BWW Reviews: RICK STARR SCHOLARSHIP CABARET CONCERT a Big Winner

On Sunday October 26, Clifford Bell presented the first Rick Starr Scholarship Fund Benefit Concert, entitled Starr Bucks, at Upstairs at Vitello's in Studio City. The beloved Starr, who passed away about a year ago, worked at Hollywood Sheet Music and served the Los Angeles musical theatre community in a most unusual, endearing way. Not only did he assist singers over the years to find unpublished songs for their various club acts and cabaret performances, but would go out of his way to find material for them depending on their individual preferences...and would call each and every customer on his or her birthday every year, just to wish them a Happy Birthday. A rare and delightful human being! Starr was remembered fondly with anecdotes by the three cabaret stars of the evening Mary Jo Mundy, Todd Murray and Shawn Ryan. Affable virtuoso pianist/singer Michael Sobie served as accompanist/musical director throughout the 90 minute set.

Bell introduced the evening by recognizing a table of AMDA musical theatre students. He explained that the proceeds from this gala concert would be doled out in $100 increments and awarded to deserving students. Later in the evening in a second show many of these talented AMDA students took center stage and performed in an Open Mic hosted by Bell and Mundy. So, it was a double fare of great entertainment for those who desired to stay for the full three and a half hours. Those of us who did were treated to audience favorites Wayne Moore and Brenda Silas - LA's longest running and revered cabaret duo - who took the stage to sing "All That Jazz" and "It's Raining Men". Upstairs at Vitello's Joey Bybee also had fun singing a ghoulishly comedic song about the sick pleasures of Halloween.

Highlights of the first show included a terribly funny opening set from off.the.wall comedic singer Shawn Ryan, an openly gay artist, whose opening line "Were you expecting jazz and you got a whole lot more?" had the crowd in stitches. Anecdotes covered Liza Minnelli, Barbra Streisand and Lily Tomlin. His original songs were: "I'm All About the Bass, No Treble", and a wild takeoff on Meredith Willson's "Goodnight My Someone" from The Music Man. "I'm Not Going to Give It Away" was a hoot and a deliriously funny "Down With Love" included a lyric line or two from just about every Streisand song imaginable. Funny, funny man!

Premiere singer Mary Jo Mundy followed Ryan with her inimitable style and warmth. What can I say about this singer's singer? Mundy has an incredible range and really knows how to blow an audience away, which she did with "I Can Cook Too", a delicious "I Think He's Gay", the dynamic pairing of Sondheim's "We Had a Good Thing Going" with "Not a Day Goes By" - Mundy really knocked this one out of the park - and an eclectic 'food' number Starr had given to her "Blackberry Winter". Later, in Open Mic, she treated us some more with Jason Robert Brown's poignant "I'm Still Hurting". It's high time Miss Mundy return to the cabaret scene with a new act...or the old one. We miss her!!

Attractive crooner extraordinaire Todd Murray followed with Leonard Cohen's "I'm Your Man", Camelot's "If Ever I Would Leave You", "Time" and the from the 70s, Lou Rawls' joyous "You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine", with audience joining in on the chorus"You're Gonna Miss My Lovin'". Murray is suave, sexy and has a remarkably smooth delivery. He is getting ready to release a new CD about 'crooning" through the decades from the 30s up through the 70s.

In between the star soloists, musical director Michael Sobie performed a number or two including Jason Robert Brown's "I'd Give It All For You" dueting with prolific Shannon Hanbury, "Run Away with Me" and Steven Schwartz's "Beautiful City". Hanbury was a particular delight and returned later at Open Mic to sing a bangup "Gimme, Gimme" from Thoroughly Modern Millie.

What a terrific evening of entertainment from these artists under the direction of Clifford Bell, and all for a great cause - to raise scholarship money for musical theatre students... in fond memory of LA's one and only, most cherished musical friend Rick Starr.

(top photo credit: Jim Spada/left to right: Shawn Ryan, Mary Jo Mundy, Todd Murray)

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