The Cabaret Chronicles: Eric Comstock & Barbara Fasano and a Fabulous Cast Party!

Happy Saturday, everyone!

NYC has been at its steamiest this week, but luckily, I was able to escape the sultry city streets and cool down while taking in some top-notch entertainment! 

On Monday evening, I, as usual, headed over to Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland.  This Monday, though, Jim was out of town (singing in Paris - way to go, Jim!), so he called on well-loved producer/critic/author Scott Siegel to take over as host for the night.  Well-known for producing the "Broadway By The Year" series, the Nightlife Awards at Town Hall, as well as numerous other shows, Scott Siegel made it a Cast Party to remember by inviting some of his very talented friends to join the open mic lineup.  Things started with a huge bang when Tony-award winner Beth Leavel opened the night with a high-octane "Broadway Baby," which she followed with "As We Stumble Along."  She was fantastic, the audience went wild, and I was wondering how in the world anyone could follow her, when Scott called the fabulous Tituss Burgess up to the stage!  Mr. Burgess, who was most recently seen as Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys And Dolls, brought the house down with his beautiful "Guess Who I Saw Today."  Now, when you start the show with two major Broadway stars, the bar is set pretty high for the night, but the rest of the performers Monday evening definitely rose to the occasion!  Scott Coulter, Vin Martin, and Kevin Dozier (among others!) all turned in terrific performances, and songwriter John Bucchino treated us to one of his songs, which was beautifully sung by Zak Resnick.  In addition to all of that, there was an extra-special treat: a number of the young stars of Scott Siegel's Broadway's Rising Stars concert (which played at Town Hall on July 20^th) performed - assuring us that the future of Broadway is in good hands!  These young talents included Oakley Boycott, Allison Semmes, Bridget Ori, Gabriel Rodriguez, Andrew Chappelle, Adam Yankowy, Dara Hartmann, and Dawn Cantwell (from the cast of the 2008 Broadway's Rising Stars).  Remember those names, because I'm sure you'll be hearing more about them in years to come!  All in all, it was yet another terrific night at Cast Party - can't wait till next Monday!

Thursday evening found me at Feinstein's to see celebrated husband and wife duo Eric Comstock and Barbara Fasano in their show, Let's Get Away From It All.  Interestingly, although I'd seen both Barbara and Eric perform before, I'd never managed to catch them performing together, so last night was a special treat for me!  Exuding charm, elegance, and classiness, Barbara and Eric were a perfect match for the beautiful, sophisticated room in which they were playing.  Feinstein's was packed to the gills with music-lovers who were there to catch one of cabaret's most talented and well-respected teams do what they do best - and boy, did they get their money's worth!  Opening with the playful, catchy Kenny Rankin/Ruth Batchelor song, "Haven't We Met," Barbara and Eric quickly drew the audience in and set a warm, welcoming tone for the evening.  The show was filled with terrific selections; some well known (such as Irving Berlin's "Let's Face The Music And Dance" and Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Surrey With The Fringe On Top"), and others, fairly obscure.  Eric sang solo on a Bobby Troup (of "Route 66" fame!) song called "Won't Someone Please Belong To Me," which was simply fantastic.  Eric admitted to being both elated and disappointed when he found it on YouTube recently: elated, because it was a new, terrific song; disappointed because he thought he knew a ton of music and couldn't believe he hadn't found it before!   Another wonderful "find" was Bart Howard's "My Love Is A Wanderer," which Barbara performed beautifully - her lovely voice lent itself to Howard's lilting melody, and she drew the rapt audience in, telling the story of a woman whose lover has left her to travel the world, sending only occasional, one-line postcards, until finally (hurrah!), he asks her to join him. There was a perfect mix of solos, which showcased each of the performers as individuals, and duets, which highlighted their fantastic chemistry together.  Special notice, too, must be given to bassist Sean Smith, who did a yeoman's work and provided terrific accompaniment throughout the entire evening.  They closed with an upbeat "Nowadays" (Kander & Ebb), and capped the evening off with the perfect encore: Hoagy Carmichael and Frank Loesser's "Two Sleepy People."  I had a fantastic time and look forward to catching this dynamic duo again soon! 

That's all I  managed to squeeze in this week, but check back next week for a new article! 

Where I'm going this week...  

Monday, August 24^th:  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!  

Tuesday, August 25^th: MAC Seminar: Open Mics & Piano Bars.  I'll be moderating a panel of "industry experts," including Cast Party's Jim Caruso and Tedd Firth; the Algonquin Salon's Peter Napolitano and Mark Janas, the After Party's Lisa Asher (also an experience piano bar veteran!), and well-known piano bar entertainer Joe Regan.  We'll discuss do's and don'ts of open mics and piano bars, how to prepare music, success stories, horror stories, and much more!  The seminar is taking place at Studios 353 and will run from 6:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.  FREE for MAC members, only a $10 cover for non-members.  Reservations can be made by calling 212-465-2662, ext. 1. 

Thursday, August 27^th: The Oak Room Salon at the historic Algonquin Hotel.  A spinoff of the wildly popular Algonquin Salon, this Thursday evening summer series has quickly become a hot weeknight destination for singers, songwriters and music-lovers!  Created by the same team behind the Algonquin Salon (Mark Janas, founder/host and Peter Napolitano, executive producer), the Oak Room Salon features a different co-host and a special guest star each week, as well as a singer in the "Advisor's Spotlight," who is chosen by the Salon's artistic advisor, Roy Sander.  This week, the guest co-host is Bistro-Award winner Susan Winter; the special guest is performer/director extraordinaire Lennie Watts; and the "Advisor's Spotlight" will feature award-winning singer Aaron Lee Battle.  $10 cover, $10 minimum.  Reservations are required; this event regularly sells out.  Email oakroomsalon@aol.com if you'd like to make a reservation!

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