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CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE
#020102
Wednesday, January 9, 2002
Since 1990 Your First, Best, and Only Source of Cabaret News
If it's anything to do
with cabaret, you'll probably read it here first!
I
usually send out these e-mails on Thursdays if I can, since by that
time of the week I have enough new information to pass along. Then
I spend Friday cleaning out the old, sorting out the new. But I want
to send this issue out today so that I can complete a project that
I started nearly 6 weeks ago - namely a report on my visit to San
Francisco and the First Annual West Coast Cabaret Conference. It is
become the most difficult report I even undertook to write and have
gone through several drafts already. I have searched my soul on this
one, friends.
You see, since that wonderful
weekend in the City By The Bay, I have sort of been "re-born." I have
begun to look at this art form we call "cabaret" in a brand new way
- who said you can't teach an 62-year-old dog new tricks? It has changed
my perception so much because the conference gave me some new insights
I had never had before. For the first time I was allowed "behind the
scenes" as it were, and could watch first-hand what it takes to put
together a real cabaret show.
You might have noticed
that I have commented very rarely about cabaret shows seen since that
time. Watching three cabaret pros, Ellie Ellsworth, Wesla Whitfield
and Faith Winthrop reveal their little secrets, give loving advice,
sharing anecdotes, and both encourage and scold the conference attendees
was such an education for me, I will remember the weekend forever.
Now I am bound and determined
to complete the report and get it up on the website this weekend -
I have put all other projects on the "back burner" as it were, because
I want to share with all of you some of the things I saw, heard and
learned. I just hope that the folks attending the conference remember
the lessons learned and apply them to their work.
I saw a show the other
night that I will write about, and I want to urge folks in the NYC
area to see, because it so wonderfully carried out what classic cabaret
is all about. The show is called "Frogs and Princes," and vocalist/humorist
Simon Fortin carries it off so well I plan to see it again and again.
Simon will be presenting this show at DON'T TELL MAMA (343 West 46th
Street, NYC - 212-757-0788 - http://www.donttellmama.com/)
4 more times this month - Saturday, January 12th at 6:00 pm, Monday,
January 14th at 7:00 pm, and on Tuesdays, January 22nd & 29th at 7:00
pm. His baritone vocals are beautiful, but the real strength in the
show is the way he presents the lyrics of each song. Some of the tunes
were new, or rarely performed. But others are familiar standards,
which I somehow felt I had never heard before. The total result is
magical - like watching a frog turn into a prince - and even vice-versa!
The humor is like one of those Russian dolls - as you think about
what was just said, you discover a meaning within a meaning within
a meaning! It is classic cabaret - you become one with the performer
without realizing it! Astounding! Go see it if you can!
Talk about wonderful experiences,
I had another one this week - the receipt of Scott Coulter's long
awaited CD - available now from LML Music (http://www.lmlmusic.com/).
If you want to hear lyrics as you have never heard them before, send
for this one! I have often basked in the glow of this young man's
vocals (his duet show with Lennie Watts this fall was glorious), but
this CD brings you up close - it has a presence unlike any one I have
heard. Scott performs with various pianists - at times the composer
of the song he is singing (Stephen Schwartz, Tim DiPasqua). His performance
of DiPasqua's "Maybe You Didn't Hear Me" had me in tears - never have
such lyrics and such vocals been combined so perfectly, so heart-wrenchingly!
The CD is simply called "Scott Coulter."
Reminder: If you're planning
to submit an application for a MAC Award for your cabaret work in
the year 2001, the deadline is galloping close. Postmark date is January
15th - less than a week away. If you need the application forms, up-to-date
descriptions of the categories, and the eligibility information, it's
all on the MAC website at http://www.macnyc.com/.
For other MAC information you might need, call the MAC Hotline, 212-465-2662.
Don't forget to save the
date for the MAC Awards show itself: Monday, April 1st. What's more,
MAC members will be soon be getting information in the mail about
opportunities to advertise in the MAC Awards program book. It's a
great way to let a great target audience - the cabaret community -
know about you and your work.
Sebastian LaCause (from
"The Rocky Horror Show") had to cancel his appearance at Seth Rudetsky's
"Broadway Chatterbox" show at DON'T TELL MAMA (343 West 46th Street,
NYC - 212-757-0788 - http://www.donttellmama.com/)
this Thursday, January 10th. He's filming the movie of "Chicago."
Replacing him will be Kate Jennings Grant and (hopefully) Ryan Driscoll
and Brett Tabisel, her co-stars of the Off-Broadway musical "Summer
of '42."
Advance Notice: Baby Jane
Dexter returns to ARCI'S PLACE (450 Park Avenue South, NYC - 212-532-4370
- http://www.arcisplace.com/)
for one week only, February 12th through 16th - Valentine's Day week.
Her show in December 2001 had all the critics cheering - raves from
THE POST, the NEW YORK TIMES, BACK STAGE - everywhere. Ross Paterson
is musical director. Don't miss this one - details will follow.
Currently, ARCI'S PLACE
(450 Park Avenue South, NYC - 212-532-4370 - http://www.arcisplace.com/)
is presenting Donna McKechnie's show "My Musical Comedy Life" through
January 12th. Shows are Tuesday through Friday at 9:00 pm and Saturday
at 8:30 and 11:00 pm. On Tuesday, the 15th Broadway/TV personality
Tom Wopat takes over the room, fresh from his run in ANNIE GET YOUR
GUN. This is Tom's cabaret debut. There is a more complete story,
with photo, in the "Breaking News" section of the CABARET HOTLINE
ONLINE website (http://www.cabarethotlineonline.com/).
Congratulations to all
the cabaret artists who made the nominations list for the 2001 Grammy
Awards! In the category of "Traditional Pop Vocal Album," three of
the nominees played FEINSTEIN'S at the Regency Hotel (540 Park Avenue,
NYC - 212-339-4095 - http://www.feinsteinsattheregency.com/)
last year: Rosemary Clooney, "Sentimental Journey"; Keely Smith, "Keely
Sings Sinatra," and Michael Feinstein, "Romance on Film, Romance on
Broadway." The other two nominees also came from the clubs: Betty
Buckley, who has played THE CAFE CARLYLE (35 East 76th Street, NYC
- 212-744-1600 - http://www.thecarlyle.com/cal.cfm)
and BOTTOM LINE (15 West 4th Street, NYC - 212-228-6300), was cited
for her "Stars and the Moon" CD, and Harry Connick Jr., who once played
THE ALGONQUIN OAK ROOM (59 West 44th Street, NYC - 212-840-6800 -
http://www.algonquinhotel.com/)
and the KNICKERBOCKER GRILL, was nominated for "Songs I Heard." The
Grammys will be given out on February 27th in Los Angeles, and will
be broadcast on CBS-TV.
Alison Fraser, two-time
Tony Award nominee ("Romance, Romance" and "The Secret Garden"), will
perform on Monday, January 14th at 8:00 pm at THE WEST BANK CAFE/LAURIE
BEECHMAN THEATER (407 West 42nd Street, NYC - 212-695-6909) . She'll
be accompanied by Christopher McGovern, Sean Harkness and Joe Brady.
Cover is $10 with a two-drink minimum.
The first "Cabaret Spotlight"
of 2002 is January 16th at 8:00 pm at JOHNNY FOLEY'S IRISH HOUSE &
CELLAR (243 O'Farrell Street, San Francisco, CA - 415-954-0777). Wayne
Sutton & Barry Lloyd will host several new faces in this San Francisco
nightspot. Making their debut performances at the spotlight are Alex
Walsh, Jen Jacobson, Heather Lauren, Jennifer Larson and Robert Dunlop.
Coley Grundman returns to dazzle the expected sellout crowd.
We have added a DESIGNER
LINKS page to our CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE website (http://www.cabarethotlineonline.com/LinksDesigners.shtml)
and invite all web and graphic designers who specialize in offering
their services to members of the cabaret community to add their web
link to this page. All we will need is your name or the name of your
design firm, your URL address, and the metropolitan area where you
do most of your design. The listing is a FREE. You need not be a supporting
member of CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE, just a subscriber. A return link
from your website to mine is appreciated but not necessary.
By the way, we have quite
a number of songwriters listed on our new SONGWRITERS LINKS page (CABARET
HOTLINE ONLINE website (http://www.cabarethotlineonline.com/LinksSongwriters.shtml).
If you are a songwriter and wish to be added to this page, the same
requirements are in effect - All we will need is your name, your URL
address, and the metropolitan area where you do most of your design.
The listing is a FREE. You need not be a supporting member of CABARET
HOTLINE ONLINE, just a subscriber. A return link from your website
to mine is appreciated but not necessary. (ATTN: SONGWRITERS WHO SENT
IN LINKS REQUESTS: Please check the page to make sure that your name
and city has been added and that the link is operating correctly).
Our next project is to
re-build our PERFORMER LINKS page - it has really gotten out of date,
with folks changing URL addresses, etc. Stay tuned. Don't send me
any link requests right now - let me take care of the SONGWRITERS
& DESIGNERS first. But soon we will be removing all the current performer
links and will add only new performer links as they are requested.
The same rules as in the past will apply - you must be a subscriber
to be listed - and a return link from your website to mine will be
necessary.
EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW
AGAIN can be heard on the radio every Sunday from 9:00 -11:00 pm (EST)
over WBAI 99.5 FM and on the Internet at http://www.2600.com/offthehook/hot2.ram
and it is hosted by David Kenney. This Sunday, January 13th EVERYTHING
OLD IS NEW AGAIN will present "RECENT CD RELEASES AND RE-ISSUES" Here
are some of the recordings by cabaret performers released within the
last six months that will be played:
BARBARA COOK - "Sings
Mostly SONDHEIM"
D.C . ANDERSON - "All Is Calm, All Is Bright"
LEA DeLARIA - "Play It Cool"
TONY BENNETT - "Playin' With My Friends"
KAREN MASON - "When The Sun Comes Out"
FRANK DAIN - "I Thought About You"
HEATHER Mac RAE - "Songs For My Father"
JAMIE deROY AND FRIENDS - "Tis The Season"
MARY FOSTER CONKLIN - "You'd Be Paradise"
CHRISTOPHER GINES - "The Way It Goes"
TIM DI PASQUA - "Monster Under These Conditions"
BETTY BUCKLEY - "Live At The Donmar"
JEFF HARNAR - "Sammy Cahn All The Way"
KRISTIN CHENOWETH - "Let Yourself Go"
David will give away Two
Pairs Of Tickets to "An Evening with Margaret Whiting," hosted by
Mary Cleere Haran presented by Lincoln Center's American Songbook
Series Friday, January 25, 2002 at 8:00 pm at Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse.
You are invited to send your comments and suggestions to: davidkenney@oldisnew.org
or visit http://www.oldisnew.org/
Daniel Isengart just returned
from Germany and a guest appearance in Munich for New Year's Eve and
a short vacation in Berlin (where he is planning a future performance)
and tonight resumes his regular Wednesday night sets at BAR DO (29
Bedford Street, NYC - 212-627-1580) where he can be found after 10:30
pm singing an eclectic mix of songs from the 20th Century (remember
those days?). There is no cover charge, and reservations are suggested
but not necessary.
If you like drinks, food
and jokes with a kick, join stand-up comic Joan Jaffe and her "Comedy
on Wednesday" shows featuring 10 more hot comics each week at TEQUILAVILLE
(99 Park Avenue (39th St.), NYC - 212-681-8454) from 6:00 to 8:00
pm. There's just a $5 cover and no minimum.
I still have received
no January schedule from THE FIREBIRD CAFE (363 West 46th Street,
NYC - 212-586-0244 - http://www.firebirdrestaurant.com/),
but I did get word of another show that is playing this month. The
delicious Heather Gilchriest will bring her "Dancing on the Ceiling:
The Jessie Matthews Songbook" show to this Russian-themed cabaret
for two nights only - Thursdays, January 10th & 17th at 9:00 pm. This
is the same show that played at THE ALGONQUIN OAK ROOM (59 West 44th
Street, NYC - 212-840-6800 - http://www.algonquinhotel.com/)
and also at JUDY'S CHELSEA (169 Eighth Avenue, NYC - 212-929-5410
- http://www.judyschelsea.com/).
This lady is a triple winner: Beautiful voice, beautiful to look at,
beautiful show - I loved all three! Musical direction is by Paul Trueblood,
with direction by William Baldwin Young.
Meantime, also at THE
FIREBIRD CAFE (363 West 46th Street, NYC - 212-586-0244 - http://www.firebirdrestaurant.com/),
Jeanne MacDonald continues with her delightful show "Harbor" on Saturdays
in January at 9:00 pm with Rick Jensen as musical director and Steve
Bargonetti on guitar. I plan to see the show this Saturday - it is
a treat worth repeating.
Elizabeth Dole continues
her run at DAVENPORT'S (1383 North Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL -
773-278-1830 - http://www.davenportspianobar.com/)
on Sunday nights at 7:00 pm (not 8:00 as listed on their website).
There is a review of her show on the CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE website
(http://www.cabarethotlineonline.com/ChiRev2002Doyle.shtml)
by our Chicago correspondent Todd Shuman.
ADVANCE NOTE TO OUR MICHIGAN
READERS: That delightful cabaret pair of Judy Kreston & David Lahm
will be appearing on Valentine's Day weekend at THE INN AT UNION PIER
(9708 Berrien, Union Pier, MI - 616-469-4700). On Friday night, the
15th of February you can enjoy jazz with David Lahm at the piano and
Brent McKesson on bass. On Saturday, the 16th, Judy will join in,
and the show is called "My Funny Valentine," featuring the songs of
Richard Rogers. Union Pier is about an hour's drive from Chicago,
so you windy-city folk might want to join them as well.
Of course, you don't have
to be in Michigan to catch David Lahm at a piano - every Monday night
in January you can join "David Lahm & Friends" in a series of shows
at JUDY'S CHELSEA (169 Eighth Avenue, NYC - 212-929-5410 - http://www.judyschelsea.com/)
spotlighting various composers, and featuring two special guest performers
each week. On Monday, January 14th, the show features the music of
Arthur Schwartz, with Kimlee Hicks & Brad Menendez as guest vocalists.
Cy Coleman's music is featured on the 21st, with vocalists Leslie
Anderson & Jonathan Tomaselli. Finally, on the 28th of January, the
music of Burton Lane, with Kathy Kaefer & Colm Reilly. All shows are
at 8:30 pm. Ratzo Harris is on bass at each performance.
By the way, JUDY'S CHELSEA
(169 Eighth Avenue, NYC - 212-929-5410 - http://www.judyschelsea.com/)
will have its THIRD ANNIVERSARY GALA on Monday night, February 4th
at 8:30 pm featuring Judy Kreston & David Lahm with Leslie Anderson,
Elaine Brier, Mitch Ellis, Kimlee Hicks, Kathy Kaefer, Brad Menendez,
Colm Reilly and Jonathan Tomaselli. Be sure to make your reservations
early - this annual event is usually sold out 2 or 3 weeks in advance.
They're back - that totally
funny, totally talented and totally delightful pair - Karen Mack and
Michael Holland. Their show "Gashole - the wit and wisdom of the 70s"
is a completely entertaining package of songs and comments on the
songs that are memorable - often for their complete lack of any kind
of meaning. Not your usual cabaret fare, these songs. But Mack & Holland
present them in such a way that you find yourself loving them all
over again. The show can be seen at DON'T TELL MAMA (343 West 46th
Street, NYC - 212-757-0788 - http://www.donttellmama.com/)
on Tuesdays, January 15th & 22nd at 9:00 pm and Thursday, January
31st at 8:00 pm. Its a lot of fun - a few drinks makes it even funnier.
Dame Cleo Lane and John
Dankworth open the new season at FEINSTEIN'S at the Regency Hotel
(540 Park Avenue, NYC - 212-339-4095 - http://www.feinsteinsattheregency.com/)
with "The Dame Takes Manhattan" this week, with shows Tuesdays through
Saturdays through February 2nd. There is a more complete story, with
photo, in the "Breaking News" section of the CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE
website (http://www.cabarethotlineonline.com/).
Jim Caruso, with Johnny
Rodgers at the piano, is at LIBBY'S CABARET (3401 Northside Parkway
NW, Atlanta, GA - 404-237-1943 - http://www.libbyscabaret.com/)
Thursday through Saturday, January 10th through 12th, showtime at
8:30 pm (dinner served at 6:30 pm). This is a brand new show from
one of the brilliant talents of cabaret.
Cabaret veteran Vickie
Phillips returns to DON'T TELL MAMA (343 West 46th Street, NYC - 212-757-0788
- http://www.donttellmama.com/)
on Saturday, January 12th at 6:00 pm with her show "Different Dreams,
Different Times." She calls the show "a musical reverie." Musical
director is Gerry Dieffenbach, and the show was co-conceived and directed
by Bob Ost. I saw this show a few weeks ago, and thoroughly enjoyed
it - I have never seen Ms. Phillips so in touch with the material
- classic cabaret!
So, I am going to close
off here and continue working on the San Francisco article. Be sure
to visit the CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE website (http://www.cabarethotlineonline.com/)
and check out some new features, including a daily new bulletin from
the world of cabaret (that's if there is something exciting to report).
As soon as the SF article is up, I will get back to the TOP CABARET
SHOWS OF 2001 article, as well as the BEST VENUES OF 2001. We will
also be finishing our 2001 retrospective - "The Best of Times & The
Worst of Time" - not an original title, but certainly an apt one.
Now would be an ideal
time to join CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE as a supporting member - or information
check at http://svhamstra.com/Membership.shtml
or else just send me a note at membership@svhamstra.com
with the single word "membership" in the subject line, and I'll send
all the details.
And I must warn you that
in years past, February and March are the months when we quickly sold
out on BANNER ADS on the website - a lot of folks use our as space
to keep their name in front of the MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets
& Clubs) voters. Please don't simply send me an advertising order
and a check without warning - e-mail me first to reserve space, letting
me know which weeks you will be running your banner. I would hate
to disappoint anyone. For information on banner ads, just send me
a note at banners@svhamstra.com and I'll send all the details.
I am also happy to report
that recent new RUBY memberships have helped to cover nearly all the
expenses of both the San Francisco and Chicago trips taken last year.
Now we are looking forward to visiting Boston at the end of February
and then back to Chicago in mid-March for the Cabaret Convention and
are looking for new RUBY members to help cover these expenses. For
information on becoming a "Special Ruby Member" of CABARET HOTLINE
ONLINE, visit http://www.cabarethotlineonline.com/MembershipRuby.shtml
or just send me a note at ruby@svhamstra.com
with the single word "RUBY" in the subject line, and I'll send all
the details. Current members can "upgrade" to this level if they wish.
And that is just about
the way it was.
Hugs & Stuff,
STU
Event listings
are provided for the information of users only. They are not provided
with the intention that users rely upon the information therein for
any purposes. Accordingly, Cabaret Hotline Online, and/or Stuart V.
Hamstra shall under no circumstances be liable for any loss or damage,
including but not limited to loss of profits, goodwill or indirect
or consequential loss arising out of any use of or inaccuracies in
this information. All warranties express or implied are excluded to
the fullest extent permissible by law.
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