with "Down With Love" and Beth Leavel doing a frenzied and hilarious "Surabaya Santa." Jeffrey Denman's "Yankee Doodle Dandy" was fantastic - how he can dance the way he does and then come back and sing and not be the slightest bit out of breath is one of life's great unsolved mysteries! Nancy Anderson, who perforemed "Naughty Marietta," was also incredible - I enjoyed her so much that I went to see her solo cabaret the following night at the Metropolitan Room. The show was called Ten Cents A Dance (she has a cd out with the same name) and featured songs of the twenties and thirties. Nancy's love of these songs shone through in every note, and she was a joy to watch and listen to. She was backed by a "little big band" led by Ross Patterson on piano, who also did the wonderful arrangements for the show. It was a VERY enjoyable night!
Last night, I had the rare treat of going to a show at the Oak Room. I went to hear the incomparable Andrea Marcovicci performing her new show "Feelin' Like A Million: A Salute to the Incomparable Hildegarde." It was an absolutely delightful evening. Andrea is such a charming performer - she has an amazing ability to draw in every single person in the room and make them feel like the show is just for them. As a surprise, Andrea's mother also performed a number, and wow! What a voice!! It was beautiful and strong and rich - it was truly a treat. Tonight, I'm off to Helen's to see the fabulous Colm Reilly in his new Roy Orbison show...I should have a report on that soon!
Have a great weekend!

Mychelle Colleary and Broadway Unplugged!

Hello all! Well, I left off on Wednesday, when I was getting ready to head to the Metropolitan Room to see Mychelle Colleary's show,"ENTER the NOVEMBER NEBULA with SHIRLEY TEMPLE's EVIL TWIN." I had a great time - Mychelle put together a terrific show, weaving in a number of winter/holiday tunes to get us ready for the holiday season, which is fast-approaching! John DePalma was her guest, and the two of them had a great, relaxed chemistry and a wonderful vocal blend.
Tonight, I'm headed back to the Metropolitan Room to hear the fabulous Klea Blackhurst in her Hoagy Carmichael show, "DREAMING OF A SONG: THE MUSIC OF HOAGY CARMICHAEL." She's joined by Billy Stritch, which should make what promises to be a great show even better! I'll give a report later in the week.
Tomorrow is a night I've been looking forward to for a while - it's the third annual "BROADWAY UNPLUGGED" at Town Hall. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's a show featuring a number of Broadway performers, all singing great Broadway songs the good old fashioned way - no amplification! It's a chance for us to hear the pure voice, without the assistance of mikes or a sound system. The reviews from past years have been outstanding, and I am really looking forward to seeing the show tomorrow night. If you don't have plans for tomorrow night yet, definitely give this some consideration! Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office at (212) 997-6661. Maybe I'll see you there!
In any case, hope you all had great weekends, and I'll post an update soon!

Rainy Days and Mondays...

Well, it isn't Monday, but boy, is it raining! Actually, I rather enjoy it, except the problem is it makes me just want to curl up with a glass of red wine and a good book, which would be very nice, but not too terribly productive. So, picking up from last week...I had such a fabulous Saturday night! First, I went with my dad to see Jamie deRoy and Friends at Symphony Space. Her guests that night were Leslie Kritzer, Eric Bergen, Deven May, Kathy Brier, and Larry Gatlin! It was a terrific show. The first half was Jamie, Leslie, Eric, Deven and Kathy (terrific, all!), and the second half was all Larry Gatlin, who was absolutely incredible. Before he sang, he mentioned that he'd had three throat surgeries, so I wasn't sure what his voice would be like, but wow! Absolutely beautiful. He did a bunch of Gatlin Brothers songs, and the time just flew by. There was a reception afterwards, so we mingled at that for a while, and Dad got to talk to Larry Gatlin, which made his night! Then we headed down to the piano bar at Helen's, which is always fun. Dad had never been there, so I wanted him to see what it was like. We ran into Jeanne MacDonald, who had performed her show there that evening, and she treated everyone to a few songs at the piano bar, which was great. She's extended her run for one more night, so I'm going to go see it then - next Friday, November 17th - looking forward to it! That's going to be a really fun night, because before Jeanne's show, Colm Reilly (co-owner of Helen's, fabulous singer, and all-around great guy) is going to be doing his new Roy Orbison show - I can't wait to see it!
But I digress...so, Dad and I hung out at the piano bar, I sang a few tunes, we had a blast, and before we knew it, it was two in the morning, so we headed back to Brooklyn to hit the sack. On Sunday, I spent a good portion of the afternoon hanging up posters and handing out flyers in the Times Square area. The posters are for the upcoming Broadway Unplugged show at Town Hall, which is going to be fantastic. It's on Monday, November 13th at 8 p.m., and is going to feature a host of Broadway stars singing without amplification - yep, the old fashioned way! It's the third year of it, and although I haven't been to one before, I've heard it's really incredible, so I'm really looking forward to seeing it next week!
On Monday evening, I headed to my own neighborhood in Brooklyn to check out Debra and Mary's Night on the Town, the weekly show put on by Debra Barsha and Mary Cleere Haran at Biscuit BBQ (formerly Night and Day Restaurant). They have a special guest star every week, and this week, it was Michael Quinn, a wonderfully talented singer, writer, and lyricist, so I thought it was the perfect opportunity to check out the scene. I had great time. Debra is a super-talented composer and pianist, and Mary Cleere Haran is one of the biggest and best cabaret singers in the country, so having the two of them together is a great treat! The show was a lot of fun - as it was Election Day Eve, there was plenty of political satire, and the audience had a blast. After the show, we raced back into Manhattan to catch the second half of Cast Party, which was (as usual) lots of fun.
Last night, I met with my director to work on my February show (Friday February 2nd, and Friday, February 9th, 9 p.m. at the Laurie Beechman, hint hint!), then I headed over to Sweet Rhythm to hear Mary Foster Conklin in her tribute to the music of Matt Dennis. I'd been hearing about the show from a lot of people and was really excited to get a chance to hear it myself. It was a really great, jazzy show. Mary Foster sang with a 5-piece band (piano, bass, guitar, drums, and sax), and her voice seemed to know no bounds. Seamless and smoky, with a lower register to die for. I'm really happy I was able to catch her!
Tonight, I'm headed to the Metropolitan Room to see Mychelle Colleary in her show Enter the November Nebula with Shirley Temple's Evil Twin. How's THAT for a title?! Mychelle's got a dynamite voice, so I'm really looking forward to the show.
That's about all for now - check back for an update soon!