Stritch & Caruso Return to Bemelmans at The Carlyle

Billy Stritch and Jim Caruso return to Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle Hotel on Sunday, June 7 with their evening of swinging standards, and run every Sunday in June, from 9pm - 12 midnight. The two performers, who have performed extensively on their own, gained national exposure together as the host and musical director of the wildly popular open mic, "Cast Party," which celebrates talent every Monday at Birdland in NYC, and tours internationally. At Bemelmans, the duo is constantly in the news when showbiz heavy-hitters like Liza Minnelli, Bono, Tony Danza, Jane Monheit, and Michael Feinstein join them in impromptu performances. In their upcoming Carlyle run, Caruso and Stritch will be joined by bassist Steve Doyle.

As a performer, it must be great being a regular visitor to the hallowed halls of The Carlyle Hotel?
JC: Every time I enter the hotel, I think of those iconic photos of JFK and Jackie going through the same revolving doors. I feel lucky to be a tiny piece of a grand hotel so rooted in art, culture and politics.
BS: I remember seeing Bobby Short in the Café Carlyle on my first visit to New York in 1981. To me, The Carlyle is as iconically 'New York' as it gets and it's always a thrill to be there.

Bemelmans is known as one of the premiere watering holes in the world. Has that made for some interesting people-watching?
JC: In one night, you can see Upper East Side dowagers, frat boys on the make, fashion designers and rock and roll superstars. I always think a good party is a combination of all kinds of people!
BS: Yes, you see all types of people on a typical Sunday night in the bar. It's a nice mix of international folks and New Yorkers, and there's also a very wide age range. The common denominator is that the clientele appreciates the feeling of being in a club with live music, and likes hearing the standards played in such a sophisticated venue.

How has the gig changed since you started three years ago?
JC: When we first started, Billy and I tried to be on our best Carlyle behavior, singing Gershwin, Porter and Rodgers and Hart. As the years have flown by, we've noticed that the Bemelmans crowd is a party crowd, so we've been taking requests, and conversing more.
BS: I agree with Jim. When we first started working there, we were well-behaved and musically rooted in selections from the American Songbook. We've realized that we can be looser and enjoy the audience more, and interact!

What celebs have taken part in the fun?
JC: On of our most memorable nights, Bono sang with us. It was insane. He and his table of gorgeous friends sat in the corner all night, giving us the thumbs-up on certain songs. When they were leaving, Billy launched into "I've Got You Under My Skin," which Bono happened to record with Sinatra. He sat down next to Billy and took a harmony, and the crowd went wild. A photo was taken, and a few days later I called Billy and said, "This is the only time I will ever say this sentence to you: We are in Rolling Stone this week."
BS: Yes, the night with Bono was certainly one I'll always remember. We've also had Paul McCartney in the room, as well as lots of our musical friends like Liza Minnelli, Michael Feinstein, Jane Monheit, John Pizzarelli and Steve Tyrell. Just going to The Carlyle and seeing celebs like George Clooney or the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wandering around is amazing!

You're brave to ask the crowd for requests. What's the most requested song, and what's the strangest request you've gotten?
JC: Of course, the tourists still love "New York, New York." We try to temper it with other, more 'sophisticated' New York songs. But even though we feign resignation, it's the most beloved song, and actually pretty fun to sing! The weirdest request was when a woman asked for songs from the movie "Funny Lady." To her surprise, we sang the entire score, including "I Got A Cold In My Dose!"
BS: We get lots of requests for Sinatra songs of course, but one of the stranger and more random requests was for "Let's Go Fly A Kite" from "Mary Poppins." Jim has a Dick Van Dyke medley in his repertoire so we were able to honor the request. Taking requests at Bemelmans always tends to remind me of songs I know but haven't performed or thought of in ages. Every Sunday is different and fun!