Interview: Sue Matsuki's Show at The Cutting Room Is a "Love Letter to NYC"

On Thursday August 7 at the Cutting Room in New York, Sue Matsuki celebrates a three-decade-long collaboration with musical director/arranger Gregory Toroian in a joyous show that doubles as a bon voyage party for Matsuki as she prepares to relocate from New York to the Caribbean. (Tickets are available here.) This Bistro, multi-MAC and Julie Wilson Award-winner will never completely leave her beloved city behind, but this is Matsuki’s last show in New York before she moves her homebase to an island paradise. Matsuki and The Gregory Toroian Trio, with Skip Ward on bass, David Silliman on drums, and Toroian on piano, perform the band’s pick of songs arranged by Toroian over the 30+ years he and Matsuki have performed together. The set list includes jazz, blues, American Songbook, cabaret favorites, comedy tunes and more, with a special guest appearance by vocalist Kati Neiheisel.

We spoke with Matsuki about the show, her upcoming move and more.

You'll be performing some of your favorite arrangements from the past 30+ years you've worked with this trio. What was it like going through potential selections and winnowing it down to the ones you'll be performing at this concert?

I looked at the past five shows and am trying not to do any tunes (or maybe just one or two) from those shows. After 31 years of collaboration, Gregory and I have over 300 fully charted arrangements and we have performed over 35 different shows together, so it won't surprise anyone to read that the decision on the final set is still on-going. I have committed to half of the songs already. It's going to be an amazing show. To revisit some of these tunes has been very emotional. We have SO much history together.

How does it feel to be performing your final show as a New York resident before your upcoming move?

It's emotional of course, but I will still be coming up to perform, teach and produce, and we will have a place here in New York. However, just looking at my calendar and seeing only two stand up gigs in July, my last three gigs in August and nothing in September onward freaks me out a little bit. I like to be busy. The show at The Cutting Room will be my love letter to New York and to my singing career so my songs and stories will reflect that... then I'll probably cry.

What's your favorite part of working with the Gregory Toroian Trio?

These spectacular men are more than my band.... they are family... they are my brothers. I know and adore their wives. They've all been to my house for dinner, so they've actually had a rare "Kenro sighting" and can vouch that I am indeed married to a Japanese man (kind of a running joke in the community). Gregory and I worked together for 31 years but we have known each for almost 40 years. He's one of my first five calls if anything great or bad happens which means he's one of my best friends. The boys, Charles "Skip" Ward and David Silliman have been with us for about nine years now. While they are now playing for all these wonderful vocalists as The Gregory Toroian Trio, I like to remind them that I was their "first"! My favorite thing about working with them? When I look at them on stage they are there with me, having just as much fun as I am and giving the audience their talent and joy. I feel blessed to know these men and honored to work with them every time I step on the stage. 

Have you been working on anything else? What are your next steps so far coming up after this show?

Well, as a bucket list thing, I took a stand up comedy class with my friend Joan Crowe and we are both going to performing at the New York Comedy Club and the St. Mark's Comedy Club in June and July. This is exciting and terrifying. I'm also doing Susie Mosher's Line Up on July 15th & Richard Skipper Celebrates podcast on July 30th. My three final gigs are in August: The Cutting Room on the 7th, Goldie Dver's Sneak Peek on the 13th and then I'm doing my final performance of "This Broad's (& David's) Way" up at MTC in Norwalk, Conn., with the amazing David Maiocco as my co-star and then NOTHING... OMG!!! I had to stop performing as of August because we are not sure when we will close on our house and when we will have to move, etc., so... I needed to be free, but I'll still be around for a while. We plan to move in the fall. Next year will be my 40th Anniversary of working at Don't Tell Mama, so I'm sure we will do something very special then.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

There are so many people to thank but, because I would not want to risk missing anyone and because I believe when they read this, they will know that I mean them, I feel that I do have to thank Miss Kati Neiheisel. She is a remarkable talent in her own right, but she still helps me with PR and shows up and is just, well... Kati. Since she too is family, she will be my special guest at The Cutting Room. To all the rest of you who I love so very much, a heartfelt thank you. Also, without Sidney Myer and Julie Wilson in my life, I would only be half the singer and half the person I am today. When I leave New York, it will be with a full heart and a sense of accomplishment and joy. It's been an honor to sing for you all these years. Thank you, Rebecca, for asking me to do this.

Learn more about Sue Matsuki and where to follow her online at suematsuki.com