Stephen Sorokoff - Page 9

Dean Martin did it the old fashioned way, entertaining millions with his widely successful Variety TV show.

Because of the current crisis there may not have been many places on the planet where anyone was smiling last night but for 90 minutes at least, Steve Tyrell was able to remind us that there will be a “Sunny Side Of The Street”. It's one of his signature songs that was used by NASA to wake up the astronauts in space every morning.   Sitting in Table 26 and listening to Steve's song list which had many Great American Songbook tunes on it written during the Great Depression and WWll it reminded me that this too shall pass albeit with some pain.  

It's common knowledge that musicians also possess a facility for math ( pianist Albert Einstein). There seems to be some correlation between dexterity of numbers and mastery of music notes. Kenny G who majored in accounting in college brought a countless amount of beautiful notes to the Kravis Center last night. It was also impossible to count any empty seats in the Dreyfoos Concert Hall for the musical extravaganza. Kenny came on stage before the start of the performance to announce that some lucky person in the audience would be taking home one of his saxophones, adding comically that he guaranteed they would be having great “sax” that night.

There has never been a “menu special” more special than the one that Table 26 served up last night. Steve Tyrell one of the most celebrated crooners of American Songbook standards returned to Eddie & Ozzies popular restaurant and brought the excitement, glamour, and great music that used to reign in the legendary Royal Room back to the Palm Beach area. The food at Table 26 has some secret ingredients that stimulate the palate and Steve Tyrell possesses the melodic secret ingredients that stimulate your musical palate. It's that combination of exceptional melody, harmony, rhythm, and his vocal expression that make the songs of the great American composers and lyricists come to life.

Here are two statements rarely heard in the world of Cabaret. “There goes that Cabaret Singer driving off in his new Bentley!” and “Did you check out that beautiful new Cabaret Room?”

From every corner of the musical world artists perform on the stages of the Kravis Center. Last night coming from such a corner, that of Madison Avenue and 76th street in NYC the Kravis welcomed Loston Harris. Loston for many years has entertained New Yorkers at his annual engagement in Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle. The audience in Persson Hall may have been dressed a bit more casually than folks at the legendary hotel on Manhattan's storied upper East Side, but their musical taste was just as sophisticated as they relished Loston's cosmopolitan stylings.

Michael Feinstein, through his performance and music history archiving is the country's foremost guide of The Great American Songbook. He had a songwriter/composer as his guest on the Kravis Center stage last night who has contributed a very important page of that book….Jimmy Webb.

We headed out on I95 but my mind superimposed Rt 17 in New York State. The signs advertising Medical Facilities, Orthopedic Surgeons, and The Hard Rock Casino became the Billboards for Grossingers, The Concord, and Browns Hotel. Freddie Roman, creator and star of Catskills on Broadway and comic superstar was going to receive the Footlighters Club's Shecky Greene Lifetime Achievement Award at Miami Shores Country Club. Getting such an award is usually a momentous solemn ritual, but when 7 of your fellow comedians will be toasting and honoring you the event becomes a room that is filled with the most amount of laughter on the planet.

The Roaring Twenties became the Roaring 2020s at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre's annual gala last night. Amazon.com and retail establishments in Florida must have run out of Flapper dresses leading up to this exciting event as most of the women wore the traditional 1920's dresses to the gala put on by Florida's largest regional theatre.

From the wilds of Palm Beach, Cabaret starved creatures journeyed to their favorite watering hole in West Palm last night. Cafe Centro was the place to be for an evening of roaring music and fun with head Safari guide Rob Russell who managed to tame the assembled with his soothing voice.. There were some beautiful and exotic species at this gathering and my stealthy telephoto lens managed to bag a few shots as everybody in the room were acting like they were let out of a cage. New York City may have Cafe Society but Palm Beach now has Cafe Safari.

The Pat Boone family and the Legends Radio family were on the Eissey Campus Theater Stage last night as the legendary singer/actor/composer received the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Society for the Preservation of The Great American Songbook and daughter Debby Boone performed a concert that thrilled the Palm Beach audience.

Lianne Marie Dobbs brought her highly acclaimed show to The Green Room 42 last night. “Why Can't A Woman Be More Like A Man…? first premiered at The Beach Cafe and this enhanced version for the larger space was just as effective. Here's our report then which still holds true. Leanne had Ken Ard and Travis Poelle join her at the Green Room. Pianist Ron Abel supplied the highly effective arrangements.

Remember how great it was when “Harry Met Sally”. Well, when Nicolas (King) met Sandy (Stewart), chaperoned by pianist Mike Renzi last night at the Beach Cafe it was a “Shidduch” that produced music of epic proportions.

Billy Stritch wasn't at the Grammy's last night (he won a Grammy for his song “Does He Love You” recorded by Reba McEntire), but he was at the Kravis Center for the revue devised and narrated by Barry Day titled Hooray for Hollywood! On stage with music director Stritch were Carole J. Bufford and Liam Forde.

You won't recognize him if he happens to be standing next to you in an elevator but if there's music playing somewhere you will instantly recognize the sound of his notes. He's Charles Calello, one of the most extraordinary creative music giants of our generation. He composed the melodies, harmonies and rhythms that were the underpinning of more Top Ten Hit Records than any other arranger in the history of Pop Music.

Jarrod Spector brought his newest solo show (con)artist to the Essey Campus Theatre last night and BroadwayWorld was there for the excitement. Check out the photos!

Marilyn A. Wick, managing executive producer presented Andrew Lloyd Webber ( (music) & Tim Rice (lyrics) EVITA at The Wick Theatre last night and BroadwayWorld was there for the opening night.

Michael Feinstein, the artist most thought of when the words “The Great American Songbook” are spoken, returned to one of his musical homes away from home last night. Michael and The Kravis Center Pops Orchestra Big Band filled Dreyfoos Hall at The Kravis Center with the swinging sounds of Frank, Dean, Sammy and Bobby Darin among others.

Dave Lawrence, President & CEO of the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County presented an informative and entertaining evening with some of South Florida's most important and well known theater producers. Suzanne L. Niedland, award-winning filmmaker, actor and Broadway producer interviewed Marcie Gorman, executive producer and artistic director of MNM Theatre Company, Vicki Halmos, founder/producer of Entr'Acte Theatrix, Jan McArt, producer & director of Theatre Arts Program Development at Lynn University, and Marilynn Wick, executive managing producer of The Wick Theatre & Costume Museum.

Everything old is new again….. that's if you happen to sing like Marissa Mulder and have Jon Weber at the piano to envelop your dulcet voice with inspired accompaniments.