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CABARET
HOTLINE ONLINE #010206
Wednesday, February 28, 2001
Since 1990 Your First, Best, and Only Source of Cabaret News
It it's anything
to do with cabaret, you'll probably read it here first!
In just a
few hours MARCH IS CABARET MONTH will be here - and I am scurrying
to update my web pages and prepare a listing of all the CABARET MONTH
events around the country. I have already posted the Boston update,
and eagerly await word from other areas regarding any special activities
in the works.
Meantime,
I am back from a quick trip to Boston, where on Monday night the BACA
(Boston Association of Cabaret Artists - http://www.bostoncabaret.org/)
held a Media Showcase - inviting all the newspaper, magazine, TV &
Radio writers to see performers who would be doing a show in the Boston
area during CABARET MONTH. The BACA folks have really been working
hard to get increased press coverage in their area of cabaret events,
and this special show, held at LYRIC STAGE (140 Clarendon Street,
Boston, MA - 617-437-7172) was just the ticket.
On Saturday
night, March 3rd, I plan to be at JUDY'S CHELSEA (169 Eighth Avenue,
NYC - 212-929-5410) when Judy Kreston and David Lahm present their
new show celebrating their past 10 years of performing at JUDY'S.
Showtime is 8:30 pm, and I advise you to reserve early. The show will
be performed every Saturday night in March at JUDY'S CHELSEA.
This coming
Sunday, March 4th, I will be part of a panel discussion on cabaret
and CABARET MONTH along with Scott Siegel (BACK STAGE - Theatremania.com)
and Wayman Wong (NY DAILY NEWS) on David Kenney's "Everything Old
is New Again" radio show on WBAI 99.5 FM and on the Internet at http://www.wbai.org/.
The show will also feature the music of Ethel Waters, as well as four
renditions of John Bucchino's "It Feels Like Home" with performances
by Bill Wright, Nancy LaMott, Lee Lessack and Daisy Prince. Be sure
to tune in. The show is heard here in NYC from 9:00 to 11:00 pm -
the panel discussion is currently scheduled for part of the first
hour of the show.
And, of course,
on Monday night, March 5th, I will be at the BACK STAGE Magazine Bistro
Awards Gala at THE SUPPER CLUB (240 West 47th Street, NYC). The Awards
Gala kicks off "Cabaret Month" in New York City. It begins with a
reception at 5:00 pm with Jerry Scott at the piano, followed by the
awards presentation and show at 6:30 pm. BACK STAGE Editor-in-Chief
Sherry Eaker is producing and hosting the event along with Back Stage
cabaret critics John Hoglund, David Finkle, and Barbara & Scott Siegel.
Comedian Jim David is guest emcee, and the show is under the direction
of Thomas Mills. I'll be there with one or two special friends, and
I hope to see many of my readers there as well.
The Bistro
Awards Gala is the premiere cabaret awards show in NYC, and a very
limited number of tickets are available at $60.00. You can purchase
them at the offices of BACK STAGE (770 Broadway, 6th Floor, NYC),
by credit card (646-654-5740) or via their website (http://www.backstage.com/).
But you better hurry!
Be sure to
head to your favorite newsstand tonight or tomorrow and pick up the
new issue of BACK STAGE magazine - the spotlight is on cabaret, with
more about the BACK STAGE Bistro Awards, plus a special article on
"How to Attract an Audience." This will also be the topic of a panel
discussion at DON'T TELL MAMA (343 West 46th Street, NYC - 212-757-0788)
presented by BACK STAGE on Tuesday, March 13th, moderated by David
Finkle, John Hoglund and Barbara & Scott Siegel, and featuring James
Beaman, Charles Cermele, Baby Jane Dexter, Natalie Gamsu, Sidney Myer
and Laura Davis. The room opens at 5:00 pm - and the discussion starts
at 5:30 running until 7:30 pm. Call BACK STAGE at 646-654-5723 and
leave your name & phone number (don't call DON'T TELL MAMA) for reservations
- these special events usually are sold out, so don't wait.
Later this
month, on Friday, March 9th the Washington DC cabaret organization,
DCCN (DC Cabaret Network) will be presenting "A Cabaret Celebration
II" in association with Arlington Arts. The show will feature a number
of DC's most accomplished cabaret performers including Terri Allen,
Wendy Lane Bailey, Doug Bowles, Bev Cosham, Russel Fox, and Tim Tourbin.
They will be joined by special guest host, MAC award winning performer
Richard Skipper as Carol Channing. DC favorite George Fulginiti-Shakar
will provide musical direction. The show begins at 8:00 PM at the
SPECTRUM THEATRE (1601 Kent Street, Rosslyn, VA). Tickets are $15.00
and may be obtained by calling 703-218-6500 or by visiting http://www.tickets.com/.
I was at "A Cabaret Celebration I" last November, and hope to get
to DC for this one as well.
So you can
see, I am going to celebrate MARCH IS CABARET MONTH in a big way this
year!
I hope you
have take time to visit the CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE website (http://www.svhamstra.com/)
often - and I hope that you clicked on a banner ad or two while you
were there. Please remember that CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE is now an
independent organization entirely supported by our website banner
ads. I hope that many of you will support us by purchasing ads on
the website - that way I can give as much time as possible to maintaining
both the website and the newsletters. If you want information on BANNER
ADVERTISING, just send me a note with the single word "Banner" in
the subject line. The information will be sent to you automatically.
You can have
a banner appearing at random on all 700+ pages of the website for
4 weeks for just $140.00. Compare this with the following rates we
checked on for a single 1/2-page ad in the NYC area a while back:
In SHOW BUSINESS WEEKLY, it's $673.00; in BACKSTAGE, it's $1,055.00,
and in TIME OUT NEW YORK, it's $2,546.00! And those are weekly publications,
tossed in the recycle bin at week's end. Meantime, CABARET HOTLINE
ONLINE (http://www.svhamstra.com/)
never gets stale. I keep adding new reviews and news items during
the month, your ad is seen again and again by folks seriously interested
in cabaret. When I last ran my stats, the pages were getting over
3000 visits a day!
If you want
to experience a really super kick-off to MARCH IS CABARET MONTH, the
fabulous Lina Koutrakos is appearing at the BOTTOM LINE (15 West 4th
Street, NYC - 212-228-6300) on Thursday, March 1st in two shows, at
7:30 and 10:30 pm. The lady is fantastic, and her band is unbelievable.
I you missed
the Off-Broadway show, "Cary and Gallo: What If We Did This?" which
had its last performance on February 26th, the boys are taking it
on the road, and will return to New York later this year. The show
was a great success we hope they continue that success out of town.
I will be letting you know when and where you can see it in your town
soon. Check out all the details on http://www.caryandgallo.com.
She will be
accepting a BACK STAGE Magazine Bistro Award on Monday night the 5th,
but she returns to JUDY'S CHELSEA (169 Eighth Avenue, NYC - 212-929-5410
- http://www.judyschelsea.com/)
this Friday at 8:30 pm with her fantastic "Dancing" show. I'm talking
about Audrey Lavine, and she is also at JUDY'S CHELSEA on Fridays
the 9th & 16th - along with her musical director Ross Patterson. If
you want to see what an award winning show is all about, catch this
one - if perfection is possible, this is it!
Steven Santoro
has just released a new jazz CD called "Soul of the Night." Steven
Santoro? Well, you might know him as Steven Kowalczyk, who has performed
at EIGHTY EIGHT'S and THE FIREBIRD CAFE - but now he is going by his
other family name, and you can buy his CD at either http://www.soulofthenight.com/
or http://www.stevenkowalczyk.com/.
Lucille Carr-Kaffashan
will give two more performances of her show, "Once In a Blue Moon,"
at DON'T TELL MAMA (343 West 46th Street, NYC - 212-757-0788), the
first on Friday, March 16th at 8:00 pm, and the second on Saturday,
March 31st at 5:00 pm. David Brunetti is the musical director.
"That's My
New York," an original musical revue by lyricist Jay Jeffries and
composer John McMahon, about relationships in all their quirky glory,
will open at JUDY'S CHELSEA (169 Eighth Avenue, NYC - 212-929-5410
- http://www.judyschelsea.com/)
on Monday night, March 12th at 8:30 pm, and run every Monday through
April 30th. The cast of four includes Kimlee Hicks and Traci Reynolds,
well known for their celebrated solo shows at clubs such as ROSE'S
TURN and DON'T TELL MAMA; Marcus Kettles, a veteran of many Off Broadway
productions; and Maurice Villa-Lobos, whose most recent credit is
The Roundabout Theatre Company's long-running production of CABARET.
Kelly Briggs is the director.
If I could
be two places at once on a Friday, one of those places would always
be "The Next Big Broadway Musical" every Friday at 8:30 pm at DON'T
TELL MAMA (343 West 46th Street, NYC - 212-757-0788 - http://www.donttellmama.com/).
It is a show of musical improvisation featuring some of the most talented
singer/comics in town - and there is never a dull moment. Hosted by
the vocally challenged Ron Poole (thankfully they don't let him sing),
the show stars Ross Aseron, Matthew Loren Cohen, Samuel D. Cohen,
Adam Felber, Lynn Marie Hulsman, Debora Rabbai and Christine Turner.
This Saturday,
March 3rd, the radio show "Words & Music," hosted by Spider Saloff
and broadcast on Saturdays at 7:00 pm on WFMT-FM (98.7) in the Chicago
area, as well as radio stations around the world and on the internet
at http://www.wfmt.com/,
will feature the songs of the songs of Rodgers & Hammerstein. The
show will include "Oh What A Beautiful Morning," My Favorite Things,"
and Shall We Dance."
Spider will
be performing in a character comedy piece, with some music presented
in workshop for possible theater debut later this year. The show also
features Jeremy Kahn at the piano and is directed by NY stage veteran,
Greg Fellows and will run at DAVENPORT'S (1383 North Milwaukee Avenue,
Chicago, IL - 773-278-1830 - http://www.davenportspianobar.com/)
on Fridays, March 2nd, 16th and 23rd at 8:00 pm.
And on Sunday,
March 4th at 8:00 pm, the Spider Saloff Quartet will be performing
at VOLTAIRE (3441 North Halsted Street, Chicago, IL - 773-281-9320)
with sets till midnight.
Also celebrating
MARCH IS CABARET MONTH, the award-winning "Jamie deRoy & friends"
will have two shows in March at THE WEST BANK CAFE/LAURIE BEECHMAN
THEATER (407 West 42nd Street, NYC - 212-695-6909). Shows are on Saturdays
at 8:30 pm, and feature Rod Hausen as Musical Director and Barry Kleinbort
as Director. Guests on Saturday March 3rd are Mark Coffin, Jenifer
Kruskamp, Sidney Myer, Paige Price, Gregg Rodeheffer and Sal Viviano.
Jamie's guests on Saturday March 10th are Mario Cantone, Kim Cea,
Colette Hawley, Craig Rubano, Karen Saunders and Marcus Simeone.
Phillip Officer
and Barbara Brussell join forces to present an evening of song at
THE PLUSH ROOM at the York Hotel (940 Sutter Street, San Francisco,
CA - 415-885-2800 - http://www.plushroom.com/)
on Monday, March 19th at 8:00 pm. Phillip will be accompanied by Mike
Greensill, and Barbara by Christopher Marlowe. The show will spotlight
the American Popular Songbook's most celebrated composers & lyricists.
You have just
one more chance to see Aaron Lee Battle's show "Step Right Up" on
Sunday, March 11th at 6:00 pm at JUDY'S CHELSEA (169 Eighth Avenue,
NYC - 212-929-5410 - http://www.judyschelsea.com/).
The show is directed by Eric Michael Gillett, with musical direction
by the 2001 Back Stage BISTRO AWARD winning Mark Hartman. The show
covers the ups, down and exciting moments in Aaron's career. A review
of this show by Barb & Scott Siegel will soon be found on the CABARET
HOTLINE ONLINE (http://www.svhamstra.com/)
website.
"Midway Point"
starring Stacy Lee Tilton, reveals the inner thoughts and outward
actions of a group of women at the crossroads of their lives. It is
a wonderful multi-faceted show and will be presented at DON'T TELL
MAMA (343 West 46th Street, NYC - 212-757-0788) on Sundays, March
4th & 11th at 6:00 pm. Under the direction of Thomas Mills and David
Brunetti, Stacy will perform songs by Jason Robert Brown, Michael
John LaChiusa, Tom Lehrer, Alan Menken & David Spencer, Brian Lasser,
Stephen Flaherty & Lynn Ahrens and various others.
Bob Moreen
will be appearing at the piano at GENTRY ON STATE (440 North State
Street, Chicago, IL - 312-836-0933) on Thursdays, March 1st, 8th and
29th from 5:30 until 8:30 pm.
You can treat
yourself to the lush vocal sounds of handsome John DePalma when he
appears for two shows only on Friday, March 2nd at 9:00 pm and Saturday,
March 3rd at 8:00 pm at DON'T TELL MAMA (343 West 46th Street, NYC
- 212-757-0788 - http://www.donttellmama.com/),
along with musical director James Followell and band. These shows
will be recorded live for a CD.
L. Egan D'Ivori,
pianist/composer/vocalist and Elizabeth Anne, vocalist will be performing
at 22 BELOW CABARET (155 East 22nd Street, NYC) on Saturday, March
10th at 8:30 pm. Their show is called "A Century of Life & Love, "
and features original love and topical songs in various 20th century
popular styles concerning life throughout the 1900s. Shawn and Kim
Norton direct.
Congratulations
to BRANDY'S PIANO BAR (235 East 84th Street, NYC - 212-744-4949 -
http://www.brandyspianobarnyc.com/)!
In addition to being named one of the "Top 25 Bars We Are Thankful
For" by TIME OUT NY magazine last fall, Brandy's has just received
the "2001 Award of Distinction" by Zagat! Owned by Joe Connell since
1985, Brandy's features an exceptional, multitalented group of performers
- singers, pianists, actors, songwriters, recording artists, playwrights,
producers, dancers, and directors! I was there a few weeks ago on
a Saturday night and had a really great time. The place rocks 7 nights
a week.
The West Coast
cabaret organization CABARET WEST will present "Lew and the Night
and the Music," a salute to songwriter Lew ("Nice 'N Easy," "That
Face") Spence at THE CINEGRILL at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel (7000
Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, CA - 323-466-7000) on Monday, March
12th at 8:00 pm. Joining Lew in an evening of stories and songs will
be Evelyn Halus and special guests Wesla Whitfield and Mike Greensill.
Lew's songs have been recorded by Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Rosemary Clooney,
Bobby Short and other greats and his collaborators include the Bergmans,
Sammy Cahn, Paul Francis Webster, Bob Russell and Sammy Gallop.
Tommy Femia's
Cabaret Month guest stars at his JUDY LIVE! show on Saturdays at 11:00
pm at DON'T TELL MAMA (343 West 46th Street, NYC - 212-757-0788) are
always-romantic Charles Cermele on March 3rd, simply terrific Teri-Lynn
Paul on the 10th, the incomparable Sidney Myer in the 17th, brilliant
newcomer Marcus Simeone on the 24th, and the delightful Patrick Boyd
on the 31st. And I've run out of adjectives so I'm glad there are
only 5 Saturdays in March.
Jim Caruso
seems to be everywhere lately! Now I get word that he will be appearing
at LIBBY'S CABARET (3401 Northside Parkway NW, Atlanta, GA - 404-237-1943
- http://www.libbyscabaret.com/)
for two weeks, March 7 through 17, Wednesday through Saturday. I spent
a few hours in Atlanta last week on my way home from Miami, but only
in the airport. Some day soon I want to head down there and see what
this club is all about!
"I Heart New
York" returns to DON'T TELL MAMA (343 West 46th Street, NYC - 212-757-0788
- http://www.donttellmama.com/)
for four Mondays in March (5, 12, 19 and 26th) at 8:30 pm. If you
want more information, check out http://www.redballoonrecords.com/page2.html.
Once again Diana B will be at the keys, with a cast that includes
John Hartmann (of TV fame), Wanda Houston, Mandy Peek Jensen, Natasha
Piletich and Joe Teig.
THE SUPPER
CLUB at STEFANO'S (Worcester, MA - 508-752-6660) has another fabulous
cabaret show this Saturday, March 3rd at 9:30 pm. Christopher Chew
is a Boston-area cabaret and theatre performer. He recently appeared
as the lead in Wachusett Theatre Company's DAMN YANKEES. Additionally,
he is going to be appearing as the Padre in Worcester Foothill's Production
of MAN OF LA MANCHA and he was in their inaugural production of A
CHRISTMAS CAROL. Catch this great talent while you can!
This week's
"Poole Party!" at DON'T TELL MAMA (343 West 46th Street, NYC - 212-757-0788)
on Saturday, March 3rd at 8:30 pm features Karen Mack, Craig Coursey,
Mark McCombs, Sidney Myer, Colette Hawley, Ron Poole, Shauna Lane,
Suzanne Smith, Joanna Parson, Scott Barbarino and the Bev-Naps, and
guest host Nancy Witter! I saw almost this same cast perform a few
weeks ago, and it was a riot! McCombs is one of the most inventive
people on the cabaret scene, and you simply must catch Karen Mack
as she does stand-up comedy - the gals is a multi-talent! If fact,
this just might be the best Poole Party this year!
If you are
in the San Francisco area, don't miss the next "SONG OF THE MONTH
CLUB" on Sunday, March 4th at MARTUNI'S (4 Valencia Street, San Francisco,
CA - 415-241-0205) from 5:00 to 8:00 pm. Hosted by Mychelle Colleary,
Lua Hadar, Linda Kosut and produced by Skip Ziobron, the SONG OF THE
MONTH CLUB is a nurturing environment in which singers, songwriters,
and musicians have an opportunity to perform new material, while building
a strong and supportive network. Singers, songwriters, musicians and
of course, music lovers are welcome. For more information, contact
SongOfMonthClub@aol.com.
The Josh Dodes
Band has two very important dates, right at the start of March! On
Friday, March 2nd, at 9:00 pm they will performer at STATE OF THE
UNION (1357 "U" Street NW, Washington, DC - 202-588-8810) with Baltimore's
Mycroft Holmes opening at 9:00 and the Josh and the band for two sets
starting at 10:00 pm.
But the really
big event is a VH1 live taping this Saturday, March 3rd at 9:30 pm
at THE BITTER END (147 Bleecker Street, NYC - 212-673-7030) featuring
Maiya Sykes and the original Dodes Band organist Adam Blau! with the
group Almost Speechless opening at 8:30 pm. The taping is part of
a VH1 major new series "Bands on the Run." VH1 selected The Josh Dodes
Band as one of their four favorite unsigned bands in America and put
them on the road last fall to tape their new series. The show debuts
on VH1 on April 1st 2001 at 10:00 pm, and as the final stage, VH1
is filming each of the four bands playing in their home cities (the
other three bands are from L.A., San Diego, and Dallas). Yes indeed,
this is the same singer/songwriter/pianist who did his first NYC shows
at THE DUPLEX and DON'T TELL MAMA - just a few short years ago! It
is so satisfying to see a performer grow in style, popularity and
fame - one of my real joys in covering cabaret for the past dozen
years!
This is just
a start - I plan to send out another issue of CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE
on Friday or Saturday, so if you have news to share, send it on in.
Meantime, on the CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE (http://www.svhamstra.com/)
website: new reviews, news and an article from our very own cabaret
gadfly, David McMann coming soon.
And that is
just about the way it was.
Hugs & Stuff,
STU
"... Stu Hamstra's
breathless, gossipy e-mails are some of the best reading online."
- H. Scott Jolley - TIME OUT NY - 10/19/00
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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