Nadler and Sullivan Give Porter A Swell Party

You're invited to a birthday party, folks. And the birthday boy is none other than Cole Porter.

The Town Hall, Times Square's landmark concert venue, presents KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler in "A Swell Party: RSVP Cole Porter" Monday, June 9, 2008 at 8:00PM.  This special musical evening event, commemorating Cole Porter's birthday, also features Loren Schoenberg. Sullivan and Nadler celebrate the timeless words and music of the supreme sophisticate of the 20th century, whose witty, wicked and romantic songs enthrall audiences as much today as they did when first written. Among the Cole Porter classic selections audiences will hear: It's Delovely, I've Got You Under My Skin, Let's Do It, Brush Up Your Shakespeare, Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye, Night and Day, Begin the Beguine, Experiment and Let's Fall in Love.
 
Theatre and cabaret audiences know KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler from their many musical collaborations, including: ALWAYS: The Love Story of Irving Berlin; Sweet & Lowdown: An Evening of Pure GERSHWIN; Everything's Coming Up Roses: The Music of JULE STYNE; DOROTHY FIELDS: A Fine Romance; Are We a Pair: Words and Music of SONDHEIM; and Make Someone Happy: In the words of Comden & Green. Broadway credits for Ms. Sullivan include Three Penny Opera, Gentlemen Prefer Blonds and for Mr. Nadler Dame Edna: The Royal Tour, The Sheik of Avenue B.

I asked Mark Nadler a few questions about the show and his collaborations with Sullivan.
 
TJ:  Is this the first time you have presented this show live, which pays homage to the legendary Cole Porter?

NADLER: No. We've done this show at the Algonquin, at the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia and at the Hollywood Cinegrill when Cole Porter received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007.  We also performed it last year at the re-opening of Porter's birth-house in Peru, Indiana.

TJ: What inspired you to collaborate on this piece?

NADLER: We had a booking at the Algonquin and I wanted to do a Porter show.

TJ: When was the first time the two of you performed together?

NADLER: We first co-starred in 1998 when we created our show "American Rhapsody" which was a revue of the music of George Gershwin.  That show eventually went to the Triad Theater where it had a successful Off-Broadway run for which we were nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical Revue.

TJ: So, how did the two of you first meet?

NADLER: KT came to see me perform at a club called Adam's Rib and then I went to see HER perform and after seeing her, I suggested to the owners of Adam's Rib that they hire her.  We became fast friends.

TJ: There is so much music to choose from the Cole Porter library. How did you decide which music to include in this tribute?

NADLER: We sat down and made a list of the songs that we absolutely couldn't do without and by the time that list was done, we had our show -- there was no room left for anything else.

TJ: What is it about the music of Cole Porter that inspires you?

NADLER: Much.  It's extremely complex both in form and in the chord structure.  Also, of course, his lyrics are second to none in wit and sophistication.  His music perfectly matches the wit and complexity of his lyrics and he was able to write about love and longing like no one else.

TJ: Looking at your credits, I can see you both have many Broadway credits. You must have quite a following…  Is this the first time you have performed at the Town Hall?

NADLER: We've both performed at Town Hall in the Mabel Mercer Foundation's Cabaret Convention many times.  We also did our Richard Rodgers show, Something Wonderful (in which we co-star with Heather MacRae and Craig Rubano) at Town Hall a few years ago.  My first Broadway show was actually at Town Hall. It was a show called The Sheik OF Avenue 'B'.

TJ: What's you favorite Cole Porter melody and why?

NADLER: It's not possible to have a favorite.  Each one is so rich and interesting that when i'm singing it or playing it that one is my favorite.  I know KT feels the same.

TJ: Are you going to be going out on tour with this show or any other show?

NADLER: I am currently in Chicago doing my one-man show, Russian On The Side, which will be opening on Broadway in the early fall.  I'm returning to New York just to do this show at Town Hall and then I race back to Chicago to finish my run here.

TJ: Are you working on any new projects or do have any new recordings coming out?

NADLER: Nothing at the moment.  All of my energy and artistic focus is on Russian On The Side at the moment.

A Swell Party: RSVP Cole Porter is part of The Town Hall Presents 2008 season, a program that includes East Village Opera Company, Tamango's Urban Tap, Klezmatics, The Nuyorican Poets Café Third Millennium Celebration, Miles from India, Judy Collins and the Broadway By The Yearâ series.

Tickets for A Swell Party: RSVP Cole Porter are $45 & $40 and available now through TicketMaster, 212-307-4100, or www.ticketmaster.com, or The Town Hall Box Office between noon and 6 PM (except Sundays) at 123 West 43rd Street, 212-840-2824.  For more information, visit: www.the-townhall-nyc.org.  Happy Birthday, Cole Porter! And to all of you, ciao for now and remember, theatre is my life.

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