The Cabaret Chronicles: ALFIO, Hilary Kole, Shana Farr, and More!

Happy Sunday!  It's been another fun week in NYC, with great entertainment abounding!  I kicked things off by going to see ALFIO in Little Italy last Saturday afternoon.  This Sydney, Australia native has been hailed as a young Dean Martin, and I was very excited to finally have the opportunity to catch a live performance of his!  He kicked things off with an uptempo "Chitarra Romana" and proceeded to put on a wonderfully entertaining show, mixing classic Italian favorites like "O'Marenariello" and some classic American hits like Elvis' "Can't Help Falling In Love."  ALFIO's charming onstage persona was matched by his powerful voice, and both elements combined to make a terrifically entertaining show!  He'll be back in Little Italy for next month's San Gennaro Festival - can't wait to hear him again! 

On Monday night, I headed to Birdland to hear the remarkably talented Hilary Kole, who was celebrating the release of her second album, You Are There.  Featuring thirteen piano-vocal duets in which Ms. Kole teamed up with eleven different pianists, You Are There is truly a special project, and the celebration on Monday night was spectacular!  Although the piano is the only instrument featured on the album, Ms. Kole was backed by a stellar quartet for Monday's concert, helmed by Mike Renzi (also one of the featured artists on the album!) on piano.  Joining him were Paul Gill on bass, John Hart on guitar, and Carmen Intorre on drums.  Ms. Kole kicked off the evening with "If I Had You," which she had recorded for the album with the late, great Hank Jones and proceeded to perform other songs from the CD, which included "These Foolish Things" (recorded with Dave Brubeck), "Two For The Road" (also recorded with Hank Jones), and the title track from the album (recorded with Alan Broadbent).  As if the concert wasn't amazing enough already, Ms. Kole had some very special guests join her to recreate the tracks they'd recorded for the CD:  Freddy Cole joined her for "It's Always You," Cedar Walton hopped onstage for "Every Time We Say Goodbye," and Monty Alexander made a guest appearance for "All The Way."  Other collaborators on the CD include Benny Green, Kenny Barron, Steve Kuhn, and Michel Legrand - what a testament to Ms. Kole's talent!  The concert was a beautiful celebration of a truly tremendous accomplishment.  And indeed, although there was excitement to spare, at the heart of it all were the true stars of the evening: Ms. Kole's exquisite voice and her impeccable musicianship!  

Tuesday evening found me at Feinstein's at Loews Regency, to catch the lovely and talented Shana Farr in her new show, Whistling Away The Dark: A Celebration of Julie Andrews.  The choice of subject matter was an excellent one for Ms. Farr, who, on a basic level, shares many qualities with Ms. Andrews: she has a lovely soprano voice, and is a very pretty blonde who radiates a very sweet quality!  Directed by Eric Michael Gillett, with musical direction by Fred Barton, the show was a charming, well put-together exploration of Ms. Andrews' work.  From the expected ("Wouldn't It Be Loverly," "I Could Have Danced All Night," "I Have Confidence") to the slightly-less-expected ("In My Own Little Corner" from Cinderella, "Room in Bloomsbury" from The Boy Friend) to the completely unexpected ("Je Suis Titania" from Mignon), all of the songs were beautifully performed.  One of the surprise hits of the evening was "You're So London," from Julie & Carol at Carnegie Hall.  Originally performed by Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett, the lyrics were given a contemporary makeover, and musical director Fred Barton joined in as Ms. Farr's singing partner.  It was a hilarious, show-stopping number!  Overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening - kudos to the creative team behind the show and to Shana Farr for a delightful performance! 

Where I'm Going This Week...

Monday, August 15^th:  Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland.  Hosted by Jim Caruso, this weekly open mic is THE place to be on Monday nights!  It runs from 10 p.m. - 1 a.m., but if you'd like to perform, be sure to arrive early to sign up!  Note: the lovely and talented Klea Blackhurst will be filling in as host this week! 

Thursday, August 19^th: [untitled] Danny Leary Variety Extravaganza at Comix.  Comedian Danny Leary has assembled an all-star lineup of talent, including Karen Mack, Angela Shultz, Angela Scollo, and more in the second installation of this brand new variety show in the plush Copper Room at Comix!  Yours truly will be making an appearance as well.  A fun time is guaranteed for all!  Show starts at 8 p.m.

Pictured: Hilary Kole

 

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