The Cabaret Chronicles: Maureen Taylor, Ricky Ritzel, Ray Jessel, and More!

Happy Weekend! It was another terrific week of entertainment for me, starting with last Saturday's MetroJam. MetroJam is the monthly open mic at the Metropolitan Room, which I have the honor of hosting, and we had some amazing talent show up last week including Deb Berman, Rob Langeder, Maureen Taylor, Marya Zimmet, Carole Bufford, and David Goldman, among others! The MetroJam Band (John DiPinto on piano, Ritt Henn on bass and Bobby Sher on drums) was in top form, and it really was a thoroughly enjoyable evening!

On Sunday, I headed over to Don't Tell Mama first thing in the morning (now, there's a phrase you don't hear too often - somehow, nightclubs and mornings don't really have too much common ground!) to help set up for the first ever MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs Bazaar. The event ran from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. and was part flea market, part silent auction, part entertainment, part raffles, and ALL fun! There was some great showbiz memorabilia at the flea market including sheet music, old playbills, show posters (some autographed), records, and CDs, and the silent auction was an enormous success. Some of the items that were auctioned off included lunch with Marilyn Maye & a dress that she wore on the Tonight Show; a headshot package worth $800, a graphic design package, and a beautiful necklace made by a MAC member! Many of the items raffled off were cabaret-related - various clubs donated complimentary admission for two, and the restaurant at Don't Tell Mama donated a number of free dinners! The entertainment at the bazaar was top-notch, as well. Accompanied by Ricky Ritzel at the piano, Terese Genecco, Mary Foster Conklin, and Danielle Grabianowski, all treated the bazaar shoppers to a set of three songs. It was a great way to spend an afternoon, and a successful fundraiser for MAC - hopefully, it will become an annual event and continue to grow each year!

After the bazaar, it was off to The Metropolitan Room to see the lovely Maureen Taylor in her show Taylor Made: Bob Merrill. Dressed in a gorgeous vintage dress (her mother's engagement dress!), Ms. Taylor lent her beautiful voIce To a great selection of Bob Merrill songs, including "Mambo Italiano," "My Place In The World," (from Prince of Grand Street), "Holly Golightly" (from Breakfast at Tiffany's), and the charming "I Did It On Rollerskates" (which was cut from Funny Girl). Under the skillful direction of Peter Napolitano, the show glided along effortlessly, and the 20+ songs flew by in what seemed like no time! One of my favorite numbers was "Ooh Bang, Jiggly Jang," which was just as much fun as it sounds like it should be! Ms. Taylor injected this song with just the right amount of playfulness, and had the audience right in the palm of her hand! Taylor Made: Bob Merrill will be back for a special encore performance on December 5th, for anyone who missed it during the first run!

After a brief break, it was back to the Metropolitan Room later that evening to catch nightclub stalwart Ricky Ritzel in his first solo show in years, Hysterical Blondness. And hysterical it was - at some points, my cheeks actually hurt from laughing so much! The show was half music, half stand-up, and Mr. Ritzel did a superb job with both areas. The anecdotes he shared, including many encounters with celebrities, his experience playing Jimmy Durante in a Las Vegas show, and the time he ran over an alligator in Florida, were terrific, and his comic timing is impeccable. At the piano, he treated us to a variety of tunes, including "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby," "The Butler's Song" (truly hysterical!), and Tom Waits' "Rainbow Sleeves." Jim Luzar, who co-wrote the show with Ritzel, also directed the evening, and my hat is off to both men for presenting such a wonderfully refreshing, funny, and non-run-of-the-mill show!

Monday evening, I headed over to Don't Tell Mama to catch Ray Jessel in his solo show. Based in L.A., Mr. Jessel usually gets to New York twice a year, and I always make it a point to catch at least one of his shows while he's in town. He is an incredibly gifted songwriter - his songs run the gamut from fall-off-your-chair funny to heartwrenchingly beautiful, and there is something very special about seeing him deliver his own material. At 80 years old, he is still going strong - he continues to churn out new material, which is remarkably hip and fresh. Recently written songs include, "I'm a Victim of Identity Theft," "Madoff Made Off with My Money," and "With Any Luck," a beautiful ballad about hoping a new relationship isn't the "real thing." Mr. Jessel is a true treasure in the cabaret world, and a definite "must-see" for me anytime he's in NYC. He has one more show left in this run, and it's Monday, November 23rd at 9:15 p.m. - if you haven't seen him yet, I highly encourage you to treat yourself to the Ray Jessel experience!

After Mr. Jessel's show, I headed over to Birdland to catch the second half of Jim Caruso's Cast Party, which, as always, was a blast! Mr. Caruso himself was in rare form, and there were some terrific entertainers who performed that night, including William Blake, Eric Millegan, Aaron Weinstein, Jonathan Shue, visiting West End star Rachel Izen, and Natalie Douglas, who treated us to a sneak preview of her upcoming Lena Horne tribute show! Tedd Firth on piano and Saadi Zain on bass provided excellent support for the performers, and the packed house had a ball!

That's about all I crammed in, show-wise for this week, but be sure to check back for another update next week!

Where coming up this week...

I'll be out of town for the first part of the week, and have a fairly full schedule for the rest of the week, so I'm not sure how much I'm going to be able to see; however, if you're in town and looking for something to do, here's what I'd recommend!

Monday, November 16th: 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!

Wednesday, November 18th: Wednesday Night at the Iguana. Hosted by Richard Skipper and Dana Lorge, this Wedneday night showcase is THE place to be on Wednesday nights! There's a terrific lineup this week, including Natalie Douglas, Rob Langeder, Ben Rauch, Frans Bloem, and Ben Rauch...plus, there are always some wonderful surprise guests! Show is from 8-11 p.m. and reservations are a must (212-765-5454)!

Thursday, November 19th: Carole Bufford at The Metropolitan Room. I've only heard Carole perform twice, and both songs were done at open mics, but she's given me every reason to believe that her Metropolitan Room debut, directed by cabaret veteran Lennie Watts, is going to be a great one! The second runner-up in this year's MetroStar Talent Challenge, she's got a terrific voice and a fun, engaging presence. Show is at 7:30 p.m.

Pictured: Maureen Taylor