Thursday, July 29, 2010

The Salon Wrap-Up for July 25, 2010: "The Recording Arts – Demo Night with Peter Millrose"

Sunday held a first in Salon history: an entire evening recorded audially for demo and posterity! The evening was dubbed "The Recording Artist: An Evening with Peter Millrose." Peter is a recording engineer (www.millrosemusic.com), who set up his computer and microphones ahead of time to isolate the piano and get inputs from the microphones on separate tracks. He recorded the entire show so that singers might be able to get a high-quality copy of their work, should they wish!

The wonderful co-hostess of the evening was Julie Reyburn, who has several CDs (including her "Live at Feinstein's" CD which garnered her a 2010 Bistro Award for Outstanding Recording). Also in attendance was her husband, musician Thor Fields, and their daughter Layla. The special guest performer was the always ebullient and charming MAC Award-Winner (Male Vocalist) Hector Coris, whose live recording at Don't Tell Mama was made into a CD "Life is Wonderful."

It was a unique and respectful evening, as Mark instructed the audience to hold on applause until the last notes of the piano died down for each song. Or, in many cases, if the singer wanted a live sound to his or her recording we were instructed to let 'er loose and rip with the laughter, applause and (in some cases) sing-alongs! Believe you me, some of the performances were so great that the holding off of applause after each song was dreadfully difficult!

The first set started out with the lovely Julie Reyburn, performing "Let's Fall in Love" from her show "Summer Nights," an excellent set of beautiful songs. She performed two nights at Feinstein's this past July, and will be taking it to the Laurie Beechman on August 31st at 7pm, with Musical Director Mark Janas, Ritt Henn on bass and Walter Usiatynski on drums. Directed by Lennie Watts. Susan Hogdon, who belted and swayed through "When You're Good to Mama" from Chicago. She's performing in the Metrostar Challenge at the Metropolitan Room, and is developing a solo show in the fall with Lennie Watts as director. Then David Rigano sang "I'm a Stranger Here Myself" and Tanya Moberly returned "The Pluto Song" to the stage, written by Dan Furman (who was also at the piano) to record the song as a demo. Next, Joey Infante - with Mike McDonald at the piano - sang "Almost Like Being in Love" in a lovely rhumba arrangement. Then Mike himself sang his composition entitled "Wearing My Shoes."

We then had the lovely writing team of Jennie Litt and David Alpher perform the beautiful "Hello In There," a sweet lullabye originally written for their unborn daughter. They will be appearing at Don't Tell Mama this Saturday the 31st at 5pm for their show "Composing Ourselves," a mixture of original pieces and standards. After them, Kevin McMullan sang James Fradrich's ballad "Lonely Little Dreamer." He is going to be performing a show at the Laurie Beechman in October and November, tentatively titled "Gypsies and Lost Souls...in a New Age." After Kevin, Edie Stokes performed the favorite "A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square," and had the great announcement that she will be releasing her own CD with an official release show shortly. We then had Tony Imgrund return to Salon with "What If I Loved You," an interesting piece by Joey Gian from the movie Return to Me. We then had Richard Eisenberg sing his rah-rah song "Good Old American Hamberger," which we all agreed should become the theme song for a good hamburger shack here in the city!

We then had Steve "The Whistler" Herbst (International Grand Champion Whistler, 3 times International Whistler Entertainer of the Year *and* member of the Whistler's Hall of Fame) whistled the "Revenge Aria" from The Queen of the Night (Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen) with Mark playing from memory at the piano. It was stunning to hear the traditionally high soprano notes whistled effortlessly from Steve, and the audience burst into applause after Mark signalled that it was "safe" to express ourselves! Julie also said that Layla loved it, as this was one of her favorite arias. The lovely MAC and Bistro award-winner Danielle Grabianowski
sang "Beat My Dog," a saucy done-me-wrong ballad. She will be co-hosting The Salon on August 22nd with the theme "Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda – Songs of Regret" and has a number of shows coming up at the end of October.

We then had a new face and voice, that of Steven Strafford, to come up and sing. Steven just finished playing Prince Herbert in the Sacramento Music Circus verison of "Spamalot," and showed off his comedy and musical theater pipes with the song "Fatso." To follow him Sierra Rein challenged Mark Janas to sight-read "And I Will Follow" by Jason Robert Brown. Our first Etceterette, Arianna, then sang "The Heart is Slow to Learn," which some Andrew Lloyd Webber fans might recognize as the original version of the title song for his new musical "Love Never Dies." Arianna prefers the subtlety and poetry of the original lyrics, and I heartily agree!
We then had our second Etceterette, Janice Hall, sing a German pop song as a torch song, with her English translation of the lyrics (which were quite witty...maybe there's a future as a lyricist for Janice!). She is also a challenger for the MetroStar competition, and is planning a show in the fall of 2010.

The second half of the evening began with the bang that is Hector Coris. Funny, charming and devilish, yet able to sing moving ballads with equal ease, Hector won a 2010 MAC Award for Male Vocalist in May. On Sunday, he sang three showcasing pieces of work: the first was Bill Zeffiro's "Spanish Fly," a dirty ditty originally cut from Zeffiro's show "The Road to Ruin." The second piece was from Mack & Mabel, the beautiful Jerry Herman song "I Won't Send Roses." Lastly, Coris sang a sweet song by David Caldwell, entitled "A Tomb With a View," which was featured in Coris' Life is Wonderful show/live CD.

After Hector charmed us, we had a stunning Classical Corner with Mark Janas. Mark brought up a seriously important subject in the musical world, one that affects arrangements: Counterpoint. Jazz musicians share the ability to play with counterpoint with composers like Beethoven, Bach and Mozart, and even the concept of the "Round" (as in "Row, Row, Row Your Boat") utilize counterpoint to play with and/or against melodies within an arrangement. To illustrate the use of counterpoint, Mark went step by step through an arrangement of "Do I Hear a Waltz," one that he did for Julie Reyburn's show. With Julie singing, he showed how many counterpoint melodies of famous Rogers and Hammerstein waltzes he had placed in the accompaniment (we could find "Falling in Love With Love," "It's a Grand Night for Singing," "Oh What A Beautiful Mornin'" and "Out of My Dreams" amongst others!). As Mark illustrated, counterpoint can change the emotion, the mood and the intent of a song as it relates to the melody and lyrics of the song. Another interesting note: a "Round" is not called a "Round" merely because the melody goes 'round and 'round. Instead, it comes from the practice of music students in medieval times, who passed sheets of one copy of music around a table (taking their turns to sight-read the canon at the appropriate time). You learn something new every week in Classical Corner!

We then heard a haunting waltz from Producer Tanya Moberly, a song entitled "Lullaby" which was - ironically - devoid of counterpoint in the piano arrangement. Tanya will be bringing back her show "Theatre Songs" to Don't Tell Mama on September 30th at 9pm, with Mark Janas at the piano and Ritt Henn on bass. After Tanya, we then had the gorgeously baritone'd Mark Watson, who wanted to record the song "When I Grow Too Old to Dream" for his mom (all together now..."awwwwwwww!"). This coming Monday, Mark will be performing a scene at the Producer's Club in the show "Lovers and Other Strangers." Our favorite singing waiter, David Ballard, brought his clear tenor tones to record "The Streets of Dublin," which always fits his voice beautifully. We then had Jac DiMonte croon his way through the ballad "I'm Not Lonely," with music by Lew Spence and lyrics by Marilyn Keith.

Liz Ulmer then popped up on stage to sing the note and pitch perfect "Just to Look at Him," a sweet song by Brian Lasser. She is helping to produce the production I Got Fired, which will be a featured show at NYMF (the New York Musical Theater Festival) in September and October! Steve Schachlin then came up to sing his piece "Somebody Save Me a Seat," and let us know that he is taking part in what he calls "Musical Insurrection for Peace" and is offering free downloads of his work online for singers and musicians to use. You can do so here. After Steve, we heard some encores! Danielle Grabianowski returned with a Nina Simone rewrite of Betsy Smith's "I Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl." Richard Eisenberg brought "Look at the Smile on My Face," and then Janice Hall torched her way through Jacques Brel's "Ne Me Quitte Pas/If You Go Away." Steve Stafford then sang a sweetly funny song by Vance Gilbert entitled "Waiting for Gilligan," which answered some questions about who might be waiting for that 3-hour tour to return. Arianna brought out her character voice with "What's Wrong With Me," the star turn song sung by Lena Lamont in the stage adaptation of Singin' In the Rain. Steve "The Whistler" Herbst returned to sing a standard through whistling power, and Sierra Rein came after him to sing Carol King's "(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman)," one of her favorite recording artists. Kevin McMullan brought his energetic rendition of "Minnie The Moocher," and Peter captured the audience's call and response vocals with Kevin's own. To complete the evening, our gracious hostess Julie Reyburn sang her rendition of "Moon River/It Goes Like It Goes."

THIS SUNDAY! The Salon celebrates the ones, twos and threes with the theme "It's Mathematical – Numbers About Numbers." Jim Brochu will be the guest performer, and the comedy/improv/music duo Booth and Pat will officiate as guest co-hosts!

-Sierra Rein
The Blogette for The Salon
Spelling mistakes? URL's I missed? Did I mess up? Please email me.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Update from Producer Tanya Moberly: "It's Mathematical - Numbers About Numbers."

SALON, that Bistro & MAC Award winning open mic created and hosted by Mark Janas, returns to Etcetera, Etcetera - 352 West 44th Street, NYC 10036 - on Sunday, August 1st from 7 - 10:30PM.

The optional theme for the evening is “It's Mathematical – Numbers About Numbers”. “One is the loneliest number....”, “Two Lost Souls...”, The Twelve Days of Christmas”. Or perhaps something from “Nine”, “13” or “1776”. You get the idea...

Photo by: lrargerich

Remember, any material, on or off theme, is always welcome at Salon.

Our Co-Hosts will be the MAC Award Nominated, Uniquely, Hilarious Comedy/Improv/Music Duo Booth & Pat! These 'Two Guys with One Guitar and No Standards' (Booth Daniels & Patrick Frankfort), just returned from Three Festivals: The Hollywood Fringe Festival, La Comedy Festival and The Sacramento Improv Festival. The first of their many upcoming appearances is “Homo Comicus” on August 4th at 8pm The Gotham Comedy Club, 208 West 23rd St, NYC 10011, 212-367-9000. For their inspiring story and busy schedule: www.boothandpat.com.

Our Special Guest will be the Drama Desk Award winning - as well as Helen Hayes, Carbonell and Ovation Award winning - Writer/Performer/Genius Jim Brochu! Jim continues to star in his one man masterpiece, “Zero Hour” at The Actor's Temple Theatre, 339 West 47th St, NYC, 10036. The multiple award winning “Zero Hour” - all about Zero Mostel – is written and performed by Jim and directed by Piper Laurie. For more information: www.jimbrochu.com.

There will be a $10 cash cover at the door, collected by 'Etceterette', Maureen Taylor and a $15 food/drink minimum (cash or credit) per person. (For further information visit www.etcrestaurant.com or call 212-399-4141). There are no reservations; seating is on a first come/ first served basis, with one intermission. Doors open and sign up begins with 'Etceterette', Jan Brennan at 6:15pm.

Salon continues every Sunday (except August 15th) through August 29th...

August 8th: “Dream a Little Dream – Dreams, Goals & Aspirations”
Co-Host: Ricky Ritzel
Special Guest: Marcus Simeone

August 15th: NO SALON

August 22nd: “Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda – Songs of Regret”
Co-Host: Danielle Grabianowski
Special Guest: Sidney Myer

August 29th: “World Cruise”
Co-Host: Adam Shapiro
Special Guest: Karen Oberlin

Visit our website www.markjanasthesalon.com and our Facebook page, thanks to our Blogette – Sierra Rein!

Here's some important information about the Salon you should know. The Salon is an ongoing open entertainment event in which singers, writers and musicians share their talent with each other and audience members. We are currently enjoying our new venue, Etcetera, Etcetera where there is a $10 COVER (cash) AND a $15 FOOD/BEVERAGE MINIMUM (cash or credit). You may sign up to perform starting at 6:30 by seeing one the evening's 'Etceterettes' to fill out a card with your name, the name of your song, whether it's a ballad or an up tempo,(up tempos and comic songs are greatly encouraged!) and any upcoming events you'd like the co-host to announce. Please remember that we do not present performers in order of sign-up and, due to our time restraints and other variables, filling out a card does not guarantee you will perform, but we do our very best to get you up! It is usually a good idea to bring a few different song choices to avoid duplication. All types of material including spoken word are welcome at the Salon but please limit your selections to three or four minutes in length and please bring clear, complete charts for Mark to read. Sitting on the piano is not allowed, nor is flash photography. If you would like to add a (or remove your) name from our list, e-mail me at tanyamoberly@juno.com.

Looking forward to seeing you all Sunday, August 1st!

Thanks,

Tanya

-Sierra Rein
The Blogette for The Salon
Spelling mistakes? URL's I missed? Did I mess up? Please email me.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Update from Producer Tanya Moberly: "The Recording Arts - Demo Night with Peter Millrose!" July 25th, 2010

SALON, that Bistro & MAC Award winning open mic created and hosted by Mark Janas, returns to Etcetera, Etcetera - 352 West 44th Street, NYC 10036 - on Sunday, July 25th from 7PM to 10:30PM.

The optional theme for the evening is "The Recording Arts – Demo Night with Peter Millrose”. Peter has generously decided to record the entire Salon evening! That means that everyone will have the opportunity to listen to a studio quality, live recording of their July 25th Salon performance via the internet before deciding whether or not they care to purchase it for a $30 fee. Salon will run as it normally does. Peter will just be recording the entire evening live. (For more info about Peter: www.millrosemusic.com.) Whether you are interested in having a demo recorded or not – the theme is “The Recording Arts”. Bring the song you love to listen to the most or the song recorded by your favorite singer; the song you would want to become famous for recording or a the song from that record (LP, 45, CD or itune) that means something to you.

Remember, any material, on or off theme, is always welcome at Salon.

Our Co-Host will be the Spectacular Julie Reyburn! Julie just won a 2010 Bistro Award for her Outstanding Recording “Live at Feinstein's” recorded by Stephen Wilde's No Cover Records. (She has also won a Julie Wilson Award, 2 Nightlife Awards and 3 MAC Awards!) “Fate is Kind” is now available on itunes. For more info about Julie: www.juliereyburn.com.

Our Special Guest will be the Heartwarming & Hilarious Hector Coris! Hector just won the 2010 MAC Award for Outstanding Male Vocalist. His CD, the live recording of “Life is Wonderful” is now available at CD Baby, itunes and Salon. For more info about Hector: www.hectorcoris.com.

There will be a $10 cash cover at the door, collected by 'Etceterette', Arianna, and a $15 food/drink minimum (cash or credit) per person. (For further information visit www.etcrestaurant.com or call 212-399-4141). There are no reservations; seating is on a first come/ first served basis, with one intermission. Doors open and sign up begins with 'Etceterette', Janice Hall at 6:15pm.

Salon continues every Sunday (except August 15th) through August 29th...

August 1st: “It's Mathematical – Numbers About Numbers”
Co-Hosts: Booth & Pat
Special Guest: Jim Brochu

August 8th: “Dream a Little Dream – Dreams, Goals & Aspirations”
Co-Host: Ricky Ritzel
Special Guest: Marcus Simeone

August 15th: NO SALON

August 22nd: “Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda – Songs of Regret”
Co-Host: Danielle Grabianowski
Special Guest: Sidney Myer

August 29th: “World Cruise”
Co-Host: Adam Shapiro
Special Guest: Karen Oberlin

Visit our website www.markjanasthesalon.com and our Facebook Group Page.

-Sierra Rein
The Blogette for The Salon
Spelling mistakes? URL's I missed? Did I mess up? Please email me.

The Salon Wrap-Up for July 18, 2010: "Cy Coleman"



"Cy Coleman" was the theme of the evening on Sunday. Cy was a composer of standards and musical theater music that is still heard on Broadway, the West End, and cabaret clubs and theaters across the world...I mean, come on..."Witchcraft" is currently sung by Frank Sinatra (digitally, of course) in Come Fly Away on Broadway! Indeed, with his emphasis on Jazz (he had a world-reknown Jazz trio in addition to being a composer), Cy Coleman was known to have brought the Jazz influence into Broadway, and countless recognize those swinging, hip, sometimes dark and brooding melodies.

Our wonderful guest co-host of the evening was Jana Robbins - star of Broadway, star of Cabaret, and star Producer of such Broadway shows as the recent Ragtime revival, Little Women, and also a Director and Choreographer in her own right! A true lady of many hats, Jana is a great fount of knowledge of Cy Coleman, as she herself has a Cy Coleman cabaret act entitled "One Hell of A Ride!(The songs of Cy Coleman)." She has a CD out entitled "Jana Robbins - Face to Face." Before my hands cramp over writing about Jana, let's get on with...

Our Special Guest, who was Mary Foster Conklin! Mary was a gracious last-minute replacement to our previously-scheduled guest Mark York (a composer and Cy Coleman expert) - but boy what a replacement. Mary is a brilliantly accomplished Cabaret singer, known for her work around the nation and her 2010 MAC Award for Jazz Vocalist. She has numerous CD's to listen to, and performs as The Lady in the Red Dress for Renegade Cabaret. We were very excited to have her as our guest.

Mark Janas was back in town after what he called a "very scary" High School reunion. We can only imagine...but he's now back in NYC. To open up the first set, Jana Robbins sang two classic Coleman songs: "The Best is Yet to Come" and "Witchcraft." She then brought up Bobbie Horowitz, who sang "There's Gotta Be Someplace Better" into "Kids From Brooklyn." After Bobbie, Sunny Leigh sang the Gershwin classic "Embraceable You." Then Mark Levy brought Maurice Chevalier back to life with an adorable rendition of "I'm Glad I'm Not Young Anymore." Susan Hogden brought out her powerful blues belt with "Black Coffee." She'll be performing at the Metropolitan Room on July 26th for the MetroStar Challenge and we wish her "break legs!" She also says she's putting a solo show together with Director Lenny Watts in the late fall.

The lovely Julie Reyburn (who will be The Salon's Guest Co-Host next week!) came up next to sing Cy Coleman's "If they Could See Me Now" (lyrics by Dorothy Fields) from her Feinstein's show "Summer Nights" (and, of course, from Sweet Charity). It was uniquely arranged by Mark Janas (I saw Julie's show on Friday, it was spectacular!). After Julie, Craig Pomranz sang "On the Other Side of the Tracks." He'll be performing at The Metropolitan Room this Wednesday and Thursday, then will be off to Los Angeles, Palm Springs and then The Pheasantry in London. We then had Steve "the Whistler" Herbst, who sang "Don't Take Much" from the Cy Coleman/Ira Gasman musical The Life. Marya Zimmet, with her jazz-perfect smooth vocals, crooned "Bye Bye Blackbird" by Ray Henderson and lyricist Mort Dixon. She will have an upcoming show in a few months, to be announced soon! After Marya, Jane Glick sang the great comedic song "So What?" from Cabaret. She will also be revealing a show in the near future, date TBA.

Joey Infante took us into the first set homestretch with the ballad "Goodbye," made famous by composer Gordon Jenkins, and original used as Benny Goodman's sign-off tune. Richard Eisenberg then sang his own ballad (yes! a ballad!) entitled "I Will Still Love You." Matthew Ward, tinkled around on the piano by his own and played a few Cy Coleman melodies sans words. Then I, Sierra Rein, brought some City of Angels up - first explaining that the quartet from City was the original jumping off music for Marquee 5 (before Julie Reyburn was added!). I then sang "With Every Breath I Take." The soprano powerhouse Jan Brennan sang "Never" from Coleman's On The Twentieth Century. To complete the first half of the evening, Marnie Klar sang "Maybe I Like It This Way," a very Coleman-esque song from Wild Party. Marnie is currently in the show Closure, part of the Midtown International Theater Festival. It's at the Main Stage Workshop Theater July 20th, 22nd, 26th and 30th. You can see showtimes and buy tickets here.

For the opening of the second half, Special Guest Mary Foster Conklin sang three Cy Coleman songs, all wonderfully executed. She began with "In Love Again," with lyrics by Peggy Lee. She then went into "You Fascinate Me So," a song with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh that was very popular that night (several other people wanted to sing it too!). She finished her set with "wrist-slasher kind of a tune," "Would You Believe," with lyrics by James Lipton. We were so happy to have Mary sing such wonderful tunes in her own unique, classy way!

Mark's Classical Corner was a real treat, as it was a Master Class in arranging, or at least taking the theme and feeling of one song and melding it with the lyrical logic and grace of another. Mark started out by playing a Chopin Barcarole (translated to mean a song inspired by the gentle rocking of a boat - specifically a Venetian gondola). He then played another example of a barcarole, one from the opera piece Tales of Hoffman by Jacques Offenbach. With the familiar feeling of the barcarole still swaying in our bodies, Julie Reyburn then sang another song from her "Summer Nights" show, this time the William Finn song "I'd Rather Be Sailing," only this time with the now-familiar barcarole accompaniment. As it served the lyric of the song, it was a brilliant example of how modern musical theater, cabaret, and classical music can meld into one. And with Julie Reyburn singing it...Bravo!

Producer Tanya Moberly then sang "Where Am I Going?" from Sweet Charity. Her show "Theater Songs" will once again grace the stage at Don't Tell Mama, with Ritt Henn and Mark Janas to accompany her, on September 20th at 9pm. She was the closing number on Friday's MAC Summer Preview Showcase and sent the audience home electrified! Jana Robbins then came up to exclaim that "Where Am I Going" was her audition song for many years here in New York, and was a featured song in her Cy Coleman show. That led her into another song from her Coleman act: "Seesaw Finale (I'm Way Ahead)" from the musical Seesaw. Watching Jana perform this song (which was actually given to her by Cy himself) provided proof of her Broadway-caliber skills; I was transfixed by her moment to moment skill and truth through the number, and quickly wrote "acting chops!!!" in my notes. Then David Ballard, cheeky smile and charm always at his beck and call, performed "Bigger Isn't Better" from Barnum.

We then had a bit of time for some encores! Marnie Klar came up and sang "Naughty Baby" with a wink in more than just her eye. Jane Glick returned to sing Cy Coleman's saucy "Don't Ask a Lady," and Sierra Rein sang Irving Berlin's "Cheek to Cheek." Steve Herbst arrived with another Cy Coleman song from The Life, the biting "My Way or the Highway," and Richard Eisenberg brought a few new lyrics to his hit composition "Better Than This." Julie Reyburn came up yet again to sing "Frankie and Johnny," yet another one of Mark Janas' brilliantly arranged songs from her show "Summer Nights." This one utilized the musical themes and lyrics from a bunch of Kander and Ebb songs (directly inspired by Marquee Five's 2009 show "We Can Make It"). Matthew Ward then returned to sing and play "Here's to Us" from Cy Coleman's Little Me. To finish the wonderful evening of music, Jana Robbins sang one of the last songs Coleman wrote, with lyrics by David Zippel, "It Started With A Dream" from a never-produced show. Thank goodness singers like Jana are bringing these songs to the open, because the song - and the way Robbins sang it - was absolutely gorgeous!

NEXT WEEK!!! An exciting turn of events at The Salon, courtesy of Peter Millrose. Guest Co-Host will be Julie Reyburn, and Special Guest will be 2010 MAC Award Winner for Male Vocalist Hector Coris! The optional theme for the evening is "The Recording Arts – Demo Night with Peter Millrose”. Peter has generously decided to record the entire Salon evening! That means that everyone will have the opportunity to listen to a studio quality, live recording of their July 25th Salon performance via the internet before deciding whether or not they care to purchase it for a $30 fee. Salon will run as it normally does. Peter will just be recording the entire evening live. (For more info about Peter: www.millrosemusic.com.) Whether you are interested in having a demo recorded or not – the theme is “The Recording Arts”. Bring the song you love to listen to the most or the song recorded by your favorite singer; the song you would want to become famous for recording or a the song from that record (LP, 45, CD or itune) that means something to you. This is a fantastic opportunity to record that favorite song for online use, submissions, new composition, or perhaps as a gift to a loved one. If you want to bring your own accompanist or contact Mark Janas for afternoon rehearsal times, feel free!

See you Sunday at The Salon!

-Sierra Rein
The Blogette for The Salon
Spelling mistakes? URL's I missed? Did I mess up? Please email me.

Friday, July 16, 2010

SALON NEWSFLASH : Mary Foster Conklin will be our Special Guest this Sunday, July 18th!

Mary Foster Conklin, the Incredible Bistro and MAC Award Winning Jazz Vocalist, has agreed to be our last minute Special Guest for this Sunday, July 18th! Mary will be performing with Art Lillard's Heavenly Band on August 10th at Iridium, 1650 Broadway (at 51st St), NYC 10019, 212-592-2121 - sets at 8 & 10pm. She will also be at The Royal Room at The Colony Palm Beach Hotel August 27th & 28th as well as September 3rd & 4th. Reservations: 561-659-8100. For more information: www.maryfosterconklin.com.


Just a reminder that the theme will be 'Cy Coleman' and the Co-Host will be Jana Robbins. Check out this video that just came out with Jana & Cy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyFzxoB95p8 !
By the way - Jana will be appearing in “Sondheim Unplugged” at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 West 42nd St., NYC 10036, 212-695-6909 on Monday, July 19th at 7pm, not July 26th.

Also – Check out Julie Reyburn's new show “Summer Night” with Mark Janas on piano, Ritt Henn on bass and Wally Usiatynski on drums, TONIGHT!!! Friday, July 16th & Saturday, July 17th at 8:30pm at Feinstein's at Loew's Regency, 540 Park Avenue (at 61st St) NYC. Reservations: 212-339-4095. For more information: www.feinsteinsattheregency.com

Salon is at Etcetera, Etcetera - 352 West 44th Street, NYC 10036 - from 7PM to 10:30PM. There will be a $10 cash cover at the door, collected by 'Etceterette', Jan Brennan, and a $15 food/drink minimum (cash or credit) per person. (For further information visit www.etcrestaurant.com or call 212-399-4141). There are no reservations; seating is on a first come/ first served basis, with one intermission. Doors open and sign up begins with 'Etceterette', Marnie Klar at 6:15pm.


Here's some important information about the Salon you should know. The Salon is an ongoing open entertainment event in which singers, writers and musicians share their talent with each other and audience members. We are currently enjoying our new venue, Etcetera, Etcetera where there is a $10 COVER (cash) AND a $15 FOOD/BEVERAGE MINIMUM (cash or credit). You may sign up to perform starting at 6:30 by seeing one the evening's 'Etceterettes' to fill out a card with your name, the name of your song, whether it's a ballad or an up tempo,(up tempos and comic songs are greatly encouraged!) and any upcoming events you'd like the co-host to announce. Please remember that we do not present performers in order of sign-up and, due to our time restraints and other variables, filling out a card does not guarantee you will perform, but we do our very best to get you up! It is usually a good idea to bring a few different song choices to avoid duplication. All types of material including spoken word are welcome at the Salon but please limit your selections to three or four minutes in length and please bring clear, complete charts for Mark to read. Sitting on the piano is not allowed, nor is flash photography. If you would like to add a (or remove your) name from our list, e-mail me at tanyamoberly@juno.com.


Looking forward to seeing you all Sunday, July 18th!

-Tanya Moberly, Producer

-Sierra Rein
The Blogette for The Salon
Spelling mistakes? URL's I missed? Did I mess up? Please email me.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

The Salon Wrap-Up for July 11, 2010: "The Long and the Short of It"


The theme of the evening on Sunday the 11th was "The Long and The Short of It - Songs about Measure & Proportion, Size & Shape," or songs that 'cut to the chase' put things 'in a nutshell' or tell us 'the bottom line.' As Mark Janas was at his High School reunion, the "tall" drink of talent called Chris Haberl was at the piano as Guest Host. The Guest Co-host for the evening was Jamie DeRoy, an eight-time MAC Award Winner and seasoned hostess of her own variety show, "Jamie DeRoy and Friends." Our Special Guest Performer was the "short" of the theme's "it", Cindy Marchionda - a diminutive but spitfire star of theater and cabaret.

Jamie began her hosting job of the evening by singing a great song which punned some very well-known last names throughout history and celebrity (song title unknown- it was one of those original comedy songs!). Then Sunny Leigh sang "I've Got a Right to Sing the Blues" with Barry Levitt at the piano and Susan Hodgdon, again with Barry at the piano, crooned "I Know the Truth" - two songs with very pointed "bottom line" themes! We then had Candy Benge come to the microphone with Stephen Downs at the piano, singing "Fade Away," a song from Downs' musical "SOS Titanic." A little fun fact about Stephen: he was a bit of a pop star in his youth, and opened for The Beatles when he was 16! Using that as a perfect segue, Joanne Sheeron brought her guitar up to play along with Chris on the piano with "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away." Salon regular and overall bon pianist Bill Zeffiro then tinkled the ivories with a wonderful tribute to George Gershwin, who passed away on July 11, 1937. Bill played and sang Gershwin's last (albeit incomplete) work, "Our Love is Here to Stay."

After that sweet dedication, Jamie introduced Lindsey Holloway to the Salon stage. Lindsey, with Bill Zeffiro on piano, sang a 1931 song by Einar Aaron Swan entitled "When Your Lover Has Gone." She'll be singing with Bill at the Flute Grammercy for the Dorothy Parker Society on July 29th! After Lindsey, Michael Colby performed one of his original lyrics (with music by Jack Urbont) from their musical "Mrs. McThing" entitled "How Do You Make Magic?" Then Tony Imgrund - a new face to me! - sang "I'm Just a Small Town Boy" by Fred Silver.

For us sound geeks, and for the entire audience, we then had a treat from Australian singer Darren Williams, who brought in a Loop Machine (invented by Les Paul). Singing "Seasons of Love" from Rent multiple times, he was able to harmonize with himself on the spot and in real time, then complete the loop with a high rock counterpart. It was a wonderful thing to see; both the technology and Darren's talent in a unique synch! Darren promises he will return to New York in September, when he will perform at the Metropolitan Room.

We then had a virtual vacation to Cuba and Mexico, as Janice Hall (with Barry Levitt on piano) sang a mashup of "Dos Gardenias" (a cuban piece) and "Besame Mucho." Her solo show will commence at the end of October and is now a part of the MetroStar Challenge at the Metropolitan Room. We then had Barbara Porteus sing "Michael from the Mountain" by Joni Mitchell - Barbara will sing at Feinstein's yet again with Barry Levitt on July 31st and August 1st (Directed by Peter Napolitano), and can be seen this Friday the 16th at the MAC Showcase at Don't Tell Mama. Salon regular Jan Brennan sang the hilarious Heisler and Goldrich song "I Want them Bald" with Chris at the piano - Jan is also a part of the MetroStar Challenge! Composer Nick Levin then brought his song "Rootin' Tootin' Teuton Man" to The Salon, sung with brilliant and energetic comedic aplomb by Donna Coney Island.

Donna Coney Island

As the first half began winding down, Annie Lebeaux sang and played her piece "These Things Happen" (a highly suggestive piece supposedly meant to sing "the morning after"). Sierra Rein (with the help of Bill Zeffiro) sang "Too Darn Hot" by Cole Porter, from the musical Kiss Me, Kate. The lovely Maureen Taylor, who was door Etceterette, sang "This Time" by Brett Kristofferson. Maureen has several things coming up - she sang at the Cabaret Hotline Birthday Gala yesterday July 13th, is going to be singing at Danny Learey's Comix on July 29th, will sing at the Tudor City Greens concert on August 3rd, and will have her Bob Merrill CD (recorded live at The Metropolitan Room) Release Party in the fall! To close out the first half, we then had Erin Cronican, who sang "Dance Ten, Looks Three" from A Chorus Line, the ultimate B'way song about body measurements!

After the break, we had Special Guest singer Cindy Marchionda, who has performed on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Cabaret, in National Tours and in many Regional productions as well (check out her bio for a full list!). With her diminutive size, she looked short next to Chris, and so she started her set out with Randy Newman's "Short People." Her second song was a unique arrangement of Stephen Sondheim's "The Miller's Son" from A Little Night Music - with it slowed down and swung, it became an altogether new song! She finished her set with a hilarious and sexy torch song "Long John Blues," about one woman's obsession with her local dentist...

Cindy Marchionda

Chris Haberl then got to do "Chris' Corner, " and played a beautiful minuet by Ravel along with a "Waltz in E Minor" by Chopin. After Chris, Producer Tanya Moberly sang "Now You Know." She will also be a featured singer at this Friday's MAC Showcase at Don't Tell Mama, and will also bring her show "Theatre Songs" to Don't Tell Mama on September 30th, bringing back Mark Janas at the piano and Ritt Henn on bass. Jamie DeRoy then stepped in for a moment to sing a joyfully comedic parody of a certain The Sound of Music song, this time entitled "60 Going on 70." Next up to the stage came the lovely Raissa Katona Bennett, 2010 Bistro Award-winner for the Concerts at Tudor City Greens, who sang "I Had a Dream About You" by Maury Yeston. Raissa will be returning to Feinstein's in January, she says, and will also be singing at Comix July 29th and at her concert at Tudor City Greens August 3rd.

Becoming a Salon regular now, Marc Ostrow performed his original piece "Am I In Love" (he joked that he was completely on theme today because most of his comedy songs are short). Then the classic beauty Lianne Marie Dobbs sang "One Less Bell" by Burt Bacharach - Lianne will be performing in How to Succeed in Business at Goodspeed in Connecticut this fall! To bring us to the theme of measurements, Richard Eisenberg sang his song "All Good Things Must Come to an End." Joseph DiSalle then brought an oddly entertaining samba song by Dave Frishberg entitled "Van Lingle Mungo." Kevin McMullen, who is going to be doing his own solo show at The Laurie Beechman with Mark Janas and Miles Phillips this fall, sparked the stage with "Sam, You Made the Pants Too Long."

To sing about the biggest lady in Musical Theater, David Ballard sang "Giants in the Sky" from Into the Woods, and then to stay on theme Liz Ulmer sang "How Long" from Peter Mills' Taxi Cabaret. To end the evening, Jamie DeRoy sang "Gentiles on My Mind." Jamie's variety show "Jamie DeRoy and Friends" can be seen each Wednesday night, and in October she'll have her 25th anniversary of her show!

NEXT SALON!

Next Sunday, July 18th, the theme will be “Cy Coleman” - the wonderful composer of such musicals as Sweet Charity, City of Angels, . Our special Co-Host will be Jana Robbins, and our special Guest is to be announced (Mark York had to bow out).

Plus! July 25th will be a unique Salon, as it is a “The Recording Arts/ Demo Night with Peter Millrose.” Co-Host will be Julie Reyburn, and Special Guest will be Hector Coris (both of which have award-winning Live CD's of their work!). For this evening, you will have the option to pay a $30 fee to Peter Millrose for a studio quality recording of your live performance. Reservations and payments are now being accepted for guaranteed slots. (Contact Tanya at 646-637-2806 or tanyamoberly@juno.com) Mark is willing to offer rehearsal time earlier that afternoon to those participating. For more info on Peter Millrose:
http://millrosemusic.com/millrosemusic.asp
http://millrosemusic.com/photos.asp

-Sierra Rein
The Blogette for The Salon
Spelling mistakes? URL's I missed? Did I mess up? Please email me.

Update from Producer Tanya Moberly - Salon July 18th - "Cy Coleman"

SALON, that Bistro & MAC Award winning open mic created and hosted by Mark Janas, returns to Etcetera, Etcetera - 352 West 44th Street, NYC 10036 - on Sunday, July 18th from 7PM to 10:30PM.

The optional theme for the evening is "Cy Coleman”. Cy's musical's include WILDCAT, LITTLE ME, SWEET CHARITY, SEESAW, I LOVE MY WIFE, ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, BARNUM, CITY OF ANGELS, THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES, WELCOME TO THE CLUB & THE LIFE.



Remember, any material, on or off theme, is always welcome at Salon.

Our Co-Host will be Broadway Veteran Jana Robbins! Jana recently produced the revival of RAGTIME, which was nominated for 8 Drama Desk & 6 Tony Awards. She will be appearing in “Sondheim Unplugged” at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 West 42nd St., NYC 10036, 212-695-6909 on Monday, July 26th at 7pm. Jana will also be doing her show GYPSY IN MY SOUL in Pennsylvania in September. For more information: www.janarobbins.com.

Our Special Guest will be a Surprise! (Mark York is unable to attend.)

There will be a $10 cash cover at the door, collected by 'Etceterette', Jan Brennan, and a $15 food/drink minimum (cash or credit) per person. (For further information visit www.etcrestaurant.com or call 212-399-4141). There are no reservations; seating is on a first come/ first served basis, with one intermission. Doors open and sign up begins with 'Etceterette', Marnie Klar at 6:15pm.

Salon continues every Sunday (except August 15th) through August 29th...

July 25th: “The Recording Arts/ Demo Night with Peter Millrose”
Co-Host: Julie Reyburn
Special Guest: Hector Coris
You will have the option to pay a $30 fee to Peter Millrose for a studio quality recording of your live performance. Reservations and payments are now being accepted for guaranteed slots. (Contact Tanya at 646-637-2806 or tanyamoberly@juno.com) Mark is willing to offer rehearsal time earlier that afternoon to those participating. For more info on Peter Millrose:
http://millrosemusic.com/millrosemusic.asp
http://millrosemusic.com/photos.asp

August 1st: “It's Mathematical – Numbers About Numbers”
Co-Hosts: Booth & Pat
Special Guest: Jim Brochu

August 8th: “Dream a Little Dream – Dreams, Goals & Aspirations”
Co-Host: Ricky Ritzel
Special Guest: Marcus Simeone

Visit our website www.markjanasthesalon.com as well as our page on FACEBOOK.

-Sierra Rein
The Blogette for The Salon
Spelling mistakes? URL's I missed? Did I mess up? Please email me.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Update from Producer Tanya Moberly: "The Long and The Short of It" this Sunday!

SALON, that Bistro & MAC Award winning open mic created and hosted by Mark Janas, returns to Etcetera, Etcetera - 352 West 44th Street, NYC 10036 - on Sunday, July 11th from 7PM to 10:30PM.

The optional theme for the evening is "The Long and The Short of It - Songs about Measure & Proportion, Size & Shape”. Or songs that 'cut to the chase' put things 'in a nutshell' or tell us 'the bottom line'.



Remember, any material, on or off theme, is always welcome at Salon!

Mark Janas will be in Indiana attending his high school reunion.

Our Guest Host/Pianist will be Freakishly Talented Chris Haberl. Chris has been a Musical Director and Conductor for JERSEY BOYS on Broadway and the National Tour as well as many regional productions including ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, INTO THE WOODS and I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE.

Our Co-Host will be the Legendary Jamie deRoy! Jamie not only has a total of 4 Bistro Awards and 8 MAC Awards, she is also a President Emeritus of MAC. Her current “Jamie deRoy and Friends Variety Show” will be at The Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St, NYC 10010, 212-206-0440 on Wednesday, July 14th at 7pm. For more information: www.jamiederoy.com.

Our Special Guest will be the Lovely Cindy Marchionda! Cindy will be appearing in “Sondheim Unplugged” at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 West 42nd St., NYC 10036, 212-695-6909 on Monday, July 26th at 7pm. For more information: www.cindymarchionda.com.

There will be a $10 cash cover at the door, collected by 'Etceterette', Maureen Taylor, and a $15 food/drink minimum (cash or credit) per person. (For further information visit www.etcrestaurant.com or call 212-399-4141). There are no reservations; seating is on a first come/ first served basis, with one intermission. Doors open and sign up begins with 'Etceterette', Erin Cronican at 6:15pm.

Salon continues every Sunday (except August 15th) through August 29th...

July 18th: “Cy Coleman”
Co-Host: Jana Robbins
Special Guest: Mark York

July 25th: “The Recording Arts/ Demo Night with Peter Millrose”
Co-Host: Julie Reyburn
Special Guest: Hector Coris
You will have the option to pay a $30 fee to Peter Millrose for a studio quality recording of your live performance. Reservations and payments are now being accepted for guaranteed slots. (Contact Tanya at 646-637-2806 or tanyamoberly@juno.com) Mark is willing to offer rehearsal time earlier that afternoon to those participating. For more info on Peter Millrose:
http://millrosemusic.com/millrosemusic.asp
http://millrosemusic.com/photos.asp

August 1st: “It's Mathematical – Numbers About Numbers”
Co-Hosts: Booth & Pat
Special Guest: Jim Brochu

-Sierra Rein
The Blogette for The Salon
Spelling mistakes? URL's I missed? Did I mess up? Please email me.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Update from Producer Tanya Moberly: NO SALON this Sunday (Happy 4th!)


THERE WILL BE NO SALON THIS SUNDAY, JULY 4TH.

SALON, that Bistro & MAC Award winning open mic created and hosted by Mark Janas, will return to Etcetera, Etcetera - 352 West 44th Street, NYC 10036 (www.etcrestaurant.com) on Sunday, July 11th 7-10:30pm with:

“The Long And The Short Of It”
Guest Host/Pianist: Chris Haberl
Co-Host: Jamie deRoy
Special Guest: Cindy Marchionda

Salon continues every Sunday (except August 15th) through August 29th...

July 18th: “Cy Coleman”
Co-Host: Jana Robbins
Special Guest: TBA

July 25th: “Demo Night with Peter Millrose”
Co-Host: Julie Reyburn
Special Guest: Hector Coris
You will have the option to pay a $30 fee to Peter Millrose for a studio quality recording of your live performance. Reservations and payments will be taken in advance for guaranteed slots. (Contact Tanya at 646-637-2806 or tanyamoberly@juno.com) Mark is willing to offer rehearsal time earlier that afternoon to those participating. For more info on Peter Millrose:
www.millrosemusic.com
millrosemusic.com/photos

August 1st: Theme TBA
Co-Hosts: Booth & Pat
Special Guest: Jim Brochu

Visit our website www.markjanasthesalon.com and blog: www.markjanasthesalon.blogspot.com, as well as our page on FACEBOOK
Thank you, Tech Goddess, Sierra Rein! (why you're welcome, Tanya!-SR)

Here's some important information about the Salon you should know. The Salon is an ongoing open entertainment event in which singers, writers and musicians share their talent with each other and audience members. We are currently enjoying our new venue, Etcetera, Etcetera where there is a $10 COVER (cash) AND a $15 FOOD/BEVERAGE MINIMUM (cash or credit). You may sign up to perform starting at 6:30 by seeing one the evening's 'Etceterettes' to fill out a card with your name, the name of your song, whether it's a ballad or an up tempo,(up tempos and comic songs are greatly encouraged!) and any upcoming events you'd like the co-host to announce. Please remember that we do not present performers in order of sign-up and, due to our time restraints and other variables, filling out a card does not guarantee you will perform, but we do our very best to get you up! It is usually a good idea to bring a few different song choices to avoid duplication. All types of material including spoken word are welcome at the Salon but please limit your selections to three or four minutes in length and please bring clear, complete charts for Mark to read. Sitting on the piano is not allowed, nor is flash photography. If you would like to add a (or remove your) name from our list, e-mail me at tanyamoberly@juno.com.

Looking forward to seeing you all when we resume on Sunday, July 11th!

Thanks,

Tanya

-Sierra Rein
The Blogette for The Salon
Spelling mistakes? URL's I missed? Did I mess up? Please email me.