The Cabaret Chronicles: Kathleen France, Rob Langeder, and More!

Happy Halloween!  It's been another frightfully good week filled of entertainment, starting with the delightful Kathleen France, who I saw Sunday evening at the Metropolitan Room.  Blessed with a big, bold, warm voice, I'd heard Kathleen perform at a number of open mics, and was thrilled to be able to catch her debut solo cabaret show, Book of Love.  Backed by a fantastic band (musical director Tracy Stark on piano, Jamie Fox on guitar, Skip Ward on bass and David Silliman on drums) and two terrific backup singers (Wendy Anne Russell and Joshua Judge), Ms. France wove her way through a great selection of music, ranging from musical theater to country, to blues, to rock.  Her powerful voice sounds great on everything, but my favorite song of the night was Dolly Parton's "It's All Wrong, But It's All Right."  She and the band just nailed the country tune, and if I closed my eyes for a minute, I could forget that I was in a little cabaret room and imagine I was at the concert of a country star!  Ms. France has an engaging personality and a fantastic sense of humor, which just radiate from the stage, and as she explored the ups and downs of the "book of love," she had the audience in the palm of her hand.  Kudos to Kathleen on a great cabaret debut, and also to director Lina Koutrakos. 

On Monday evening, it was off to Cast Party, as usual, where had a wonderful time, listening to fabulous performers like Marilyn Maye, Aaron Weinstein, Christine Lavin, Ray Jessel, William Blake, and Edward Lovett, among others!  Vocal group Uptown Express (Christopher Caswell, John DePalma, David Gurland and Brad Parks, accompanied by musical director James Followell on the piano) treated us to a number from their show, Brand New Day, and there was a group of 66 visitors from the Hothouse Music School in Derby England, some of whom got up and treated us to a jazzy, swinging' "LOVE!"  So much fun!  Tedd Firth (piano), Steve Doyle (bass), and surprise guest David Silliman (drums), did a stellar job as the "Cast Party Symphony Orchestra" and host Jim Caruso was as entertaining as ever! 

Wednesday evening, I headed over to the Iguana VIP Lounge on 54^th St. for the aptly named "Wednesday Night at the Iguana."  Hosted by the talented duo of Richard Skipper and Dana Lorge, this weekly showcase has really come into its own and has a devoted following, many of whom dressed in costume for the speciAl Halloween edition.  I was excited to be one of the special guests for the night, along with Angela Shultz, Laurie Krauz, Jesse Luttrell, and Kathryn Allen.  Each of the special guests performed 3 numbers, and there were a bunch of other talented folks who got up and sang as well, including Helena Grenot, David Nathan Scott, Sarah Rice, and Bobbie Horowitz.  There were some great Halloween-themed numbers, such as Angela Shultz's rendition of that cheery little ditty, "The Lizzie Borden Rag" (written by Brett Kristofferson, who was also on hand to accompany her!), Richard's Skipper's great version of "Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead," Bobbie Horowitz's "Something's Rotten In Transylvania," and Sarah Rice's "To Keep My Love Alive."  Dana Lorge also contributed a terrific "Masochism Tango!"  Christine Talbot-Sutin on piano and Saadi Zain on bass did a terrific job as the house band, and, to add to the festivities, there were some fabulous Halloween decorations sprinkled around the room.  Good times were had by all! 

Friday night, it was off to Don't Tell Mama for Rob Langeder: Undead in Hell's Kitchen, which was a spook-tacular success!  First of all, the room was packed to the gills, not a seat to be had, which added to the excitement of seeing a Halloween show that was marketed as being "not for the faint of heart."  It was also made clear in the marketing that this was a rock 'n roll show: no "Monster Mash," no "Flying Purple People Eater," but true rock, which seems like an appropriate style for the holiday.  Well, boy was it ever!  Interspersed between songs like Oingo Boingo's "Dead Man's Party," Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising" and The Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" were all kinds of special effects and pranks - some silly, some downright creepy, some so realistic that some folks didn't know they were a pre-planned part of the show!  It was a wild ride, and Mr. Langeder did a terrific job of guiding us through!  Direction was by Miles Phillips, and musical direction was by Tracy Stark, and the band rocked - literally!  Tracy Stark on piano and keyboard, Skip Ward on bass, David Silliman on drums (he gets the triple crown - three mentions in my column this week!), and Sean Harkness on guitar nailed the style and made a great contribution to the feel of the show.  The show has one more performance tonight at 7 p.m. - if you haven't figured out your Halloween plans yet, this might be a great way to kick off the evening! 

Where I'm going this week...  

Monday, November 2^nd:  Cast Party at Birdland.  Hosted by Jim Caruso, this fantastic open mic runs from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. but make sure you get there early to sign up if you want to sing!  

Tuesday, November 3^rd:  I'll be at the Metropolitan Room with my Connie Francis tribute show, Jenna Esposito Sings Connie Francis!"  This show is a special CD Release celebration - we recorded the show live over the summer, mixed it down, and are ready with the finished product!  Everyone in attendance will receive a free CD! 

Wednesday, November 4^th: It'll be back to the Metropolitan Room for Danielle Grabianowski, who was the first runner up in this year's MetroStar competition, and the winner of last year's 1930's Idol competition sponsored by Big Night Out.  I've only heard Danielle sing a song or two at a time, and am very much looking forward to seeing her in a full-length show! 

Thursday, November 5^th:  Off to Don't Tell Mama for Watts Happening, a "new monthly variety show with 'tude," hosted by the ubiquitous and highly entertaining Lennie Watts.  Lennie's guests for this month are Helen Baldassare and "The Polish Diva," Terry Palacz.  Show is at 8:30 p.m. 

Friday, November 6^th: Back to Don't Tell Mama for Helena Grenot at 7 p.m.  Helena is yet another performer I've only had the pleasure of hearing at open mics - can't wait to see the whole shebang!

Pictured: Kathleen France