Just how many redneck lesbians does it take...
LEOLA'S LADY LAND LOUNGE! Welcomes NYC's Talent For A Chat And Chew And A Song Or Two At The Green Room 42
Heigh-Ho Friends & "Family"! Bobby Patrick your RAINBOW Reviewer here. Putting the silent T in CABARET to bring you all the T.
So my lambkins, Bobby took himself down to that darling bistro cabaret The Green Room 42 to catch another act from their resident septuagenarian redneck lesbian and our fellow rainbow aficionado, Leola Ladyland in her once a month talk show program; LEOLA'S LADY LAND LOUNGE! Departing from her usual format of stand-up/monolog comedy, LLLL brings in guests from our city's theatre and cabaret scene to talk, perform, tell stories, and in general, play "straight people" to La Leola's comic, backwoods, observations about their lives in the show business. This being the 4th installment inside the Lady Land Lounge there is plenty of background about how it all works here on our BWW landscape, but if you're new around here, just click this link and read my lovely boss, Stephen Mosher's latest coverage of LLLL. AND speaking of Stephen Mosher, my illustrious BWW leader just happened to be one of Leola's talkshow guests on the night... but more on that later. To borrow a quote from said boss, La Mosher, "Leola's Lady Land Lounge is a good old-fashioned chat show... with an opening monologue, a musical guest or two ... and a spotlight guest that veers out of the performing arts. There is also audience participation, gags, video reels, and games. But mostly there is laughter." For this edition, the Two-Time winner of the Broadway World Cabaret Audience Award for Best Spoken Word Show had as her guests, Analise Scarpaci - one of Broadway's foremost precocious stage brats who is leaving childhood behind and blossoming into a fine adult actress, Lindsay Nicole Chambers - late of Legally Blonde, Lysistrata Jones and pretty much all the L shows of Broadway, My adorable boss, Stephen Mosher and Leola's boss - TGR42's Jack & Jill Of all trades, Michael Kushner.
As with all the BEST talk shows the comedy writer/improv artiste, Will Nolan (the man behind Leola's rainbow caftan) kicked off with a solid hit in the opening monologue - nodding with reverence to the passing of Betty White and pointing out that the GOLDEN GIRLS were the same age when they began as the stars of today's SEX IN THE CITY sequel, AND JUST LIKE THAT - before introducing the young Ms. Scarpaci. To say this 22-year-old is going places would be disingenuous since one of the places she's already been is Broadway... a few times. Hopefully she and the rest of the cast of MRS. DOUBTFIRE will settle in for a nice long run once the show ends its on-again/off-again pandemic craziness. Going by the talent she displayed this particular evening, we certainly hope she will continue to be one of the bright lights on our stages and in our clubs. Accompanying herself on guitar and singing her self-penned tune DRIVE, Analise displayed a depth of feeling and ability that had Little Bobby kvelling for her as her bell-like voice rang out into the hall and her resolutions on diminished chords throughout her song brought beautiful little dissonant surprises.
Wisely following her up with a non-musical offering, Leola introduced me boss, Stephen Mosher, who joined Leola to regale the crowd with stories from his storied past as photographer, writer/critic, and even reluctant actor. For those who only know this man from his fine word-smithing here on BWW and other places, it is a pleasure to report that Mosher is an engaging storyteller/raconteur. The rapport he shared with Leola allowed a relaxed and easy tone to take over the room and his humorous tales of coming to BWW, creating his coffee table book, THE SWEATER BOOK, and his almost by default co-starring in the upcoming horror flick E. VIL SUBLET charmed and entertained one and all. Next up was another maven of our musical theatre stages, Lindsay Nicole Chambers, who made a new album her pandemic project. Singing her original opening cut from her all original music album THIS IS THE CHORD, THIS IS THE NOTE the song TIME flowed out of her golden throat like liquid gold and had us Spotifying the heck out of her immediately after the show.
Finally, TGR42's own Michale Kushner took the stage to talk about his life as one of NYC's young multi-hyphenates who is continually carving out a living and a life across the creative disciplines. As a singer/performer, as a photographer with his THE DRESSING ROOM PROJECT, and now as the booker/talent coordinator/host for TGR42 itself, MK demonstrates the essential go-get-ability to make a career for oneself in the business of show. Kushner and Leola's repartee as they spoke about everything from celebs to lady biscuits was a fine and funny way to round out the night.
In short my lambkins, LEOLA'S LADY LAND LOUNGE! Is a fine way to enjoy drinks, dinner, and a show all at TGR42's very reasonable prices and we can't give this outing anything less than;
4 ½ Rainbows Out Of 5
Leola Will Be Back In Her Lady Lounge March 23rd and April 28th. Get Tickets: HERE
Check Out The Rest Of TGR42's Calendar: HERE
See Lindsay Nicole Chambers Webby: HERE
And
Analise Scarpaci's Web Is Spun: HERE
Find out all about the Multi-Hyphenates
Stephen Mosher: HERE
And
All Photos By Your Truly AND That Lovely Stephen Mosher
Videos