The Cabaret Chronicles: A Swinging Birdland Christmas!

Happy Holidays, everyone!  If you're looking for a last-minute dose of holiday cheer, look no further than Birdland!  Today through Saturday, you can catch Jim Caruso, Billy Stritch, Hilary Kole, and violinist Aaron Weinstein in their stellar show, A Swinging Birdland Christmas at the legendary jazz club.  I had the pleasure of catching the show Tuesday evening, when surprise special guest Donny Osmond joined the fabulous foursome onstage for their opening number (Kay Thompson's cheery "Holiday Season")!  In the middle of the opening number, Mr. Osmond hopped up onstage and swiped Mr. Caruso's mic, much to the surprise and delight of both the performers and the audience!  Talk about your memorable opening numbers!  After the song, Mr. Osmond took a bow and ran out the door to get down the street to his own show!  After an opening like that, it was hard to imagine how the rest of the show could get even better, but it did!  The four stars, each amazing talents in their own right, had a remarkable rapport and complemented each other beautifully onstage.   The next number in the show was "The Christmas Waltz," which started out beautifully and simply, with Ms. Kole accompanied only by bass (Paul Gill), then expanded to include the full band (Billy Stritch, piano and Tony Tedesco, drums), as well as a lovely counterpoint sung by Mr. Stritch.  This was followed by a jazzy, flirty duet of Irving Berlin's "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm," performed by Mr. Caruso and Ms. Kole.  Mr. Weinstein's virtuosity on the violin was showcased on the classic Jack Benny theme song "Love In Boom," and his quirky but hilarious sense of humor kept the crowd chuckling throughout the course of the show.  One of my favorite numbers of the evening came in the form of a solo for Mr. Stritch on Frank Loesser's "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve."  The song is one of my all-time favorites, and Mr. Stritch's smooth voice and jazzy stylings were perfectly suited to it!  "Discount Boogie," a fantastic parody set to the tune of "Bandstand Boogie" captured the madness of holiday shopping, and "The Christmas Song" was performed beautifully by the ensemble.  Special guest for the night Stephanie J. Block delivered a warm and beautiful "Merry Christmas Darling" and the evening was capped off by a FANTASTIC arrangement of Jingle Bells, which featured each of the performers' favorite versions.   The clever arrangement was done by Mr. Weinstein, who deserves an extra bow for that alone!  Starting off with Kay Thompson's jazzy arrangement, then segueing into Ella Fitzgerald's uptempo swinging arrangement, and then switching to Barbra Streisand's rollicking rendition, there was a little something for everyone and then some!  At the top of the show, Mr. Caruso mentioned that the quartet was aiming to re-create the feel of one of those old-fashioned television Christmas specials, made popular by the likes of Perry Como and Judy Garland.  Well, mission accomplished!  As I sat in Birdland and enjoyed the music, it seemed that the madness of the holiday season, the stress of the last minute shopping, and the insanity of the New York City streets at Christmastime all magically vanished...and what was left was the pure joy associated with the holiday.  So, thank you Jim, Billy, Hilary, and Aaron, for providing an hour of sheer warmth and truly top-notch entertainment.  Just one request: Can you please make it an annual event?!

For those readers who are interested in attending, the show is playing through Christmas Day, every night at 6 p.m.  For information/reservations, call (212) 581-3080.

That's all for now, but check back soon for a new article.  Wishing you all a happy and safe holiday!!        

Pictured (l-r): Jim Caruso, Hilary Kole, Billy Stritch, Aaron Weinstein

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