This week Sue gives more pointers on building a successful show plus reviews two great shows she saw in one night! Also more picks and an advance look at a show she's doing in June.
VIEWS
A few things to watch out for or to consider:
1. While I applaud everyone who is passionate about their political beliefs (as am I), unless you are doing a show about politics, it is probably best to keep those opinions out of your show. You see, one cannot assume that just because we live in New York that ALL audience members are Democrat, just as we cannot assume that all folks in Connecticut are Republicans. As soon as you go there, you risk alienating 50% of your audience. This goes for overly religious comments as well. A journey to your own spirituality is valid in a show but be careful not to cross over the edge of being preachy. Again, not only are there other religions, many are agnostic or atheist and they will shut you down the minute you start to speak to your beliefs in a way that's more than just about your script. Just be careful and mindful that we, as singers, are there to entertain first and foremost.
2. Further to the above, know your audience. If you are singing at a Democratic or Republican Convention, have at it. Use your politics! An example of another side of this is that when I did my Ella show up in Westport this past weekend, upon having been to a previous show there, I noted that the majority of the attendees were more senior folks. So, when putting my show together and looking as the vast body of tunes that Ella did, when it came time to choose between "Misty" and "'Round Midnight" we went with "Misty" because it was more senior friendly and it was more well known to a non-jazz oriented crowd.
NOTE: If you are booking out of town and cannot get to see another show there prior to your appearance, call them to ask what their audiences are like and what the age range is. Remember the gig Edd Clark and I did up in MA where we brought a traditional Christmas show to a piano bar setting? Had we known, we would have brought a different show and 86'd the tux and gown, but we didn't. Ultimately we put the wrong product in the wrong room. Ask!
3. If you are using an arrangement by another singer, bravo for listing So n' So's arrangement AND then listing the actually writer's of the song but ... if your audience does not know that this is So n' So's arrangement, that's kind of cheating. You get create for the inspired way you are singing it ... not the person who sang or arranged it. Giving a quick mention of that person's name is appropriate. DO NOT EVER SAY, "I'm going to sing "People" by Barbra Streisand." She didn't write it! If you are singing her version lick-for-lick, you can say something like, "I just have always loved how Barbra S. did this next tune which was written by (name) so I'd like to perform her version of it for you tonight."
REVIEWS
There is NOTHING that I like better than seeing wonderful back-to-back shows. You feel "full" from the first show so it can be harder for the 2nd show to "hit" and admittedly, you're tired, BUT great work is great work and what a wonderful night I had seeing (sorta) newcomer Donna Hayes and, from Los Angeles, the fabulous Pat Whiteman.
DONNA HAYES in STOP THIS TRAIN - THE RIDE OF MY LIFE - THE WEST BANK CAFE/LAURIE BEECHMAN THEATRE (407 West 42nd Street, NYC - 212-695-6909) - Directed by Collette Black with Justin Stoney on piano.
I really love when a teacher or director comes up to me and tells me that one of their students/clients is ready to be seen, that they have enough runs of their show under their belt so that the show has "legs" and they are emotionally and artistically ready to be reviewed. This is what Collette Black did. While Donna is not a debut, she did one show last year called, "Torched", Collette, in her wisdom and as a wonderful teacher, allowed this then newcomer to Cabaret, learn her craft before suggesting she be reviewed.
From her postcard with its colorful subway colored circles to her subtle "thread" throughout the show about life being like a train ride: you board, you stop, you interact with strangers, you make encounters, you exit ... she is a wonderful story teller with a lovely voice. Her lower register is really yummy! I thought by the title of the show and opening number, "Stop this Train" that it was going to be a funny tune but this beautiful song written by John Mayer & Pino Palladino was a nice twist in that it was a profoundly beautiful plea of a someone reflecting back on their life and just wanting to slow things down a bit.
Donna then proceeded to tell us how she was raised in Jamaica where the main form of entertainment was story telling (AH ... .that's why she's so good at it) and how this art form was passed down to generations. The scarier the story, the better! She fell into character in the show, first as a Jamaican lady named Miss Bertha, who had a deep accent that was then translated to us by her Musical Director, Justin Stoney who is, hmmm, let's just say, NOT Jamaican! Funny bit. They did this one other time in the show but this time is was "man speak" and the nasty things that men say to try to pick up gals so, Justin's interpretations of the "man speak" became another funny bit because, of course, he heard things differently than how Donna (and us) heard these comments.
Donna is very funny, a really good actress and sings with a commitment to her lyric. She needs to get a little more comfortable during musical solos. She would be "there" with the music and just at the end; she'd get a little self conscious. She had candles and pictures all over the piano and a smaller table creating a living room feel so she could have very easily just lifted a frame to "be" with the moment and the music so this is a quick fix. This is also nit picking but just a constructive observation because all the rest was very good. NOTE: Stillness and silence can be very powerful.
Another thing that was impressive vocally is that this gal has restraint. She has a big voice but we only heard glimpses of it here and there until a few songs in where she used the bigger part of her voice. This showed us another color AND gave us a new interesting place to go audibly. Watch for this gal. Collette, Justin and David Colbert (on lights and sound) ... great job! Donna ended this show with a quote from "The Beautiful Truth" that I'd like to share with you because it moved me (here's part of it):
"At the end of your life, what will matter is not your success but your significance. What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught. What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or inspired others to emulate your example. What will matter are the choices you made."
PAT WHITEMAN in IN THE MOOD - THE METROPOLITAN ROOM (34 West 22nd Street, NYC - 212-206-0440) - Directed by Jason Graae (you read right and he did incredible work on this show) and as played by Musical Director: Michele (Goddess, Singer, Songwriter) Brourman.
SO sadly for you all, this was a one night only show. It was packed and this by a performer from Los Angeles. I was most impressed with the numbers in the room but even more impressed with this singer. WOW! Holy @#%$! OMG! This gal can sing!
Let's just say that she has the pure tone in her upper register and lyric connection that brings to mind Nancy Lamott combined with the "umph" and stupendous vocal purity of Christine Ebersol with a touch of Karen Mason's belt when she got sassy on the bluesy tunes and yet she didn't sound "like" anyone. This is a voice that you will remember and want to hear again and again and a singer/performer who you will want to know. In one word, this was a PERFECT cabaret show.
On the performance side of things ... funny on the level of a good stand up and so poignant in one part of the show that I wept with the "knowing" of exactly what she meant. She sang a lot of tunes that I did not know and yet I felt like I knew them. She is an original songwriter's dream in that she has a voice from the heavens AND she has the ability to sell a new tune with the best of them. She emotionally and intellectually gets all of what she is singing about and brings even more to the tunes we do know with a slightly different take or emphasis here and there. She's S-M-A-R-T. She's physically beautiful and makes you want to be her best friend by the end of her first tune AND you want to fix her up with the greatest guy you know because HE'D be the better for the introduction.
I am hoping that she comes back to New York to do a longer run of this show so I absolutely do not want to ruin any part of this show by listing songs or "the" moment in the show that moved me so deeply. It has to be experienced. (I usually don't do the song list reviews anyway.) Just trust me on this one ... if you go to Los Angeles, find out where she's singing and, when I tell you to go to see her when she comes back East ... GO TO SEE HER!
I don't need to write a longer review here as I have run out of superlatives. Pat, this little "love letter" is to you from a new fan and hopefully a new friend here in New York. YOU are a STAR dear lady!
NEWS
GABRIELLE STRAVELLI at THE WEST BANK CAFE/LAURIE BEECHMAN THEATRE (407 West 42nd Street, NYC - 212-695-6909) - Wednesdays, May 18th & 25th at 9:30 & Saturday, May 28th at 7:00 pm - With Tadataka Unno, piano; Saul Rubin, guitar; Pat O'Leary, bass & Jacob Melchior, drums. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Please read full review in my May 2nd column.
MY LOS ANGELES SINGER/SONGWRITER FRIEND, RAY JESSEL IS BACK! - DON'T TELL MAMA (343 West 46th Street, NYC - 212-757-0788) - Wednesdays, May 18th & 25th at 9:15 pm - Always HIGH-larious!
CUTRELL'S OPEN MIC NIGHT - THE DUPLEX CABARET THEATRE (61 Christopher Street, NYC - 212-255-5438) - every Saturday night starting at 11:30 pm. Just a heads up that you can still catch the hilarity and outrageous antics of Brendan Cutrell weekly at The Duplex!
Two good and oh so talented buddies playing THE METROPOLITAN ROOM (34 West 22nd Street, NYC - 212-206-0440) that I can also HIGHLY RECOMMEND:
AARON WEINSTEIN in HAVE STRINGS WILL SWING - Monday, May 23rd at 7:00 pm - NightLife Award winner and spectacular violinist and performer Aaron Weinstein will be appearing with Tedd Firth on piano and Tom Hubbard on bass. If you have never seen Aaron ... you HAVE to check him out. He's a one of a kind entertainer who will totally delight you!
TOM ROCCO in MY BIG, FAT, PROPOSITION 8 WEDDING - Monday, Wednesday 25th at 7:00 pm. I was not officially reviewing when I say this show the first time but I LOVED the show, I loved Tom and I loved the infectious joy that Tom performed with. This is a fun ride by a singer with a lot to say (is the show stand up with music or music with funny patter?) and, oh yeah, a really GREAT voice. Tom won the MAC Award for Debut Performance for this show last year!
SUE'S NEWS
MONDAY, JUNE 27th at 8:00 pm THE NEW YORK INVASION GOES TO THE WATERBURY PALACE THEATRE IN WATERURY, CT
With Jeanne MacDonald, Miles Phillips & Me and featuring Tracy Stark AND 2 surprise singers from my OLLI Life is a Cabaret Class at UCONN!
Sue Matsuki
Dream it, Believe it, DO IT!
e-mail me at SueMatsuki@aol.com
For more information on me or to read my resumes/reviews please visit my personal website at http://www.SueMatsuki.com/
