The Cabaret Chronicles: Ann Hampton Callaway, Cast Party, and More!
By: Jenna Esposito Jun. 12, 2009
Happy Friday, everyone!
It's been another busy week, but a very "good busy" - lotsa great entertainment! It all started last Friday evening, with MetroJam at the Metropolitan Room. MetroJam is the monthly open mic at the Metropolitan room, and I am honored to be the new host! Last Friday was my first night hosting, and I was blown away by the amount of talent in that one small room! For starters, the band was awesome - the house trio of John DiPinto (piano), Ritt Henn (bass) and Bobby Sher (drums) was terrific as usual, AND we also had a couple of fantastic musicians (Brian Broelmann on tenor sax and Sean Harkness on guitar) sitting in with the band for most of the evening. The 20+ singers that came all brought their A-game, and 2-time MAC Award winner Terese Genecco was the special guest for the evening, doing a fab 3-song set as the centerpiece of the show! Cabaret newcomer Kathleen France had the entire audience singing along on her high-octane "Good Lovin," silky-voiced Darren Williams brought the house down with his solo, a cappella, 4-part harmony (no, he's not a freak of nature, he used a looping device!) of "Seasons of Love" and singer/songwriter Ray Jessel delighted everyone with one of his clever original ditties! I was thrilled with all of the wonderful performances, and I'm pleased to report that there were only two ballads the whole night!!
The following day was one of my most jam-packed in recent memory - I took in two Broadway shows AND Ann Hampton Callaway at Feinstein's - whew! The first show of the day was The Norman Conquests (Table Manners). I LOVED it! I thought the acting was superb, and truly enjoyed the clever writing. In fact, I so enjoyed it that I almost missed my second show of the day! I looked down at my watch and it was 1:45 (the play started at 11:30 a.m.) and I was supposed to be at the 2:00 matinee of Next To Normal! Whoops! So, sadly, I had to sneak out of The Norman Conquests a little bit early, and now I'm dying to get back and see the end! However, I was not a bit sorry about my reason for leaving early - Next To Normal completely blew me away. What an amazing show. The story was riveting, and the acting was unbelievably good. And the MUSIC! It was so refreshing to hear something unique and catchy and moving all at the same time. Now, I didn't see Billy Elliot, but man, I have to say, I was really pulling for Next To Normal the following evening!!
After Next To Normal, I actually had a little bit of down time, but then it was off to Feinstein's to catch my favorite singer, Ann Hampton Callaway, in a special, one-night-only appearance. I always consider it a treat to see Ann's shows, but this one was extra-special, because she appeared completely solo - no band, just Ann singing and accompanying herself on piano. It was very cool - it made an already-intimate show that much more so. It really felt like we were just hanging out in someone's living room, with Ann sharing stories and chatting with the audience in a very relaxed, casual way, and then breaking into a song as a continuation of whatever story she happened to be telling. It really, for me, was the ultimate cabaret experience. Her talent is simply mindboggling - she has one of the most amazing voices I've ever heard, she scats like nobody's business...and hey, she can really play the piano, too! That, combined with the intimacy of the setting, her easy patter with the audience, and the elegant setting of Feinstein's truly created one of my favorite cabaret experiences EVER! Even cooler was that singer/pianist John Proulx, who has been opening for Michael Feinstein & Cheyenne Jackson at Feinstein's, also opened for Ann. He has a smooth, jazzy voice and is a terrific pianist and did a fabulous job of setting the mood for Ann's show. Overall, a fantastic night!
As usual, I headed to Cast Party at Birdland on Monday night, and it really ended up being one of my favorite Cast Parties ever! The room was bursting with amazingly talented performers who got up to share their talents, including singers Marilyn Maye, Billy Stritch, and Johnny Rodgers; guitarist Sean Harkness, the aforementioned John Proulx, and YouTube sensation Miranda! What a night! As a special treat, Billy Stritch Johnny Rodgers, Cortes Alexander and host Jim Caruso (who all starred together in the Tony-winning Liza's At The Palace) closed the show with a rousing "I Love A Violin." Fun, fun night!!!
That's all for now, but check back for more next week!!Where I'm going this week...
TONIGHT: Friday, June 12th: The Cocktail Show at Don't Tell Mama! Held every Friday night and produced by comedians Danny Leary and Becky Donohue, this comedy/cabaret show is sure to start the weekend off with a bang! I'm doing a coupla numbers in the show tonight, too - can't wait!
Sunday, June 14th: The Algonquin Salon at the historic Algonquin Hotel. Founded by Mark Janas and produced by Peter Napolitano, this is THE place for singers, songwriters and musicians to hang out, network, and perform on Sunday evenings. No cover, no minimum, just a lot of talent! Sue Matsuki guest-hosts this week and the optional theme is "Against Type" which means performers are encouraged to bring songs which they would NEVER get to do in real life! I'm thinking of bringing "Ol' Man River," myself...Salon runs from 7-10, but get there early if you want to sign up to perform!
Monday, June 15th: Cast Party at Birdland. Hosted by Jim Caruso, this fantastic open mic runs from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. but again, make sure you get there early to sign up if you want to sing!
Thursday, June 18th: Dezur Kenna in "In These Shoes" at Don't Tell Mama. Dezur has an incredible voice and some serious acting chops. This is her first cabaret venture in a number of years, and I can't wait to see it! Show is at 8:30 p.m.
Pictured: Ann Hampton Callaway
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