Jenna's Two Cents

Jenna Esposito- "Fa l'amore con te" live from Little Italy on 8-14-10.

2010-08-21T08:47:00.000-05:00

Greetings, all! I hope this finds you doing well! I know, I know, it's been AGES since I've written on here! I've been very fortunate, though, to have had a very busy year so far...and I've been so busy doing things that I've been left with very little time to write for fun! Now seems like as good a time as any, though, as I have some very exciting news to share!

Today, my band and I will be heading into the studio to do a record "Fa L'Amore Con Te," the beautiful song that can be heard on the video posted here! The song was written by Ernie Rossi of E. Rossi & Co., which has been a Little Italy institution for 100 years. Back in the day, E. Rossi & Co. were major publishers of Italian music, and they actually published two of Connie Francis' Italian songs! So for me, that makes this all the more special! By working with Ernie, I feel a connection not only to Connie but to all of the incredible singers who have been connected with E. Rossi & Co. over the years. It's truly inspiring to feel that I am a part of that tradition, and I'm honored that Ernie has given me this gem of a song to record!

Stay tuned for news on the recording, but for now, please enjoy the video on YouTube!

All the best,

Jenna

Happy February!

2010-02-02T17:24:00.002-05:00

Hello all, and a belated Happy New Year! I cannot believe that a month of 2o10 has gone by already! I truly intended, going into the new year, to do more frequent blog updates...however, life sometimes gets in the way! I've had a quite eventful 2010 so far - a number of performances, discussions about booking my Connie Francis show on the road, rehearsals/preparations for my new show...well, you get the idea!
So, where does that bring us? Right now, having been newly freed from my day job, I'm doubling and tripling up on my efforts to make a living as a performer. Singing, acting, background work in t.v. or film - you name it, I'm up for it - as long as it does not involve sitting behind a desk for 9 hours a day! I'm casting the net far and wide and hoping that something sticks! I also am continuing to enjoy writing my weekly column, "The Cabaret Chronicles," for BroadwayWorld - so if you're wondering what I've been seeing or hearing recently, be sure to check that out!
Hope this finds you all doing well, and hopefully I'll have another update for you soon!

Jenna's 12th Day of Christmas!

2009-12-22T22:16:00.003-05:00

Well, I can't believe I'm to day 12 already! This whole month has just been speeding by, and it seems like the past two weeks, especially, have just vanished in the blink of an eye! Happily, though,I'm home in Middletown with my family now, relaxing in my reindeer pjs, sipping eggnog, and looking forward to a fun couple of days! Hopefully, being out of the NYC holiday madness will allow me to truly enjoy my time with the fam and my week off of the day job! I was scrolling through the pictures I've snapped over the last week, trying to decide which one to post, and as soon as I came to this one, I knew the decision had been made. For the past few weeks, the "Santamobile" seen in this picture (in case you're wondering, it's the car covered in toys, and Santa himself is actually behind the wheel!) has been driving around town, spreading holiday cheer in its own unique way! I was able to get a picture of it in action, coming through the intersection at 5th Ave. and 58th St. - hope it brings a smile to your faces, too!

Now, although my "12 Days of Christmas" project has reached its completion, I'm hoping to post some more seasonal pics in the next week, and to keep up with more frequent posts in the new year. Just in case I get sidetracked in the next few days and am unable to post, though, let me take this opportunity to wish each of you the merriest of Christmases and the happiest of New Years! Here's to a great 2010!

2009-12-22T02:49:00.003-05:00

Whew! Just creeping in under the wire for this one...actually, according to the clock, it's nearly 3 a.m. on December 22nd in the Eastern time zone, but since it's still December 21 somewhere in the U.S., I'm giving myself credit for not missing a day! Actually, I tried really hard to get this pic posted earlier tonight, but unfortunately, I just don't have the necessary tech savvy to use my phone to do a blog post with a pic! I just got home a little while ago, and have been packing my bags for my trip upstate for Christmas...and it just hit me that I never did get this posted! So, here it is - the glowing "Believe" sign on the side of Macy's. The holiday windows are great, but to me, this one word really captures the magic of the season...and, for that matter, of life in general! I think it's a wonderful sentiment to keep in mind each and every day...and I also think that it may just end up being my New Year's resolution: Believe! I kind of like the sound of that! Believe, believe, believe! Yep, I think it's as simple as that. And with that, my friends, I leave you for the night, because I am EXHAUSTED and need to be up for the day job in the morning! New post tomorrow (or later today!)!

2009-12-20T23:16:00.003-05:00

Well, it was a fun, fun day up here in Middletown, NY! We had enough snow to make things look pretty and seasonal, but not so much that we had to postpone the annual Esposito Family Christmas concert! My family and I have been putting on this holiday songfest every year since I was in high school, and we always have a wonderful time! This year, in addition to my dad (Fortune Esposito) and my sister (Kelly Esposito-Broelmann), we were joined by Rob Broelmann on bass, Brian DeWitt on drums, and Brian Broelmann on tenor sax, soprano sax, and flute. AND Charlie (my 2-year old nephew) made his public debut! He sang "Jingle Bells" into the microphone and helped out the band by playing his toy guitar along with many of the numbers! We did two shows: one at 2 p.m. and one at 5:30 p.m., and it was a feel-good, holiday spirit-filled day! Today's pic features the star of the show, Charles Broelmann! Enjoy!

On My 9th Day of Christmas...

2009-12-19T21:55:00.002-05:00

Well, I got an early train this morning and beat the snowstorm up to Middletown, NY, where my family lives! Shortly after I arrived, we headed over to the Manza Family Farm to pick out our Christmas tree. My nephew Charlie was there for the fun, and enjoyed meeting all kinds of animals, including a HUGE turkey, a couple of sheep, some goats, and TWO REINDEER, who were obviously in training for the coming week's travels! We also took a ride around the farm on a 3-mule open sleigh! :) And yes, the mules were wearing jingle bells (which prompted Charlie to break into a rousing chorus of "Jingle Bells!" He also met Santa and Mrs. Claus, and then went exploring on the stationary wooden train cars (or the "choo-choo," according to Charlie) that were set up outside, which is the picture you see here today! It was a fun (albeit bitterly cold!) afternoon...and in case you're wondering, we did end up with a beautiful Christmas tree!

Stay warm and check back tomorrow for my 10th Day of Christmas post!

Jenna's 8th Day of Christmas

2009-12-18T23:55:00.002-05:00

Hooray, I finally got to hit a few of the holiday shops today! Every year in NYC, little markets/fairs pop up all over the city, making for a unique and fun shopping experience. Many of the vendors at the various fairs are independent, although there are a few chains mixed in. I always have a great time looking for handmade jewelry, candles and soaps, in addition to stocking up on gourmet chocolates and various other knick-knacks. My two favorite fairs are the Union Square Park Holiday Market and the Holiday Shops at Bryant Park, and as luck would have it, I had time to hit both of them tonight. It was freezing out when I arrived at the Union Square shops, but that just added to the feeling of holiday hustle-bustle...so I treated myself to some hot apple cider and started browsing! I ended up not purchasing anything, but I did have fun nosing around, and that apple cider was yummy! After I'd finished there, I hopped on the subway and headed up to Bryant Park, to check out the offerings there! I did end up making a few purchases there, but they shall remain secret since some of the gift recipients may be reading this! ;)

Anyway, Bryant Park is where today's picture comes from. This little scene was set up right in the middle of the south side of the park, and I only noticed it as I was making my way out, but as soon as I saw it, I knew it had to go in the blog. I hope you enjoy it!

It seems that we've got a big winter storm heading our way, so I'll close by wishing you all a warm, cozy, happy weekend!

Oh, and by the way, if you're looking for more info on the various holiday shops, there's a good site covering all of them, which you can reach by clicking here.

On My 7th Day of Christmas

2009-12-17T17:02:00.004-05:00

For the past couple of weeks, I've been wondering when in the world I'd get to see the Rockefeller Center tree! I know - for those of you who don't live in NYC, you're probably wondering how in the world I could miss it...but seriously, I usually don't have any reason to be by Rockefeller Center, and my schedule's been so crazy, I literally have not had the time to wind my way over there! Well, as luck would have it, I got sent on an errand from my day job today that took me to 47th St. and 6th Ave., so I finally had my window! After running the errand, I made a brief detour to check out the tree, and thanks to the frigid weather, it wasn't even insanely crowded - can you believe it?! The lights don't show up as brightly in the daytime photo as they would if I'd been able to get over there at night, but oh well - can't win 'em all, right? Anyway, here's the pic - hope you like it!

On Jenna's 6th Day of Christmas...

2009-12-16T17:25:00.003-05:00

She shares this image with you! This is a photograph of some of the lovely decorations at Loews Regency Hotel. I had the pleasure of being at Feinstein's the other night for Jim Van Slyke's terrific Neil Sedaka tribute (where I got to meet Mr. Sedaka himself - woohoo!), and the lobby decorations were absolutely gorgeous. There was a big tree, and beautiful decorations surrounding the main entrance, but this basket filled with ornaments really caught my eye. Also, the picture of the basket of ornaments came out much better than either of the other pictures! If you have a chance to stop by during the holiday season, I'd highly recommend it! First of all, there is some terrific entertainment (Michael Feinstein & David Hyde Pierce in their holiday show, plus singer/pianist John Proulx entertaining Sunday-Thursday after every show) at Feinstein's, and secondly, just walking through the lobby is sure to put you in the holiday spirit!

Jenna's 5th Day of Christmas!

2009-12-15T17:16:00.006-05:00

Okay, today is a fun one! I subscribe to the newsletter "Manhattan User's Guide," and in this morning's issue, I was delighted to find a link to the Gingerbread Extravaganza at Le Parker Meridien Hotel! Le Parker Meridien is only a few blocks from my day job, so I knew I MUST head over there at lunchtime to check out the gingerbread creations! There were only eight (I was expecting a few more!), but the ones that were there were adorable! If you're in the area, it's well worth taking a few minutes out of the holiday madness to stop and smell the gingerbread! Well, actually, you can't really smell it, but you know what I mean! Also, if you pay $1, you can vote for your favorite and be entered to win a 5 night stay at the Parker Palm Springs and two round trip tickets courtesy of American Airlines! All proceeds are being donated to City Harvest. I had a tough time deciding, so I'm posting my two favorites here!

2009-12-14T17:41:00.002-05:00

Haha! Almost missed posting today - am actually running out from work to get to my voice lesson; however, I'm determined to do my twelve days of Christmas consecutively! Today's pic, while not necessarily "Christmas-y," is DEFINITELY seasonal and very pretty (if I do say so myself)! I took it while traveling up to Middletown this weekend, as the train was going over the Salisbury Mills trestle. It's always a gorgeous view, and it looked particularly stunning this past weekend, with the first snow of the season glistening in the sunlight! Hope you enjoy it!

Jenna's 3rd Day of Christmas!

2009-12-13T14:09:00.002-05:00

Hello, Friends! Well, I'm on a roll here - 3 days in a row of holiday-themed posts! I'm upstate now for my sister's birthday, and thought I'd post a picture of my nephew, Charlie! This is him getting his picture taken with Santa - obviously not the professional pic, just Aunt J. snapping a shot from off to the side! He was a good boy, though, and when Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas, he said, "a muffin." "A muffin maker?" asked Santa. "No, a muffin," said Charles. Ah, those were the days - when a muffin was the ultimate joy!

2009-12-12T11:33:00.003-05:00

Woohoo! 2 days in a row! Betcha thought I'd forget today, didn't you? It's okay if you did; I kinda thought that myself! But I didn't forget and I DO have another holiday photo to share. This one was taken as I was running out to get soup yesterday on my lunch break. It was FREEZING and I was rushed and stressed, and then I saw these pretty purple ornaments, shining in the sunlight on Park Avenue! So I slowed down for a few seconds, got my phone out, and snapped a pic. Hope you enjoy it!

Have a great weekend and be sure to check out Broadway World for my newest article if you want to see what I've been seeing in the world of cabaret this week!

Jenna's 12 Days of Christmas

2009-12-11T15:55:00.005-05:00

Hello All!

Sorry for the delay in posts, but I've been taking some time to consider whether or not to keep this blog running, and if so, whether I should change the subject matter/format. Since I started writing my column for Broadway World, most of my show-going anecdotes end up in that column, and I'd feel silly just repeating them here! So, I've come to the decision that YES, I will keep this blog up, but it will be more of a personal blog. Posts may or may not have anything to do with music or shows I've seen, but I'm hoping they'll still be enjoyable, and hopefully, a little more frequent! To kick off the new format, I'm going to be doing a holiday feature, Jenna's 12 Days of Christmas. Beginning today, and continuing for the next 11 days, I'll post a picture of something I've seen that captures the spirit of the season for me.

Today's picture is of the beautiful, glowing stars that hang from the ceiling of the Time Warner Center at Columbus circle - I LOVE them! It's funny, but walking into the Time Warner Center at this time of year puts me in the best mood! "Carol of the Bells" is playing continuously, and I could stare at the color-changing stars for hours! Of course, I usually don't have hours to spend looking at stars, so I watch them for a few minutes and then run into Sephora to freshen up makeup and apply glitter before heading on to the next event! Anyway, here are the stars, in my favorite color scheme - hope you enjoy them as much as I do! Heck, put on "Carol of the Bells," do some online shopping, and it'll feel like you're right in the middle of things at the Time Warner Center!

Have a great evening and check back tomorrow for my 2nd Day of Christmas!!

New CD, New CD, New CD!

2009-10-28T14:27:00.003-05:00

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!

2009-09-21T07:41:00.003-05:00

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!

2009-09-10T15:19:00.003-05:00

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!

2009-07-26T17:51:00.003-05:00

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?!

2009-06-28T13:07:00.002-05:00

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?!

2009-05-27T13:45:00.002-05:00

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!

2009-05-03T19:45:00.003-05:00

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!

Where did April go?

2009-04-25T11:27:00.002-05:00

Well, hello everyone!

Sorry for the lapse in between blogs! Between putting together my Connie Francis show (which is debuting in Middletown, NY in May and at the Metropolitan Room in Manhattan in June!), working on Rob Langeder's show (for which I'm doing some backup vocals and singing a few duets with Rob), writing my weekly column for Broadway World, getting to a few Yankee games, and working a day job, I've been slightly swamped!

If you want to read about what shows I've been seeing for the past month, check out the Broadway World column - click here to see the most recent one!

So, what do I have planned for this weekend, you ask? Well, this afternoon, I'm heading over to the Metropolitan Room to join in the fun at Rob Langeder's 5 p.m. show, and then heading upstate for rehearsal for the Connie Francis show, then coming back tomorrow and hopefully making it to the Algonquin Salon, where the multi-talented Hector Coris will be serving as co-host!

That's about it for now - hope you're all enjoying this GORGEOUS weather!!

More to come soon!

Monday again!

2009-03-30T15:32:00.003-05:00

Happy Monday everyone!

I can't believe it's almost April, can you? Yikes! This year has been flying!

Last week wasn't as busy as usual, show-wise, but I still managed to squeeze in a couple of fun outings! On Monday night, it was Cast Party (as usual), with tons of fabulous talent filling the room! Forbidden Broadway star Christina Bianco, cabaret diva KT Sullivan, fab singer songwriter Zoe Lewis, 2009 Bistro Award winner Susan Winter, and the amazingly talented William Blake all brought the house down, and Cast Party regulars like David Goldman, Joan Crowe, and folk goddess Christine Lavin wowed and zowed 'em as well! Looking forward to another fab Cast Party tonight!

On Wednesday, March 25th, I headed over to the Time Out NY Lounge to catch theSet NYC, which is a monthly variety show that gives talented up-and-comers a chance to show themselves off. I had a terrific time there - it truly was a variety show! The acts I saw included a few singers (host RedWine, jazz/blues singer Anna Fiszman, and 22-year-old singer/songwriter Melanie Fontana), a few comedians (Liz Miele and Rob O'Reilly), a magician (Nick Ignazzi), and a dance team (Frida, Moncef and Ronja, who all hail from Sweden) - and the best part was, they were all terrific! Congrats to producers Pim, R. Lai, L. Mordis, and R. Taliver for putting together such a great show, and for providing such a wonderful opportunity for talent on the rise!

On Friday, March 27th, I caught the train upstate and was able to see my dad, Fortune Esposito, playing at John's Harvest Inn! He plays there every Friday night from 7-10 p.m. and because of my busy schedule in the city, I'm not able to get there as often as I'd like, but whenever I do, I have a great time. The combination of the great music (yay, Dad!), the amazing food, and the warm, homey atmosphere makes it a perfect Friday night destination - it's a great way to relax and unwind after a long week!

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

Monday, Monday...

2009-03-23T13:12:00.002-05:00

Hello All!

Wow, I can't believe it's been almost a week since my last post! It's been a busy one, too, which explains why I haven't had time to squeeze in an update! Okay, so when I left off, it was St. Patrick's Day and I was getting ready to go see Ben Cherry's show at Don't Tell Mama. Well, it ended up being a great night! I'd seen Ben in a performance of this show last year, and while it was good, then, it was even better this time around! Filled with songs about the ups and downs of living in the big city, the show was warmly received by the audience of New Yorkers and Ben's performance was terrific! After the show, it was off to O'Flaherty's (right across the street) for some corned beef and cabbage (yes, I AM part Irish!), which was a great way to cap off the day!

On Thursday, March 19th, I was back at Don't Tell Mama, although this time I was actually singing! I was pleased to be one of the performers in this month's Grace Notes. Produced and hosted by Grace Cosgrove, Grace Notes is a monthly "Singers' Soiree," which boasts a different lineup of talented performers each month, and always has a fun theme. The theme this month was "Flower Power: Music of the 60's," and the selection of material was terrific - there was everything from the Beatles to Joni Mitchell to Connie Francis (yep, the Connie Francis was courtesy of yours truly!). I was honored to be sharing the stage with a super-duper group of performers, including Stearns Matthews, Julie Reyburn, Billie Roe, Stefanie Rose, Steven Ray Watkins, Lennie Watts, and (of course!) Grace, herself!

After Grace Notes, it was off to the Time Out NY Lounge to catch Julian Yeo and his retro-jazz band! I've written about Julian a number of times before, and as always, I had a great time listening to him Thursday night. His smooth, easy style and stellar song selection provides the perfect way to unwind at the end of a long week!

On Saturday, March 21st, I had a great time singing backup in Joe Bachana's show, High Hopes: Songs from my Childhood, at the Metropolitan Room. The show was full of feel-good, fun songs, including "Come On Get Happy" (the Partridge Family song!), "Candy Man," "Up, Up and Away," and "Swinging On A Star." And the best part was, that on a number of the songs, he was joined by a chorus of five children who sat on the piano and sang their hearts out - it was adorable! His own two daughters, Cecilia, and Roxanne, were (of course!) part of the children's chorus, and his wife, Nancy, also took part, singing a lovely "Que Sera Sera." It was a fun, family-oriented show and I really enjoyed being able to take part in it!

Later that same night, after grabbing a quick bite to eat, it was back to the Metropolitan Room to see Shawn Ryan's show, which was a blast. I always have a great time at Shawn's shows, which is why I try to make it to see him whenever he's in town. And Saturday night was no exception. The songs were great, the musicians were great, and Shawn's quick, in-the-moment wit and impeccable comic timing kept the audience chuckling (or guffawing, in some cases), for nearly the entire show!

On Sunday evening, it was off to the Algonquin Salon's 1-year anniversary celebration, which was a lot of fun. In the year that it's been in residence at the Algonquin Hotel, the Salon has developed a very loyal following, and it was really nice to see so many of its supporters in the room last night for the celebration. Many of the performers who co-hosted over the past year, including Sue Matsuki, Bobbie Horowitz, Raissa Katona Benett, Maureen Taylor, Sarah Rice, and Peter Napolitano (who is also the producer of the Salon) were there to perform, and a number of the Salon "regulars," plus a few newcomers, were on hand to share their talents as well. It was a lovely night, and everyone seemed to have a great time!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T16:25:00.002-05:00

Top o' the um...evenin' to ye!
Hope this finds you all enjoying this lovely St. Patty's Day! As for me, I'm looking forward to heading out of work, catching Ben Cherry's show at Don't Tell Mama, and hopefully getting some corned beef and cabbage afterwards!

So...let's see, where did I leave off? Well, it was a week ago, and I was headed out to the Cabaret Hotline March is Cabaret Month Gala! That ended up being a really fun evening - there was tons of talent in the room, both onstage and in the audience, and there was a terrific sense of warmth and community. Each of the performers did themselves proud, and the audience had a terrific time! Congrats to Stu Hamstra for spearheading the gala, and also to producer Tom Stajmiger, host Brandon Cutrell, musical director Tracy Stark, and all of the terrific entertainers who graced the stage: Natalie Douglas, Anne Steele, Joan Curto, Kristy Cates, Jack Donahue, Antonio Edwards, Barb Jungr, Sarah Rice and Ben Cherry.

On Thursday, March 12th, I headed to Metrojam at the Metroplitan Room and had a lovely time, as usual. The band (John DiPinto on piano, Ritt Henn on bass and Bobby Sher on drums) was rockin, host Joe Bachana was as entertaining and charming as ever, and some fantastic talents like Susan Winter, Rob Langeder, Deb Berman, and Maureen Taylor kept things hopping!

The following night, it was off to see Cait Doyle in her show Hot Mess In Manhattan at the Duplex. Four words for you: Go see this show! It's funny, quirky, original, and flat-out entertaining, and Cait is a terrifically talented actress and singer. I'll have more details in my Broadway World column this Friday, so be sure to check it out!

I took the weekend off to go see my darling nephew (yay!), but was back in action last night, taking in a double-header at Birdland! First up was Forbidden Broadway diva Chrisine Pedi in Winging It at Birdland, which was outstanding. Christine is probably best known for doing killer impressions of a slew of famous ladies, but, with the exception of a few songs (most notably her finale, in which she did impressions of 16 different women singing songs from Chicago!), this show was performed in her own voice, which was a rare treat! After Christine's show, it was Cast Party time! As usual, there were some really incredible performances - Cast Party favorite David Goldman, who hadn't been to Birdland for quite some time did a terrific "Manha de Carnaval," Metrojam host Joe Bachana treated us to a swingin' "Witchcraft," Italian crooner Andrea Balducci enchanted the crowd with his "Cuando, Cuando, Cuando," and Rob Langeder gave everyone a taste of his upcoming show with a jazzy "Moody's Mood."

Okay, time for me to sign off and head out! Have a great rest of your St. Patrick's Day and check back for another update soon!

MAC New Face Showcase, Jim Van Slyke Broadway Jukebox, and more!

2009-03-10T15:03:00.003-05:00

Hello All!
It's been a busy few days since I last wrote - so let me bring you up to date on what's been going on!

On Saturday, March 7th, I had the pleasure of hosting Part 2 of the MAC New Face Showcase featuring debut artists appearing on the preliminary MAC Award ballot. The featured performers this week were Deb Berman, Christina Bianco, Ben Cherry, Dawn Derow, and Dominic Sheahan-Stahl, and they all did a terrific job! Boy, what a crazy amount of talent in the debut pool this year!! In addition to these performers, we were treated to a performance by cast members from Broadway's Next Hit Musical, which was absolutely hilarious! Based on suggestions from the audience, the actors improved songs on the spot, which were clever, funny, and actually very well performed! This show performs every other Thursday at Broadway Comedy Club - I can't wait to check out a full show!

After the MAC showcase, it was off to see Jim Van Slyke in The Sedaka Show. Conceived and directed by Brian Lane Green with musical direction by Tim DiPasqua, the show featured all kinds of terrific Sedaka material - from well-known hits to obscure, little-known tunes, to Sedaka's newest project for children! And not only was the material terrific, but Jim's voice just blew me away - what an instrument! Seriously, I could have listened to him all night!

On Sunday, it was another double-header: first it was Broadway Jukebox at Birdland, and then the Algonquin Salon at the Algonquin Hotel (happily, both venues are on 44th St., so it was very convenient to run from one to the other!). Broadway Jukebox was terrific - I wrote about it last month, but in case you missed that entry, I'll give a quick description of what it is. Conceived by producer Scott Siegel and directed by Scott Coulter, the hour-long show features three Broadway performers each performing songs which have been selected by the audience. Audience members are given ballots upon entrance and each performer has a list of songs which he/she is prepared to perform that evening, and the songs which receive the most votes are the songs which make it into the show! Each week features different performers and different song choices (with a few crossovers - I ended up hearing "I Dreamed A Dream" both times I went!), so audiences will never see the same show twice! The featured performers this week were Julia Murney (Wicked, The Wild Party), Brad Oscar (The Producers), and Kerry O'Malley (White Christmas, Into The Woods). They were all terrific - I thoroughly enjoyed myself! Kudos also go to musical director Tedd Firth, who did a terrific job (as always!) accompanying all of the singers! After Broadway Jukebox was over, it was off to the Algonquin Salon, which was also a lot of fun! The special guest co-host for the evening was Aaron Kaburick, who is currently appearing in Billy Elliot on Broadway. Aaron did a great job of keeping things moving smoothly, and brought the house down with his rendition of "I Want To Be A Rockette." There were a bunch of other fabulous performers there that evening, including Susan Winter, Gretchen Reinhagen, Rob Langeder, and Maureen Taylor - all in all, a very fun night!

Last night was yet another doubleheader (Hmmm...no wonder I'm tired today! 6 shows in 3 days??)! First, it was John Bucchino & Friends, which was part of the Broadway at Birdland concert series. I had a fantastic time - I've been familiar with some of Mr. Bucchino's songs for a while now, but after hearing a whole concert full, I want to run out and buy it all! The songs are beautifully written, and the performances last night were outstanding! Featuring the talents of Brian Stokes Mitchell, Ann Hampton Callaway, Brian Lane Green, Daisy Prince, Justin Paul, Benj Pasek, Jessica Phillips, Lucas Steele, Jamison Stern, Joan Almedilla, Jacqueline Hester, and cellist Yair Evnine, the concert was a fantastic showcase for the music of Mr. Bucchino - and, judging by their reactions, the rest of the sold out house agreed with me! After the concert, I stayed put for Cast Party, which was enjoyable as ever. Steven Zelin, the "Singing CPA," had everyone cracking up with his tax/finance parody lyrics to "My Favorite Things," folk superstar Christine Lavin performed on of my all-time favorite songs of hers, "Good Thing He Can't Read My Mind," original Forbidden Broadway cast member Christine Pedi brought the house down with her version of various divas (including Eartha Kitt, Bette Davis, Joan Rivers, Carol Channing, and Ethel Merman) doing "I Will Survive," and lots of other super-talented people kept the evening flowing. Host Jim Caruso tied it all together with his usual charm and wit, and the Cast Party Symphony Orchestra (Tedd Firth on piano, Steve Doyle on bass, and Steve Bakunas on drums) was fantastic!

That's about it for now...just getting ready to head out to Cabaret Hotline's March Is Cabaret Month Gala - more on that tomorrow!

Adriana McPhee at the Metropolitan Room

2009-03-04T16:52:00.002-05:00

Hi all!
Just a quick note about Adriana McPhee's show, Starting Here, Starting Now, which I caught at the Metropolitan Room last night! This show was Ms. McPhee's NYC cabaret debut, and I was so pleased to be able to see it! Featuring a terrific lineup of songs from such varied composers as Kander & Ebb, Joni Mitchell and Cy Coleman, the show was loosely based on Adriana's travels from L.A. to New York to Paris and back to New York, and the lessons she learned along the way. Her lovely voice was perfectly matched to her sweet personality, which shone through on many of the selections, particularly the Levant/Heyman classic, "Blame It On My Youth." As a special treat, her mother, singer/voice teacher Peisha McPhee joined her for duets on "You Must Believe In Spring" and the famous Judy Garland/Barbra Streisand "Happy Days"/"Get Happy." Their voices blended beautifully together, and it was a joy to watch them sharing the stage. Overall, a lovely evening!
That's all for now, but check back for another update soon...and be sure to check out my column this Friday on www.broadwayworld.com!

The Broadway Boys and Cast Party

2009-03-03T15:07:00.004-05:00

Greetings, everyone!

Well, as the temperatures dropped last night, I hightailed it to Birdland right after my voice lesson and stayed put there all night! First up was the Broadway Boys concert, which was part of the Broadway at Birdland series. Featuring the talents of Marty Thomas (Xanadu), Jesse Nager (Mary Poppins), Danny Calvert (Altar Boyz), Maurice Murphy (…Spelling Bee), Morgan Karr (Spring Awakening) and Landon Beard (Altar Boyz), the show was called Sampler, and included highlights from three existing Broadway Boys shows, Broadway Today, The Radio, and Oh What A Night. The result was a terrific mix of Broadway tunes and pop tunes, with hip, contemporary arrangements. The "boys" themselves were oozing charm and talent, and kept the audience bopping in their seats for the entire show! Special guests Katie Thompson and Shayna Steele wowed the crowd and left them wanting more!

After the Broadway Boys concert, it was time for my favorite Monday night tradition, Cast Party! As usual, it was tons-o-fun, with talents like Christine Lavin, Tom Leopold, Jeff Segal, Adriana & Peisha McPhee, and Birdland songbirds Cait Doyle and Melissa Ward all doing a terrific job. And Jim Caruso was as charming and entertaining as ever...and he did one of my favorite songs, "Tone Deaf," which absolutely brought down the house! As an added treat, drummer Steve Bakunas sat in with the Cast Party Symphony Orchestra (Tedd Firth on piano and Steve Doyle on bass) for the night - and he was terrific! Can't wait to do it all again next week!

That's about all for now - stay warm and check back for more soon!

Happy March!

2009-03-01T14:47:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone! Boy, it seems like March really is coming in like a lion this year - by all accounts, NYC should be a snowy, slushy mess by this time tomorrow! Ah, well - at least it'll be pretty while it's coming down, right?

So, anyway, I've got some exciting news - it seems my blogging skills have actually gotten me a regular column on BroadwayWorld.com! My first column was posted yesterday - you can look at it by clicking here. I'm going to be posting a new column every Friday, so be sure to check it out! Rest assured, though, I will still be faithful to my blog! Since my Friday column will be similar to what I've been doing on this blog, I'm going to try to shake up the format a bit here and do shorter, more frequent blogs - so be on the lookout!

On that note, let me tell you a bit about the fabulous MAC New Face Showcase I hosted yesterday! MAC has been doing New Face Showcases for about a year and a half now, as a way of introducing newer members of the cabaret community, and I always enjoy attending them. The showcase that was held yesterday was part 1 of 2 in a special edition showcase which features all of the artists who appear in the debut categories on this year's preliminary MAC Award ballot (the second showcase will be held next Saturday, 3/7). The performers featured yesterday were Shannon Brown, Edd Clark, Cait Doyle, Kevin Dozier, Nicole Kafka and Stearns Matthews - and I have to say, I was really blown away by the talent level! Each performer sang two songs, and I really enjoyed getting a chance to hear all of them - and talk about variety! We had everything from country to comedy to heartbreaking ballads...and pretty much everything in between! I'm so looking forward to hosting next week's showcase, too - it's at 3:30 p.m. at the Reprise Room, so if you're looking for something to do, come on in and check it out! It's free for MAC members and only $10 for non-members - hope to see you there!

That's about it for now, but be sure to check back for another update soon!

Mid-February update!

2009-02-17T20:34:00.008-05:00

Hello all!

Wow, can you believe we're already past the halfway point in February? I don't know about you, but I can't WAIT for spring! Luckily, my past few weeks have been so busy, I've barely had time to notice the cold!

So...when I left off, I was headed for the Metropolitan Room to see Mary Foster Conklin. The title of her show was Moon and Sand: Songs of Salty Days and Sultry Nights - and boy, was it the perfect antidote to these freezing temps we've been having in the city! Mary's rich, smoky voice and the lush jazz arrangements (gorgeously delivered by the trio of musicians sharing the stage with Mary!) warmed me from the inside out and almost made me forget that it was a sub-zero night in early February! I was quickly brought back to reality, though, when I stepped outside to head over to the Time Out NY Lounge! Luckily, once I was inside at the TONY lounge, I was quickly revived by the fun music being played by d.j. Dan Fortune. Dan's Lush and Lively nights are always a blast- the selections he chooses are '60s and '60s-style lounge tunes and I just have the best time listening to the retro-hip arrangements and trying to guess the singers! After Lush and Lively, it was back to the Metropolitan Room for Metrojam. As always, I had a terrific time there, too! Host Joe Bachana had a lineup full of talented folks and kept things moving smoothly - and the band (John DiPinto on piano, Ritt Henn on bass and Bobby Sher on drums) was rockin' (or jazzin' in some cases)!

On Sunday, February 8th, I had the honor of hosting the Algonquin Salon, which takes place every Sunday from 7-10 p.m. in the lobby of the famed Algonquin Hotel. Founded by Mark Janas (who also serves as the accompanist for most of the evening), the Salon is a fantastic opportunity for singers, songwriters and musicians to gather and share their respective talents. This particular Sunday was PACKED - we ended up having around 35 people perform, and there were even more folks that we just couldn't fit in! I had a terrific time hosting, although next time I might opt NOT to wear the four-inch heels - 3 and a half hours of running around in them was a little much!

The following night found me at Birdland for Cast Party, which was hosted by the fabulously talented Klea Blackhurst that evening (since Jim Caruso was otherwise engaged with hosting duties at Broadway Backwards!). As usual, Birdland was packed to the gills with amazing talent. Ben Rauch did a great job with "Sensitive Song," Tom Leopold (who wrote for Cheers and Seinfeld, among other shows) treated us to a great original tune, Rob Langeder got everybody rowdy with "Just a Gigolo," and that's just the beginning! Klea herself treated us to her rendition of "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," which is one of my favorite songs of hers! All in all, a great night!

On Tuesday night, it was back to Birdland for Hilary Kole's performance celebrating the upcoming release of her debut CD, Haunted Heart. Hilary has long been one of my favorite singers in the city, and I always enjoy seeing her do a full-length show - and this may be the best I've ever seen her. She was at the absolute top of her game, bringing her gorgeous voice and perfectly executed jazz stylings to a stellar selection of songs. On top of it, she looked like a million bucks AND was surrounded by incredible musicians - including Tedd Firth on piano and special guest John Pizzarelli on guitar! What a great show! My particular favorite was her heartfelt rendition of her favorite Irving Berlin song, "What'll I Do?" Simply beautiful. Her run is over, but if this show comes back, I would highly encourage checking it out!

The next night, I had the pleasure of seeing Betty Buckley at Feinstein's in her show Broadway By Request. I'd heard Ms. Buckley sing a few songs here and there before, but had never gotten to see a full show of hers, so I was very excited to be able to catch this one! It ended up being a really fun night - audience members filled out request forms ahead of time, which Ms. Buckley and musical director Seth Rudetsky put into an order and performed! The songs were terrific, but almost as delightful were the stories which accompanied each of them! Ms. Buckley took her time introducing each number with the details about how she was introduced to them, which I found simply fascinating. A very enjoyable evening!

Last weekend was very busy for me - I had two performances of my new show, Be My Valentine, at John's Harvest Inn in Middletown, NY on Friday, February 13th and a special Valentine's Day encore of Takin' a Chance on Love on Saturday, February 14th at the Metropolitan Room! I'm pleased to report that all 3 performances went very well. A big thank you to everyone who came out to see the shows!!

After my performance at the Metropolitan Room on Valentine's Day, I stayed right there to see Amanda McBroom's show, which was absolutely fantastic! She is a consummate singer/actress, and I loved watching her experience the songs she was singing. And let's not forget her songwriting! I was an absolute wreck during "Errol Flynn!" What a touching song - and so beautifully delivered. And of course, she did her most well-known song, "The Rose," as a special Valentine's treat. She was accompanied by her friend and collaborator Michelle Brourman on piano - together they made quite the dynamic duo!

Sunday night, it was back to Birdland to catch Broadway Jukebox, the new brainchild of prolific producer Scott Siegel. In this new series, each Sunday evening performance features different Broadway stars singing songs requested by the audience. This week, the featured singers were Lisa Howard, Tony Yazbeck, and Jack Noseworthy. Each audience member was given a sheet of paper with five selections listed under each singer's name, and was asked to vote for three songs per singer. The songs receiving the most votes were the songs that ended up being performed. Each of the stars did very well, delivering performances that showed why they've risen to the top! Accompaniment was provided by musical director Tedd Firth, as well as veteran Broadway pianist Kathy Venable, who took turns at the piano. Scott Coulter deserves major kudos for his excellent work as director, and Scott Siegel should be very proud to have another successful series off to a terrific start! After Broadway Jukebox, it was up the street to the Algonquin Hotel for another talent-filled Algonquin Salon! Whew, what a night!

On Monday evening, it was yet another fabulous Cast Party, with Jim Caruso back at the helm, fabulous talent gracing the stage, and even Rex Reed in the audience!

Okay, folks, that's about all the news for now, but check back for another update soon!

TGIF!

2009-01-30T10:57:00.004-05:00

Hooray, it's Friday! Tonight, I'm off to hear Mary Foster Conklin at the Metropolitan Room, running over to the Time Out NY Lounge to hear some retro '60s lounge music courtesy of d.j. Dan Fortune, and then dashing back to the Metropolitan Room for Metrojam! Whew! Where's my coffee???

It's been a busy couple of weeks - I actually started writing this blog last Friday and didn't get a spare second to work on it until now, so let me try to get caught up here!

Let's see...on Thursday 1/22, I had an evening full of great entertainment. First, I headed to Don't Tell Mama for Grace Notes, which is the monthly "singers' soiree" produced and hosted by Grace Cosgrove. The lineup last Thursday was terrific - in addition to Grace, the performers included director Lennie Watts, who had the audience in stitches with his special rendition of "Old MacDonald's Socially Challenged Farm"; Rob Langeder, who treated us to a soulful "Change is Gonna Come" in honor of the inauguration, as well as a terrific original blues tune; and Scott Coulter, who brought the house down with "Promises, Promises," "Drop Me Off In Harlem," and a gorgeous "For Good (from Wicked)." It was a well-rounded show, with some really terrific performances. Afterwards, it was off to the Time Out NY Lounge to catch Julian Yeo and his retro-jazz band for their last set. It had been a while since I'd been able to see Julian, so it was great to be able to sit and listen to his cool, smooth song stylings and his fantastic band while sipping a glass of wine.

On Sunday, January 25th, I headed back to Don't Tell Mama to see Gretchen Reinhagen in her show How 'Bout Them Apples. I'd seen this show once before, and really enjoyed it, so I was happy to be able to catch it again. And I ended up enjoying it even more the second time! With direction by Barry Kleinbort and musical direction by David Gaines, Gretchen wound her way through an eclectic mix of songs, from standards to novelty tunes, bringing her own, unique take to each of them. Funny anecdotes and self-deprecating humor tied all of the musical numbers together and created a well-rounded show.

The following night, I headed to Town Hall for the Nightlife Awards, which was THE place to be in NYC that evening! The house was packed and the staged was graced by some truly amazing entertainers. At the Nightlife Awards, each of the award recipients actually performs instead of giving an acceptance speech, which always ends up being a great treat! This year's winners included Christine Ebersole & Billy Stritch, Marilyn Maye, Baby Jane Dexter, and a host of other fantastically talented performers. And in addition to the marvelous performances the award recipients turned in, a number of the award presenters, including Larry Gatlin, Keith Carradine and Christine Andreas also treated the audience by performing! After the awards, I scurried over to Cast Party, where the aforementioned Billy Stritch was at the piano, and I had an absolute blast there (as usual)! Jim Caruso, who had also presented an award earlier in the evening, was a charming and dapper host as always, and both Larry Gatlin and Marilyn Maye also found their way over from Town Hall and delighted the Birdland crowd with their songs. I finally managed to get a picture with the marvelous Ms. Maye (and the fabulous William Blake) - check it out!

On Thursday, January 29th, I finally made it to Big Night Out, which is the open mic hosted by Jennifer Wren and Bill Zeffiro. It had been on my list of things to do for a while, but I'd never been able to make it before. Every other open mic night is split into one hour of open mic and one hour of a tribute to a living, breathing songwriter. On the night I went, it was one of the "Featured Songwriter" nights, and the songwriter this night was my friend Hector Coris - hooray! I've always been a fan of Hector's witty lyrics and his wry takes on contemporary life, so it was a great treat to see his songs performed by a number of different performers including Jennifer Wren, Raissa Katona Bennett, and Sierra Rein. Hector also performed quite a bit himself, and had the audience nearly falling off their chairs, especially with his "My Moment." If you haven't heard this song, I won't spoil it by revealing what it's about, but it is hilarious!!

On Friday, January 23rd, I had the honor of joining the lineup of The Cocktail Show at Don't Tell Mama for the second week in a row. Produced by comedians Danny Leary and Becky Donohue, The Cocktail Show is a weekly comedy bash, which boasts a lineup of great comedians and a singer or two (which is where I come in!). I had a fantastic time doing it both weeks and enjoyed meeting the comedians as we were hanging out in the lounge during the show.

Monday, February 2nd found me back at Cast Party, of course - and it was another terrific night there! Hilary Kole, who is preparing for her upcoming run at Birdland, was her usual fabulous self, Christine Lavin treated us to a terrific new original song, William Blake tore it up with "At Last," and Rob Langeder did a great "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby" - and that's just the tip of the iceberg! The following night, I caught Laurie Krauz's Tapestry Rewoven at the Iridium. I'd seen this show a few months before, and as much as I enjoyed it then, I enjoyed it even more this time around. Laurie was in great voice, backed by a terrific band (helmed by m.d. Daryl Kojak on the piano), and is truly passionate about this music, which just makes it a joy to watch. Congrats on a great show, Laurie!

Wednesday was my night off for the week, which I spent luxuriating in a fabulous Manuka Honey Facial at Ohm Spa (boy, I wish I could do that every night)!

Last night, I did another double-header, this time it was Julian Yeo at the Time Out New York Lounge followed by Big Night Out at the Reprise Room. I had a blast at both and got to sing at both, which made me a very happy girl!

As I mentioned at the top, tonight is going to be another busy night, so I'm going to enjoy my afternoon coffee and get ready for the evening.

More soon!!

This and That...

2009-01-21T16:38:00.005-05:00

Hello All!

It's been a busy but fun couple of weeks since my last entry - well, for the most part, anyway! Throwing my neck out and being pretty much immobilized for a few days wasn't so hot, but I'm feeling much better and raring to go now!

So...let's see...on Friday, January 9th, I headed to Metrojam (the monthly open mic at the Metropolitan Room), and had a great time as usual! Joe Bachana did a fabulous job with his hosting duties (and his songs!) and the band (John DiPinto on piano, Ritt Henn on bass and Bobby Sher on drums) was fantastic. There were a lots of talented folks hopping on stage and sharing their songs, including Gabrielle Stravelli (who did an AWESOME blues), Rob Langeder (who swung his heart out on " 'S Wonderful") and Sue Matsuki (who treated us to "Country Man," which was made famous by the late, great Dakota Staton).

On Sunday, January 11th, I headed over the the Algonquin Salon, which is a really wonderful weekly soiree at the historic Algonquin Hotel. Founded by musical director/pianist Mark Janas, it's held every Sunday from 7-10 p.m. in the lobby of the Algonquin, and is frequented by many talented singers, songwriters, and musicians. It's an extremely warm, supportive environment and a terrific place to get to know other entertainers. AND, it's FREE! Well, there's no cover and no minimum - although if you choose to order food or beverages, you are responsible for paying for them! On the 11th, it was packed to the gills with gifted performers including Julie Reyburn, Ryan Kelly, Hector Coris, Rob Langeder, and Raissa Katona Bennett - what a great night!

The following evening, it was off to Cast Party at Birdland. What a show THAT was! With the fabulous Ann Hampton Callaway doing one of her improv numbers (a brand-new song, just made up on the spot with the help of David Budway on piano and Steve Doyle on bass) and vocal jazz legend Jon Hendricks doing a couple of numbers with his daughter, Aria, it was definitely a night to remember!

On Wednesday, January 14th, I had the pleasure of catching an encore performance of Shaynee Rainbolt singing the songs of Russell Garcia at the Iridium. Backed by her fantastic four-trombone band, Shaynee had sounded great singing and swinging through Mr. Garcia's beautifully written songbook and the full house seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves!

I took it easy for the rest of last week and tried to give my neck time to heal (I got the injury last Tuesday morning), but Monday evening I was back in action, attending a double header of David Colbert at the Metropolitan Room followed by (of course!) Cast Party at Birdland. I've gotten to know David over the past few years as a waiter/bartender/t.d. at some of my favorite clubs (he's currently serving in all three capacities at the Metropolitan Room!) and I've heard him sing a song or two here and there, but I'd never gotten to see him in a full show, so I was very excited to finally get the chance! And boy, was it a fun night! Directed by Kristine Zbornik, the show was at times zany, quirky, off-the-wall and poignant. Not to mention the fact that David's got a great, rich voice to work with that sounds great on all of the material, especially the classic rock songs in the lineup. The show is full of surprises, which I don't want to give away, just in case he brings it back! Suffice it to say it was a high-octane show filled with lots of twists and turns...oh, and I would be remiss if I did not mention the FANTASTIC band (unfortunately, I don't have their names, but they rocked!!) and the lovely and talented Karen Mack and Tanya Holt on backup vocals - great job all around! After David's show, I ran outside, grabbed a cab, sat down at Birdland and got called up to sing about 10 minutes after getting there - whew! But then I could just sit and relax and enjoy the rest of the talented folks who got up to sing!

Before I sign off, I just wanted to give a plug to two other great cabaret blogs. The first is written by the lovely and talented Raissa Katona Bennett, and can be found by clicking here. The second is written by D.C. performer and cabaretophile Michael Miyazki, and can be found by clicking here! And a big thanks to Scott Barbarino of Cabaret Exchange for putting up links to my blog and Raissa's blog! Guess I'd better be diligent about the updates! :)

Have a great rest of your week and I'll try to write again soon!

Happy New Year

2009-01-07T10:40:00.002-05:00

Hello All!
Hope 2009 is finding you all happy, rested, and raring to go!
As for me, I'm easing into the new year quite nicely. I'm working on three different shows right now, which is most likely going to curtail my showgoing for the next few months, but the good news is that I'll have more time at my computer, which should mean more frequent posts!
My first show of the New Year was Boeing Boeing, which I was lucky enough to catch before it closed on January 4th. I made it in just under the wire and saw it on January 1st! Oh, my goodness! I laughed till my cheeks hurt. It was pure silly, lighthearted fun, and Mark Rylance was absolutely brilliant! My only regret is not seeing it earlier, so that I could have written about it and encouraged you all to go see it!
On Monday night, I went to my first Cast Party of 2009, and it was a blast, as usual. Host Jim Caruso (who also just closed on Broadway in Liza's at the Palace!), was in high spirits and great voice, and there was some terrific talent gracing the stage at Birdland. My favorite part of the night (which is also one of my favorite Cast Party moments EVER), was when Paul Schaffer (yes, THAT Paul Schaffer!) graciously volunteered to accompany Giles Terera on "Birth of the Blues!" Giles was visiting from London and didn't have a chart, and David Budway, who was the Cast Party pianist that evening, wasn't sure he knew it well enough. Jim asked if any piano players in the audience knew it, and the next thing I knew, Paul Schaffer was headed up to the stage to lend a hand. How cool is THAT?! Seriously, you just never know who's going to show up or what kind of magic is going to take place onstage at Cast Party - which is why I'm there pretty much every Monday night!
Okay, folks, that's all I've got so far for 2009, but stay tuned for more updates soon!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T22:41:00.002-05:00

And for those of you who don't celebrate Christmas, I hope you're enjoying whatever holiday you're celebrating!
This past month has been full of holiday hustle-bustle for me, and I haven't had time to sit down and write about all of the fantastic shows I've seen, but rest assured that regular posts will be back post-New Year's!
In the meantime, stay warm & happy!

Happy Thanksgiving, lalala!

2008-11-25T17:34:00.008-05:00

Hello All!

Hope this finds you happy, healthy, and coming off of a terrific Thanksgiving!

I've been to a bunch of great shows since my last post and I know that the next few weeks are going to be chock-full of great performances to write about, so I figured I'd better take a few minutes to get caught up now, before I get hopelessly behind!

So...let's see...the last show I wrote about was the Metrojam on Friday, November 6th, which means that next up is Scot Wisniewski's show, which I saw on Saturday, November 7th at Don't Tell Mama. I've only gotten to know Scot over the past several months, and I'd never seen him perform, so I was quite eager to do so - and I'm so happy I did! Scot has a lovely, pleasing voice and a warm personality which immediately puts his audience at ease. Entitled It's Time, his show was full of songs that had been on his "list" to do for a while, but that he'd never put in a show before. Most of these songs ended up being old, beloved standards, which put the show right up my alley! The show was completely sold out, and everyone seemed to have a fantastic time - I know I sure did, and if the smiles on everyone else's faces were any indication, they definitely did, too! Jason Wynn's show was up next, later that same evening at the Laurie Beechman. Jason made his solo cabaret debut a few years ago with a fun, irreverent show called Not The Same Old @#$%, and he returned to the cabaret stage this year with a follow-up show aptly named Not More Of The Same Old @#$%. Seated at the piano for most of the show, Jason romped through a number of pop and rock songs, including a couple of originals, and kept the audience rockin' and boppin' in their seats for most of the evening. The arrangements were well-done, and most included his four fantastic back-up vocalists - Rob Langeder, Miles Phillips (who also directed the show!), Dara Seitzman, and Alisa Schiff.

The following afternoon, I returned to the Laurie Beechman to catch Jackie Draper's show, and I was so happy I did. Elegant, poised, and classy, Jackie put on a very enjoyable show that even included some ballroom dancing onstage! The room was filled to the gills and everyone had a terrific time.

On Thursday, November 13th (which, by the way, was the 19th anniversary of my first New Kids on the Block concert!), I headed to the Metropolitan Room to see my friend Maureen Taylor in her show, Taylor Made. I've gotten to know Maureen quite well over the past few years, and have heard her sing a number of times, but had never had the pleasure of seeing her in her own full-length show, so I was very excited to finally have the chance! Warm, engaging, funny, intelligent, and blessed with a terrific voice, Maureen really put on a great show. Accompanied by musical director Mark Fifer on piano and Maryann McSweeney on bass, Maureen's show told the tale of her enjoyment of life and loves and what she's learned along the way. Cole Porter's "Let's Not Talk About Love," which had been updated with witty, contemporary lyrics in the spirit of the song, was my personal favorite, although Ray Jessel's "I'm Outta Here" was a close second! Congrats to Maureen on a show well done!

On Monday, November 17th, it was off to Feinstein's to catch Miles Phillips make his debut in this classiest of classy rooms (I know, exciting, huh?!). Along with his musical director (the aforementioned Jason Wynn), Miles put on a terrific show and truly did himself proud. He had the honor of premiering a Kander and Ebb trunk song called "If You Leave Me Now," a beautiful ballad that suited his voice perfectly. Other favorite moments for me were Miles' "V&V" (that's Venom and Vitriol) medley and "Another Hundred Eleanors," which was an arrangement of "Eleanor Rigby" woven with "Another Hundred People," and also featured the lovely and talented Julie Reyburn as a guest performer. Overall, the show was a great success - kudos to Miles and Jason on such a major accomplishment!

The following night, I was able to catch the first set of Broadway Jazz on Broadway at the Iridium. Hosted by Raissa Katona Bennett, the show featured Broadway performers crossing over into the world of jazz for an evening, and doing "jazz" arrangements of Broadway songs. In addition to Raissa, the featured performers for the set I saw included Devin Richards, Ilene Kristen, and Julie Reiber. Backed by the Don Rebic trio, the performers did an excellent job of crossing boundaries and blending the two genres of music. Raissa, always, was a charming and gracious hostess, and kept things running beautifully!

I headed to Caroline's for my first time ever on Wednesday, November 19th to catch several of my favorite comedians who happened to be on the same bill! The show was Darlene Violette and Friends, and included in the lineup were Emmy Rivera, Sidney Myer, Jay D'Ercola and my good friend Danny Leary, among a host of other funny folks! I went with a friend of mine from work, and it was just the thing we needed after a long day at the office. We had some cocktails, ordered some zucchini chips, and laughed till our cheeks hurt!

The following night found me back at Don't Tell Mama for Sue Matsuki's birthday celebration, which was hosted, produced and organized by the fabulous Richard Skipper. My goodness, it was QUITE a lineup! I was thrilled to be asked to do a number, and to join the ranks of some of my good cabaret pals including Lennie Watts, Rob Langeder, Cynthia Crane, Scott Coulter, Miles Phillips, Gretchen Reinhagen, Terese Genecco, Shaynee Rainbolt, Maureen Taylor, and more (including, of course, our charming host and the birthday girl herself)! There were so many talented folks there, the show had to be split up into two acts! Whew, what a night!

On Tuesday, November 25th, I had a great time at Julie Reyburn's show at the Metropolitan Room. I always enjoy listening to Julie's beautiful voice, and I LOVED the song selection in this show! The material ranged from standards to musical theatre to pop/rock, and it was all very well done. She was backed by a rockin' band, comprised of Musical Director Mark Janas on piano, Ritt Henn on bass, Wally Usiatynski on drums, and her husband Thor Fields on guitar. After Julie's show, it was off to the Iridium for the fabulous Terese Genecco and her little big band. As usual, Terese & co. delivered a super-high-octane performance and blew the roof off the place with their faboo arrangements! Sadly, I could only stay for one set, but I'm sure Terese wowed 'em and zowed 'em with her second set!

Wednesday morning, November 26th, I headed upstate for a lovely Thanksgiving weekend with my family - and boy, was it hard tearing myself away from my sweet little nephew, Charlie, to come back to the city! However, I've got a ton to look forward to this week - most notably my All-Star Birthday Bash on Wednesday, December 3rd at the Metropolitan Room - so I forced myself on the train and got home in time to finish this blog!

As I mentioned at the beginning of this entry, I've got a lot of events on the agenda this month, so I can't make any promises...but I will do all I can to get another blog done soon!

California Invasion, Raissa Katona Bennett and more!

2008-11-07T17:33:00.007-05:00

Well, I've had quite a past coupla weeks! I went to 6 shows, and 5 out of the 6 performers were visiting from California - what a treat!

On Sunday, October 26th, it was Barry Lloyd at the Metropolitan Room. Now, I'd seen Barry several times before, playing for fellow Californian Terese Genecco (more about her later!), but I'd never gotten a chance to catch his solo act - and boy, am I happy I finally did! Sitting at the piano and lending his rich baritone voice to a great selection of material (including an especially poignant rendition of "The Folks Who Live on the Hill" and a laugh-out-loud-funny version of "Disgustingly Rich"), Barry presented an all-around class act and drew some inevitable comparisons to the late, great Bobby Short. I'm so glad I was finally able to see Barry in a solo show, and I look forward to catching him again the next time he's in town!

On Tuesday, October 28th, it was back to the Metropolitan Room to see Russ Lorenson in his new show, Standard Time. Russ, like me, has a passion for the Great American Songbook, and this show was dedicated to the belief that, contrary to the opinion of some, the Great American Songbook did NOT end in 1959! With few exceptions, all of the material Russ performed in his show was written within the last 20 years, and boy, did he prove his point! With material by Ray Jessel & Cynthia Thompson, Tony DeSare, Harry Connick, Jr., Bob Levy, Peter Cincotti, Michael Feinstein, Francesca Blumenthal, Rhonny White, and Kelly Park, Russ navigated his way through the newest chapters of the Great American Songbook with definitive success! Sharing his smooth, seamless voice, and backed by a fantastic band led by musical director Kelly Park on piano, Russ did a fantastic job of introducing this relatively unknown material to the audience - and I'm sure all of the singers in the crowd are chomping at the bit to get their hands on some of this great material! Russ, himself, even joined in the songwriting fun, sharing credit with Kelly Park for writing their encore, "It's Raining Memories."

The following night, it was off to Don't Tell Mama to see the inimitable Ray Jessel singing - what else?! - the songs of Ray Jessel! Every time Ray is town I make it a priority to get to his show at least once! His songs, most of which were written with his wife Cynthia Thompson, run the gamut from side-splittingly funny to heartbreakingly beautiful - not an easy accomplishment. In addition to his stellar material, Ray's performances are always top-notch. His comic timing is impeccable, and the simplicity with which he sings his more serious songs is quite touching. He's got two shows left - one is tonight (Wednesday, November 12th) at 9:15 p.m. and one is Wednesday, November 26th at 9:15 p.m. Both shows are at Don't Tell Mama - definitely worth checking out if you're able!

On Saturday, November 1st, it was a double-header of two of my favorite out-of-towners. First, at 9:30 p.m., it was Shawn Ryan at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. Shawn's shows are always a blast, and I was very happy to be able to catch him this time around. Known to much of the country for being on the first season of America's Got Talent (and making it to the semi-finals!), Shawn is one of the most entertaining entertainers I know! He always has great material - usually a combination of Great American Songbook songs, musical theatre/comedy songs, and songs by modern composers - and he is also fantastically quick on his feet and just a naturally funny person. Combine all of those elements with a terrific band (helmed by musical director Kelly Park at the piano), and it makes for a thoroughly enjoyable show. After Shawn's show, it was off to the Metropolitan Room for Terese Genecco and her little big band - or, as she is fondly referred to in cabaret circles, "Hurricane Terese!" Backed by a fantastic group of musicians (including a horn section, piano, bass, drums & bongos!), Terese lent her through-the-roof energy to a number of well-loved standards, including "Ain't That a Kick in the Head," "Come Rain or Come Shine," and "Kansas City," and had the capacity crowd whooping and hollering into the wee small hours of the morning! Terese and the band will be at the Iridium on Tuesday, November 25th, with sets at 8:30 and 10:30 p.m.

On Sunday, November 2nd, it was back to the Metropolitan Room for Broadway veteran, cabaret diva, and all-around-lovely-person Raissa Katona Bennett in her show, Putting Things Away. I had seen this show earlier in the year, and was so happy that Raissa brought it back! As I wrote before, Raissa has a beautiful soprano voice and is a terrific storyteller, which served her extremely well in this show. Featuring songs from such contemporary composers as David Friedman, Amanda McBroom, and David Caldwell (who also served as musical director!), Raissa not only showcased her lovely voice, but she also showed herself off as a talented actress, who has a great ability to make each audience member feel like a close friend and confidante. By the way, Raissa also has a great blog - be sure to check it out!

The following night, it was Cast Party time, which is always a highlight of any week for me! With Jim Caruso still on tour with Liza Minnelli, the guest host for the night was the fabulous Klea Blackhurst. Birdland was packed to the gills with talented performers, and Klea did an excellent job hosting and keeping things running smoothly (not to mention singing, which she did for us a few times - what a treat!).

On Friday, November 7th, it was time for another open mic - Metrojam at the Metropolitan Room! Host Joe Bachana assembled a terrific lineup of talent including Shaynee Rainbolt, Rob Langeder, Maureen Taylor, Sue Matsuki, Susan Winter, Miles Phillips, Deb Berman, and visiting San Franciscans Carly Ozard and Terese Genecco - what a blast!

This week has been pretty quiet so far - I'm a bit under the weather with a sinus infection - but I promise another post soon!

This and That

2008-10-23T12:01:00.005-05:00

Hello All!
Well, it's been about 2 and half weeks since my last post - a super-busy coupla weeks, too! I had two performances of my newest show, Takin' a Chance on Love, was a guest on the Joey Reynolds Show, appeared in On the Rocks with Danny Leary, guest-starred in Rob Langeder's new show, and even managed to squeeze in seeing a few shows, too! So, without further ado, let me tell you about my past few weeks!
I performed Takin' a Chance on Love at the Metropolitan Room on Tuesday, October 7th and Sunday, October 12th, and had an absolutely terrific time. The audience was fantastic both nights, and I really felt good about the performances. Lennie Watts directed this run of the show, and I was thrilled with the work we did together. The show was very well received, and a few people suggested that we bring it back for Valentine's Day - so we're going to do just that! Mark those calendars now - we'll be back at the Metropolitan Room on Saturday, February 14th at 5 p.m. - the perfect way to kick off a romantic evening!
In between the two performances of Takin' a Chance..., I did a late night guest spot on the Joey Reynolds Show, during which I got to shoot the breeze with Joey and sing "Dream a Little Dream of Me" to a national radio audience. The following night was On the Rocks again, and (as usual), it was a blast! Danny Leary was his usual fantastically funny and charming self, and the comedians were definitely at the top of their game! Irish comedian Fiona Walsh had me cracking up with her stories about attempting to walk through the tourists crowding the streets of Manhattan, and Jay Dercola found some common ground with the audience by making light of his economic woes.
I spent much of the following week getting ready for my guest appearance in Rob Langeder's new show, which had it's first performance on Sunday, October 19th at John's Harvest Inn in Middletown, NY. The show went very well, and Rob was in terrific voice! The audience loved it, and I had a great time watching the show and joining Rob for a few duets. Rob was accompanied by a rockin' band, too! My dad, Fortune Esposito, was the musical director/guitarist, and he was joined by David Crone on piano, Rob Broelmann on bass, Brian Broelmann on tenor sax, and Brian DeWitt on drums. Rob is hoping to bring this show to NYC in the spring, so be on the lookout for an announcement!
On Monday, October 20th, I was back at the Metropolitan Room to see Notes on New York: The musicalized observations of Tim DiPasqua. Presented by Third Eye Theatre Company and featuring a talented cast of five singers (including my aforementioned director, Lennie Watts!), this revue of Tim DiPasqua's material focuses (as you can probably guess from the title!) on his view of life in New York - the good, the bad, and the creepy! Mr. DiPasqua accompanied the cast on piano, and there were some very unique aspects of the production. The use of projections throughout the show was very clever and really helped to put the songs in context, without resorting to bulky scenery. What's really great about this show is that, even though all of these "observations" of NYC come from the viewpoint of one person, I'm fairly certain that each and every New Yorker can relate to at least one of the songs on a personal level - very cool!
Last night, I was back at the Metropolitan Room to see Kevin Dozier in his show, Love-Wise. As I mentioned when I wrote about Kevin in June, he's got a great, warm baritone, and it was a treat to hear it again! This show, like the show in June, was directed by Scott Barnes, with musical direction by Christopher Marlowe. This time around, in addition to Mr. Marlowe on piano Kevin brought some other fantastic musicians into the fold - John Redsecker on drums, Dick Sarpola on bass, Peter Sanders on cello, and Ken Dybisz on reeds and horns. My favorite song of the evening "People Will Say We're In Love," (which was done with a very cool uptempo swing arrangement).
Okay, folks, gotta wrap it up for now and go gussy myself up for tonight's On the Rocks!

Happy Weekend!

2008-10-03T13:31:00.007-05:00

Hello, all, and happy Friday! I'm taking advantage of having some downtime and attempting to write part 2 of the blog I posted the other night! Let's see...the last show I wrote about was the On the Rocks on 9/17, so Shaynee Rainbolt at the Highline Ballroom is next! On Tuesday, September 23rd, Shaynee celebrated the release of her newest CD, Charmed Life: Shaynee Rainbolt Sings Russell Garcia, and she was joined by legendary composer Russell Garcia himself, as well as a fantastic four-trombone band! Russell Garcia, for those who don't know (I didn't, before Shaynee started working on this project!), is a world renowned conductor/composer/arrganger, and worked for Universal Studios for over 20 years. During his time there, he wrote the scores for The Time Machine and Atlantis: The Lost Continent, among many others. He has also written arrangements for legendary performers such as Stan Kenton, Oscar Peterson, and Maynard Ferguson. What makes this CD extra-special, it is that it is the first ever all vocal album of Russell Garcia originals.
At the Highline, Shaynee and the band performed the entire album, which also includes I Remember, a beautiful ballad (and 2008 MAC-award-winning song) for which she wrote the lyrics and Russell wrote the music. Russ, a spry 92 years old, conducted the band and bantered easily with Shaynee, making what was already a wonderful evening that much more special. His wife, Gina, who penned the lyrics for many of his compositions, was also in attendance. Shaynee was in her element - she sounded terrific, and shone with the sheer joy of the lovely music she was creating onstage with Russ and the band!

On Wednesday, September 24th, I was pleased to take part in the first of the New Concerts at Tudor City Greens. The Greens are privately run, privately funded parks that are open to the public, and although the concerts are free, donations to keep the parks in their beautiful condition are gratefully accepted. Produced and hosted by Broadway veteran and cabaret diva Raissa Katona Bennett (who has actually just started her OWN blog - click here to check it out!), the concerts feature stellar lineups of Broadway and cabaret performers. The concert on the 24th featured Eric Michael Gillett, Darren Williams, comedian Richard Cramer, Catherine Overfelt, Maria Moncada, Hector Coris, Rosemary Loar, Raissa herself, and MOI! The fabulous David Caldwell (currently the Musical Director for Forbidden Broadway), was our musical director for the evening. The show ran without a hitch, and all of the peformers were outstanding. Attendance was terrific (about 25o people!) and there was a fun celebration afterwards at local restaurant CIBO. CIBO generously sponsored the evening, providing free cocktails for performers and press, and free appetizers for all! The next concert is a lunchtime concert - it will take place at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 22nd. Raissa's got another fantastic cast assembled, so if you're available to drop by, I'd highly recommend doing so!

On Thursday, September 25th, it was back to the Duplex for another round of On the Rocks with Danny Leary. It was a GREAT show - Poppi Kramer headlined, and the rest of the lineup was terrific, too. Featured performers included The Parodivas, contortionist Jared the Conjuror, and the hilarious Brooke Van Poppelen. I performed Thirteen Men, which seemed to go over well, so I was very pleased!

The following night, I headed to the Laurie Beechman to see Laurie Krauz in her show Tapestry Rewoven. The show is a sneak preview of the album Laurie's working on, which if you couldn't guess from the title, is a complete jazz re-working of Carole King's iconic album, Tapestry. So, much like Shaynee's show earlier in the week, this was a v.s.o. (very special occasion)! I'd heard wonderful things about this show after Laurie performed it earlier this year, so I was very eager to see it for myself - and I really had a great time! Surrounded by top-notch jazz musicians (helmed by Musical Director Daryl Kojak at the piano), Laurie breathed new life into each of these songs that so many people know so well. She brought her rich voice and her passion into the music and allowed the audience to hear Carole King's melodies and lyrics in a completely different way. The house was packed, and everyone had a terrific time - what a great way to kick off the weekend!

On Sunday, September 28th, I was part of a fabulous show at John's Harvest Inn in my hometown, Middletown, NY. Called All-Stars of Cabaret, the show featured 5 performers, all of whom can be seen in upcoming shows at John's. The show was put together by my dad, Fortune Esposito, who also served as Musical Director for the evening. In addition to my dad, the performers included Rob Langeder, Jeanne MacDonald, Kelly Esposito-Broelmann (my sis!), and ME! We had a great crowd, and the show just flew by! It's hard to single out favorite songs for the evening, but if I had to pick one for each performer, I would say that it would be my dad's powerful "Didn't We," Kelly's gorgeous "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," Rob's soft and poignant "The Nearness of You" and Jeanne's passionate "Cry Me a River." A great time was had by all - so great in fact, that we're already talking about putting together a Round 2 in the spring!

On Monday evening (September 29th), I made a mad dash after my voice lesson to get Cynthia Crane's new show, I'm Confused, Therefore I Am, at the Metropolitan Room. Cynthia always chooses great material to sing, and this show was chock full of wonderful songs. I have to say, my favorite moment of the night was her beautifully delivered "I Wonder What Became of Me." This Arlen/Mercer song is gorgeous in its simplicity and while Cynthia clearly connected with the material, she wisely did not try to do too much with it, and it stood out to me as one of the highlights of the show. Cynthia also showed off her zany sense of humor with "The Hopi Way," and gave us a taste of her naughty side with "Let's Do It." If you haven't seen the show, you still have a few chances to catch it - Sunday, October 5th at 4 p.m. and Thursday, October 9th at 7:30 p.m.

After Cynthia's show, it was off to Birdland for another wonderful Cast Party! Forbidden Broadway star Christina Bianco wowed the audience with her Kristen Chenoweth impression, a cappella quartet Our Town brought the house down, and cabaret diva KT Sullivan treated the audience to a sneak peek of her brand new Jerome Kern show, which is currently playing at the Algonquin. As usual, Jim Caruso did a fabulous job of hosting and keeping things moving...AND he announced that the show he's been performing all over the world with Liza Minnelli is headed for Broadway! Way to go, Jim!!

Last night, it was another terrific On the Rocks with Danny Leary. Headliner Susan Prekel was a hoot, and I LOVED quirky ventriloquist Carla Rhodes, who brought along dummy pal Keith Richards!

Tonight, it's another Metropolitan Room night - it's the first Friday of the month, which means it's time for Metrojam! Host Joe Bachana has assembled some terrific talent, so I'll give you the writeup next week.

That's about it for now - have a great weekend!

Finally!

2008-09-30T15:51:00.006-05:00

Hello all! Sorry for the delay - I've been out and about most nights, and with a day job at a hedge fund (and in the current financial climate, things have been ever-so-slightly hectic there!), I've been hard-pressed to find the time to write! I've got a lot of ground to make up, so without further ado, let me share what I've been up to for the past several weeks!

On Sunday, September 7th, I had the pleasure of catching Deb Berman's show at the Metropolitan Room. I'd heard Deb sing a number of times at open mics around town and was really happy to be able to see a full-length show of hers. Backed by a fantastic band led by musical director Barry Levitt, Deb wound her way through a great selection of tunes (among my favorites were "Four," "One Note Samba," and "I've Got A Lot of Livin' To Do"), lending her warm, smooth voice and jazzy sensibilities to each number. A most enjoyable show!

On Tuesday, September 9th, it was off to Don't Tell Mama to see Marty Geiger in his show, Summer Baby. I've known Marty for a few years, mostly from seeing him all over town at other people's shows, so it was nice to be able to see him up onstage, doing his own show! Directed by Lina Koutrakos, Summer Baby was very well constructed with Marty relating anecdotes (some silly, some touching) about growing up as a "summer baby" and using them help navigate the song selection. Favorite selections of mine (and, judging by their reactions, the audience in general!) were "Summer Nights" from Grease (sung with musical director Paul Greenwood performing the female part!), "Too Darn Hot" from Kiss Me Kate, and that good ol' summertime classic, "Sealed With a Kiss." Marty's easygoing personality and sheer love of being onstage shone through in his work and truly endeared him to the sold out room!

On Thursday, September 11th, it was opening night of On The Rocks with Danny Leary at the Duplex - what a blast! I wrote about On The Rocks a few times back in the spring, because it is SUCH a fun night out...and the season premiere did not disappoint! Having been on hiatus for the summer, Danny put together a fantastic opening night lineup, including comedians Shawn Hollenbach, Leah Dubie, H. Alan Scott, Wendy Ho, and musical guest - yours truly! As a matter of fact, I'm now a regular fixture in the show; I perform one song a week as the "resident retro-pop chanteuse!" Danny was in rare form, himself, and did a super job of hosting the evening and mixing in some of his own great stand-up material.

On Saturday, September 13th, I was back at the Metropolitan Room, this time to see Dane Vannatter in Alone Together: A Tony Bennett Album. I'd heard wonderful things about Dane from a number of respected sources, so I was happy to finally be able to catch a show of his! Blessed with a truly beautiful voice, Dane wound his way through the songs of the Bennett album, explaining along the way that it was this particular album, which he'd found in his father's record collection at an early age, that made him want to be a singer. I can't say that I blame him - the songs are terrific! In addition to "Alone Together," other songs included "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows," "After You've Gone," and "That's All." I had a great time and look forward to seeing more of Dane the next time he's in town!

I returned to the Metropolitan Room on Sunday, September 14th to see Miles Phillips and Karen Oberlin in their show, The Pleasure of Your Company. As a fan of both of their work as individual artists, it was truly a treat to see them performing together. They each performed several solos, and joined forces on a couple of great duets - including a very touching "Something Good" from The Sound of Music. Musical director Tracy Stark also joined in the vocal fun on a few numbers, including "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair" from South Pacific and Coffee, which was written by Tracy herself! The free and easy banter between Miles and Karen added to the fun of the show and made the audience feel as if they were just hanging out with two friends - who happened to be lending their very lovely voices to a terrific lineup of songs! Miles and Karen will be back at the Metropolitan Room with The Pleasure of Your Company on Sunday, September 12th at 4 p.m. - which means that you can go see them, grab a bite to eat, and then come back and see me in Takin' a Chance on Love at 7 p.m.!

On Wednesday, September 17th, I went back to the Metropolitan Room to see Joe Bachana's solo show for a second time (I wasn't kidding when I said I said I enjoyed it a few posts ago!) and then on Thursday, September 18th, it was back to the Duplex for another On The Rocks with Danny Leary. This time, we were joined by Scott Barbarino and the Bevnaps (mentioned in an earlier post by me!) and comedians Susan Alexander, Dave Rubin, and Rachel Feinstein. Again, it was a ton o' fun!

Now, speaking of On The Rocks with Danny Leary, I've got another performance in that tomorrow, so I'd better be getting to bed to rest the ol' vocal cords! I've still got a bunch of shows to write about (Shaynee Rainbolt at the Highline Ballroom, the concert at Tudor City Greens, Laurie Krauz at the Laurie Beechman, and Cynthia Crane at the Metropolitan Room among them), so check back for another post soon!!

Busy, busy, busy!!!

2008-09-22T16:03:00.003-05:00

Hello all!

Sorry it's been so long between posts - I actually have quite a bit to write about, but I've been so busy seeing shows and rehearsing for my own that I haven't had a spare second to sit down and write! I am going to try to get a more detailed blog up tomorrow, which will include items on Deb Berman, Marty Geiger, Miles Phillips & Karen Oberlin, On The Rocks with Danny Leary, Joe Bachana, and Vocal Ease (whew)!

In the meantime, though, I must mention a terrific show coming up tomorrow, September 24th. I'll be joining a fantastic lineup of Broadway and cabaret performers in a FREE concert at Tudor City Greens. Veteran Broadway diva Raissa Katona Bennett is producing, hosting, and performing, and she's assembled a stellar cast of performers including Hector Coris, Richard Cramer, Eric Michael Gillett, Rosemary Loar, Darren Williams, Maria Moncada, and Catherine Overfelt. The musical director for the evening is David Caldwell (who is also the m.d. for Forbidden Broadway)! I'm honored to be a part of the evening and am so looking forward to hearing everybody else! The concert begins at 6:00 p.m. and should run about an hour and fifteen minutes. It is in the North Park (enter on Tudor City Place between 42nd and 43rd Streets). As I said, it is FREE, and there will be a meet-and-greet after the show, which is sponsored by Cibo - they'll be serving appetizers and there will also be a cash bar. Hope to see your there!

Happy September!

2008-09-02T16:48:00.006-05:00

As I wrote in my last post, where did the summer go?! I can't believe it's already September! For those of you that know me well, you will know that this means that it's nearly time for the first pumpkin cookies of the season - woohoo! And speaking of sweet things, I have a brief update on the Pocket Coffee situation. After trying out a few leads and coming up frustrated (the sites from which I tried to order were all out of stock), I stumbled upon a blog that said Pocket Coffee is generally unavailable during the summer because the quality deteriorates in the heat (much like Mallomars, I suppose). However, the good news is that Pocket Coffee should be available by the end of the month - do I hear another woohoo?!!

Anyway, now that I've gotten my "sweet talk" out of the way, let me talk about the terrific entertainment I've seen since my last post!

Monday, August 25th was full of top-notch entertainment. First, it was Andrea McArdle at the Metropolitan Room with her show "You Don't Know Me." I'd seen Andrea at Feinstein's in February and was very happy to have the opportunity to see her again. Best known for originating the role of Annie on Broadway, she boasts an extensive resume of other theatre roles as well, including Fantine in Les Miserable, Sally Bowles in Cabaret and Belle in Beauty and the Beast. As in February, she put on a top-notch show, weaving autobiographical anecdotes among well-known show tunes ("Everybody Says Don't," "Some People," and "If He Walked Into My Life" among them) and pop songs (such as the Carpenters' "Superstar"), all the while exuding a true joy in being on stage and sharing her passion for her material. A guest appearance by her brother Michael, who treated us to a powerful "Celebrate Me Home" was a fun, unexpected treat! After the show, it was off to Birdland for another fantastic Cast Party! The room was abuzz when I got there, and it didn't take too long to figure out why: word had it that Liza Minnelli would once again be gracing us with her presence! It's not too often that I get to be in the presence of entertainment royalty, and twice in one summer seemed like it was too good to be true. However, Ms. Minnelli DID show up and treated us to two songs - first, it was "You've Let Yourself Go," and then it was a lovely duet with Billy Stritch on "I Can't Give You Anything But Love." In addition to Liza, LaLa Brooks (of the '60s girl group The Crystals) came and treated us to a rockin' "Da Doo Ron Ron," and founding Manhattan Transfer member Laurel Masse was there and treated us to her gorgeous jazz stylings! As always, there were a ton of talented regulars, too and Jim Caruso did a fabulous job of hosting and keeping the parade of talent running smoothly!

On Thursday, August 28th, it was back to the Metropolitan Room for Scott Barbarino and the Bevnaps for their du-wop/vocal comedy show. They covered some great tunes including "Twilight Time," "Everybody Loves Somebody," "Sea Cruise," and "Ain't That A Kick In the Head" and had the audience bopping, swaying, giggling, and singing along - very fun!

Monday, September 1st, it was another terrific Cast Party. Even though it was a holiday, the room was packed and the talent was fantastic! David Goldman, the Nunziata brothers (Will and Anthony), Christine Lavin, Rob Langeder, Sammy Goldstein, yours truly, and many other fabulous performers took the stage, and not only did Jim Caruso do his usual terrific job of hosting, but he even dressed in red, white & blue for the Labor Day festivities!

On Wednesday, September 3rd, I was back at the Metropolitan Room to see Joe Bachana's solo show. Having only seen Joe perform as the host of Metrojam and at the open mic at the Friars Club, I was really happy to be able to see him in his own full-length show. The show was mostly original tunes that Joe wrote over a time period spanning the late '70s through the present and I must say, I was very impressed with his songwriting! He also threw in a couple of great covers, including Billy Joel's "Big Shot," Joe Jackson's "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" and "Vanity," which was written by Bernie Bierman (a fantastic songwriter who just celebrated his 100th birthday!). Joe has two more shows booked: Wednesday, September 10th and Wednesday, September 17th, both at 7:30 p.m. I'm going to try to make it back to catch another performance - if you're able to make it, maybe I'll see you there!

On Friday, September 5th, it was back to the Metropolitan Room AGAIN, this time for the aforementioned Metrojam, which is the monthly open mic at the Metro Room. As I mentioned, it's hosted by Joe Bachana, and the talented band is comprised of John DiPinto on piano, Bobby Sher on drums, and Ritt Henn on bass. Friday night was loaded with great performers, including Sue Matsuki, who opened the show with "Speaking of Happiness," Rob Langeder, who wowed everyone with his fast-swinging "Blue Skies," Deb Berman, who delighted with a thoughful "Where Is Love," yours truly (I had a lot of fun singing "The Coffee Song"), and Lorinda Lisitza, who brought the house down with her "How Blue Can You Get!"

Today, I'm headed back to the Metropolitan Room (I know, I should really just set up a cot!) to catch Deb Berman's solo show - should be fun! And Thursday night (September 11th), it's the season premiere of On The Rocks with Danny Leary at the Duplex! Danny has asked me to be a recurring guest in the series, so beginning Thursday, I'll be there every week, doing a swinging '60s tune. If you haven't checked out On The Rocks before, I highly encourage you to do so! Danny is an adorable and hilarious host, and always puts together a fantastic lineup of comedians and musicians.

That's about it for now - gotta take my pumpkin cookies out of the oven and get ready to head out to the Metropolitan Room! Check back for more soon!

Odds and Ends

2008-08-25T09:51:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday, everyone! Can you believe next weekend is Labor Day weekend? WHERE did the summer go?!
It's actually been a fairly slow coupla weeks, so I don't have a ton to report on right now...
On Thursday, August 14th, I was pleased to be part of a show at the de Seversky Center in Long Island. Hosted by my friend Kate Beckman, the show featured Sue Matsuki, Gretchen Reinhagen, Irenka Jekubiak, and yours truly. Despite the monsoon-like weather, we actually had a nice, very appreciative crowd, so that was a lot of fun!
Last Monday's Cast Party was jam-packed with talented folks, including cellist Trevor Exter, bassist/composer Jay Leonhart, the fabulous Christine Lavin, and Broadway veterans Luba Mason and Jana Robbins. I'm definitely looking forward to another great Cast Party tonight!
I hit the Time Out New York Lounge to catch Julian Yeo and his swinging band on Tuesday evening, and had a great time as usual! The rest of the week was spent kind of laying low, as I had a few big auditions and I needed my beauty and vocal rest!
This weekend was a big family weekend for me, as it was my nephew Charlie's first birthday! His actual birthday was yesterday (August 24th), but we had the big party with friends and family on Saturday. It was soooooo much fun, and Charlie was a very happy birthday boy! Of course, he received plenty of musical gifts (a guitar, drums, a xylophone, and a "baby grand" piano) in addition to lots of other fun toys and cute outfits! As soon as I get my pictures loaded onto my computer, I'll post a few!
That just about brings us up to date - check back for more soon!

Happy Wednesday!

2008-08-13T15:59:00.003-05:00

Hellooooooooo everyone!
Before I begin my recap of the past week, I do need to put out a plea - if anyone knows where I can purchase some Pocket Coffee, please let me know! Pocket Coffee is my favorite candy in the world, and I've grown accustomed to having 1 piece each afternoon to help me through the end of the work day. I just had my last piece, and the store where I usually purchase it is out!
Okay, now that I've gotten that out of the way, let me get down to writing about the past week's shows!

On Thursday, August 7th, I went to Gotham Comedy Club to check out Homocomicus, which featured an all star lineup of comedians, including Nancy Witter, Jessica Kirson and Jim David, and was hosted by my friend Danny Leary. What a fun night! Everyone was superb, and Danny did a fantastic job of emceeing and keeping things moving!

On Saturday evening, I was pleased to be part of a performance at Don't Tell Mama. A few weeks ago, I wrote about my experience with Summer in the City, the cabaret workshop helmed by Lennie Watts and Lina Koutrakos. During the workshop, each of us had worked out an arrangement of a Beatles song, and on Saturday night, we put them all on their feet in front of a sold-out house! The show was called We Can Work It Out: The Music of the Beatles, and we had an absolute blast doing it! The audience was great, and everyone turned in excellent performances.

On Monday, it was off to Birdland for Cast Party, as usual. With Jim Caruso back at the helm for the second week in a row (he'd missed several weeks due to his tour with Liza Minnelli!), it was a terrifically fun night - can't wait to do it again next week!

Last night, I went to see the talented Gabrielle Stravelli in her show at the Laurie Beechman. With a supremely eclectic selection of material, ranging from Bob Marley to Hoagy Carmichael to Steely Dan, Gabrielle brought her unique vocal stylings to each of her selections and had the audience whooping and hollering throughout the evening. My favorite song of the evening was actually written by her bassist, J.B. Flatt. Titled "Please Don't Tempt Me," it's a blues that really let Gabrielle sink her teeth in and show some grit, in addition to her excellent voice!
That's about it for now - gotta head out to a book club meeting!
More to come soon!

Back from Vacation!

2008-08-05T10:47:00.003-05:00

Okay, so it wasn't a *real* vacation...I didn't go anywhere fascinating or exotic, but I did take a week off from the day job and escape NYC, so it was lovely! I even managed to squeeze in some performing - what more could a girl ask for?

Anyway, though, let me get caught up here! I actually only saw a few shows between my last blog entry and today, so this should be fairly quick!

Let's see...on Tuesday, July 22nd, I headed back to the Time Out New York Lounge to catch Julian Yeo and his band again. Turns out that he's going to be there every other week, which is a great thing to know! As I wrote a few weeks ago, Julian and the band always provide an entertaining evening, and the TONY Lounge is a terrific setting for them! Check them out tonight or on August 19th - they'll be there from 6-8 p.m.

The following evening, I had a gig at The River Room of Harlem, which was a lot of fun. We had a nice crowd, and I was backed by a fabulous band (Fortune Esposito on guitar, David Crone on keyboard, Matt Wigton on bass, and Brian DeWitt on drums), and we were even treated to a spectacular light show, as thunderstorms moved in over the river towards the end of the evening!

On Thursday, July 24th, I headed to the Metropolitan Room to see Lina Koutrakos her show of torch songs, aptly called "Torch." I've seen Lina perform a number of times, mostly doing rock, so it was a treat to see her doing this style of music. One of the things I always admire about her in her rock singing is her gutsy, soulful, passionate commitment to the music and the lyrics, and she brought those same dynamic qualities to this show, making it a truly captivating experience!

The next week was my vacation week, so aside from singing with the Fortune Four (my dad's rockin' band!) at the Lava Lounge at the Monticello Raceway and Casino, it was a fairly slow week for me, entertainment-wise! The Lava Lounge show was a blast - we did a 60's show, including music from the Beatles, the Stones, Leslie Gore, the Monkees...and even some Hendrix! It was really a fantastic way to spend a summer evening!

That just about brings us up to date - check back for more updates soon!

Oh - and check out the pics below - on my week off, I got to take my nephew Charlie to his very first Yankee game!! His mom and dad also came, as well as my dad. We had a great time, and I'm pretty certain that Charlie is just about the cutest fan ever!

Off-Topic, but I need to vent!

2008-07-21T12:54:00.003-05:00

Okay, two quick vents I need to get off my chest, then I can go back to my happy world of reporting on lovely shows and events!

First of all, I was EXTREMELY disappointed that, at the end of a meal at Serafina at 55th and Broadway last week, my dining companion noticed a mouse running around! Anyone who knows me knows I have serious rodentaphobia (or whatever the technical term is), so needless to say, I was really freaked out! However, when we alerted the staff, we were told that there was nothing they could do. Ummm, excuse me? Really??? Well, maybe they wouldn't do anything about it, but I refused to let it slide. The next day, I placed a complaint with the NY Department of Health, and now I'm telling all of YOU about it! So - avoid the Serafina at 55th and Broadway if you can - and spread the word!!!

Second vent - I REALLY wish women who are determined to wear heels on the subway would learn how to keep their balance! I was crammed in on the N train today on my morning commute to work, and all of a sudden, there was a shockingly sharp pain in my foot. I looked down and there was a huge hunk of skin flapping and a big black-and-blue bruise. I heard a small, "Oh, sorry!" from the woman behind me, but I couldn't even talk because it hurt too much and I didn't really want to cry in public. What's even more annoying is that she was actually holding on to a pole, and she still managed to topple backwards and dig her heel into my foot! Seriously, ladies - either wear shoes you can balance in or take a cab!

Okay, that's all I've got to say for now - check back later this week for a report on tonight's Cast Party and my Wednesday evening gig at The River Room!

Julian Yeo, Summer In The City, and the Algonquin Salon

2008-07-18T09:51:00.003-05:00

Hey All!
I actually don't have a ton to write, because a good portion of my time since my last blog was taken up by the Summer In The City workshop I attended last week. Run by Lennie Watts and Lina Koutrakos, SintheC is a terrific workshop for cabaret performers, and I was thrilled to be able to take some days out of my busy schedule to just work on honing my craft! More about that in a bit, though, as I like to keep the blog chronological...
...So, first, let me write a bit about Julian Yeo at the Time Out New York Lounge. I've written about Julian a number of times before, and there is a reason I keep going back to see his shows - they're very entertaining and I always have a great time! Julian and his band have a distinctive sound, which he aptly lables "Retro-Jazz." And truly, if you close your eyes for a minute or two, it's easy to imagine you're back in the 1940's, sipping cocktails in a fashionable nightclub. It was especially fun seeing Julian in this venue, since the decor is somewhat retro, itself (although I'd say '60's, as opposed to '40's...the point is, though, that both the lounge itself and the music transport you out of the modern day hustle-bustle of NYC). Julian and his fellas are back at the Time Out New York Lounge on Tuesday, July 22nd from 6-8 p.m. and I'm definitely going back for another round - if you can swing by, I can assure you that it's a great way to kick off your evening! In case you're wondering, the Time Out New York Lounge is actually underground at New World Stages on West 50th between 8th and 9th - enter the theatre, head down the stairs to your left, and you won't be able to miss it!

The Summer In The City program started the following night, and I really had a fantastic time! Each of the participants had been mailed a song to learn a few weeks prior to the start of the workshop, and we spent the first night working with a musical director (either Rick Jensen or Steven Ray Watkins) on personalized arrangements of each of those songs. For this portion of the workshop, we were divided into groups and were either working with Lina as director and Rick Jensen as musical director, or working with Lennie as director and Steven Ray Watkins as musical director. I was in Lina and Rick's group and had a blast not only working on my song, but watching the other performers work on their songs and work with Lina and Rick to come up with some really amazing arrangements.

I actually had to miss the second night of the workshop due to a performance in Long Island (which went very well - I'll be back there on August 14th, too!), but I rejoined the workshop bright and early on Friday morning. We spent the day Friday performing our "new arrangements" for the rest of the participants, and worked on fine-tuning our performances of them, and then on Friday night we had a workshop on writing "patter." Oh, yes, the dreaded patter!! That was actually much more fun than I thought it would be, and I really learned a lot just from listening to how other people constructed their patter, and the ways in which they used their patter to lead into their songs.

On Saturday, we had an early start again, and were once more divided into two groups. I spent the first part of the morning with Lennie, Steven Ray Watkins, and our fantastic guest teacher, Baby Jane Dexter. Again, my own coaching was great, but I really learned the most from watching other people perform, and listening to what Lennie and Baby Jane had to say to them. After everyone had gotten a chance to work, we switched "teachers" and my group went to work with Lina and our other fantastic guest teacher for the day, Jay Rogers! This session was really productive for me, as I worked on a song that I'd learned only recently and NEVER performed before. By the end of the session, I felt like I'd opened up a new approach to the song, and I really can't wait to do some more work on it! Saturday afternoon was spent in a "marketing/business" seminar with the fabulously talented Karen Mack (better known to some as one half of the Gashole team!) and I was very pleased to be able to pick up some tips from her!

Saturday night, we took a "class trip" to the Metropolitan Room to see Eric Michael Gillett in his new show, "Best of My Love." Backed by Don Rebic (musical director) on piano and Steve Doyle on bass, Eric journeyed through a variety of styles, from pop to rock to Broadway, and sounded great doing so! My favorite part, though, was his "patter." Yes, we all make fun of patter, but when done well, it can make you feel like you're the performer's best friend, give you a clue to the personality behind the songs, and Eric Michael Gillett really nailed it. This was especially fun to watch after our patter workshop the night before!

The workshop wound down on Sunday, but it went out with a bang! Our guest teachers for the morning session were Kristine Zbornik and Faith Prince, who happen to be starring together in A Catered Affair on Broadway. Now, having been OBSESSED with the Guys and Dolls revival in the early '90's and having idolized Faith Prince throughout high school and college, this was like a dream come true for me! I was soooooooooooooooooooooo excited to be able to coach my song with these two ladies, but just the slightest bit terrified! However, the nerves went away quickly, and I got so much out of it!! Now, what was formerly a funny song has been transformed into a hilarious song, thanks to some great coaching from the generous divas! The guest teacher for the afternoon session was singer/songwriter Steven Lutvak, and since I'd already performed in the morning session, I didn't get to work with him directly, but he did a FANTASTIC job of coaching the performers who did get to work with him, and I had a wonderful time watching him work!

Wow, I didn't plan to write so much about Summer in the City, but it was really such a terrific experience that I found it hard NOT to write that much once I got started! A huge thank you to Lennie and Lina for their hard work and dedication. They really put together a wonderful program, and I'm so happy to have been able to participate!

Monday night, July 14th, it was time for another excellent Cast Party! Jim was in rare form, and Billy Stritch was at the keys, which made for a madcap, fun night! Seated at the table next to me were Michael Feinstein and Barry Humphries (better known as Dame Edna), which was very cool, and gracing the stage that evening were some truly fantastic performers including Broadway diva Carol Woods (currently starring in Chicago), Lumiri Tubo, and favorite regulars like Christine Lavin and Ray Jessel.

Last night, I headed to the Algonquin for Mark Janas' Algonquin Salon. I'd been encouraged by a number of people to check this out, and I'm so happy I did! Like Cast Party, there were some terrific singers taking turns performing, but unlike Cast Party, it was in a small room (actually the famed Oak Room!), with no microphone, and it really felt like we were hanging out in somebody's living room, just enjoying each other's company and sharing music. The level of talent in that room was remarkable, and I was happy to see some familiar faces, such as Dani Rhodes, Nick Levin, Julie Reyburn, and Jen Wren, to name a few. I was only planning on staying for a few hours, but I ended up having such a great time that I ended up staying for four! The salon is happening again next Thursday, from 5-10 p.m., and I'm hoping to be able to drop by for a little bit - if you're in town, it's definitely worth checking out!

So...that just about brings us up to date. Apologies for the loquaciousness, but I really wanted to share my Summer In The City experience!

I've got a bunch of gigs coming up - check out my website or my myspace page for details - I'd love to see you at one or more of the shows!

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-03T11:35:00.003-05:00

Okay, I know it's a little late, but I actually began writing this on July 3rd! ;)
Hope you all had enjoyable holiday weekends - I know I did (I spent the majority of it playing with my baby nephew, Charlie- it really doesn't get much better than that)!

I can't believe it's been so long since my last post - the past couple of weeks have simply flown by!

So, without further ado, let's get up to speed!

On Wednesday, June 18th, I saw a great double-header at Don't Tell Mama. First up, at 7 p.m., it was the talented Gretchen Reinhagen in her new show, How 'Bout Them Apples? Directed by Barry Kleinbort, with musical direction by David Gaines, Gretchen's show was a delightful romp through the annoyances and joys of everyday life as a New Yorker. With a wide selection of quirky songs, as well as a good mix of moving ballads, it was a thoroughly enjoyable show. Next up at 9 p.m., it was the incomparable Ray Jessel. I've written about Ray a number of times before, and he continues to entertain and delight each time I see him! Absolutely fantastic. He's got one more show left in NYC, and I strongly encourage you to catch it if you can! It's on Wednesday, July 9th at 9 p.m. at Don't Tell Mama.

On that Saturday evening (June 14th), I went to the Metropolitan Room to catch Jeanne MacDonald's tribute to Peggy Lee. Backed by a great band (headed by musical director Rick Jensen), Jeanne wove her way through much of the fantastic Peggy Lee songbook, including perennial favorites "Fever," "Teach Me Tonight," "He's A Tramp," and "It's A Good Day." The room was packed, and the audience delighted in hearing so many wonderful songs sung in Jeanne's smooth, easygoing style.

The following night, it was off to the Duplex to catch the Opening Doors Theatre Company's production of The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public, the ill-fated 1975 musical sequel to The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas. This show was part of Opening Doors' "Closing Notice" series, in which they breathe new life into Broadway flops. I love the concept of the series, because while there are good reasons that some shows have failed on Broadway, they often contain some great music, which deserves to be heard again! As with Whoop-Up!, which was the previous Opening Doors show I'd seen, the cast of BLWGP was excellent and did a wonderful job with the material. Director Hector Coris and musical director Michael Lavine both deserve kudos for their hard work, which resulted in a well put-together, very entertaining evening.

On Wednesday, June 25th, it was back to the Duplex for the MAC New Face Showcase. Hosted by the talented Rob Langeder (who treated us to a great, high-octane "Blue Skies" to open the show), the showcase featured talented cabaret "up-and-comers" Kevin Dozier, Susan Winter (2008 MAC nominee for female debut), Marvin Parks, Mel & El, and Joyce Moody. Each of the acts treated us to two or three numbers, and it was a great introduction to them. Prior to the showcase, I'd only seen Kevin and Susan in full-length shows, so the showcase was a great way to get to know more about some of the newest performers in the NYC cabaret community. Joe Regan (piano) and Ritt Henn (bass) did a fantastic job as the "house band" and Rob did a great job of keeping things running smoothly. Thank you to MAC (and especially Hector Coris, who has spearheaded the "New Face Showcases") for providing such an entertaining evening!

The following night, I went to Feinstein's to catch Liz Callaway in her 60's-themed show, The Beat Goes On. With superb musical direction by Alex Rybeck and fantastic accompaniment by Mr. Rybeck on piano, Jered Egan on bass and Ron Tierno on drums, Liz sailed through some of her favorite songs from the 60's. Blessed with a beautiful, crystal-clear voice, she breathed new life into songs we all know and love, including "The Beat Goes On," "Up, Up and Away," Beatles hits "Eleanor Rigby" and "When I'm Sixty-Four," and an incredibly relevant and moving, "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" Perhaps most enjoyable (besides the lovely singing) was the fact that while the arrangements were fresh and exciting, they did not stray too far from the original feel of the songs - hooray! Too bad the limited run of this show is over; I would have loved to have gone back and seen it a second time!

Last Sunday (June 29th), I headed back to the Metropolitan Room to catch Karen Oberlin in her beautiful tribute to E.Y. "Yip" Harburg. Probably best known for writing the lyrics for The Wizard of Oz, Yip Harburg had a long and illustrious career and wrote with a number of incredible composers including Harold Arlen, Vernon Duke, Jule Styne, and Burton Lane. Karen lent her lovely voice to many of Harburg's well-known songs including "Brother Can You Spare A Dime," "Happiness Is Just A Thing Called Joe," and "Last Night When We Were Young," as well as some beautiful lesser-known tunes like "Here's To Your Illusions" and "Sunset Tree." Musical director/pianist Tedd Firth and bassist Sean Smith provided top-notch accompaniment, rounding out an already enjoyable evening!

Whew! That pretty much brings us up to date for now - look for another update soon (I promise I'll try to get the next one up in a timely manner)!

Tina Jensen, Klea Blackhurst & Billy Stritch, an AMAZING Cast Party, and the Puppini Sisters!

2008-06-18T13:01:00.005-05:00

Hello all!
Hope you're enjoying this lovely weather! After the steamy, sultry heat wave last week, I'm thoroughly enjoying the more moderate temperatures this week. And you know what else I've been enjoying? Some fantastic shows (how's THAT for a lead-in?!).
On Friday, June 13th, I headed to the Duplex for the cabaret debut of Tina Jensen. I had heard Tina sing at a number of Cast Parties before, and was so happy to finally be able to catch her in a full-length show! Joined by musical director Zachary Ryan and guest vocalist Alex Gonzales, Tina burst on to the stage with an infectious, unbridled, refreshing energy and worked her way through an eclectic mix of pop and show tunes with a fun, outgoing personality. Tina's uncle, well-known musical director Rick Jensen, was in the audience as well, and must have been very proud to have three of his original tunes sung by his talented niece. Indeed, those three songs (Harbor, I've Got To Sing, and Amanda Sang), were among my favorites of the night - Tina seemed to be especially connected to them and they seemed to suit her voice and personality perfectly! Another favorite song for me was James Taylor's Brother Trucker - I'd never heard it before, but Tina really did an excellent job with it. Overall, a very fun start to the weekend.

On Monday evening, I headed over to Birdland a little earlier than usual to catch Klea Blackhurst and Billy Stritch in their show celebrating the release of their CD, "Dreaming of a Song - The Music of Hoagy Carmichael." What a fantastic show! I saw Billy and Klea do this show last year at the Metropolitan Room and was so pleased to be able to catch it again! I love both of them as solo performers and together, they have a wonderful onstage chemistry. Their easy back and forth banter adds to an already top-notch show, and their voices complement each other so very well in their duets. Favorite moments in the show are hard to choose, because there are so many wonderful things going on, but I would have to say that my top three are the duet of "In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening," Billy's rendition of "Georgia on My Mind," and Klea's "Skylark." Absolutely a must-see show if they end up bringing it back again!

And just when I thought my Monday evening couldn't get any better...along came a fantastic Cast Party - seriously, one of the best ever! I was just getting ready to head back into Birdland after taking a brief break to get some fresh air, and who did I see walking into the club but famed Broadway lyricist David Zippel?! But that was nothing compared to my shock when I realized that he was actually walking in with Liza Minnelli! Whoa! And THEN, as I was signing in with Jim, I saw Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell, the stars of the current B'way revival of Sunday In The Park With George walking in! To top things off Ann Hampton Callaway (my favorite singer in the world!), who had also been at the Klea Blackhurst and Billy Stritch show, also decided to stick around for Cast Party! My goodness, what a star-studded crowd! Liza, Ann, and Klea all performed, as did Ms. Lala Brooks - the lead singer of the '60's girl-group, The Crystals. Klea and Billy did a few numbers from their show; Ann did one of her incredible, spur-of-the-moment, completely improvised songs (with intelligent rhyming lyrics and all!); Liza did a beautiful, touching medley of "It Amazes Me" and "The Music That Makes Me Dance;" and Lala entertained with two of her old hits: "Then He Kissed Me" and "Da Doo Ron Ron." I was thrilled to get up onstage in the midst of all of these legendary entertainers and have my two minutes in the spotlight, but man - it's terrifying, too! I think I carried myself off very well, but I was shaking like a leaf for about the next fifteen minutes! Major kudos to Jim Caruso for bringing in such an awesome array of talent, and for doing a superb job of hosting!

Last night was another night of fantastic entertainment - I headed over to BB King's with a group of friends to catch the Puppini Sisters in their one-night-only NYC performance and I'm so happy I did! Although they're not really sisters, Marcella Puppini, Stephanie O'Brien, and Kate Mullins have such a wonderful camaraderie together that it seems very possible that they could be! The "sisters" have a very retro, Andrews-Sisters inspired sound, made even better by the fact that their harmonies are just as tight in person as they are on the CD (phew)! And what I love about them is that while they do, indeed, cover some Andrews Sisters tunes ("Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" and Bei Mir Bist Du Schon," they also take more modern songs (including Blondies's "Heart of Glass," Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights" and Beyonce's "Crazy In Love," among others!) and retro-ize them - very cool! If you've got a few minutes, check out their website and you'll see what I'm talking about. The show was just fun, fun, fun - I'm STILL in a good mood from it today! Another must-see the next time they're in town.
And THAT, my friends, brings us up to date!

I'm off to a double-header at Don't Tell Mama tonight - the lovely and talented Gretchen Reinhagen at 7 p.m. followed by the legendary Ray Jessel at 9 p.m. - should be a fun night!
Have a great rest of your week and check back for an update soon!

Time Flies When You're A Busy Girl!

2008-06-10T16:12:00.003-05:00

Wow, I can't believe it's been nearly 2 weeks since my last post - sorry for the delay!

Let's see, let's see...where to start?

Well, when I last left off, I was headed to see Gypsy on Broadway - and wow, I am so glad I did! What a show! The music alone is enough to make me swoon, but add to that a top-to-bottom stellar cast, accompanied by a FULL orchestra (such a rarity these days), and...voila! It's as close to musical-theatre perfection as I've seen in a long, long time. Patti LuPone's Mama Rose was excellent the whole way through, but her "Rose's Turn" was truly outstanding. And if that's not reason enough to go, Laura Benanti's beautifully developed Louise should just about seal the deal. Definitely a must-see!

I had the pleasure of catching singer Susan Winter in her show, Love Rolls On, at the Metropolitan Room on Sunday, June 1st. Susan was nominated for a 2008 MAC award for female debut (for the show she did last year, Million Dollar Matinee), and it's easy to see why. Graced with a warm, jazzy vocal quality, Susan instantly puts her audience at ease, and she's got personality to spare! This show included some of my favorite standards, including "I'm So Lucky To Be Me" and "It Amazes Me," and Susan also incorporated the story of her parents' romance during World War II, reading letters that they had written to each other and really treating the audience to a special, personal story. Directed by Lina Koutrakos with musical direction by Rick Jensen, it was a beautifully constructed and beautifully performed show.

On Tuesday, June 3rd, it was off to the Hoboken International Film Festival to catch a screening of Garrison, which was written and directed by my best friend from high school, Kerry Valderrama (and he also stars in it!!). Inspired by the Fort Bragg killings of 2002, the movie takes an honest look at military life and post-traumatic stress syndrome. I'd seen the movie once before, and both times, I was really blown away by how well-done it was. Very realistic, and it makes you really think about what our troops go through, without hitting you over the head with any "message." This is Kerry's first film and I really can't wait to see his next! On Thursday, June 4th, I accompanied Kerry to the awards ceremony, where one of his actors, James Barnes, won for best supporting actor, and Kerry received a nomination for best screenplay - very cool!

On Friday, June 6th, I headed to the Metropolitan Room for Metrojam, the monthly open mic hosted by Joe Bachana. Joe kicked things off with a swingin' "I Can't Give You Anything But Love," and I was honored to be the first guest of the evening (I did two of my favorites: "Zing! Went The Strings of My Heart" and "Just In Time"). Also on the talented lineup that evening were Raissa Katona Bennett, Rob Langeder, Harmony Keeney, Lucy Shropshire, and the aforementioned Susan Winter. Backed by the wonderfully talented trio of John DiPinto on piano, Frank Wagner on bass, and Bobby Sher on drums, this was a really great Metrojam! Since the first Friday of next month is a holiday (July 4th), Metrojam won't be held again until the first Friday in August, but I'm already looking forward to it!

I spent Saturday and Sunday upstate, visiting my family and spending some quality playing and cuddling time with my nephew Charlie - he's getting to be such a big boy! Hard to believe he's going to be a year old in a few months!

Sunday evening, I headed back to the city and the sweltering heat, and then Monday it was back to the weekday grind. On Monday evening, I caught singer Kevin Dozier's show at Don't Tell Mama. Originally from New York, but having spent the last 13 years in San Francisco, Kevin surrounded himself with some top-notch artists to help him craft his NYC debut. With direction by Scott Barnes and musical direction by Christopher Marlowe, Kevin easily glided through the hour-long show, with some new takes on old standards such as "Soon It's Gonna Rain," "I Wanna Be Around" and "Somewhere Over The Rainbow," as well as new takes on newer standards like "Gimme Gimme" and Kander & Ebb's "Yes." Graced with a warm, inviting baritone voice, Kevin is a welcome addition to the NYC cabaret scene. After Kevin's show, it was time to head to Birdland for Cast Party, which was a blast, as usual! Jim Caruso was back in town from his U.K. trip with Liza Minelli, and it was great to have him back on the Birdland stage!

Tuesday evening, it was off to Johnny Utah's for a fundraiser for the Opening Doors Theatre Company. Since their upcoming production is The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public, the party had a western-ish theme, and included a mechanical bull-riding competition! Donning my sparkly cowgirl hat (I always knew I'd find an excuse to wear that!), I gamely hopped on the bull and gave him a good run for his money! A good time was had by all, and hopefully, the theatre company made a few bucks on the evening!

That just about brings us up to date - stay cool, and check for another update soon!

Time to catch up!

2008-05-22T16:24:00.002-05:00

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!

Catch-up time!

2008-05-13T16:34:00.003-05:00

Hellooooooooooo all!

Well, last week was a CRAZY week, so I'm going to do my best to get up to date here!

The MAC awards on Tuesday, May 6th were a lot of fun - I didn't win, but I DID get to sparkle in my fantastic Betsey Johnson dress (check out the pic!) and socialize with lots of my favorite folks, so it was still a great night! I also had the honor of accepting the award for Cast Party on Jim Caruso's behalf. Cast Party won in the Variety Production/Recurring Series category, and it was truly an honor to be asked to accept the award for Jim. He was down for the count with a nasty ear infection, and had asked me the night before if I'd be able to help him out. He'd typed up a very funny speech which was given to me in a sealed envelope and I got to read it for the capacity crowd at B.B. King's, which was a hoot! After the awards, I headed over to The Metropolitan Room for some more socializing, then it was off to bed in the wee small hours of the morning!

The following night, I had my 3-hour gig at The River Room, which went very well! We had a nice crowd which included a number of fellow singers (Rob Langeder, Terese Genecco, Shaynee Rainbolt, Richard Malavet, Karen Oberlin, Robert Vest, Sue Matsuki and Julie Wilson!), and I was most appreciative of the support! I was backed by Fortune Esposito (yep, my dad!) on guitar, Erik James on keyboard, Doug Largent on bass, and Bobby Sher on drums, and we really had a fantastic time.

The following night, it was back to On The Rocks with Danny Leary for another terrific lineup of cabaret and comedy stars. Shaynee Rainbolt and Terese Genecco were both performing, which made it even more of a treat! Shaynee opened with a couple of great tunes ("Mink Schmink" and "The Boy From..."), and then Terese joined her for a re-creation of the famous Judy Garland/Barbra Streisand duet of "Get Happy" and "Happy Days Are Here Again." Fun, fun, fun!

The weekend found me upstate, celebrating Mother's Day with my mom, my Irish granny, and my sis - who is the newest mom in the family! Charlie (my 8-month old nephew) was cuter than ever - I can't wait to get back up there and play with him again!

Last night was Cast Party again, and it was a good one - Jim had recovered from his ear infection, and a number of my favorite performers graced the Birdland stage, including the fabulous Ray Jessel, who's in town from L.A. (hooray)!

That just about brings us up to date - check back for more soon!

Monday, Monday...

2008-05-05T14:38:00.002-05:00

Hello all, and Happy Monday!
Boy, it's been a busy 10 days since my last post!
When I last wrote, I was headed to see On The Rocks with Danny Leary at The Duplex. On The Rocks has been selected as a "best bet" by Time Out New York and boy, are they right! Hosted by the endearingly clever and funny Danny Leary, this 90-minute variety show features a number of different comedians and several musical acts each week, beautifully bridging the gap between comedy and cabaret. With a modest $10 cover and 2 drink minimum, this is easily one of the best deals in town. Go check it out if you can - I promise, you will not regret it!
The following night, I headed over to The Metropolitan Room for a great doubleheader - Julie Wilson at 7 p.m. and Sharon McNight at 10 p.m. These women are two of the most respected divas in cabaret, and their styles are completely different - making for a most enjoyable, interesting evening! Julie Wilson is in her eighties now, and much of her performance is speak-singing. What makes her fascinating to watch and listen to is how beautifully she is able to communicate the lyrics of a song, and the passion with which she performs. And she has never abandoned the old-school glamour for which she is known - a long, slinky, gorgeous black gown, with lace gloves and her signature gardenia behind her ear - a class act all the way! Sharon McNight, on the other hand, puts on a big, brassy, show-y kind of show, with energy through the roof! Belting out high notes and keeping the audience in stitches throughout most of the show, Sharon's well researched and well-constructed show Gone But Not Forgotten, pays tribute to many of the great ladies of stage and screen (including Ethel Merman, Bette Davis, Madeline Kahn, Pearl Bailey, and Betty Hutton, to name a few!). A thoroughly enjoyable show and a must-see if she brings it back to town!
The following Thursday (May 1), I was back at The Duplex for On The Rocks with Danny Leary, but this time I was there as one of the featured guests!! As with the week before, Danny assembled a fantastic lineup and I was thrilled to be a part of it! Other performers included sister act Vickie and Nickie, and comedy divas Giulia Rozzi and Vanessa Hollingshead, among others. Another fun, fun night out!
On Friday evening, I headed over to Metrojam at The Metropolitan Room, which ended up being terrific! Host Joe Bachana was a little under the weather, but pulled through like a champ and did a great job of singing and emcee-ing. Other talented folks who showed up to sing included Lina Koutrakos, Sue Matsuki, and San Francisco-based songbird Carly Ozard.
Last night, it was back to The Metropolitan Room for Marcus Simeone in his newest show, The Heart. Graced with a gorgeous, smooth voice, Marcus kept the audience enthralled as he worked his way through a show full of romantic songs, including a fun, catchy uptempo, "Just One Kiss," which was written by his producer, Jason Darrow. Marcus is at the Metropolitan Room the first Sunday of every month at 7 p.m. and is definitely worth checking out if you haven't yet!
So, that just about brings us up to date...
On the calendar for this week:

Tonight (Monday, May 5th)
Cast Party at Birdland
The hottest weekly open mic in town, hosted by Jim Caruso and featuring a wealth of talent from the Broadway, jazz, and cabaret communities.
$10 cover + $10 minimum
West 44th between 8th and 9th

Tuesday, May 6th
The 25 annual MAC Awards!
I'm nominated for female vocalist, so you KNOW I'll be there in style (and sparkles, of course)!
B.B. King Blues Club
237 W. 42nd Street
Tickets still available at www.bbkingblues.com
Doors open at 6 p.m., show begins at 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 7th
Jenna Esposito at The River Room
Sets at 7:00 p.m., 8:15 p.m. and 9:15 p.m.
I'm back for a return engagement at this gorgeous room with a stunning view of the Hudson River and the George Washington Bridge.
$10 cover (not a per-set fee; pay once and stay for as little or as long as you like), NO minimum!
Full menu available (appetizers, entrees, cocktails, dessert, etc.)
We'll be doing mostly standards, with a few surprises thrown in - hope you can make it!

Thursday, May 8th
Back to The Duplex for On The Rocks with Danny Leary
9:30 p.m.
$10 cover + 2 drink minimum
61 Christopher St. (at 7th Ave. South)

That's about all for now, folks - keep your fingers crossed for the awards tomorrow night!!

The River Room, Jazzaret, and Upcoming Events!

2008-04-24T11:18:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone, and happy Thursday (or happy whatever-day-you're-reading-this-on)! When I left off last week, I was preparing for my gig at The River Room and I'm pleased to report that it went very well! Honestly, with such a fantastic band behind me (Fortune Esposito on guitar, Tedd Firth on keyboard, Doug Largent on bass and Bobby Sher on drums), how could it not?! What was fun about this gig for me is that, because we were doing a few sets spanning the course of 3 hours, the normal constraints of putting on a "cabaret" were lifted and I was able to sing what I felt like singing and have fun with the band! Normally, for a 1-hour cabaret show, a lot of thought goes into the structure of that one hour - there should be an arc to the show, yada yada yada...but for a "jazz gig," there are no such limitations - I must say, it was very liberating! We went from the ridiculous to the sublime, throwing in "These Boots Are Made For Walking" in the middle of such gorgeous standards as "Time After Time" and "That's All." Fun, fun, fun...and we get to do it all over again on May 7th - so mark your calendars now!
And speaking of The River Room, I was there again last night - this time, as an audience member! Julian Yeo was the singer du jour yesterday, and as always, put on a most enjoyable show! Backed (as usual) by a fabu band, Julian wound his way through some of my favorite songs ("Anything Goes," "That Old Black Magic," and "Makin' Whoopee," to name a few), putting his own unique "retro-jazz" spin on each of them. He also allowed me to sing a few numbers (yay!) and also called Kristen Sergeant up to the mic to lend her lovely soprano to a few tunes. With the music, the amazing view of the river, and a nice glass of Sauvignon Blanc, I had myself a most enjoyable evening! I was also pleased to find out, upon arriving home, that the Yankees had won their second straight game against the White Sox (and Mussina pitched well, finally!).
Last Saturday, I headed over to the Reprise Room on 54th St. for an evening of "Jazzaret," which is the open mic that used to be held at the Triad, but has been on hiatus for a while. Hosted by Melody Breyer-Grell and Scott Barbarino, and backed by the Barry Levitt trio, the night featured a vast array of singers. I had a friend in town, visiting from L.A., so I brought him along. He'd never been to "cabaret" before, and he also hasn't heard me sing since high school, so we killed two birds with one stone - he got to hear me, and he also got a sampling of the many styles of performers who do cabaret. Besides me, other singers featured that evening were Shaynee Rainbolt, Richard Malavet, Laurie Krauz, Mary Foster Conklin, and Sharon McNight. A very fun evening, and a crash-course in cabaret singers for my friend!
On my schedule for the coming week:

Tonight (Thursday, 4/24)
On The Rocks with Danny Leary
9:30 p.m. at The Duplex
This weekly comedy variety show has been getting rave reviews all over the place and I'm very excited to finally get a chance to see it!

Tomorrow (Friday, 4/25)
Julie Wilson at 7:30 p.m. and Sharon McNight at 10 p.m.
The Metropolitan Room
Two of cabaret's most preeminent divas go back to back at my favorite club - what more could one ask for!

Monday, 4/28
Cast Party at Birdland
10 p.m. - 1 a.m.
My favorite weekly soiree - who knows, maybe Tony Bennett will show up again?!

Wednesday, 4/30
Shaynee Rainbolt at The River Room
7 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Come out and support this new venture (and then come back and see ME there on May 7th!). Only a $10 cover, whether you're there for one set or three. Enjoy music, food, drink, and the most amazing view of the Hudson River and the G.W. bridge in the city!

That's about all for now, folks - more to come soon!

River Room tonight, Karen Mason, and more!

2008-04-16T11:28:00.003-05:00

Happy Wednesday, all!

I'm celebrating "hump day" with a performance at The River Room, which is a gorgeous room overlooking the Hudson River and the George Washington Bridge. The entire north wall is windows, which allows an absolutely incredible view! I'll be joined by Fortune Esposito on guitar, Tedd Firth on piano, Bobby Sher on drums, and Doug Largent on bass. We'll be doing three sets: 7:00, 8:15, and 9:15, and the best part is it's only a $10 cover and NO minimum! The cover is not a per-set fee, so you can stay for as little or as long as you'd like. There is a full menu available, as well as wine and cocktails. Directions are available on the website - it's only about 20 minutes from midtown, and well worth the trip. If you can make it, I'd love to see you there! We'll also be back on May 7th doing the same kind of gig, so save the date!

Now, on to some shows I've seen...

Last Monday (April 7th), I had the pleasure of attending the Bistro Awards at Gotham Comedy Club. Among the winners were some favorite performers of mine, who turned in some truly outstanding performances! Arnaldo! won an award for characterization, Gabrielle Stravelli, a new friend who I met at Metrojam, won the Ira Eaker Special Achievement Award, Tony DeSare won for Major Engagement, and the fabulous Marilyn Maye won the Bob Harrington Lifetime Achievement Award. Afterwards, I of course continued the celebration by heading over to Cast Party for my weekly singing and schmoozing!

On Wednesday night, I headed over to the aforementioned River Room to hear Joe Bachana with his band. Joe is the host of Metrojam, the monthly open mic held at the Metropolitan Room, so I usually only get to hear him do one or two songs a night - what fun to hear him doing his own show! He was accompanied by a terrific band - Pat Firth on piano, Bobby Sher on drums, and Tod Hedrick on bass.

Friday evening found me at the Metropolitan Room to see one of my all time faves, Karen Mason. Having just entered the Broadway company of "Hairspray" a few days before, she rushed in the door at 11:04 p.m. (after that evening's performance of "Hairspray") and proceeded to put on a well-sung, high-energy show! She included some of my favorite songs: "Taking A Chance On Love," "How Long Has This Been Going On?" "Just In Time," and "All That Jazz," to name a few. Accompanying her on piano was her longtime musical director, Christopher Denny. As usual, Karen was engaging and highly entertaining, singing all of her material with passion and joy.

I spent the rest of the weekend upstate, visiting my adorable nephew - see the pic!

On Monday evening, I made my usual jaunt to Cast Party, which was full of some of my favorite regulars (Christine Lavin and Ben Rauch, among others), as well as lots of Broadway people (Lisa Howard, Barret Foa, Billy Porter, and more!). And, for a special treat, Marilyn Maye came by to close the evening!

Last night I was at Broadway Baby Bistro for the MAC Song and Special Material Showcase, which allowed people to hear all 10 of this year's MAC-nominated songs live. Hosted by Sharon McNight, the showcase was well-performed all around and an enjoyable way to spend the evening.

That pretty much brings us up to date - hope to see you at the River Room tonight!!

The River Room, Rita Moreno, and Last Chance for 13 Men...and Me!

2008-04-04T10:04:00.006-05:00

Greetings, all!

Well, when I left off last, I was headed to the River Room of Harlem to catch Julian Yeo and his band...and I'm pleased to report that I had a fantastic time! The room is absolutely gorgeous - the building actually sits above the Hudson River, and the north wall of the room is all glass, so there is an incredible view of the river and the George Washington Bridge. Additionally, the food is terrific, and the band that night was swingin'! Julian always does a great selection of music, and brings a fun, easy-going sensibility to his songs. AND he surrounds himself with some of the best musicians in the city - on this evening it was Jesse Gelber on piano, Doug Largent on bass, Nick Russo on guitar, Rob Garcia on drums, and Alan Grubner on violin.
And speaking of the River Room, I'll be back there on Wednesday, April 9th to catch Joe Bachana from 7-10 -can't wait! With a $10 cover, no minimum, great music, fantastic food, and an unbelievable view, this Wednesday night vocalist series is a hard act to beat!

Last weekend, I had a couple of shows, so a big thank you to everyone who came out to support me. On Saturday night, I was at Monticello Gaming and Raceway with my show 13 Men...and Me!, and on Sunday, I was back at the Metropolitan Room with my newest show, Takin' A Chance On Love. And THIS Sunday, April 6th, I'll be at the Metropolitan Room again with a special encore performance of 13 Men...and Me! in honor of my MAC Award nomination. I want to make sure as many MAC voters as possible have a chance to see the show before voting, so we're bringing the show back for one night only! Seriously, though, MAC voters or not, I would be thrilled to see the Metropolitan Room overflowing with people on Sunday night, so get those reservations in (212-206-0440)! The show is at 9:30 p.m., and seating will begin at around 9 p.m. Hope you can make it!

Before I sign off, I must write about my Tuesday night - I had the honor of seeing Rita Moreno's show at Feinstein's, and what a treat that was! Having the distinction of winning all four major awards (Oscar, Tony, Emmy, and Grammy), she is a living legend and I was very happy to be able to catch her show. At 76 years old, she is still going strong - she looks gorgeous, and is an extremely engaging performer. One of my favorite numbers was Kander and Ebbs, "Class," during which Ms. Moreno engaged in some obnoxiously UN-classy antics, such as rudely sllllluuuuurrrrrrping her tea, and sucking on a ridiculously large piece of candy, clicking it against her teeth, and ultimately chomping it with a loud CRRRUNCH! She is one of the best storytellers I've seen, seamlessly transitioning her musical numbers with funny, entertaining, personal stories that drew the audience in and put them at ease. Altogether, a great night at one of the classiest rooms in town! And, as a bonus, on my way out, I saw George Steinbrenner walking into the Regency (complete with entourage) after the Yankees had won their home opener! Go Yanks! (I was at the stadium last night to see them win their 2nd game of the year - woohoo!)

That's about it for now - hope to see you at the Metropolitan Room on Sunday!

MAC nomination and other fun things!

2008-03-26T08:56:00.003-05:00

Hello All!
Wow, I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since my last post! It's been a very busy month, with preparing for my new show, Takin' A Chance On Love AND trying to see as many shows as possible. So, first, some excellent news - I've received a MAC nomination for best female vocalist, and I'm shocked and thrilled all at the same time! No matter the outcome at the actual awards, I'm truly honored to have been selected as a nominee! The two shows for which I was nominated are SMOOCH! and 13 Men...and Me! Since I know that not all MAC voters were able to make it to the shows the first time around, I'm doing my best to let them be seen before ballots are due! There is now a clip of SMOOCH! on YouTube (you can view it by clicking here), and I will be bringing 13 Men...and Me! back to the Metropolitan Room for a special encore performance on Sunday, April 6th at 9:30 p.m. I was originally planning to do my new show on that date, but feel that it's more important at this point in time to allow voters to see my nominated work! And I have to say, I'm thrilled to be bringing 13 Men back. That show was such a joy for me to work on and I'm very happy to have another chance to share it. Takin' A Chance On Love has one more performance scheduled right now, and that's Sunday, March 30th at 7 p.m. at the Metropolitan Room. Our opening on this past Monday evening was great, and I can't wait to do the show again - if you're in town and able to make it, I'd love to see you there!
So, okay...enough about me (although this IS my blog!)...let me write about some of the shows I've seen recently! In my last blog, I mentioned that I was looking forward to seeing Macbeth at BAM on Friday, March 14th. Well, I was most certainly not disappointed. What a production! Going into the play, I'd been very much looking forward to seeing Patrick Stewart in the title role, but I have to say that he was completely overshadowed by Kate Fleetwood as Lady M. She was absolutely incredible! And that's not to say that Patrick Stewart was bad. He was actually very good, but just dwarfed a bit by Ms. Fleetwood's monster performance (in my humble opinion)! As a whole, the production was very well done - I don't want to give away too much, in case any readers are planning on seeing it when it moves to Broadway (I know I'm certainly going to be going again!), but I will say that Rupert Goold's direction was spot-on, and the acting, in general, was superb.
The following night, I went to see August: Osage County on Broadway, and was just blown away. Again, the acting was exemplary, and the direction very, very good. This modern-day dysfunctional family drama is a must-see in my opinion, and I'm certain that it is going to be dissected in many a college theatre class for years to come!
On the following Thursday, I went to see Joan Crowe's show, The Key of Comedy at the Metropolitan Room, and I really had a great time! Joan has been making a name for herself as the "funny jazz chick," and has been working hard on trying to "inject a little humor into the world of jazz," so the show was full of fun numbers by legends such as Cab Calloway, Fats Waller, Louis Jordan, Slim Gailliard, Dave Frishberg, and Bob Dorough. Joined by Tedd Firth (musical director) on piano, Jay Leonhart on bass, Matt Wilson on bass, and with a special guest performance by composer Bob Dorough, Joan put on a highly entertaining show that kept the audience grinning the whole time!
Tonight, I'm headed up to the River Room of Harlem to hear my friend Julian Yeo as he kicks off their Wednesday night vocalist series. I've never been there before, but it looks from the website like the room has a GORGEOUS view of the river and the G.W. Bridge, and I always enjoy listening to Julian, so it should be a fun evening! Oh! And after Julian's show, I'll be on the radio with Joey Reynolds - I'm scheduled to go on around midnight, and you can stream the show live through the radio station's website - just click here!
That's about all for now! Will touch base with another update soon!

Busy, busy, busy!

2008-03-11T19:28:00.003-05:00

Well, in the 9 days since I've written, I've managed to make it to 8 different shows (including 3 open mics), so I've been a busy little diva!
On Monday, March 3rd, I went to see What's The Point at Dillon's. Starring Hector Coris, Patrick Garrigan and Eadie Scott, this revue provides a laugh-filled hour of song and dance which pokes fun at current social and political issues. There was a time when revues such as this were extremely popular and made up a good portion of "cabaret" shows, but sadly, the art form has been neglected in more recent times. Happily, What's The Point breathes fresh life into the old art form with songs such as "How Can I Miss You (If You Won't Go Away)," "A Real Straight Guy," and "E.Harmony-Dot-Com." With musical direction by Joe Regan, choreography by Susan Haefner, Direction by Collette Black and music and lyrics by Alan Cancelino and Hector Coris, respectively, the show is a definite crowd-pleaser. There are still a few performances left; it runs Mondays at 7 p.m. through March 31st - catch it if you can!!
The following night, I made a return trip to see Ben Rauch Is Horace Vanderveer at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. I first wrote about this show on my December 7th blog, and after seeing it a second time, I must say that I quite agree with my earlier post - this show is HILARIOUS! It was very good the first time I saw it, and it's just gotten even better and sharper! Ben Rauch co-wrote the show with Melissa Rauch and Winston Beigel and stars as Horace, a "musical theatre obsessed community theatre outcast from New Jersey whose dream is to one day be on Broadway." Since the last time I saw the show, a few numbers have been added to great comedic effect (including "Let's Bowl" from Grease 2) and a video clip of "Horace" at an audition has also been inserted into the show. Again, kudos to Miles Phillips for excellent direction, and to the fantastic band...oh, and to the chorus of teenage girls...and yes, kudos to Horace himself for putting on one of the funniest shows I've seen in a long time!
Wednesday, March 5th, found me back at Dillon's to see my friend Julian Yeo with his fab "retro-jazz" band. As always with Julian's shows, I found myself having a terrific time and wondering where the 3 hours went (he played 3 sets between 7 and 10 p.m.)! His style is very easy-going and hearkens back to a different era. Accompanied by piano, bass, guitar, washboard/percussion, and clarinet, and singing jazz standards, Julian provides an excellent evening of entertainment! He is also extremely generous when other singers are in the house, always inviting them up to sing a number or two (the evening I went, I was there with Shaynee Rainbolt, and we both had the privilege of singing with that great band). He's back at Dillon's on Wednesday, March 19th. With a just a $10 cover for 3 hours of great music, it's a hard deal to beat!
On Thursday, I headed over to the Metropolitan Room to catch cabaret newcomer Ben Cherry in his show I Hate New York: A Love Story. Focusing on the love/hate relationship that all New Yorkers have with their city at some point (or all the time!), Ben kept the audience chuckling with easy-to-relate-to tales of the frustrations of living in the Big Apple.
On Friday night, I headed back to the Metropolitan Room for Metrojam, which is the monthly open mic hosted by Joe Bachana. Metrojam has been gathering steam for some time now, and Friday night was terrific! The room was PACKED with talented singers and it was so much fun to be there and hear all of them! In addition to yours truly, other performers included Rob Langeder, Joan Crowe, Julian Yeo, Susan Winter, Tony DeSare, Lina Koutrakos, Shaynee Rainbolt, Gabrielle Stravelli, and - of course - the talented host himself! Backed by John DiPinto on piano, Frank Wagner on bass and Bobby Sher on drums, the 2 hours just flew by! I can't wait for April's Metrojam!
On Saturday, I took time off from my show-going to visit the NY Wine Expo, followed by dinner at Patsy's! Whew - what a way to revitalize myself! The wine expo was so much fun! With 170 wineries and over 600 wines available to taste, it was a crazy four hours but boy, was it fun! And Patsy's....ah! If you've never been to Patsy's, you don't know what you're missing! I first went while I was putting together my Rosemary Clooney show, because I knew that Rosemary Clooney and Frank Sinatra used to dine there and I wanted to soak up some of the vibe. Well, after that first visit, I've been going back for the amazing food and the great service and stories provided by Sal, the chef. Sal is the grandson of the original owner and chef, and boy, does he have stories to tell! It seems that every time I go in, he has a new photo with a celebrity to show me! As usual, the food and the service on Saturday night were simply outstanding!
On Sunday, I headed to Butterfield 8 for Trudi Mann's Fabulous Open Mic For Singers. I'd been hearing about Trudi's open mic for a long time and was happy to finally have a chance to make it...and I wasn't disappointed! It was a great way to spend an afternoon - the room was packed with singers and it was such a relaxed, supportive environment. Many of the singers were regulars, and as such, had a really nice rapport with each other. With John Delfin on keyboard and Saadi Zain on bass (and Trudi herself keeping time on the drums!), there was a great deal of talent packed into one little room!
Last night, I had a double-header: first, I was featured as a guest vocalist in the March Is Cabaret Month Celebration at the Songbook Theater at Broadway Baby Bistro, and then I headed over to Cast Party for my normal Monday night festivities! Headed up by Stu Hamstra of Cabaret Hotline and hosted by the aforementioned "Horace Vanderveer," the show boasted a great lineup (Marcus Simeone, Leslie Orofino, Brandon Cutrell, Parker Scott, Suzanne Carrico, German Rodriguez, Molly Pope, Ben Cherry, Tom Andersen, Ben Rauch and yours truly!) and was a lot of fun! Tracy Stark did a great job as musical director, and harpist Jose Luis provided gorgeous pre-show music!
Cast Party was hopping, as usual! It was a full house, packed to the brim with talented folks including Christine Lavin, Lina Koutrakos, Michael Quinn, David Goldman, Rob Langeder, Joan Crowe, Rich Siegel, and more! With Tedd Firth on piano and Steve Doyle on bass, the "Cast Party Symphony Orchestra" sounded fantastic as usual, and Jim Caruso was fully recovered from his recent bout with pneumonia and he was rarin' to go! Now, when your week starts out with a Monday that good, it's kinda hard to top it, but I am going to see Macbeth at BAM this Friday, so it might just be possible!
Stay tuned for another update soon!

Happy March Is Cabaret Month!

2008-03-02T21:37:00.003-05:00

Greetings all!
Did you know that March is "Cabaret Month?" I have a vague recollection of being told about that a while ago, but this is the first time that I can recall that there is actually a celebration going on! On Monday, March 10th at 7 p.m., I'll be a guest performer in a special "March Is Cabaret Month Celebration" at the Songbook Theater at Broadway Baby Bistro. Also scheduled to perform are Suzanne Carrico, Molly Pope, Marcus Simeone, Parker Scott, Leslie Orofino, Brandon Cutrell, Tom Andersen, Ben Rauch and Ben Cherry. Tracy Stark will serve as musical director. It should be a great show - I'm really honored to be a part of it! For more details and to order tickets, check out the official website at http://www.marchiscabaretmonth.com/.
I spent the weekend kicking off cabaret month in grand fashion, first catching Lari White's late show at the Oak Room. Now, although the show was on Friday, February 29th, it began at 11:30 p.m. and so carried over into March 1st - and I can't think of a better way to have started the month! I'd seen Lari perform a number of times before, both at Cast Party and at some of the Broadway By The Year shows at Town Hall. I always enjoyed her singing and was eager to see a full show of hers. Well...to say I was blown away doesn't begin to describe it! Called Love Letters, the show was beautifully constructed, focused on the writings of people in love. Love letters were read as introductions to songs, and they were perfectly selected, providing seamless transitions between the spoken word and the word which was sung. And boy, can Lari White sing! A 3-time Grammy Award winner, she started out as a country singer, but most of the songs she performed in this show were standards and her velvety voice seemed perfectly suited for them. There were some brilliant pairings of songs, my favorites being a medley of "Hooray For Love" and "Down With Love" and a second medley of "I Wish I Were In Love Again," intertwined with "I'll Never Fall In Love Again." The latter medley perfectly captured the conflicting feelings one experiences after the end of a romance, and I caught knowing grins stealing across the faces of my neighbors in the audience (to match the knowing grin on my own face). Also particularly compelling was her rendition of "Lush Life." I've heard this song done many, many times and always love to hear it, but I found Lari's rendition more touching than most. Glass of wine in hand, she played on the double meaning of "Lush" and also portrayed a woman deeply hurt but trying her best to numb the pain. Love Letters was an absolutely gorgeous show - I'm very much looking forward to seeing Ms. White again the next time she's in town!
On Saturday evening, I went to my home away from home, the Metropolitan Room, to see Miles Phillips in his show, Quiet Stars. I'd seen this show in the fall, when Miles debuted it, and I loved it then...and I must say, I think I enjoyed it even more the second time around! Filled with songs that take place between twilight and dawn, the show was such a joy to take in. From the first plaintive notes of "Good Night My Someone," played on the piano by Miles himself, to the closing notes of "The Night You Decided To Stay," Miles took the audience on a journey of all the places one can go in the course of a night - from the touching to the silly to the seductive, and he did so while singing gorgeously! Particularly beautiful were "With Every Breath I Take" From City Of Angels and "Romantic Notions" from Romance/Romance. As always with Miles' shows, his collaborations with musical director Jason Wynn yielded terrific, engaging arrangements which perfectly showcased Miles' rich baritone.
So, between Miles and Lari, I had a terrific start to "Cabaret Month!" I'm planning on keeping it up this week by seeing What's The Point? at The Reprise Room at Dillon's Monday night at 7 p.m., followed, of course, by Cast Party. On Wednesday evening, I'll be back at the Reprise Room at 7 p.m. to catch my friend Julian Yeo in his "Retro-jazz" night, and then on Friday night at 10 p.m., it's off to the Metropolitan Room for their monthly open mic, Metrojam, which is hosted by the dapper and talented Joe Bachana. A busy week, no doubt, but definitely a fun one! Stay tuned for another update soon!

Time For An Update!

2008-02-19T17:43:00.006-05:00

Hello all!
Sorry it's been so long since the last post - between rehearsing 2 shows, seeing a lot more, and coming down with a cold, it's been tricky to carve out a good chunk of time to sit at my computer! Here I am, though, with plenty to report on!
On Wednesday, February 6th, I had the honor of performing at Barnes & Noble as part of their "Any Wednesday" series. The performance was celebrating the release of my CD, 13 Men...and Me!, so we did a number of selections from the CD. I was joined by my fantastic band (Fortune Esposito on guitar, Richard Schacher on piano, Michael Blanco on bass, Bobby Sher on drums and Brian Broelmann on tenor sax), and we had a great turnout. A big thank-you to everyone who came to B&N that evening!
That Friday, February 8th, I debuted my brand new show, Takin' A Chance On Love, at John's Harvest Inn in Middletown, NY. Chock full of love songs, the show is a musical journey through the course of a romance. I'll be performing it at the Metropolitan Room in March and April, so it was great to have a chance to try it out in front of a hometown crowd. It went very well, and I'm very excited to perform it again next month!
On Saturday, February 9th, I had some friends in town who were visiting from Texas and wanted to get a sense of New York cabaret, so I took them to see Gashole at the Duplex - and they LOVED it! Gashole is one of the most fun shows in town, and because each show is made up of random requests from the audience, you're basically guaranteed to never see the same show twice! Karen Mack and Michael Holland do a fantastic job of creating improbably medleys and covering pop music from the '70s and '80s and have a blast doing it. Their harmonies are spot-on and their exuberant irreverance is extremely contagious! My friends had a great time and so did I!
The next day, I showed them the other end of the NYC cabaret spectrum by taking them to Feinstein's to see Andrea McArdle. Best known as the original "Annie" on Broadway, Ms. McArdle put on a terrific show, including such musical theatre staples as "It Might As Well Be Spring," "Everybody Says Don't," and an interesting pairing of "Simple Little Things" with "I Dreamed A Dream." She absolutely killed with a passionate, "What Kind Of Fool Am I?" and, much to the satisfaction of the audience, closed with "Tomorrow." It was a lovely show and I was very happy to be able to show my out-of-town friends such a classy room!
On Tuesday, February 12th, I headed to the East Village to see a screening of Garrison, a film which was written and directed by my best friend from high school, Kerry Valderrama. Oh, yeah - he also starred in it, too! Inspired by the Fort Bragg killings of 2002, Garrison has been Kerry's pet project for the past several years, and I was really excited to finally get to see it. And I am SO happy I did. The movie was extremely well done, and even if I did not know Kerry at all, I would still be blown away by it. It's already won a number of awards, and it's entered in a few more upcoming festivals. I'm hoping it comes back to NYC so I can go see it again - if it does, I'll be sure to post ahead of time!
On Valentine's Day, I had the pleasure of seeing one of my all-time favorite performers, Rufus Wainwright, at Radio City Music Hall. This was the 9th time I've seen him live, and believe me, there's a reason I keep going back! He is, hands down, the most exciting and original composer of contemporary pop that I know of. His compositions are a seamless blend of classical, jazz, rock and pop music, and the orchestrations and harmonies are extraordinary. On this night, there was an extra-special addition, too. For one of his encores, he brought out Sean Lennon (his opening act) as well as his (Rufus' that is) mom and sister to join him on "Across The Universe." How cool is that?! It's not every day you get to see the son of a Beatle singing a Beatles song on the stage of Radio City! It was a fantastic concert, and I can't wait for the next one!
On Saturday, February 16th, I did a double-header at the Metropolitan Room, taking in Maureen McGovern at 7:30 and Heather Sullivan at 10:00. What a night! I was so happy to be able to catch both of these shows. I'd never seen Maureen McGovern live before and let me tell you, there is a reason she is such a big star! What a voice! What a presence! She put on one of the most beautifully sung shows I've seen. Packed to the point of overflowing the crowd at the Metropolitan Room just would not stop applauding at points! Featuring songs from singer/songwriters of the '60s, Ms. McGovern brough her lovely voice and powerful acting skills to such songs as Simon and Garfunkel's "America," Joni Mitchell's "The Circle Game," Carol King's "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," James Taylor's "Fire And Rain" and the Beatles' "Rocky Racoon." Okay, so maybe "Rocky Racoon" isn't the biggest acting song in the world, but it is one of my favorite Beatles songs, and I was thrilled that she included it!
After a brief break (and some snacks down the street at Cafe 50 West), I was back and ready for Heather Sullivan, one of the well known singing Sullivans (sisters KT and Stacy and brother Tim are all singers too!), in a rare NYC performance. Based in L.A., Heather is a talented singer/songwriter, and it was a treat to get to hear her live! Joined by Mark Peterson on bass and Kahlil Kwam Bell on percussion, Heather put on a most enjoyable show that was a combination of songs she'd written and covers that she loves to sing. She opened with Billy Joel's "Piano Man" and did a medley of some of her favorite Carol King songs, which the audience just ate up! She was joined by a number of guest performers throughout the evening, which was just so much fun. Marcus Simeone and Lynn Loosier each performed one of Heather's original tunes, and sisters Stacy and KT each did a duet with Heather. One of the most touching moments of the evening came when Heather's mother, Elizabeth, joined her onstage for "Remember You," which was written by Elizabeth herself. My, what a talented family! Altogether a great night!
I've spent the past few days kind of down for the count with a nasty cold, but am starting to feel a little bit better and am hoping to make it to Jamie deRoy's show at the Metropolitan Room tomorrow night! Also coming up, my friend Miles Phillips is bringing back his beautiful show, "Quiet Stars" for one performance only - Saturday, March 1st at 5 p.m. at the Metropolitan Room. I saw the show in the fall and was really moved by how beautifully constructed and beautifully sung it was - and I'm really looking forward to seeing it again! And as I mentioned before, I've got some shows coming up myself - get those pens uncapped and calendars opened! I'll be at the Metropolitan Room on Monday, March 24th at 7 p.m., Sunday, March 30th at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 6th at 9:30 p.m. - hope to see you there!
Check back for another update soon!

Giants Win!!!

2008-02-03T23:05:00.000-05:00

Wooooooooohoooooooooooooooo!!!! Yay Giants!

Tony DeSare, The Nightlife Awards, and The Best Cast Party EVER!

2008-01-30T17:42:00.000-05:00

Well, hello all!

I've had a great week so far - and it's not over yet!

On Sunday evening, I went (for the second week in a row) to hear Tony DeSare at Bemelmans Bar. What a perfect way to spend a Sunday evening - in a classy bar with GREAT music! It was packed again and Tony managed to put a smile on everyone's face with his amazing piano playing and smooth, easy vocals. He's back there on Sunday, February 3rd from 9-12, so if you're not watching the Superbowl (I will be - go Giants!), head over to Bemelmans!

On Monday evening, I headed to Tow n Hall for the annual Nightlife Awards. These awards honor top performers in jazz, cabaret and comedy - and the really cool thing is that, instead of giving acceptance speeches, the performers do what they do best - perform! In addition to the award recipients, there were a couple of "special guest" performers to round out the show...and what a show it was! With performances by Marilyn Maye, Christine Pedi, Hilary Kole, Allan Harris, Lari White, and a slew of other incredibly talented performers, it was definitely the hot ticket in town!

Right after the curtain came down at Town Hall, I ran (and I do mean RAN - in 3 1/2 inch heels, no less!) to Birdland so I could catch most of Cast Party and boy, am I glad I did! Not only was it an awesome, talent-packed 3 hours, but TONY BENNETT was there! Yes, THE Tony Bennett! And somehow, I gathered up the courage to sing "I Wanna Be Around," one of his major hits, in front of him! I was introduced to him after I sang and got a great picture taken with him! How cool is that?! Tony Bennett-related excitement aside, this truly was one of the best Cast Parties I've ever been to. A good percentage of the talented folks who were at the Nightlife Awards ended up heading over to Birdland, including Hilary Kole, Lari White, Christine Pedi, Natalie Douglas, Billy Stritch, Marilyn Maye, Klea Blackhurst, and Randy Jones (yep, the Cowboy from The Village People)! Birdland was busting at the seams with talent, and I was thrilled to be in the thick of it! It was the kind of the night I'd always envisioned before moving to New York, and it really happened - schmoozing at a famous jazz club with famous singers and Broadway stars...and getting to sing for them! Seriously, does it get any better?!
Tonight, I'm headed to the Metropolitan Room for my other favorite open mic - Metrojam. Hosted by Joe Bachana, and featuring a "house band" of John DiPinto on piano, Ritt Henn on bass, and Bobby Sher on drums, it is the place to be on the first Friday night of every month. If you're in the city and looking for something to do, come on by - it runs from 10 p.m. to midnight.
That's about it for now - hopefully my next post will be to cheer the Giants' victory on Sunday!

Happy Wednesday!

2008-01-23T15:12:00.000-05:00

Hello all!

Hope you're all having a great start to 2008. I sure am - I've been privileged to see some pretty fabulous shows over the past several weeks and I'm excited to tell you about them!

On Friday, January 11th, I pulled a double-header: first I went to Don't Tell Mama to see Booth Daniels and Patrick Frankfort in their show "2 Guys, 1 Guitar, No Standards." Combining some original tunes with an eclectic selection of cover songs, Booth and Patrick really worked well together, taking turns being the "straight guy" to the other's zany antics. A thoroughly entertaining show that definitely brought a smile to my face! After that, I headed over to the Oak Room at the Algonquin to catch the dazzling Andrea Marcovicci in her Rodgers and Hart show one more time before she left town. What a treat! Joined by Shelly Markham (musical director) on piano and Jered Egan on bass, Andrea put on a truly lovely show, focusing mostly on the story of Lorenz Hart to tie the selections together. As usual, she looked stunning and brought each and every song to life in a remarkably personal way - providing a wonderful ending to what had already been a highly entertaining night!

The next evening found me at the Metropolitan Room to catch Liz Callaway in her show "Time Between Flights." I had seen this show once before, toward the end of last year and was so blown away, I just had to make a repeat trip to see it again! It is a powerhouse of a show - incredibly well sung, well acted, and well constructed. To hear Liz sing "Meadowlark" is worth the cover charge all on its own, but happily, the show was chock-full of great songs, and it was a true delight to take in. If she brings it back again, catch it, catch it, catch it!

On Sunday afternoon, I headed back to the Algonquin to see Billy Stritch in his brunch show. What a fantastic way to spend a Sunday afternoon. A frequent accompanist/partner to such luminaries as Liza Minelli and Christine Ebersole, it is a rare treat to see Billy in his own show, and I always try to take advantage of the opportunity. The last solo show I'd seen him in was his wonderful tribute to Mel Torme, and happily, he included a number of selections from that show in the brunch show at the Algonquin ("You're Driving Me Crazy" and "Blue Moon" among them). He also performed several Cy Coleman songs, including a beautiful ballad called "Let Me Down Easy," which was written by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh for a musical version of Neil Simon's "The Heartbreak Kid," that never made it to the Great White Way. I really enjoyed myself, and am looking forward to seeing Billy's Mel Torme show again next month when he brings it to Birdland!

And speaking of Birdland...on Monday, 1/14, I headed over there to see a true living legend in concert - Chita Rivera was putting on a benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids, and there was no way I was going to miss it! She played two sold out shows - one at 7 p.m. and one at 10 p.m. I was there for the later show, and found myself squeezed in at the bar, among countless other adoring fans. And boy, were we in for an incredible show! From her opening medley of "I Won't Dance"/"Let Me Sing and I'm Happy" to her second encore (Carol Hall's "Circle of Friends"), Chita simply dazzled. Looking stunning in a short black dress and patent red heels, she had more energy than a five-year-old on a sugar high! I was simply in awe. She made her way through a number of songs from she has had the honor of being associated with throughout her amazing career (including hits from "Bye Bye Birdie," "The Rink," "Chicago," and - of course - "West Side Story." And, despite the lyrics of her opening number, boy did she dance! It was a truly amazing night, and I was thrilled to be there. The Cast Party that followed was somewhat abbreviated, given the late start, but included some powerhouse performers, including Marilyn Maye, Christine Lavin, Christine Pedi, Hilary Kole, and the aforementioned Billy Stritch! Whew, what a night!

The next night found me at the National Arts Club to see a classical piano recital given by Joe Bachana. I've written about Joe before, and many people know him as the charming host of Metrojam, which is the monthly open mic at the Metropolitan Room. I'd heard Joe play pop songs on the piano before, but to see him give a classical recital was something new entirely! He did a wonderful job, playing to a packed room, and entertaining the crowd with selections from Scarlatti, Beethoven, Chopin and Gershwin.

On the following Sunday, I bundled up and headed uptown to Bemelmans Bar at the Carlyle Hotel to see Tony DeSare, who was playing from 9-12. As always, it was a true pleasure to listen to Tony. His smooth voice, amazing piano playing, easygoing personality, and terrific song selection make for a terrific evening of entertainment. He's going to be there for the next two Sundays, and I'm planning on heading back to catch him again - definitely a must-see if you're in town!

The next night, I had the pleasure of seeing Cynthia Crane in her show, "The Time Has Come" at the Metropolitan Room. I had seen this show last fall, and was so happy to be able to catch it one more time. Once again, I was so very impressed not only by the very careful construction of the show, but also by the heartfelt passion with which Cynthia sings every single lyric. After Cynthia's show, I ran over to Birdland to catch the second half of Cast Party, and, as usual, had a simply fabulous time!

Well, that brings us up to date for now - be sure to check back soon for an update!

Happy New Year!

2008-01-03T21:20:00.000-05:00

Greetings, everyone, and Happy 2008!
Sorry it's been so long since the last post - with the holiday hubbub, I did not have a spare second to devote to my blogging...ah, well. Luckily for me, I had a dinner cancelled at the last minute tonight, so I was able to get home to my computer and (finally) do an update!
December was a fun month for showgoing - I saw the Radio City Christmas Spectacular one night, followed by Cirque du Soleil's Wintuk the next...and what fun they both were! I'd only seen the Christmas Spectacular once before, and I was sitting in the last row of the last balcony, so, while enjoyable, I did not walk away from it as thrilled as I did last month! There is just something magical about seeing the Rockettes and hearing Christmas music and going shopping at Rockefeller Center beforehand (with a tall skim extra hot light whip peppermint mocha in hand, of course)...I might have to start making it an annual tradition! Seriously, though, seeing that show was such a joyous occasion - there is a reason tourists flock to it and show after show after show sells out each year: it is pure entertainment! Where else can you see an ice rink rise up in the middle of the stage or a double decker sightseeing bus full of Rockettes driving across a stage? And that's just the tip of the iceberg! Really, if you haven't seen the Christmas Spectacular, or it's been a while since your last visit, it's worth checking out next year - it put me in a good enough mood to stop grumbling at tourists under my breath for almost a full day afterwards!
As I said, the night after that, I saw Cirque du Soleil's Wintuk at Madison Square Garden. It was my first time seeing Cirque du Soleil, and I had a wonderful time. I was truly amazed, not only at their acrobatic feats, but at some of the beautiful, tender scenes they created using the power of movement and dance. Very, very cool.
Cabaret-wise, I saw Andrea Marcovicci's lovely Rodgers and Hart show at the Algonquin, and I participated in Cynthia Crane's holiday benefit, "If I Hear Another Song About Christmas." Andrea, as usual, was gorgeous and charming and worked the Oak Room like the true master she is! It is such a hard room to work, and she manages to draw every single person in with seeming effortlessness! And of course, the song material suited her perfectly. With the fabulous Shelly Markham as musical director, it was truly a fantastic evening out for me. Cynthia's benefit at Don't Tell Mama was a LOT of fun, and I was honored to be a part of it. The money raised was donated to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids/Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic. The lineup included Cynthia Crane (of course!), Mychelle Colleary, Me :), Rob Langeder, Karen Mack, Sidney Myer, Miles Phillips, Marcus Simeone, and Nancy Witter.
The following night, I was at that favorite haunt of mine, the Metropolitan Room to see the fabulous Baby Jane Dexter in her show, "You're Following Me." It was my third time seeing the show, and honestly, it seemed as fresh, if not fresher, than the first time I saw it. In addition to her big, rich voice and commanding stage presence, Baby Jane has that rare gift of bringing true joy to her singing, and that joy is simply infectious. I had a blast (for the third time!) at the show, and can't wait until she's back with another one!
The next day, I headed over to Cafe 50 West to hear Mychelle Colleary doing a jazz set with guitar and bass, and I must say - it's one of the more enjoyable early evenings I've spent in the city. With no cover and no minimum, I was free to just sit there and sip a leisurely glass of wine and enjoy the music. It was also fun to see Mychelle just having fun with her music outside of the more strict confines of a "show." Another gig definitely worth checking out - I know she'll be back there at some point, so I'll try to let you know when!
Tomorrow night, I'm headed back to the Metropolitan Room for Metrojam, the open mic night hosted by Joe Bachana. With John DiPinto on piano, Ritt Henn on bass, Bobby Scher on drums and the dapper Mr. Bachana presiding, it promises to be a most entertaining night out. Scheduled to perform so far are: Jenna Esposito, Sue Matsuki, Kristen Sergeant Rob Langeder, Shaynee Rainbolt, Susan Wynter, Cynthia Crane, and Laura Hull - should be lots of fun! If you're in town and can make it, it starts at 10 p.m.
I've got a bunch of shows coming up - you can check my website or my myspace page for all of the details - but the one I really want to get the word out about is my February 6th appearance at Barnes and Nobel at Lincoln Center. I'll be there as part of there "Any Wednesday" series, doing a free concert at 6 p.m., followed by a CD signing. This is big news for me, so if you're able to come out and support me, I'd be most appreciative!
I'm signing out for now (going to watch another episode of Cheers -woohoo!), but will do my best to get another update done soon!

Happy December!

2007-12-07T12:48:00.000-05:00

Hey Folks!
Well, you can tell it's the holidays, because I've been super busy and have had NO time to write! So, apologies for the delay...but apologies aside, I've seen some great shows since I last wrote and just had a fantastic birthday bash last weekend!
On Monday, November 19th, I had the privilege of seeing Broadway Unplugged at Town Hall. Produced by Scott Siegel and featuring some of the most amazing voices on Broadway, this annual event is so much fun to watch! With "sound design by God," the audience is treated to hearing the singers without amplification - just like in the old days of Broadway. The singers for the event included Sarah Uriarte Berry, David Burnham, Bill Daugherty, Willy Falk, Darius de Haas, Marc Kudisch, Aaron Lazar, Beth Leavel, Michael McElroy, Sarah Jane McMahon, William Michals, Paul Schoeffler, Emily Skinner, Martin Vidnovic, Max Von Essen, Barbara Walsh, and Michael Winther - what an absolute treat to be in that audience!
The following night found me at the Laurie Beechman Theatre to see my good friend Sue Matsuki in her annual birthday show. The room was PACKED with some of the biggest cabaret names in the city, all of whom had an absolute blast helping Sue celebrate the big day. The set I saw was great - the birthday girl was raring to go and backed by an awesome band!
On Friday, November 30th, I saw Liz Callaway at the Metropolitan Room and was simply blown away - what an amazing performance! The show was aptly called "Between Fights," since she was squeezing this run in between a concert in Korea and another performance in Iowa! The entire show was beautifully sung, so it's really hard to pick a favorite, but I do have to go with "Meadowlark." If you've never heard Liz Callaway sing this song, I encourage you to do your darndest to get to the Metropolitan Room in January when she'll be back for a few more shows. That song alone is worth the price of admission!
The night after Liz's show, I was back at the Metropolitan Room - and this time it was for my own birthday bash! A BIG thank you to everyone who performed and everyone who came to see it - I had an absolute blast! There were so many amazing performances that night - I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present. The performers included Joe Bachana, Hector Coris, Scott Coulter, Fortune Esposito, Kelly Esposito-Broelmann, David Goldman, Rob Langeder, Sue Matsuki, Miles Phillips, Michael Quinn, Shaynee Rainbolt, Ben Rauch, Gretchen Reinhagen, Maureen Taylor, Lennie Watts and, of course, ME! Such a fun night - can't wait till next year's birthday bash!
On Tuesday, 12/4 I headed over to the Laurie Beechman to catch the aforementioned Ben Rauch at the Laurie Beechman Theatre in his hilarious show, "Ben Rauch is Horace Vanderveer." Co-written by Ben himself, Melissa Rauch, and Winston Beigel and directed by the wonderfully talented Miles Phillips, this laugh-a-minute show features "Horace," a "musical theatre obsessed community theatre outcast from New Jersey whose dream is to one day be on Broadway," singing all kinds of showtunes for characters he was "born to play." I have to say, my favorite is "Defying Gravity" from Wicked! Horace has a few performances left; if you haven't seen him yet, I'd highly encourage you to get there - you'll have a great time! Remaining performances are Saturday December 8th at 2 p.m., Monday December 10th at 9 p.m., and Saturday December 15th at 2 p.m.
I've got a bunch of shows booked myself - you can get all of the details on my website (www.jennaesposito.com) or my myspace page (www.myspace.com/jennasparkle). Also, my CD is now available on CDBaby (http://cdbaby.com/cd/espositojenna) and itunes (http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playListId=269093235).
That's about all the news for now - check back for more soon!

Catch-Up Time!

2007-11-11T14:24:00.000-05:00

Hey all!
Well, it's been nearly four weeks since my last post, which seems crazy to me - where has the time gone?! Sorry for the delay; with my show going on and making the rounds to a bunch of other great shows, plus squeezing in time with my new nephew, I haven't had a heck of a lot of time to sit at my computer and write! But enough with the excuses...let me get on to the interesting stuff!
First of all, I unfortunately just do not have the time to write individually about all of the shows I've seen recently (and I doubt you have the time to read individual paragraphs about each of them). I will, however, talk about the 3 shows I went to this week because they were all fantastic, and so vastly different from each other!
On Wednesday evening, I headed to my favorite haunt, The Metropolitan Room, to see Terese Genecco, who was in town from San Francisco to perform at the Cabaret Convention. The show she did at the Metropolitan Room, "Drunk With Love: The Sequel" was a follow-up to her wildly popular show "Drunk With Love: A Tribute to Frances Faye." Though not featuring strictly the songs of Frances Faye, this show had a lot in common with the first: outstanding vocals, through-the-roof energy, a tight, well-rehearsed "little big band" and terrific arrangements. Terese is one of my favorite performers on the scene - if you haven't seen her, definitely try to catch her next time around.
Thursday evening found me at Don't Tell Mama to catch one of my other favorites, the legendary Ray Jessel. I consider myself a Ray Jessel groupie - every time he's in town, I try to catch his show at least once, if not several times. He is such a uniquely talented entertainer - a singer/songwriter in his 70s, who bears a striking resemblance to Einstein and can have you rolling on the floor at one moment with one of his comic songs, and the very next moment, break your heart with one of his beautiful ballads. Again, another must-see in my book! He's L.A.-based, but comes to NY a couple of times a year to share his talent with his fans on this coast! Again, if you haven't seen one of his shows yet, I highly encourage you to do so! He's got a few more performances - Tuesday, November 20th at 9 p.m. and Sunday, November 25th at 7 p.m., both at Don't Tell Mama. I may be at one or both - hope to see you there!
On Saturday night, I went to see Gashole at the Duplex. Gashole has been around for about 7 years, in various incarnations, and I had never gotten to see them before, but after the show last night, I can say that I will definitely be seeing them again. Irreverent and silly, Karen Mack and Michael Holland put on a show that's been described in the following terms: "Deranged medleys. Soaring harmonies. Dubious trivia. Pop culture freefall." Fun, fun, fun - a reminder that playing music should involve actual PLAY! I had a great time and can't wait to catch another one of their shows. One of the best parts is that the show changes each night - each table is equipped with a rolodex full of songs/medleys, and audience members are encouraged to pull their requests out of the rolodexes and put them in a big fishbowl before the show starts. The fishbowl is brought around to various audience members throughout the show, who pull a card out to determine which song will be next.
As I said earlier, I'm unfortunately not able to write individual paragraphs about all of the shows I've seen recently. Let me say, though, that they each had something special to offer, and if any of them are brought back for another run, I'd highly encourage you to see them. So, here we go...Laurie Krauz in her jazz set at Sweet Rhythm; Cynthia Crane in her new show, "The Time Has Come" at The Metropolitan Room; Miles Phillips in his gorgeous new show, "Quiet Stars" at The Metropolitan Room; The Gene Krupa Orchestra at The Reprise Room at Dillon's; the fantastically talented Hillary Kole at Birdland; Marcus Simeone in his wonderful CD release show at the Laurie Beechman Theater at the West Bank Cafe; and Gretchen Reinhagen in her new show "Back To Basics" at Don't Tell Mama. What a coupla weeks it's been - jam packed with great entertainment!
I was also thrilled to be a featured vocalist at Julian Yeo's jazz brunch yesterday, which occurs on every other Saturday at the Reprise Room at Dillons, which is on 54th between Broadway and 8th. The brunch is a great deal - $19.95 for great music and a tasty pre-fixe brunch. It runs from 11:30-2:30, and is a great way to spend a Saturday morning/early afternoon. The musicians are fantastic, and the food is great, too!
Well, that just about brings us up-to-date...but check back soon - I've got a couple of "essay" style blogs cooking about various aspects of the business and am hoping to have them completed within the next week or so.
Also, 13 Men...and Me! is now available for purchase through CD Baby! Woo hoo!
Have a great week, and check for updates soon!

Whew! Leslie Orofino, Lina Koutrakos, CD Release and More!

2007-10-16T15:01:00.000-05:00

Hello All!
Sorry for the gap between postings, but as most of you know, it's been a pretty hectic time for me - getting geared up for the big CD Release has taken up a ton of time and energy - but boy, was it worth it!! I'll write more about it later, but first let me pick up where I left off last time!
On Friday, October 5th, I headed over to the Metropolitan Room for Joe Bachana's MetroJam. What a fantastic night! Hosted by the charming Mr. Bachana, the house musicians for the night were John DiPinto on piano, Tommy Kirchmer on bass, and Bobby Sher on drums. The house was loaded with amazing talents including Gretchen Reinhagen, Cynthia Crane, Ray Jessel, Richard Malavet, Rob Langeder, Susan Winter, and Jenny Lynn Stewart, all of whom graced the stage with their wonderful talents! My dad also joined me on guitar for two songs (we were giving a sneak preview of my show!) and did his own rockin' "Moondance!" It was such a wonderful evening, I couldn't believe how quickly it flew by! The "Metrojammers" are taking the holiday season off, but will be back in January to kick off the new year. I'll keep you posted!
On Monday, October 8th, I had the thrill of being part of the audience for Lina Koutrakos' show at the Metropolitan Room. This was a rock n' roll show that was being filmed for DVD, so it was very exciting. And if you've never heard Lina...all I can say is - this woman KNOWS how to rock! She's got soul oozing out of her fingertips and the energy created by her powerful voice and her amazing band is truly something that needs to be experienced! I'm kind of a "Lina groupie" - this is my third or fourth time seeing her, and I'd go back again in a heartbeat. This woman knows how to put on a show!!! Of course, since it was a Monday, I headed right over to Cast Party after Lina's show, where my dad joined me again and we schmoozed, sang, and schmoozed some more! (Really, what else is there in life?)
Tuesday evening found me at the 10th Avenue Lounge to support my friend Mark Aaron James. Mark is a singer/songwriter/guitar player who does original material as well as some really cool covers of pop/rock songs. I've always enjoyed listening to him at Cast Party and the odd night out at Marie's Crisis, so I was really happy to finally get a chance to check out one of his solo gigs - and I was definitely not disappointed! Mellow and low-key, the 10th Avenue Lounge is a great place to sit back, sip a beer, and listen to some great music. Mark's original tunes are great, and I truly believe he's the only person I know who can get away with singing "Thriller" as part of a set! He's out of town tonight, but should be back next week - definitely swing by if you're in town and you've got the time. At no cover and no minimum, it's one of the most affordable nights in the city! Starts at 9:30 p.m.
For the rest of the week, I basically took it easy - I knew I had a big night coming up with the CD Release, and believe it or not, I came down with a sinus infection! Not great timing, but it actually forced me to stay home and get some much-needed rest before my big night last night...and SPEAKING of the big night...we had a BLAST! My show, 13 Men...and Me! opened at the Metropolitan Room last night to coincide with the release by my brand-spankin'-new debut CD of the same name. We had a great audience, and I had the most wonderful ensemble backing me up - Fortune Esposito (musical director), on guitar and backup vocals; Kelly Park (producer of the CD) on piano; Michael Blanco on bass, Brian DeWitt on drums, Brian Broelmann on tenor sax, and Kelly Esposito-Broelmann and Rob Langeder on backup vocals. I had a terrific time - after the months and months of sitting in the studio and listening to those songs over and over and over again, it felt amazing to get them on their feet and perform them!
A BIG thank you to all who attended - it was a very special night for me and your presence meant the world.
After the show, we headed over to Cast Party (of course!) and continued the celebration by performing the 1st track of the CD, an old Paul Anka tune called "Eso Beso." What a fun, fun night!

On my agenda:

Wednesday, 10/17:
Jazzaret at the Triad
9:00 p.m. at the Triad,158 W. 72nd Street
Jazzaret is a fun, relaxed weekly open mike soiree hosted by Dana Lorge and featuring the Barry Levitt Trio. Featured singers this week are Linda Kosut, Esther Beckman, and ME!!!
$5 cover + 1 drink minimum

Sunday, 10/21
Cynthia Crane: The Time Has Come
4:00 p.m. at the Metropolitan Room, 34 W. 22nd Street
One of cabaret's most treasured talents. Her show last year, "If I Knew Now..." was just great, and I'm looking forward to seeing her brand new show at my favorite room in the city!
$20 cover + 2 drink minimum

Gretchen Reinhagen: Back To Basics
8:15 p.m. at Don't Tell Mama
A fantastically talented singer and storyteller. Her last show, "Redefined" was a treat, and I'm eagerly anticipating catching this new show!
$15 cover + 2 drink minimum

Monday, October 22nd
ME!!!!: Thirteen Men...and Me!
7:00 p.m. at the Metropolitan Room
Join me on a "live tour" of my brand new CD! Featuring songs from Duke Ellington to Bacharach and David, to songs made famous by the likes of Ann Margret, Paul Anka, and Tony Bennett - there's a little something for everyone!
$20 cover + 2 drink minimum

Miles Phillips: Quiet Stars
9:30 p.m. at the Metropolitan Room
One of my favorite entertainers in the city - Miles always puts on scrupulously crafted, well-sung shows - can't wait to catch this one!

Okay, kids, that's about it for now...but check back soon for more updates!

Nancy Anderson, Marilyn Maye, and more!

2007-10-02T10:13:00.000-05:00

Hey all!

Well, I've had an extremely busy two weeks - besides tying up all of the loose ends on my CD, I've been rehearsing my show, appearing as a guest vocalist in other people's shows, and trying to see as many shows as possible! Whew!

So, here's what I've been doing...

On Sunday, 9/23, I had a fantastic night. First, I headed to Birdland to catch the lovely Nancy Anderson in her show Ten Cents A Dance. Seeing Nancy Anderson perform this show is like taking a trip back in time to the 1930s. Her look, her voice, her fantastic 10-piece band...what an absolute delight! The show kicked off with a bouncy "The Trouble With Me Is You" and went on to include a number of my favorite tunes, including "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," "It Never Entered My Mind," and "My Romance." She also gave us a sneak preview of a few songs from a new musical called Yank. Written by David and Joseph Zellnick, it's a WWII-era musical, and from what I heard of the music, they've done a terrific job of capturing the sound of that era. Yank will be playing at the Gallery Players in Park Slope (yay for Park Slope!) October 20th through November 4th. Also featured in the musical is one of my favorite song-and-dance men, Jeffry Denman as well as an old friend of mine from upstate, Chris Carfizzi! I really can't wait to see this show!
But back to Sunday, 9/23...after Nancy's show, I headed over to the Metropolitan Room to catch the incomparable Marilyn Maye. Wow. I also saw Marilyn the last time she was in the city (which was springtime this year), so I should have been better prepared for how amazing she is, but somehow she managed to completely blow me away again. Perhaps best known for appearing on the Tonight Show a mind-blowing 76 times (she was Johnny Carson's favorite singer!), Marilyn Maye is a consummate pro! She's got a killer voice and has an amazing ability to just radiate energy and joy with her music. At several points during the show, I don't believe there was a stationary body in the room - every single person was bopping or swaying or tapping or clapping...just awesome! I'm looking forward to catching Ms. Maye when she's back in November with her tribute to Johnny Carson. I can say without a doubt that this will be a show that's not to be missed!
On Tuesday evening, I had the honor of being a guest vocalist with the Julian Yeo Band at the Underground Lounge. Accompanied by piano, bass, drums, guitar, and xylophone (!) Julian delivered three easy and smooth jazz sets, and I was thrilled to be able to perform one song in each set. Even more fun was spontaneously performing a couple of duets with Julian. That was my second time going to one of his gigs at the Underground Lounge and I really had a wonderful time on both trips. Low-key and relaxed, but with an extremely high level of talent - not a bad combo at all! I'm told that this, however, was the band's farewell performance at the Underground. The good news is that they'll be doing a regular Saturday brunch at the newly re-opened Dillon's on West 54th!
I was a guest vocalist again later in the week, only this time it was at the opposite end of Manhattan at the Duplex! My good friend Arnaldo was in town from Seattle, performing his show Just An Old Fashioned Girl and I was delighted to be his "special guest star" on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. Arnaldo is a beautiful "drag chanteuse" and puts on a charming, supper-club style show. I LOVED watching the show three nights in a row - Arnaldo was terrific. Funny, engaging, witty, and elegant, he delivered a standard-filled show in a soft, sweet voice and was joined by the talented (and tuxedo-wearing!) Bob Bruneau on piano. An absolute joy - I truly hope Arnaldo graces New York with his presence again soon!
On Sunday, 9/30 I had another "doubleheader" day, as I had the opportunity to take in two more great shows at the Metropolitan Room! At 4:00, I saw the lovely and talented Leslie Orofino in her new show, "Manhattan Madness," and delighted in experiencing her warm sound, engaging personality, impeccable song selection, and most of all, her wonderful storytelling. She really made each and every song a personal experience and breathed new life into songs we've all heard time and time again. She's got one show left at the Metropolitan Room on Sunday, October 7th at 7 p.m. and then she'll be taking the show to Bob Egan's gorgeous Cosmopolitan Club on Sunday, November 4th at 7:30 p.m.!
At 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, 9/30, I returned to the Metropolitan Room for Suzanne Carrico's show, The Art of the Cahn, which featured the lyrics of Sammy Cahn. With direction by cabaret diva Mary Cleere Haran, the show moved along seamlessly. Suzanne's powerful vocals were backed by super-talents Don Rebic on piano and Steve Doyle on bass, who did a terrific job of supporting her. With so many wonderful songs to choose from, it's hard to pick a favorite, but the tender simplicity of "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry" really stood out to me.
Another great day at the Metropolitan Room!
Last night, of course was Cast Party night at Birdland, and what a great night it was! Plenty of talented regulars such as Hilary Kole, Mark Aaron James, and Ben Rauch turned in excellent performances, and there were other treats as well, most notably the fantastic Ray Jessel and Robert Kole (yep, Hilary's dad - who was Tony in West Side Story on Broadway!).
Coming up this week:

Wednesday, 10/3
Jazzaret at the Triad
9:00 p.m. at the Triad, 158 W. 72nd St.
A great weekly open mic night headed by Barry Levitt at the piano and hosted by comedy mistress Dana Lorge. This week's featured performers are Sue Matsuki and Ray Jessel. At a $5 cover and 1-drink minimum, this is a hard deal to beat! I'll be there with bells on, singing a tune or two and passing out postcards for my upcoming shows!

Friday, 10/5
Metrojam
10:15 p.m. at the Metropolitan Room, 34 W. 22nd St.
A fantastic open mic opportunity, hosted by the dapper and talented Joe Bachana. With John DiPinto on piano, Tommy Kirchmer on bass, and Bobby Sher on drums. Featured singers this week include Joan Crowe, Rob Langeder, Ray Jessel, Sue Matsuki, yours truly, AND my fabulous dad, Fortune Esposito! It's gonna be a great night, so head on over!

Just a reminder - 13 Men...and Me! (my debut CD) is coming out in 13 days!! Woohoo! And we're celebrating with a bang at the Metropolitan Room. The release party is taking place on Monday, October 15th at 9:30 p.m. I've got an amazing band backing me up and we'll be doing all of the songs from the album. Everyone in attendance on October 15th will receive a FREE CD, so make sure to get your reservations in! If you can't make the 15th, we've also got performances on Monday, October 22nd at 7 p.m. and Sunday, October 28th at 7 p.m. See you there!

That's all for now, folks! Check back for updates soon!

CD Release coming soon!

2007-09-15T20:59:00.000-05:00

Hey all!
So, the big news is that my CD is done! It's not replicated or packaged yet, but we do (finally!) have a finished product on our hands. I'm really excited - can you tell?! The official release date is October 15, and we'll be celebrating with a run of shows. We'll be at the Metropolitan Room in NYC on October 15th at 9:30 p.m., October 22nd at 7 p.m., and October 28th at 7 p.m. Then, on October 29th, we'll be heading up to John's Harvest Inn in Middletown, NY to do the "hometown" release party! I'm hoping to have some packed houses, so mark your calendars now!
Speaking of John's Harvest Inn in Middletown, I was just there last night to see my friend Sue Matsuki in her Ella Fitzgerald show. What a great night - first of all, Sue is just such a great entertainer, and this show is such a delight. Great songs, great musicians...oh, yes - I must make special note of the musicians. Not only was my regular piano player, Richard Schacher, playing for Sue, but my dad was also playing. But this show was a little different, because in addition to playing guitar, he also played bass...and drums...and he sang! He was a regular one-man band up there, and I don't think I've ever been more impressed by his musicianship! Sure, we teased him about being boxed in on all sides by instruments, and I definitely chuckled when I saw him rockin' out on guitar while playing the high hat...but really, that takes some serious talent! Nice work, Dad! But back to Sue...she had the audience in the palm of her hand for both sets - and really brought the house down with "Mac the Knife" and a smokin' "Frim Fram Sauce." Spotted in the audience were NYC singer/pianist Ronny Whyte and songwriter Bob Levy, which was pretty cool. All in all, a terrific night!
Of course, by being at Sue's show, I missed a great night at Metrojam, back in Manhattan, which I hear went really well! I went last week and had a fantastic time, and was sorry to miss last night. For those of you who don't know what Metrojam is, it is the open mic night at my favorite club, the Metropolitan Room. I've been a few times so far, and the level of talent there has been extremely high, which makes for a highly entertaining night out. Hosted by Joe Bachana, each Metrojam promises a lineup of super-talented performers jamming with an awesome band, which is usually headed up by Marty Silver at the piano. The next Metrojam is happening on Friday, October 5th at 10:15 p.m., so mark your calendars and get your charts ready!
Speaking of open mics, I've attended Jazzaret at the Triad for the past couple of weeks and had a great time there, too! Comedy mistress Dana Lorge is the host of this one, and Barry Levitt heads things up at the piano, which is awesome. Each week, a guest vocalist does a 5-song spot, which is a really nice treat. I got to be the guest vocalist about a month ago, and this past Wednesday it was Rob Langeder, who brought the house down with his "Route 66," "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby" and Frank Loesser's "Hamlet." Jazzaret occurs every Wednesday at 9 p.m. and is definitely worth checking out, if you haven't already.
That's about all the news for now...but stay tuned for more soon!

Happy Labor Day!

2007-09-02T20:38:00.001-05:00

Hey all!
Hope this Labor Day finds you resting, not laboring...and if you're laboring, hopefully this blog will give you a fun diversion!
Okay, so where did I leave off? The last shows I wrote about were over the first weekend in August, so I've got nearly a month of catching up to do! Luckily, summer's traditionally a slower time in the cabaret world, so I actually don't have a ton to write about. I've been attending Jazzaret at the Triad on most Wednesday nights, and having a blast. This weekly open mike continues to be a great spot to sing and schmooze. Dana Lorge is a great hostess - talented, funny, and - perhaps most importantly - she KNOWS how to keep things moving! Some great talents have come to the mike each time I've gone, and the coming week (September 5th) promises to be a great one - with Barry Levitt at the keys, accompanied by John Dominguez on bass and Patrick Flynn on drums, how can you go wrong?
Believe it or not, I only attended ONE solo show in August! On August 21, I went to see Mychelle Colleary at the Metropolitan Room in her new show, August Is Romance Awareness Month. Accompanied by a fab band (David Budway on piano, Essiet Okon Essiet on bass, Sylivia Cuenca on drums and Mayra Casales on percussion), Mychelle delivered a fantastic selection of songs, truly toeing the line between "jazz" and cabaret." Ah, another great night at the Metropolitan Room!
And speaking of the Metropolitan Room, on August 26th, I was thrilled to be a part of songwriter Bernie Bierman's 99th birthday celebration. Hosted by Joe Bachana, this was a celebration of Bernie's music, which has been recorded by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughn, Guy Lombardo, Billy Eckstine and Sammy Kaye. I was given two fabulous songs to sing, and was truly honored to be sharing the stage with Steve Maglio, Tony DeSare, Kristen Sergeant, Marieann Meringolo, and host Joe Bachana, among others. With Marty Silver on piano (and also singing a few tunes!) and Ritt Henn on bass, it was truly a fantastic show. What a wonderful tribute to a man who has given so much to the community! Bernie himself treated us to a few numbers, capping off a fantastic birthday celebration. Looking forward to the 100th!
That's the report for now - I'm off to play with my week-old nephew! Things should be picking up again now that we're into September, so check for updates soon!

Whew!

2007-08-27T21:21:00.000-05:00

Hey all! Sorry it's been so long since the last post - life's been a whirlwind! I actually don't really have time to catch up on everything, but just wanted to post a little something to let you all know I haven't fallen off the face of the earth. I HAVE, however, become an aunt! Yep, Charles Robert Broelmann was born on Friday, August 24th at 9:54 p.m. 8 pounds, 8 ounces, 20.5 inches, and the most adorable little face!
Quickly, let me catch you up on everything I've got going on - I'll go into more detail in later posts, but I'm going to be singing a lot in the coming months, and I want to let you know dates!
On Tuesday, September 17th, I'll be doing a few songs at Julian Yeo's gig up at the Underground Lounge, then on September 28th and 29th, I'll be appearing at the Duplex as a special guest in another friend's show - his name is Arnaldo, and he is one of the sweetest drag queens you'll ever meet! On October 3rd, I'll be singing with the Gene Krupa Orchestra at the Laurie Beechman Theatre at the West Bank Cafe, and then on October 15th, I'm having my big CD release show at the Metropolitan Room! I'll have two more performances at the Metropolitan Room to celebrate the release of the CD on Monday, October 22nd and Sunday, October 28th. Looking ahead to December, I'll be having my second annual All-Star Birthday Bash on Saturday, December 1st at the Metropolitan Room! Whew! Lots coming up! And a new nephew! Does life get any better?
I have a number of shows to report on, but I HAVE to get some sleep - tomorrow's the photo shoot for my CD cover and I need my beauty rest. Check back for an update soon!

Happy Wednesday!

2007-08-06T14:18:00.001-05:00

Ah, another week begins! I'm still trying to catch up here from a few weeks of heavy show-going, so will try to pick up where I left off. Let's see...on Wednesday, July 25th, I went to Jazzaret at the Triad for the first time. This is the newest open mike in town and is the brainchild of Scott Barbarino. Hosted by Dana Lorge, this laid-back open mike welcomes newcomers as well as veterans and features one or two singers each week, each of whom does a set of five songs. On the 25th, Ricky Ritzel was at the piano, and the featured singers were Molly Mahoney and Julian Yeo. While Molly did more music-theatre style songs, Julian stuck to standards. Both were engaging an entertaining, and the crowd had a great time. At around 10:00, Ricky was joined by a bass player and a drummer, which added a lot to the performances that followed.

The following night, it was off to the Underground Lounge to see the aforementioned Julian Yeo. More a traditional jazz gig than cabaret, I must say that it was one of the best nights out I've had in a while. Backed by a great quartet (piano, bass, drums, and violin), Julian was easygoing and relaxed, and was able to sing the songs he loves to sing without being restricted by "putting on a show." The small room was packed, and the audience had a great time, calling out requests, and bopping along to the tunes. He's going to be back at the Underground on August 16th and August 30th, and I'm hoping to be there for both nights. It's one of the best deals in town - no cover, just 3 hours of fab music! Check it out if you can!

On Friday, July 27th, I headed down to the Blue Note to catch my favorite diva, Ann Hampton Callaway. This was the 7th time I'd seen her live, and she just gets better and better! Not only is her instrument just unbelievable, but she just sparkles onstage. There's always a twinkle in the eye, and she just dares you to take your eyes off of her. She swings like nobody's business (take her opener, "Swingin' Away the Blues," for instance) and can break your heart on a ballad (the one that springs immediately to mind is "Here's That Rainy Day." On the night I saw her she did the Chick Corea/Al Jarreau "Spain," which I haven't heard since my senior year in high school, when I performed it in the All-County jazz chorus! It's an amazing song, incredibly difficult to to sing, and she delivered it flawlessy! I must say, though, my absolute favorite song of the evening was "Blue Moon." Oh, man! Sometimes, when I hear a song delivered amazingly well, it makes me never even want to THINK about singing it myself - and this was just such an instance. Wow - that's all I can say. I wish I could have caught the show again before the end of the run, but I'll just have to be content to catch Ann the next time she's back in town!

On Sunday, 7/29, I headed back to the Metropolitan Room to catch Lennie Watts in his Barry Manilow show one more time. As I've said before, it's just a fun, fun show! The house was packed, and the audience (myself included) just had the best time bopping to Barry's hits. Ah yes, there's something to be said "the old songs!"

On Monday, it was Cast Party as usual, then on Tuesday, I took my dad to see Michael Buble at Radio City Music Hall. Now, if Ann Hampton Callaway is my favorite diva, Michael Buble is my favorite divo. I've been a fan for a long time, and I'm pretty sure last Tuesday was my 7th time seeing him as well! I actually saw him at his first NYC performance at the Blue Note, back in 2003, and it's been really fun to watch his career skyrocket. What's so exciting is that he's singing great music, and he's actually got a fantastic voice! It's so refreshing to see someone singing the Great American Songbook and have the goods to back it up. I don't want to get all "high horsey," as my sis would say, but it can get rather frustrating to see crappy pop music and untalented, overproduced "singers" getting all kinds of airplay and selling millions of albums. So, I'm thrilled that a young guy with a great voice is making songs by Kern and the Gershwins and Rodgers & Hart, etc. "cool" again. Hooray! That being said, he did not disappoint last week. Backed by an AWESOME band, he put on a super high-energy show, filled with great songs including "Me and Mrs. Jones," "For Once In My Life," "Call Me Irresponsible," "Always On My Mind," "Feeling Good," and "That's Life." For "That's Life," he was joined by a gospel choir, who brought the house down with their backing vocals. Overall, just a wonderful show - can't wait to see him again the next time he's in town!

On Wednesday, 8/1, it was back to the Triad for Jazzaret at the Triad. Again, a really fun night - and this week, it was the fabulous Barry Levitt at the piano. I was actually one of the featured vocalists, so I got to do a set of 5 songs with Barry and the band, which was really cool. Two of my favorite singer friends, Shaynee Rainbolt and Rob Langeder, also sang and we all had a great time. I really wanted to go back tonight, but as I hadn't updated this blog in ages, I opted to come home and do some writing! I am hoping to make it back next week, though!

On Friday, 8/3, I did a doubleheader at the Metropolitan Room - Southern Comfort at 7:30, followed by Kim Nalley's tribute to Billie Holiday at 10:00. Southern Comfort was just terrific. Originally performed by Scott Coulter, Tim DiPasqua, and Tom Andersen, a last minute change had to be made due to the illness of one of the cast members. Tom Andersen had taken ill and was unable to do the show, so with 3 days notice, the fabulous Lisa Asher stepped up to the plate and did a fantastic job filling in. In fact, if I hadn't known better, I would have had NO idea that she wasn't supposed to be part of the show in the first place! In an evening of country music, the tight harmonies are SO important, and she blended in like she'd been in the show for years, as opposed to days. Scott and Tim also turned in stellar performances, contributing to an all-around wonderful show. I was actually shocked when it was over - the music was just so good, the hour had absolutely FLOWN by!
After the show, I grabbed a quick bite for dinner, then headed back to see West Coaster Kim Nalley in "The Heart of Lady Day: Kim Nalley Sings Billie Holiday." Kim has a lovely voice, and while she does not really go into a strict imitation of Billie Holiday, there is something in her vibrato and timbre that is reminiscent of Holiday's, which was made it very interesting to listen to. She covered a number of Holiday's biggest hits, and for me, the standout number of the evening was "What A Little Moonlight Can Do." She just had so much fun with this number - and consequently, so did the audience! Also, something fun - Kim's drummer, Kent Bryson, had played for me on the studio sessions we did out in California in April. I was staring at him during her second number, wondering why he looked so familiar, and then all of a sudden it hit me - we'd spent 8 hours working together a few months back! Remember his name - you'll be seeing it on my cd in a few months!

On Saturday, 8/4, I headed to New Hope, PA for a performance at Bob Egan's Cosmopolitan Club. Sue Matsuki had put together an all-star lineup to perform the "New York Invasion," and since they're all friends of mine, I headed out to New Hope with them. The cast included Sue herself, Laurie Krauz, Joan Crowe, Rob Langeder, Miles Phillips, Edd Clark, and Sidney Myer. Everyone did 2 songs each, plus there were several duets. Fantastic musical direction was provided by Tedd Firth, with Paul Stephan accompanying on a few numbers. I was honored to be asked to sing a number - and had a great time doing "Come Rain or Come Shine." The club is gorgeous - and really not a bad drive from the city. Definitely worth a trip out to lovely New Hope, should you be up for it! Miles Phillips will be back there with his new show in the fall, so I'm hoping to make the trip back to see him.

Monday, 8/6, it was Cast Party again - and my dad came with me, which was a lot of fun! Many other regulars were there, including Hilary Kole, who is just one of my favorite singers. She delivered a gorgeous "Blue Moon" - very different from Ann Hampton Callaway's version, but just as stunning. My dad did one of my favorite Beatles songs, "Oh! Darling," and there were lots of other terrific performances - as alway, a fun time was had by all.

That's about all for now - check back for an update soon!

Time Flies When You're...Busy!!!

2007-07-29T21:47:00.000-05:00

Wow, I cannot believe it's been over two weeks since my last post. And to make matters worse, I left my day planner at my office, so now I have to try to remember everything I've seen! Well, as I said in my last post, I've got a ton to write about, so if I don't make it through everything, I'll have to write a "Part III" soon!
So, without further ado...Whoop-Up at the Duplex! I saw Whoop-Up on Thursday, July 12th, and boy am I glad I did. Part of the Opening Doors Theatre Company's Closing Notice Series, the musical was originally produced in 1958-1959 and played 56 performances oat the Shubert Theatre. Despite the short run, it's gathered a cult following over the years, and the Duplex was packed with people eager for a glimpse of the much-listened to but little-seen show. Having never been to one of the "Closing Notice" shows, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a fairly complete production. No scenery, of course (I'd challenge ANYONE to fit full scenery, a piano, and a cast of 11 on the stage of the Duplex), but costumes, choreography, and great staging. The musical was hilarious in its blatent un-political correctness, and director David Norman did a great job of playing up the camp value without compromising sincerity from his actors. Alison Renee Foster was absolutely fantastic as saloon-mistress Glenda, and Gretchen Reinhagen gave a terrific performance as Mama Champlain. The rest of the cast all turned in solid performances, and kudos must also be given to musical director Ray Bailey and choreographer Dawn Trautman. Congrats to Opening Doors Theatre Company on a great production. They're on hiatus until late fall, but whatever their next show is, I'll be there with bells on!
On Saturday, July 14th, I was back at my favorite haunt, the Metropolitan Room to catch Miles Phillips in The Unrest Inside Me. As with Specific Overtures, which he'd performed the week before, The Unrest Inside Me was a show which Miles had performed before (the debut was in October, 2003) but hadn't done in a while. And again, I'm so happy I caught it this time around. Centering on the theme of the trickiness of balancing art and love, the show struck many emotional chords, but managed to keep a little levity with such songs as "Goin' To The Dance With You" (during which he coaxed waitress and outstanding performer Lorinda Lisitza on stage to dance with him), and my personal favorite: the "V & V (Venom & Vitriol) medley." Now, I know I missed a few songs, but here are the songs in that medley that I managed to jot down: Who Wants To Buy This Diamond Ring, Ticket To Ride, Day Tripper, Just Gimme Some Kind Of Sign (is that the real title? hmmm...), Another Suitcase In Another Hall, Nowhere to Run, Where In The World, I Don't Remember Christmas, I Don't Care Much, Sunny Came Home, No More Tears, and Hit The Road, Jack. Whew! Don't get me wrong, though - while there were plenty of fun, upbeat moments, there were also plenty of poignant, reflective moments - one of my favorites being a medley of I'd Rather Be Sailing and Same Moon...and another of my favorites being I Wish It So (from whence the title of the show came!). Again, musical director Jason Wynn contributed great accompaniment, harmony, and easy banter with Miles, which only added to an already great show. Throughout the show, Miles' beautiful baritone did great justice to the lyrics he was singing, and made me all the more eager to catch his new show, Quiet Stars, which will be debuting at the Metropolitan Room in October!
Sunday, July 15th found me back at the Metropolitan Room to see Lennie Watts in Manilow '73-'83. Now, really, Lennie always puts on a great show, and when you add Barry Manilow on top of that, how can you miss?! Well, we'll never know, because Lennie sure didn't miss with this show. Like Lennie, I am an admitted "fanilow," having been brought up on his songs. In fact, my family has a tape of me singing (well, attempting to sing, anyway) "Can't Smile Without You" (which came out like "Ca' Sigh Ow Ooo") and "Copacabana" (which sounded like "Coh-ba-a") when I was only a year old! But I digress...anyway, Lennie put on a terrifically entertaining show. Backed by a fab band (musical director Steven Ray Watkins on piano, Matt Wigton on bass, and Jerry Smith on drums) and the awesome "Lady Flash 2007" (Tanya Holt, Karen Mack, and Alisa Schiff), Lennie romped through a number of Manilow's biggest hits, modulations and all. He covered ALL of my favorites (except "One Voice," but he gives a very good reason for excluding that one...something to do with singing it into a hairbrush, tears streaming down his face, for an entire weekend when he was young and his parents were away for the weekend), and while they were, for the most part, very true to the way Manilow originally did them, Lennie did a great job of making them his. His enthusiasm for the material was infectious, and the packed room was swaying and clapping and singing along like nobody's business! I had SUCH a great time that I went back to see it again last Sunday, and then AGAIN tonight! Yes, I'm a "fanilow" but I'm also turning into a "fannilennie!" Fun, fun, fun!
Monday, 7/16 found me at Cast Party, as usual, and then Tuesday, 7/17 I headed upstate after work to prepare for the next day's gig at Monticello Gaming and Raceway. Having grown up not too far from Monticello, I knew, of course, about the horse races, but I had no idea that this casino had sprung up! I'd been booked there since January, but had no idea what to expect. Well, I was pleasantly suprised on show day to find a nice performance space (with a great, big stage) and a PACKED house! I did my show, Shakin' The Blues Away, which is almost strictly standards, and the Wednesday afternoon audience really enjoyed it. We're currently in discussions now about doing a Saturday evening performance up there sometime early next year, which would be great fun - I'll be sure to keep you posted. After the show, my dad and I hopped in the car and zipped back to the city to grab our bleacher seats and watch the Yankees beat Toronto (and get our free caps - it was cap night at the stadium)!
The following night, it was back to the studio to do the final mixing on my cd. We are so near the end - it just needs to be mastered, and then the cd will be done! That just leaves finishing up the cover design, duplication, and all of those other fun things that need to get done. It's been a long process, but hey - the end is in sight and we're going to be having a big release party to celebrate! So mark your calendars for Monday, October 15th - we'll be at the Metropolitan Room at 7 p.m.
Well...much as I'd love to continue and get completely up-to-date, it's after midnight again, and I do need to get some sleep before beginning the work week. To be continued, as soon as I can!!

Oh, My!

2007-07-13T21:47:00.000-05:00

Wow, I've got so much to write about, I'm getting tired just thinking about it! Yikes! Well, here goes...if this goes on too long or I find myself falling asleep at the keyboard, I'll cut it off early and write part II soon!

So, without further ado...I left off just over a week ago, when I was looking forward to my weekend at the Metropolitan Room. And what a weekend it was! Friday evening began with "My Favorite Year," which was the 17th Birthday Party of Cabaret Hotline. The entertainment was a virtual who's who of New York cabaret (piano bar entertainer David Pellegrene, Lennie Watts, 2007 MAC debut award winners Esther Beckman and Rob Langeder, 2007 MAC award-winning comedian Michael Brill, Ruben Flores, 2007 Nightlife Award finalist Karen Oberlin, Jay Rogers, Karen Saunders, and Sue Matsuki...and, of course, the fabulous Steven Ray Watkins on piano!), with a special "out of town" contingent (Francesca Amari, Alice Frazier, and Bruce Clough). From Lennie's rockin' "Riders to the Stars" (complete with lovely and talented backup singers Tanya Holt, Karen Mack, and Alisa Schiff) to Sue Matsuki's touching rendition of the title song to close the show, it was a highly entertaining evening, and the audience was filled with cabaret lovers who turned out in droves to thank Stu Hamstra for all he's done for our community. The Jeff Matson awards was presented to Collette Black (booking manager at Rose's Turn) and Joe Regan, Jr. As Stu said, each of them has been "an inspiration, a resource and a good friend to cabaret performers." The first ever Dottie Burman award (for songwriting) was presented to Maria Gentile, who treated us all with one of her beautiful songs. All in all, a great party, and a fabulous tribute to one of the best things NYC cabaret has going for it - Stu Hamstra's Cabaret Hotline!

After a brief dinner break, I returned to the Metropolitan Room for Metrojam, which is their monthly open mike. Now, believe it or not, I'd never made it to Metrojam before, and what a pleasant surprise I had! Not only was there a pianist (basically a prerequisite for ANY open mike!), but also comprising the "house band" were a bassist, a drummer, and a tenor sax player! Woohoo! What fun! Hosted by Joe Bachana, the open mike moved along well, and featured some truly fantastic singers. Sue Matsuki, Kristen Sargeant, Suzanne Carrico, 98-year-old singer/pianist/songwriter Bernie Bierman (!), Marieann Meringolo, Harmony Keeney, Ken Greeves, Rob Langeder, Gretchen Reinhagen, Steve Maglio, Stanley Wilson, and yours truly all graced the stage and had a fab time jamming with the band. The musicians were awesome - can't wait till next month's jam (August 26th - be there!) to sing with them again. The musicians were: Marty Silver, piano; Bobby Sher, drums; Tommy Kirchmer, bass; Joey Mills, saxophone. Truly, a fun, fun night!!

The following night, I was back at the Metropolitan Room to catch Miles Phillips in his show Specific Overtures. Miles had previously performed this show in 2005 and 2006, and while I'd heard wonderful things about it, I'd never gotten a chance to catch it before. I'm so happy I was able to see it this time around! Inspired by the different "overtures" one is faced with in life, Miles put together a show to which everyone can relate. Opening with "Invocation and Instructions To The Audience," Miles immediately pulled his audience in and paved the way for some very touching moments. By focusing on life's "stepping off" points, those times when we're entering into something new, taking risks, not sure of the outcome, he managed to wring new meaning out of many familiar tunes. One of my personal favorites was "Baby Talk To Me," from the stage version of Bye Bye Birdie. Such a great song, and so rarely done ~ it fit perfectly in the show, and was made even better by some terrific backup vocals by Kristopher Monroe, Rob Langeder, and multi-talented tech director Michael Barbieri. Musical director Jason Wynn bantered easily with Miles, injecting some humor into the show, and also lent his voice to harmonize on several songs - a very nice addition. A great show - I'm so glad Miles brought it back and that I finally got a chance to see it!

Sunday evening, it was back to the Metropolitan Room for my own show: A Hint of Rosemary: The Songs of Rosemary Clooney. I wouldn't presume to write about myself, but I WILL say that I was really happy with the show. We hadn't done it for a while, and it was great to revisit all of those fabulous songs! A big thank-you to everyone who made it out to see the show - your support is GREATLY appreciated!

The next night was, of course, Cast Party night - and as usual, it was a terrifically entertaining evening. 10-year old Rocco Fiorentino wowed everyone with his "All of Me" and "Fly Me to the Moon," Natalie Douglas rocked with "Fever," and regulars Tina Jensen (one of the fab Birdland waitstaff), Sue Matsuki, Bob Dolphin, Rob Langeder, Christine Lavin, Suzanne Carrico, and Ben Rauch kept audience members bopping in their seats (and doing mental math)! Can't wait for this week's party!

Tuesday evening, I caught the new Harry Potter film (woohoo!) and then Wednesday was back in the studio doing some final tweaks on my cd. We're getting SO close to having a finished product - it's really exciting! We're actually hoping to finish up production this week, so keep checking for updates on a release.

Okay, it's after midnight now...I still have a few more shows to write about, but I also have to be up for the ol' day job in not so very long...so I'll post this for now, but coming soon will be a posting to include Whoop-Up at the Duplex, Miles Phillips in The Unrest Inside Me, and Lennie Watts in Manilow '73-'83. Fun, fun, fun!!

Christine Pedi, Cast Party, and a FABULOUS upcoming weekend!

2007-07-05T18:42:00.000-05:00

Hey all! So, I left off on Monday when I was planning to catch Christine Pedi's show at the Metropolitan Room on Monday evening. Boy, am I glad I did. It was as close to flawless a show I've seen all year - and anyone who knows me knows I see a LOT of shows! Entertaining? You betcha! The room was filled to the brim, and the anticipation from the audience was palpable...and not only didn't she disappoint, she went way above and beyond what I'd expected. As I mentioned in my previous post, I've been impressed for a while by her uncanny impressions of various divas...so I expected the show to be a lot of that. Which would have been fine...but what it ended up being was a lot of Christine - who happens to be an extremely talented performer all on her own! She did include "the ladies," most notably in a rather schizoid version of "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going." Included in the song (and I may have missed a few!) were Ethel Merman, Julie Andrews, Carol Channing, Christine Ebersole (as Edie Beale!), Rosie O'Donnell, Liza Minelli, and Bernadette Peters! Wow! A true tour de force! Other fun moments included "Patti Lupone as Eliza Doolittle," "Barbra" singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" (very dramatically), and a hilarious spoof of "I Dreamed a Dream." I was expecting to laugh, which I did - a lot. What I wasn't expecting was to be touched - which I was when Christine described her love for Judy Garland, and how she remembered seeing a double bill of "Meet Me In St. Louis" and "The Harvey Girls" at the old Regency Theater...which she followed by singing "The Boy Next Door" - not as Judy, but as herself. Also very touching was her "Mama, A Rainbow," which she sang for her mother, who happened to be present. Sadly, that was the last show of her current run, but if and when she brings this show back, I would highly recommend catching it!
After Christine's show, I headed over to Birdland for Cast Party - of course! Sometimes, I really think my body is on automatic pilot on Monday nights! This particular Cast Party was a lot of fun, because Jim Caruso was back hosting for the first time in a month, and Billy Stritch was at the piano...ah, just like old times! Jim and Billy had been touring with Liza (yes, THE Liza), so I guess they had a pretty good excuse for missing a few Cast Parties...but, that being said, it was great to have them back! Monday evening seemed to be a particularly good Cast Party - lots and lots of talented folks! Harmony Keeney was there with her silky voice and smooth jazz stylings, Kristen Sargeant lit up the stage with "My Blue Heaven," Michael Winther delivered a touching "Rainbow Connection," and there was a fantastic duo called The Sourpatch Kids who brought the house down with their "This Little Light of Mine!" Lots of fun! There were so many other talented people there, but those were some of my favorites!
Looking forward to the weekend, I'm getting so excited! First up, it's the 17th Anniversary Party for Cabaret Hotline at 7 p.m. at the Metropolitan Room. Featuring an all-star lineup of performers to pay tribute to Stu Hamstra and his dedication to the cabaret world, it's bound to be a blast! Then at 10 p.m. at the Metropolitan Room, it's "Metrojam," which I've never been to before, but I'm told it's another open mike night, but with featured singers set ahead of time. Featured tomorrow night are three of my friends/fellow singers, Sue Matsuki and the aforementioned Kristen Sargeant and Harmony Keeney - should definitely be a good time! Then on Saturday night at 8 p.m. Miles Phillips will be reprising his critically acclaimed show, "Specific Overtures," also at the Metropolitan Room! I missed this show the first time around, and have been kicking myself ever since, because SO many people have told me how fantastic it is. Having heard Miles sing, and knowing what an intelligent, insightful performer he is, I can hardly wait to see the show for myself!
THEN, on Sunday, it's ME ME ME!! I'll be reprising MY show, "A Hint of Rosemary: The Songs of Rosemary Clooney at 7 p.m." And guess where that is? Yep, the Metropolitan Room! So really, what I'm saying, is bring a cot and set up camp at the Metropolitan Room this weekend, because they've got some AWESOME entertainment lined up! If I do say so myself...:)
That's about it for now...check back next week for the report on all of the happenings this weekend!

Long time, no post!

2007-07-02T10:03:00.000-05:00

Hey all! Sorry for the delay in posts...unfortunately, I haven't been getting to a heck of a lot of shows, though! Between finishing up the cd and working on my upcoming Rosemary Clooney show (A Hint of Rosemary: The Songs of Rosemary Clooney, Sunday July 8th at 7 p.m., The Metropolitan Room, 212-206-0440 for reservations - be there or be square!!!), I haven't been left with a lot of time for show-going. I have managed to take in a few things, though. Last Thursday, I finally got to see Company - just in the nick of time, too, since it closed on Sunday. What an amazing show! While not a HUGE fan of the whole cast-being-the-orchestra concept, it did work for this show. What was especially effective about it was that for the entire show, the only character who did not play an instrument was Robert. When he finally took a seat at the piano for "Being Alive" it underlined the whole sentiment of the song - he was making the decision to live, to join everyone else and become one of the company. Very cool. And speaking of his "Being Alive," oh man! If you didn't see it, you missed one of the greatest performances of one of the best songs ever written for the theater! In my humble opinion, that is. :)
Since I was in a show-going kind of mood that evening, after the show, my friend and I headed over to Birdland for the Umbria Jazz Festival, which featured young saxophonist Francesco Cafiso with a chamber orchestra (I Soloisti di Perugia) behind him in "Bird With Strings: A Tribute to Charlie Parker." Well, somewhere, Charlie Parker was smiling, because they paid tribute to him beautifully! With the beautiful orchestrations, I felt like I was magically transported to a nightclub in the '40s...and for a few minutes, I could forget the stresses of everyday life. Particularly beautiful was David Raskin's "Laura,: one of my all-time favorites. It was a perfect way to cap off an already great night.
I'm hoping to catch Christine Pedi's show at the Metropolitan Room this evening. I've only seen Christine in small spurts, but am AMAZED at her talents - she can "do" all of the great ladies - Judy, Barbra, Eartha, Carol, Ethel...just unbelievable. Sure to be an entertaining show - so, if you're looking for something to do at 7 p.m. this evening, head on over and check it out!
That's about all for now - check back for updates soon!

Rufus Wainwright, Cast Party, and an annoying cold

2007-06-12T22:02:00.000-05:00

Hello all!
I'm just about to hit the hay after a long day...well, Tuesdays are always long, since I don't get home from Cast Party until about 2 a.m. and then have to be into work by 9, but today seemed longer than most since I'm just getting over a cold...but I'm getting ahead of myself! Let me backtrack to LAST Tuesday, which was long, yes, but I hardly noticed, because I went to see the fabulous Rufus Wainwright at the Blender Theater at Gramercy. I'm a longtime Rufus fan, and I'd seen him about 6 times before, but he never ceases to amaze me. His music is so unique, it's very hard to describe unless you've actually heard it. He somehow manages to fuse classical music, gorgeous lyrics, lush harmonies and pop sensibilities with an indeniable flare for the dramatic, and each time I see him, he manages to put on an even more incredible show. He was performing with his band, which included 3 horn players, who, among them, played flute, soprano sax, alto sax, recorder, trumpet, English horn, French horn, and guitar, two guitar players, a bassist, a piano player, and a drummer. Rufus himself at times played piano, at times played guitar, and at times simply sang. While his voice may not be to everyone's liking (personally, I'm a fan!), what cannot be denied is his incredible musicianship and heartbreakingly beautiful compositions. At times, the sheer energy and volume radiating from the band on stage seemed as if it would blow the roof off of the theater, and at other times, it was just Rufus sitting at the piano, delivering a touching ballad as if he were in a room as small as the Duplex. His new album is called "Release the Stars," and it contains some of his most complex, intricate work to date - if you haven't heard him before, I urge you to check him out! And please, by all means, when he comes back to town, go see him!!
Wednesday and Thursday of last week found me back in the studio, working on putting the finishing touches on the album. For all intents and purposes, the recording portion is done; what we were working on last week, and what we will be working on for a few more hours still, is getting the final mixes *just* right. Man! I had no idea how crazy you could drive yourself by sitting in a studio and listening to the same songs over and over and over and over again, tweaking the volume of the bass here, the piano there, the backup singers here, the lead vocals there. It's exhausting and exhilherating, and I can't wait for the final product!
I think my body went on slight overload from all of the long hours in the studio, though, because by Friday, I was apartment bound with a pretty nasty cold...so there's not really too much for me to report about the weekend! Last night, though, I was back in action at Cast Party. I didn't sing, because my voice was not feeling quite up to snuff, having spent the weekend doing a lot of coughing, but I did have a terrific time watching everyone else and socializing! Jim Caruso was out of town (touring with Liza Minelli!), and Christine Lavin did a terrific job of filling in as guest-hostess. She took her duties seriously, organizing a wonderful tribute to the great Ervin Drake, and a number of performers honored Mr. Drake (who was sitting front and center with his wife) by singing songs that he had written. Richard Skipper, Lodi Carr, David Goldman, Christine Pedi, Sue Matsuki, and Jenny Lynn Stewart were among those who paid tribute in song to one of America's most beloved songwriters. If you're in the city, come by next week - Christine Lavin is guest-hosting again, and we're planning on having a ball!
By the way, if you're interested in opera, the Met is putting on free performances of La Boheme and Faust in city parks over the next few weeks - what a great way to spend an evening! Check out their website for the details.
And now, I must say goodnight - check back for more updates soon!

Update!

2007-06-05T10:27:00.000-05:00

Hello all! I can't believe it's been nearly two weeks since my last post! My, how time flies when you're...busy! Not that I haven't been having fun, but really, the last few weeks have been a whirlwind! Anyway, let me bring you up to date. Last month I mentioned that I was working on a CD. Well, I'm STILL working on it, which has been occupying a lot of my time. Originally, I'd anticipated that putting in 3 days of work in California and 4 days of work in NYC would be enough, but I've come to realize that if I want a product that I'm really proud of, more time is required. I know some people reading this blog have probably recorded CDs, so you can skip this part if you want, but I want to write a little bit about the experience, because it's SO unlike performing on a stage! The first thing I noticed is that your own voice sounds really weird through headphones! Yikes! It's kind of scary, hearing yourself that intensely! But, after getting used to the way I sounded through headphones, I found some different ways of approaching material. On stage, I'm used to giving, giving, giving - really pushing my energy outward, and "selling" things. But, on a recording, I can be as quiet as a, um...let's see, I hate rodents so I'm not going to use the common turn of phrase...I can be as quiet as a soft breeze and it's still picked up by the mike. Subtleties and nuances that wouldn't necessarily read on stage are picked up, which is awesome! I've had so much fun playing with songs and rediscovering material I've been doing for years. Now, the flip side of that is that any little flaw is also exacerbated. So, being a perfectionist, there are a few passages where I would not be completely satisfied with a syllable or a phrase, or even a passing tone that you hear for a split second...so we'd go back and re-do those sections.
As I mentioned before, one of the coolest parts about this has been getting to work with so many amazing musicians. It's been a true blast getting to work with some of the best musicians in the biz, and I'm so looking forward to the finished product. As I'm typing this, my dad and Kelly Park, my producer, are sitting in the studio with the engineers and working on what will be the final mix. It's exciting and terrifying at the same time! I'll keep you posted on the process after this, because there are all kinds of things that need to get done before the CD is actually ready to sell. Hopefully, you'll find this interesting - most of my writing for the next few months will probably be about the process of getting the CD finished, as the project has pretty much wiped me out financially - which means I won't be getting to as many shows as usual.
However, even though I'm broke, I've still been managing to get to a FEW shows, so let me write about those. Last Thursday, I checked out Annie Hughes at Helen's and had a really great time! My boyfriend Rob Langeder was her guest star, so I did have an extra special interest in seeing the show, but I probably would have gone anyway, because there's such a great buzz about her! The show was really fun! The room was packed, and the energy was great - and Annie just fed off of that energy and gave back even more! The show ran the gamut from touching and emotional to silly and zany. Annie's charming personality and fantastic sense of humor delighted an already-enamored audience and her duets with Rob (hilarious parodies of well-known musical theater songwriters) had us all in stitches. An altogether entertaining evening!
On Saturday, May 26th, I saw the closing night of Andrea Marcovicci's Just Love: By Request show at the Oak Room. As always, Andrea just sparkled (both literally and figuratively!) for the whole show. Anchored by a few choices of her own to serve as guideposts in the show, Andrea pulled written requests submitted by audience members out of a gorgeous top hat (her father's!) and with each request, she would chat with the person who had asked for that particular song and get to the heart of why they requested it. This was half the fun - some audience members were absolutely terrified of having a microphone thrust in their face and having to explain their attachment to a particular song; others relished in the spotlight! Andrea was able, though, to make every single person she chatted with feel like a million dollars - and it was beautiful to watch. The songs themselves were mostly standards, with a few pop songs thrown in, and Andrea's charming delivery kept the audience in the palm of her hand for the entire evening. Superb musical direction by Shelly Markham made the show all the more enjoyable!
Beyond Andrea and Annie, the only show I've been to in the past few weeks is my old favorite - Cast Party. Last night was a particularly fun night there, because I had my dad and Kelly Park with me! I did "Sway" and my dad did Moondance (I played flute on it!) and Kelly played piano for both of us! Another fun surprise was that bassist Saadi Zain, whose played a few shows with us, walked in right before we were about to go up, so he joined the fun and played on our songs, too! Definitely a fun night at Birdland! If you haven't been there in a while, next week should be fun - Jim Caruso will be away, so Christine Lavin will be hosting - with ME assisting! Come on by for a fun start to your week!
Anyway, that's about all for now, but I will keep you up to date on the CD project, as well as any shows that I see!

One More Thing

2007-05-23T16:17:00.000-05:00

Oops, I forgot to mention - there's a brand new cabaret website headed up by Scott Barbarino called Cabaret Exchange. It's got some great features and looks like it's going to be a great addition to our little cabaret world. Check it out!

Eric Michael Gillett, Vocal Ease, Christine Lavin, and more!

2007-05-23T13:03:00.000-05:00

Hello all!
Well, even though I've been "taking it easy" to try to save some money for funding my cd (by the way, if anyone wants to be a "sponsor," please shoot me an email!), I've still managed to pack in quite a bit in the past week! On Thursday evening, I went to my favorite haunt, the Metropolitan Room to see Eric Michael Gillett's show. I'd heard great things about Eric from well-trusted sources, so I was very excited to see him for myself! The room was PACKED and the energy was palpable, and I'm happy to say that Mr. Gillett just took that energy and ran with it! Fantastic arrangements were provided by musical director D. Jay Bradley, and the backup vocalists and the band rocked! Eric's vocals were great, and the song selection was comprised of radio hits from the '60s through the '80s - surefire crowd pleasers! Additionally, great lights and sound (by Michael Barbieri and J.P. Perraux, respectively) contributed to an all-around great show.
On Sunday, I did a show with Vocal Ease, which was a great way to spend the afternoon. I know I've written about Vocal Ease before, but just to refresh your memories (or tell you for the first time, if you haven't read my previous entries!), Vocal Ease is a nonprofit volunteer singing organization that provides live entertainment for New York City's senior citizens at hospitals, nursing homes and senior centers and residences. It's headed up by Eva Swan, who does an incredible job of putting together shows with some of the city's best performers, and booking them all over the city - and in so doing, bringing a lot of joy to some of the people who need it most! Sunday's show was even more touching than usual, as we were performing for Holocaust survivors and their families. I shared the stage with Eva, Gretchen Reinhagen, Dane Reese, and the fabulous Eugene Gwozdz was our accompanist. As I said, a GREAT way to spend a Sunday afternoon!
Monday found me dashing off after my voice lesson to meet Christine Lavin at a recording studio and provide some backup vocals for her forthcoming album - what fun! Joining me on backups were my boyfriend Rob Langeder, Joan Crowe, David Goldman, Janet Fanale, Jenny Lynn Stewart and another friend of Christine's who was visiting the city. We all had a great time, and then we headed uptown to Cast Party and had a great time there, as well! A very busy but very fun Monday!
Tonight, it's off to see the Yankees play the Red Sox - keep your fingers crossed that our boys play the way we know they're capable of playing and crush the Sox, or it could be a VERY long night in the bleachers!
That's about all for now, but check back for more soon!

Jenna in the Studio!

2007-05-15T11:25:00.000-05:00

Hello and Happy Tuesday! If you've noticed that I haven't updated in over 10 days, there's a good reason why - I've been completely occupied working on my first CD! We started in the studio on Sunday, and most of last week was spent prepping. It's being produced by Kelly Park, who's also playing piano on it. One of the cool parts about doing the cd is that it's given me the chance to work with some incredible musicians including the aforementioned Mr. Park; my Dad, Fortune Esposito (guitar); Buca Necak (bass); Kent Bryson (drums); Michael Blanco (bass); Brian DeWitt (drums); my fab sis, Kelly Esposito-Broelmann (backup vocals); Rob Langeder (backup vocals) and Brian Broelmann (tenor sax). I'm really excited about the project. We're hoping to wrap up the mixing this week, so look for more updates on it soon!
Beyond that, there's not a heck of a lot to report - as I said, the CD has been consuming most of my time. I DID see an awesome show at the Metropolitan Room last week, though - Kristine Zbornik put on one of the funniest shows I've seen in a long time. She's zany and off the wall and man, can she sing! She's got one performance of this run left on May 21st at 7 p.m. If you haven't seen it, GO!
And speaking of the fabulous Metropolitan Room, they threw a fantastic one-year-anniversary bash last night. I was there on opening night last year to see Billy Stritch's Mel Torme show, and I am thrilled that the club has been so successful. Congrats to the Mazzilli brothers, Lennie Watts, and the wonderful staff there! After the party, we headed uptown to the OTHER party - yep, it was a Cast Party night and, as usual, it was really fun time! I was fortunate enough to have my producer/piano player extraordinaire, Mr. Kelly Park, with me, so he accompanied me on my song, and we had a great time doing it!
I'm exhausted today, but looking forward to heading to the studio after work to work on the CD...check for more updates soon!