The Cabaret Chronicles: KT Sullivan and a Fabulous Cast Party!

Happy weekend, everyone!  Looks like it may be a bit of a washout in NYC, but that just gives us more of an excuse to hurry inside and catch some shows!  

Between the going away for the long weekend and going to Yankee Stadium for two game this week (YES, I saw Derek Jeter tie Lou Gehrig's record!), I only had two nights of showgoing this week, but they were a terrific two nights!  On Monday evening, I headed over to Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland, where, as usual, the talent was amazing, the band was cookin' and Jim Caruso was the host with the most!  Singers on Monday evening included Zachary James (who will be playing Lurch in the upcoming Broadway production of The Addams Family), Jim Malloy (who did a swingin' "On A Clear Day"), William Blake (who brought the house down with his "Stormy Weather"), Broadway veteran Aisha de Haas (who, rumor has it, will be doing her own concert at Birdland in the winter season!), and Cast Party newcomer Joelle Lurie (who blew everyone away with her jazzy "I Was Doing Alright").  There were also some terrific instrumentalists, like jazz violinist Aaron Weinstein and singer/trumpet player Nate Birkey, as well as violinist Carolyn Olbaum (two violinists in one night - what a treat!).  As always, Tedd Firth (piano) and Steve Doyle (bass) provided top-notch accompaniment, and Jim Caruso was a charming, witty, and engaging host.  Can't wait to do it all again next week! 

On Thursday evening, I headed downtown to see KT Sullivan at Kathleen Downey's Granite Room, the newest venue on the scene.  Part of City Hall Restaurant, this elegant subterranean room feels like a throwback to a bygone era - as does Ms. Sullivan herself!  Dressed in a gorgeous, sequin-covered, sage-colored gown, she seamlessly wove her way through a delightful program of songs, all of which were written before 1930.  The entire show was sung "sans mic," which allowed the packed room to hear the beauty and clarity of Ms. Sullivan's voice, and lent even more intimacy to what is inherently an intimate art form!  One highlight of the evening was a medley towards the end of the show that combined an astounding 29 songs which were all written in 1929!  For this show, KT was joined by talented pianist Jon Weber at the piano, who not only provided terrific accompaniment, but also treated us to a brief vocal solo on "I'm In The Market For You," a song which was recorded shortly after the 1929 stock market crash.  It's hard to pick favorites in a show with such great music, top to bottom, but if pressed, I'd have to go with "I Wanna Be Bad," for which Ms. Sullivan adopted a Betty Boop-ish voice and manner, and had the audience in stitches!  A close runner up, though, would be Cole Porter's "Tale of an Oyster," which she delivered with impeccable comic timing.  It was a terrific night in a wonderful new venue, and, as this was the last show of Ms. Sullivan's run, we can only hope that there are more shows to come in this classy downtown room. 

That's all she wrote for this week, folks, but check back next week for another update! 

Where I'm going this week...  

Sunday, September 13^th:  Darren Williams  in Not The Boy Next Door - The Peter Allan Songbook.  Winner of the "Australian Variety Entertainer of the Year" award, singer Darren Williams is returning to the Metropolitan Room to celebrate the songs of Peter Allen.  He's got an amazing voice, and I've heard some of the material from this show at various open mics - can't wait to see the whole thing!  Show starts at 9:30 p.m. 

Monday, September 14^th:  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!  

Thursday, September 17^th: MAC Generations Showcase at The Duplex.  Hosted by Lennie Watts, with musical direction by Ricky Ritzel, this showcase will feature performances by Jim Speake, Angela Shultz, Shana Farr, Ejaye Tracy, Diana Templeton and a few surprise guests.  Show starts at 6:30 p.m.  FREE for MAC members (including complimentary beverages!), $10 cover/2 drink minimum for non-members.  Should be a lot of fun!

Pictured: KT Sullivan

 

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