Time to catch up!
Hello all!
Well, it's been a busy coupla weeks and I'm finally getting a chance to get caught up here!
On Sunday, May 18th, I was pleased to be a part of the Esposito Family Concert at Thrall Library in Middletown, NY. The concert was in memory of Ed Kurdyla, who was a great friend to the library, as well as a friend of my family's. It was a fun-filled program, with my dad, Fortune, my sister, Kelly, and myself each doing a number of solos and mixing it up a bit with some duets. The room was packed, and we truly had a wonderful time! Charlie (my adorable 9-month-old nephew) was very proud of being able to clap and wave throughout the concert, and provided extra entertainment for anyone who caught him in action!
On Monday, May 19th, Cast Party was hoppin' with some of my favorite friends and performers including Ray Jessel, Christine Lavin, Susan Winter, Rob Langeder, and Mark Aaron James (back from London for a brief visit!). And sitting in the audience, taking everything in, was Mr. Michael Feinstein!
Wednesday, the 21st found me doing a great double-header: first, I went to The River Room to catch the lovely and talented Shaynee Rainbolt doing a great jazz set with Pat Firth on keyboard and Tom Hubbard on bass, and then I headed over to Don't Tell Mama to catch Ray Jessel's wildly entertaining show! All in all a great night - Shaynee and the boys kept things smooth and swinging, and Ray Jessel had me nearly falling off my seat with some of his comedy songs, among which he interspersed some breathtakingly beautiful ballads. He's playing at Don't Tell Mama on Wednesday evenings at 9 p.m. through June and is definitely worth the trip to West 46th Street!
This past Tuesday, May 27th, I was finally able to catch Raissa Katona Bennet's show at the Metropolitan Room. I met Raissa when we were both performing in a Vocal Ease show, and was pleased to be able to see her doing a full-length solo show. Knowing that Raissa had played Christine in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, and hearing her in the show we'd done together, I knew that she had a lovely soprano voice, but what I learned from seeing her cabaret show was that she's also a terrific storyteller. Her show consisted mainly of songs by contemporary songwriters (Amanda McBroom, Craig Carnelia, William Finn, and David Friedman, to name a few), and she did a terrific job of digging into the lyrics and bringing the audience into the songs. Direction by Eric Michael Gillett ensured a smooth, flowing show.
Last night (Wednesday, May 28th), I was privileged to be in the audience for Jeff Harnar's Cole Porter show at the Metropolitan Room. What a fantastic show! I'd never seen a full show of Jeff's before and was really blown away by what an all-around great entertainer he is. Charming, poised, polished, engaging, and in possession of a terrific voice, he easily glided through a number of Porter's well known tunes ("Let's Do It," "In The Still of the Night," "Easy To Love," "I've Got You Under My Skin," and "From This Moment On," among others), as well as a few lesser-known tunes, such as "You Can Do No Wrong," which was sung by Judy Garland in The Pirate.
Tonight, it's off to see Gypsy on Broadway - woohoo!
Enjoy the beautiful weather and check back for an update soon!
Well, it's been a busy coupla weeks and I'm finally getting a chance to get caught up here!
On Sunday, May 18th, I was pleased to be a part of the Esposito Family Concert at Thrall Library in Middletown, NY. The concert was in memory of Ed Kurdyla, who was a great friend to the library, as well as a friend of my family's. It was a fun-filled program, with my dad, Fortune, my sister, Kelly, and myself each doing a number of solos and mixing it up a bit with some duets. The room was packed, and we truly had a wonderful time! Charlie (my adorable 9-month-old nephew) was very proud of being able to clap and wave throughout the concert, and provided extra entertainment for anyone who caught him in action!
On Monday, May 19th, Cast Party was hoppin' with some of my favorite friends and performers including Ray Jessel, Christine Lavin, Susan Winter, Rob Langeder, and Mark Aaron James (back from London for a brief visit!). And sitting in the audience, taking everything in, was Mr. Michael Feinstein!
Wednesday, the 21st found me doing a great double-header: first, I went to The River Room to catch the lovely and talented Shaynee Rainbolt doing a great jazz set with Pat Firth on keyboard and Tom Hubbard on bass, and then I headed over to Don't Tell Mama to catch Ray Jessel's wildly entertaining show! All in all a great night - Shaynee and the boys kept things smooth and swinging, and Ray Jessel had me nearly falling off my seat with some of his comedy songs, among which he interspersed some breathtakingly beautiful ballads. He's playing at Don't Tell Mama on Wednesday evenings at 9 p.m. through June and is definitely worth the trip to West 46th Street!
This past Tuesday, May 27th, I was finally able to catch Raissa Katona Bennet's show at the Metropolitan Room. I met Raissa when we were both performing in a Vocal Ease show, and was pleased to be able to see her doing a full-length solo show. Knowing that Raissa had played Christine in Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, and hearing her in the show we'd done together, I knew that she had a lovely soprano voice, but what I learned from seeing her cabaret show was that she's also a terrific storyteller. Her show consisted mainly of songs by contemporary songwriters (Amanda McBroom, Craig Carnelia, William Finn, and David Friedman, to name a few), and she did a terrific job of digging into the lyrics and bringing the audience into the songs. Direction by Eric Michael Gillett ensured a smooth, flowing show.
Last night (Wednesday, May 28th), I was privileged to be in the audience for Jeff Harnar's Cole Porter show at the Metropolitan Room. What a fantastic show! I'd never seen a full show of Jeff's before and was really blown away by what an all-around great entertainer he is. Charming, poised, polished, engaging, and in possession of a terrific voice, he easily glided through a number of Porter's well known tunes ("Let's Do It," "In The Still of the Night," "Easy To Love," "I've Got You Under My Skin," and "From This Moment On," among others), as well as a few lesser-known tunes, such as "You Can Do No Wrong," which was sung by Judy Garland in The Pirate.
Tonight, it's off to see Gypsy on Broadway - woohoo!
Enjoy the beautiful weather and check back for an update soon!
posted by Jenna @ 4:24 PM
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