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Clint Holmes to Bring STOP THIS TRAIN to Cafe Carlyle, 10/1-12

By: Sep. 13, 2013
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Having Previously Paid Tribute to Paul Simon, Cole Porter and Bobby Short to Acclaim, Singer Traces Arc of His Own Singular Life with Mix of Interpretations and Originals

Although his career spans four decades, Clint Holmes is in the midst of a significant breakthrough. Having spent the last 20 years as one of Vegas's most successful entertainers, he has, over the last two years, in his 60s, achieved tremendous acclaim with solo shows in New York at the legendary Café Carlyle. Reviewing Holmes' tribute to Paul Simon and Cole Porter last year at the Café, Stephen Holden wrote in The New York Times that Holmes merged "the excitement of Las Vegas and the sophistication of Manhattan" and further described Holmes as "a brainy showman." Holmes' 2011 Café Carlyle debut, Remembering Bobby Short, was equally beloved. He shifts the focus to his own remarkable life story with Stop This Train, returning to the venue October 1 - 12.

Holmes will perform Stop This Train Tuesday - Saturday at 8:45pm. Tickets are $75 ($125 for premium seating, $45 for bar seating) Tuesdays - Thursdays; and $85 ($135 for premium seating, $55 for bar seating) on Fridays and Saturdays. Reservations can be made only at www.thecarlyle.com or by phone at212.744.1600. Café Carlyle is located in The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel (35 East 76th Street, at Madison Avenue).

Stop this Train, produced and created by Cecelia Joyce Johnson and directed by Larry Moss, is a meditation on the influence of home and the potency of memory. The show is a mix of interpretations and originals through which Holmes traces the narrative of his life. He begins with his childhood outside Buffalo, New York, where his father was an African-American jazz vocalist who worked in a steel mill and his mother was a white British opera singer. The diverse music comprising Stop This Train includes an aria; jazz standards such as a "How High the Moon"; songs sung in French, such as "C'est Si Bon," that recall the time Holmes spent in Paris; and even the John Mayer song from which Stop This Train takes its title. The show is a testament to music's beauty and its power to sustain us as we struggle to live with or overcome our human vulnerabilities.

In concert at Café Carlyle, Holmes will be joined by Jeffrey Neiman (piano and music direction), Zoe Kohen Lea (cello), Brandon Wright (reeds), Steve Beskrone (bass), Jess Gopen (drums, percussion), Greg Utzig (guitar) and Christian Tamburr (vibraphone, percussion).

Clint Holmes' description of his upbringing reveals the template for his wide-ranging artistry. "My mom taught me how to sing correctly, and my dad taught me how to enjoy it," he says. He exudes musical rigor and joy in equal measure when he sings.

Aside from being a masterful singer, Holmes brings a warm comedic touch to his live performances. "I learned a lot from Don Rickles and Bill Cosby, who were both very generous with me when I opened for them", says Holmes. "They never held me back or limited my time on stage. I particularly learned a jazz comedian riffling style from the two of them."

In late 2011 he performed Remembering Bobby Short, a loving homage to the man who defined New York cabaret, at the legendary Cafe Carlyle, where Bobby Short held court for over thirty years. In early 2012, he premiered another major work, This Thing Called Love, The Music of Cole Porter and Paul Simon, directed by Larry Moss, to similarly rave reviews. In April of 2012, Holmes became Artist-In-Residence at Cabaret Jazz at the newly openEd Smith Center For the Performing Arts. Mr. Holmes performs a new show there each month to sell-out crowds.

In Las Vegas, Holmes' live show has been a major draw. Las Vegas Life Magazine has selected him as "Best Kept Secret," and the Las Vegas Review-Journal has named him "Best Singer" (two years in a row), "Best All-Around Las Vegas Performer" and "Favorite Male Las Vegan." Additionally, he has been the featured performer and host for the "Best of Las Vegas" gala for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and host of the "Las Vegas Life Epicurean Awards." He has been inducted into the Buffalo Musical Hall of Fame, in his hometown, and into the Casino Legends Hall of Fame. He has also taken a special interest in mentoring young people interested in becoming entertainers by working closely with the Las Vegas Academy of Performing Arts. In December 2005, he launched the Clint Holmes Foundation for the Performing Arts, which benefits children in art and music programs in the Clark County School District.

Holmes continues to create with his musical director and arranger, the international award-winning composer, arranger, and performer Jeffrey Neiman. Neiman has had a long and distinguished career in music, production, and film and television scoring, working with a diverse array of artists such as Billy Preston, BB King and Tower of Power. Remembering Bobby Short, the Bistro Award-winning This Thing Called Love: The Music of Cole Porter and Paul Simon and Stop This Train were all created by Cecelia Joyce Johnson in collaboration with Mr. Holmes.

In the world of theater, Holmes is a seasoned performer and writer. Along with Nelson Cole he created the book, music, and lyrics for the musical Comfortable Shoes. He starred in the world premiere at the legendary Papermill Playhouse. The musical had another successful run at the Royal George Theatre in Chicago. Holmes starred as Simon Zealotes in The Youth Theatre America's one-night-only benefit production of Jesus Christ Superstar with Ted Neeley, Yvonne Elliman, Barry Dennen, Ben Vereen and Jack Black. He also wrote the musical Just Another Man with Larry Moss and Bill Fayne.

Among the many other highlights of Holmes' career are the time he spent as Joan Rivers' sidekick and announcer on "The Late Show," his tenure as the musical feature and event correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight," and his own Emmy-winning talk/variety show.

Originally opened in 1955, Café Carlyle is New York City's bastion of classic cabaret entertainment, a place where audiences experience exceptional performers at close range in an exceedingly elegant setting. Since composer Richard Rodgers moved in as The Carlyle's first tenant, music has been an essential part of The Carlyle experience. No place is that more evident than in the Café Carlyle.

Café Carlyle is known for talents including Woody Allen, who regularly appears on Monday evenings to play with thE Eddy Davis New Orleans jazz band. For three decades, Café Carlyle was synonymous with the legendary Bobby Short, who thrilled sell-out crowds for 36 years. His spirit lives on through the music at Café Carlyle.

Continuing the tradition of the 1930s supper club, Café Carlyle features original murals created by French artist Marcel Vertès, the Oscar-winning art director of the 1952 Moulin Rouge.

Photo by Seth Walters



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