Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Update from Producer, Tanya Moberly - January 31, 2012

THERE WILL BE NO SALON FEBRUARY 5TH!

SALON – that unique, MULTIPLE AWARD WINNING, Weekly Open Mic Event, created and hosted by Mark Janas will return to Etcetera, Etcetera - 352 West 44th Street, NYC 10036 – on Sunday, February 12th from 7-10:30PM. (Sign-Up Begins at 6:15.)

Sean Harkness
February 12th:
Theme: 'Hark'throbs (Impossible Crushes)
Co-Host: Sean Harkness (Featuring Members of the Harkness Harem: Deb Berman, Dawn Derow, Pamela Luss, Karen Oberlin & Randie Shane)

Salon will then continue every Sunday (except February 26th)...

February 19th:
Theme: Enough With This Love Sh*t! Songs About Anything But
Co-Hosts: Ritt Henn & Mary Liz McNamara
Salon Spotlight: Amy Engelhardt

Monday, February 20th:
SALON PRESENTS Carolann Sanita!
Carolann will be bringing her cabaret debut show, “Life Happens...” to Etcetera, Etcetera for two more performances Monday, February 20th at 7 & 9:30pm. (www.carolannmsanita.com)
For Reservations: tanya@tanyamoberly.com / 646-637-2806.

February 26th: NO SALON

March 4th:
Theme: City Life
Co-Host: Corinna Sowers-Adler
Salon Spotlight: Tom Vaughn

March 11th:
Theme: One Hit Wonders
Co-Host: Kim Grogg

March 18th:
Theme: TBA
Co-Host: Kenneth Gartman

March 25th:
Theme: The Rat Pack
Co-Hosts: Terese Genecco & Shaynee Rainbolt

Salon is an ongoing open entertainment event in which singers, writers and musicians share their talent with each other and audience members.

There is a $10 cash cover collected at the door and a $15 food/drink minimum (cash or credit) per person. (For more information about Etcetera, Etcetera's delicious menu: www.etcrestaurant.com.) There are no reservations; seating is on a first come/first served basis, Doors open and sign up begins at 6:15pm. The evening runs 7-10:30, with one intermission. If you would like to sign up to perform, see one the evening's 'Etceterettes' to fill out a card with your name, the name of your song, whether or not Mark will be playing for you and any upcoming events you'd like to promote. We do not present performers in order of sign-up, however, indicating requests as clearly and as early as possible as far as time restraints are concerned always makes everything much more possible. ALWAYS BRING SEVERAL SONG SELECTIONS to avoid duplication. All types of material, on or off theme are always welcome at Salon. We enthusiastically welcome instrumentalists, poets, playwrights, essayists, comics, illusionists and performance artists. Please limit your selections to three or four minutes in length (including introductions). Please also bring clear, complete charts for Mark to read. Sitting on the piano is not allowed, nor is flash photography. Please turn off all noise making devices and give performers your undivided attention.

Visit our website at www.markjanasthesalon.com and look for us on Facebook!

Thank you to our sponsors Dr. Garrett Bennett & Father Jeffrey Hamblin, MD!

Looking forward to seeing you all Sunday, February 12th!

Thanks,

Tanya Moberly
Producer

P.S. If you would like to remove your name from or add a name to our mailing list please email Tanya.

-Sierra Rein
Blogette for The Salon
Please email me.

Monday, January 30, 2012

The Salon Wrap-Up for January 29, 2012 "Old Love, New Love, False Love, True Love”

Love took to many forms on the Salon stage Sunday night, as singers waxed philosophical on the theme of “Old Love, New Love, False Love, True Love”.  The room was packed to share in the love with co-host Andy Gale, Broadway alum and acting coach for Mark Janas' Manhattan School of Music students (many of whom were present!).  Before Andy took to the stage, however, Mark was excited to announce that the first draft of the preliminary list of the MAC Award ballot had been revealed - the printout of all the submissions was awash with bright yellow highlights of those who are a part of The Salon family who may be nominated for a MAC Award!  He also told us that since Etcetera Etcetera was now a MAC location for performances, he hopes that future performers of Salon Presents (for example, Carolann Sanita on February 20th) may nab a nomination or a win in award in years to come.

Andy Gale
Andy Gale, who Mark says is the "dearest man I think I know," started the evening out with the beautiful "Hooray For Love" by Harold Arlen.  Then we got a duet treat right out of the gate, as Elaine St. George and Gretchen Reinhagen sang the bittersweet "The Best Thing" together from the Sondheim musical "Bounce."  Gretchen is excited to bring her show "Both Sides Now" back to Don't Tell Mama on February 3 at 7pm, directed by Barry Kleinbort and musical directed by Tracy Stark.  And there's a discount for MAC and Salon members!  Next, Peg McCormick hilariously sang "Helluva Way to Run a Love Affair."  Her show, "Reboot" will take place at The Duplex tomorrow, January 31st at 7pm!  Alicia Terry next came up to sing "If Love Were All," a Noel Coward ballad about some forms of loneliness, and although it was written by Coward as autobiographical, Alicia did not claim the loneliness for herself, but rather the "talent to amuse."  We then welcomed back Mark Levy to the stage, who sang the classic haunting song "I'll Be Seeing You," resplendent in his Brooks Brothers sweater.  David Rigano then debuted his own lyrics (and the music of his brother Paul Rigano) with "Zagat Guide," a comedy song from the upcoming musical web series "Just a Couple."  More information will be found on davidrigano.com regarding this series (which may *star* some Salon members!).

Andy then introduced Alison Lory, who tenderly sang "Falling in Love With Love" from "The Boys from Syracuse."  She is returning to the performance arts and debuted for the first time here at The Salon, and we were happy to hear her beautiful soprano voice for the first time.  Next up was Rosemary Loar, who brought out her inner housewife to sing the side-splitting "I Wanna Get Married," and you could practically smell the apple pie she wanted to bake!  Rosemary co-hosted The Salon last week, and will have two CD release party events for her upcoming album "Sting, Stang, Stung!" at the Metropolitan Room on Feb 7th and 19th, 7pm.   The lovely Maureen Taylor then gloriously brought "Fable" from "The Light in the Piazza" in her pristine soprano - she will be revising her Lauren Bacall show "Too Marvelous" soon.

And although he was extremely busy helping to serve the large crowd of the evening, David Ballard took some time from waiter-ing to sing "Take a Chance on Me" in his clear, bell-like tenor voice.  He will be presenting a few original songs (some of which debuted at The Salon in the past) this Thursday night, Feb 2nd, at Broadway Sessions, 11pm-midnight at the HA! comedy club on 46th street. He is also writing as a first-year songwriter at the BMI - his latest challenge is to write a comedy song for "Angels in America!"  Next, your Blogette for the evening (me!), Sierra Rein, sang "Friendly Star" from the movie musical "Summer Stock."  My vocal group, Marquee Five, is excited to now be on Amazon and iTunes in both CD and digital download - her co-MFiver Julie Reyburn took to the stage for a brief moment to share in the announcement and to give her previous acting coach Andy a great big hug (pregnant belly and all!).  Etceterette Erin Cronican then performed the hilarious "Everybody's Girl," which certainly fit the theme, as it was about "loving everyone."  Erin will be performing in "Three Sisters," text by Brian Friel on an Anton Chekhov translation, in March at The Seeing Place Theater, along with Salon regulars Mary Lahti and Elisa Pupko.

The Salon Spotlight featured the wonderful combination of Sarah Rice and David Vernon, with Matthew Martin Ward at the piano.  They have been performing their show "History Herstory, Where Truth Lies" on the theme of how two people can look at the same thing and see something completely different.  David started out the spotlight with "She's a Woman" from "Kiss of the Spider Woman," a luxurious and jealous ballad.  Then the two of them sang "The Lies of Handsome Men," a "he said-she believes the lies" bittersweet mixture.  Then, they invited soprano Janice Hall to sing backup with David while Sarah sang the Spanish song "Hijo de la Luna"/"Son of the Moon," a startling folk song about how the Moon grants a woman's marital wish, only to adopt the shunned, Albino-born son and cradle him with each waxing and waning cycle.

David Vernon and Sarah Rice
The Classical Corner was a bit of a conundrum for Mark on this theme at first.   He tried to connect love themes from classical music, or movie love-themes on a classical theme.  Eventually, he went the improvisational route - he called out first for an impromptu sing along of "Quando m'en vo" (Mark Watson and an entire table of operatic ladies in the back stood up to sing!), then he asked for a list of classical music composers of yesteryear, *then* he asked for a love song; eventually we finalized on "As Time Goes By" from "Casablanca." Mark then did variations on the theme of "As Time Goes By" as if Chopin (flowing), Bartok (somber), Rachmaninoff (magestic), and Mozart (sweet) had written it.   The Mozart version in particular got a spontaneous round of applause in the middle of it.  Mark turned the reins of the piano over to Matthew Martin Ward, who continued the theme into a rousing and impressive Beethoven-esque rendition.  Mark returned to then combine the main theme of "As Time Goes By" with the playful "Chopsticks," the gorgeous "Clair de Lune," and then ended the first half of the evening with a full-Salon sing-along of the classic song! Utterly amazing.

Second Set:

Our graciously funny co-host Andy Gale grabbed the mic at the top of the second set to sing a series of songs in his high tenor.  He has a beautiful voice - at times he can make it whisper in a boyish timbre, and then at other times he lets it out like a trumpet, all the while treating the lyric with care and attention.  He began with a medley of tunes, starting with "Hi Lili, Hi Lo," then melding into "Once I Had a Secret Love," and then heartfully crooning "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" by Carol King.  Andy will be soon performing his own Cabaret-style show in connection with the Buck Hill Skytop Music Festival and so is returning to the art form in February with the help of Mark Janas.  He finished his set with "The More I See You." 

Salon Producer Tanya Moberly and pianist-composer-voice teacher Bill Zeffiro took over with a song that fit all four categories of tonight's theme - the fervent "On My Way to Love," and it certainly hit all the points along the route!  Next, Andrew Wyeth Neal (who played for himself on piano), performed his original work "When it Was Easy," a musing about the many pitfalls of relationships.  Then, Kenneth Gartman whipped himself into a comical frenzy with "The Morning After," a funny song about not quite knowing whether to kick someone out or beg them to stay.  Kenneth had his Cabaret debut in 2011 with "Not Like the Other Cavemen", which he will revamp on Wednesday February 1st at 7pm and Saturday the 4th at 4:30pm at Don't Tell Mama with a $5 MAC cover!  He will also be co-hosting The Salon on March 18th, so don't miss him!

Tanya Moberly (Photo: James Cohn)
Andrew Wyeth Neal
Salon was thrilled to welcome back the wonderful baritone Mark Watson, who was in town after performing in the New Jersey State Opera Gala Opera Concert.  In his typical "don't need the mic" fashion, he sang "If Ever I Would Leave You" from the musical "Camelot," which fit all the themes of the evening, plus "divine" and "forbidden" love as well.  His gorgeous baritone was a highlight of the evening, as we were all so happy to see him!  Ever to keep the theme of the evening going in a touching way, Jane Glick then sang "I Met a Man Today," which linked the old love and the new love together in one conflicting piece.  Marnie Klar, who is soon to become an Aunt, tied in the feelings of the amazing mother-baby bond with her emotional rendition of "Portrait."

Mark Watson
We then had a treat - two singers from Fresno, California, who learned of The Salon a half hour before the show started and came to see what the fuss was about!  Daniel Rodriguez and Taylor Abels are in town are here for the harrowing task of auditioning for graduate schools through the URTAs.  They will, however, return to Fresno to star in "Next To Normal" in the Summer season of the new StageWorks Fresno Theater Company.  Daniel sang "If I Loved You," and Taylor sang "The Sound of Music" - and they both sounded beautiful - break legs this week, you two!

Daniel Rodriguez
Taylor Abels
The stage was then inundated with Joshes - a duo Cabaret group consisting of Joshua Warr and Joshua Desjardin have created the show "Joshing Around," directed by Miles Phillips with Dan Micciche on piano.  Joshua Warr is more the "diva," and he sang a stunning Mark Janas arrangement of "Come Rain or Come Shine"/"Mountain High" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" with stellar musical theater rock vocals.  Next, Joshua Desjardin had fun with his name and his nerd persona with a comedy song "Des Jardins," all about his Best Buy and other chic-geek obsessions (his single "I'm a Nerd" can be found for download on iTunes).  "Joshing Around" will perform again February 4 at 9:30pm at The Duplex - and the cover is FREE for MAC!   
Joshua Warr

Joshua Desjardin
Richard Eisenberg then sat at the piano to sing his hilarious "It Should Be Better Than This," on a theme which most of us married or long-term couples will experience at one time or another!  Chris Harrelson then brought up a jazzy rendition of the classic "Nice Work If You Can Get It" by George and Ira Gershwin.  Chris is part of the Valentine's Show which will be performed by the entire Manhattan School of Music class Mark and Andy are teaching - the performance is February 13th at MSM at 7pm.  Next, the lovely MSM student Anna Penchuk sang "Simple" from the musical "Nine", and Brad Lassiter (whose voice reminded me of a young Mark Watson!) sang "Some Enchanted Evening" from "South Pacific."  As Andy commented after, it is heartening to know that our classic American repertoire is in good hands for the future!  To further prove this, Rachael Hirsch returned to sing "My Funny Valentine" (but not before we all sang her a Happy Birthday, since it was her birthday the day before).
Chris Harrelson
Birthday Lady, Rachel Hirsch
Matthew Martin Ward then got his own turn at the microphone and sang "Falling for the First Time" by The Barenaked Ladies - what a treat to hear his version of this pop song!  He is the musical director of Bistro Award Winner Janice Hall's show "I'd Rather Be Doing This," the title song written by director Peter Napolitano, which will perform at the Metropolitan Room Feb 12, March 5, and April 18th.  Bill Zeffiro sat down to sing his crowd-pleasing "Universal Truth," which is on the preliminary list of potential MAC nominated songs, and Barb Malley then sang "I'll Buy You a Star," which she originally performed in her Brooklyn show (which she is planning on revamping in some Brooklyn-savvy venues soon).  To wound down the evening on a sultry note, Susan Hodgdon sang Sondheim's vampish "Sooner or Later" (she warned us, "If I like you....RUN!).  Her show "On the Bumpy Road To Love" will be at Don't Tell Mama on February 25th at 3pm.  To complete the evening our wonderful co-host Andy Gale sang Harold Arlen's classic "When the Sun Comes Out" with incredible joy and obvious love for his craft.

NEXT WEEK: NO SALON! It's the SUPER BOWL!  Have some time off with the improv entertainment called Football, and rejoin us the week after with...

FEBRUARY 12th, 2012: Theme: "Harkthrobs." Co-Host: Sean Harkness (Featuring members of the Harkness Harem - Karen Oberlin, Randie Shane & Dawn Derow.)  If you've never heard of Sean Harkness, do yourself a favor and come to this evening!!! Sean is a thrilling guitarist and composer who has risen into the ranks of well-sought-after musicians.  He won the Outstanding Instrumentalist of 2011 Backstage Bistro Award, and a MAC Award for his work.  If anyone fits the "heartthrob" description, it's Sean.  So, bring in music about the heartthrobs in your life, or written *by* heartthrobs of the present or the past, or maybe the heartthrob that got away! Remember, we always welcome choices that are off-theme, and be sure to bring another piece in case your song has already been chosen by another singer.

Andy Gale, closing the evening
-Sierra Rein
Blogette for The Salon
Please email me.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

The Salon Wrap-Up for January 22, 2012 "One Of A Kind"

A chill was in the air but warmth was in our hearts as we ventured into Etc Etc for this week’s Salon. The evening was kicked off with our fabulous co-host, Rosemary Loar, fantastic Broadway singer and innovative songwriter. The first song she brought to us was, “One of A Kind” from holiday classic “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” - a show that was created in my hometown of San Diego (and the home of Dr Seuss himself!) A production has, since, run on Broadway and toured around the country with Rosemary playing the hilarious role of Grandma Who. We were thrilled to hear the song premiered here at The Salon!
Co-Host Rosemary Loar
Elaine St George, our first Salon guest, said that she wanted to sing her song for two reasons: namely, because she’d wanted to learn it for some time, but also because it contains the word “one”… a lot (ha!) -- “This Nearly Was Mine” from the musical “South Pacific.” Louisa Poster (one of a kind, herself) brought in the perfect, “Nobody Does It Like Me” from the musical “Seesaw.”

Louisa Poster
Andy Gale, next week’s Salon co-host, came to the stage to sing the gorgeous, Bobby Gosh song, “As Long As She Will Stay.” Caroline Ferenczi brought in “Sweet Charity”’s delicious number, “Big Spender.” Rachael Hirsch, a budding student of Mark’s at Manhattan School of Music, was next with Jason Robert Brown’s, “Stars and the Moon.”

Rachael Hirsch
Matthew Martin Ward accompanied himself (wonderfully, as usual) while singing the mashup, “It Never Was You /There Will Never Be Another You.” David Ballard completely charmed everyone (including our co-host, who feared she was becoming a cougar) with “What Do I Need With Love” from “Thoroughly Modern Millie.” Erin Cronican, (me!) took to the stage with “What Makes Me Love Him,” a song sung by Eve about Adam from “The Apple Tree.” We are so excited that Sierra Rein is finally back with us (and as tonight’s Etceterette!) Sierra sang the powerful, “Unusual Way” from the Maury Yeston musical, “Nine.” Sierra is a part of the vocal group, Marquee Five, who just put out their first CD. Copies of the CD are available at The Salon for only $15 - support your fellow musicians!
Sierra Rein
“Rhapsody, by definition, means wandering in a fanciful way…” Mark Janas started Classical Corner by talking about The Salon’s origins. He was musical director on a show at the Algonquin’s Oak Room called, “The Talk of the Town.” One night after a show, Mark and the cast gathered in the lobby and started playing and singing at the piano, just for fun - sharing tunes and drinks in a warm and supportive environment. Out of that The Salon was born. On that night, Mark played Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and has made that a Salon tradition ever since…. so Mark treated us to Gershwin’s amazing arrangement for solo piano. And now we're going to treat YOU - check out a recording of the performance on YouTube!

Second Set

Rosemary Loar came back to the stage with an amazingly eclectic 3 song set. She began with the aria, “Ain’t It A Pretty Night” from the Carlisle Floyd opera, “Susannah.” Next up was a simple and effective version of Sting’s, “Every Little Thing [He] Does is Magic.” The final song of the set was gorgeous pop ballad that Rosemary wrote, called, “Tears on the Table.”

Co-Host Rosemary Loar
Rosemary is having a CD Release Party of her show, “Sting Stang Stung” with arrangements that, quote, “show off Sting’s great lyrics a little more than he does.” There will be two performances February 7 & 19th at The Metropolitan Room (CDs are available separately for those who are unable to attend.) I highly recommend the purchase - these songs are fantastic!

Tanya Moberly, The Salon’s fearless producer, brought us the all too real and heartfelt, “I Guess I’ll Miss The Man” from “Pippin” by Stephen Schwartz. We were so excited to have Joe Regan Jr join us, who sang the Johnny White song, “That’s Love, I Guess.” Joe Kolbow, a newbie to The Salon, sang the William Finn song, “I’d Rather Be Sailing.” Joe is Kevin McMullan’s neighbor (Salon regular) and met Mark at a recent party, and was excited to find out about this event. And WE are excited to find out about YOU, Joe!
Joe Kolbow
Bill Zeffiro was next, with his sassy original tune, “Better Than Nothing.” We welcomed Matthew Martin Ward back to the piano, who played a Maurits Moskowski etude. It was lucky for us that Rachael Hirsch brought a book of music, because we got to hear a second song, the Gershwin classic, “Someone To Watch Over Me.” Louisa Poster was back, this time singing the lovely, “It Had To Be You.” Andy Gale came back for an encore with the lush and warm Johnny Mercer/Barry Manilow piece, “When October Goes.” In a 2nd appearance, Elaine St George brought us a jazzy version of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.”

Elaine St George
Caroline Ferenczi brought us another encore, with the song “This Can’t Be Love.” Erin Cronican was invited back and sang the Leonard Bernstein love song, “Somewhere.” Sierra Rein showed off her amazing soprano range with the darling Rodgers & Hammerstein song, “Mister Snow” from the musical, “Carousel.” And co-host Rosemary Loar closed our show with the honky tonk, up tempo tune, “Love Me Like a Man.”

Rosemary Loar
NEXT WEEK: The optional theme for the evening is “Old Love, New Love, False Love, True Love.” Bring along any song that talks about having love or the absence of it (and not just romantic love. Be creative, folks!) We also welcome songs that are off-theme, and be sure to bring a second option, in case your song has already been reserved.) Our Co-Host will be the talented, Andy Gale. Andy is a veteran of such Broadway productions as RAGS, SIDE SHOW, and JANE EYRE. He has also done National Tours of CATS, LES MISERABLE and SECRET GARDEN. He is a Master Teacher, Coach and Director of Cabaret & Theatre. For more information, look for Andy on Facebook.

-Erin Cronican
Blogette for The Salon
URL’s I missed? Names misspelled? Please email me.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Update from Producer, Tanya Moberly - January 24, 2012

SALON – that unique, MULTIPLE AWARD WINNING,Weekly Open Mic Event, created and hosted by Mark Janas returns to Etcetera, Etcetera - 352 West 44th Street, NYC 10036 – on Sunday, January 29th from 7-10:30PM! (Sign-Up Begins at 6:15.)

The optional theme for the evening is “Old Love, New Love, False Love, True Love”

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

Our Co-Host will be Andy Gale! Andy is a veteran of such Broadway productions as RAGS, SIDE SHOW & JANE EYRE. He has also done National Tours of CATS, LES MISERABLE & SECRET GARDEN. He is a Master Teacher, Coach and Director of Cabaret & Theatre. For more information, look for Andy on Face Book.

Our Salon Spotlight will feature Sarah Rice & David Vernon! Their current project, HISTORY/HERSTORY - Where Truth Lies, is a Cabaret/Theatre piece about how two people can look at the same thing and see something completely different. Songs in English, Spanish, German & French. For more information: www.sarahrice.com.

Salon continues every Sunday (except February 5th & February 26th)...

February 5th: NO SALON

February 12th:
Theme: 'Hark'throbs (Impossible Crushes)
Co-Host: Sean Harkness (Featuring members of the Harkness Harem - Dawn Derow, Pamela Luss, Karen Oberlin & Randie Shane,)

February 19th:
Theme: Enough With This Love Sh*t! Songs About Anything But
Co-Hosts: Ritt Henn & Mary Liz McNamara

Monday, February 20th:
SALON PRESENTS Carolann Sanita!
Carolann will be bringing her cabaret debut show, “Life Happens...” to Etcetera, Etcetera for two more performances - Monday, February 20th at 7 & 9:30pm. (www.carolannmsanita.com)
For Reservations: tanya@tanyamoberly.com / 646-637-2806.

February 26th: NO SALON

March 4th:
Theme: TBA
Co-Host: Corinna Sowers-Adler

March 11th:
Theme: One Hit Wonders
Co-Host: Kim Grogg

Salon is an ongoing open entertainment event in which singers, writers and musicians share their talent with each other and audience members.

There is a $10 cash cover collected at the door and a $15 food/drink minimum (cash or credit) per person. (For more information about Etcetera, Etcetera's delicious menu:www.etcrestaurant.com.) There are no reservations; seating is on a first come/first served basis, Doors open and sign up begins at 6:15pm. The evening runs 7-10:30, with one intermission. If you would like to sign up to perform, see one the evening's 'Etceterettes' to fill out a card with your name, thename of your song, whether or not Mark will be playing for youand any upcoming events you'd like to promote. We do not present performers in order of sign-up, however, indicating requests as clearly and as early as possible as far as time restraints are concerned always makes everything much more possible. ALWAYS BRING SEVERAL SONG SELECTIONS to avoid duplication. All types of material, on or off theme are always welcome at Salon. We enthusiastically welcome instrumentalists, poets, playwrights, essayists, comics, illusionists and performance artists. Please limit your selections to three or four minutes in length (including introductions). Please also bring clear, complete charts for Mark to read. Sitting on the piano is not allowed, nor is flash photography. Please turn off all noise making devices and give performers your undivided attention.

Visit our website at www.markjanasthesalon.com and look for us on Face Book!

Thank you to our sponsors Dr. Garrett Bennett & Father Jeffrey Hamblin, MD!

Looking forward to seeing you all Sunday, January 29th!

Thanks,

Tanya Moberly
Producer

Friday, January 20, 2012

The Salon Wrap-Up for January 15, 2012 "Eleven O'Clock Numbers"

The Golden Globes, frigid weather, and Giants playoff game couldn’t keep the Salon family from coming out to sing, and we were so glad they did… for this week’s theme was the show stopping, “Eleven O’Clock Numbers.” As Mark Janas, Salon Founder & Host, explained: in the “olden days” shows started at 8:30pm (to accommodate dining before the performance), and the star’s big number was normally scheduled around 11pm (in the 2nd act.) These numbers are usually big and powerful, expressing the character's needs and wants, or showing a turn-around for their story. With that explanation, we knew we were in for a treat from our talented guests!

Co-hosting this evening was the lovely and free spirited, Kristine Zbornik. Kristine brought an amazing energy and a bit of sassy language to The Salon, which had the audience in stitches for much of the night. She opened the show with the iconic song, “The Man Who Got Away” from the movie, “The Star is Born.” Kristine then sang, “No More Tears” as a duet between Barbra Streisand and Ethel Merman, which then morphed into a hilarious version of “Enough is Enough” complete with 1970s hustle-esque dance break.
Co-Host Kristine Zbornik
Carolann Sanita was our first guest at the mic, and she sang the touching, “actor-bug” song, “A Way Back to Then” from the cult favorite, “Title of Show.” Carolann is performing her cabaret, “Life Happens” here at the Salon through our new series, “Salon Presents” - there are 2 shows on February 20: 7pm and 9:30. To reserve your tickets, you can email Salon Producer, Tanya Moberly, at tanya@tanyamoberly.com. Elisa Pupko was next, with the heartbreaking ballad, “Just Not Now,” from the Off-Broadway musical, “I Love You Because.” Susan Hodgson brought in the haunting “Follies” eleven o’clock number, “Losing My Mind.” Susan is performing her show, “On The Bumpy Road to Love” on February 25 at Don’t Tell Mama.

Susan Hodgson
Adam Shapiro charmed us with the upbeat and adorable, “Sit Down You’re Rocking The Boat” from Frank Loesser’s “Guys and Dolls.” The next singer to come to the stage was Edie Stokes, who sang “I Concentrate On You” by Cole Porter. She told us that she was mentioned on one of the Top Ten Cabaret Performances list in 2011- congrats, Edie! Richie Eisenberg came next with his original tune, “Love Isn’t Easy To Do.” We’re hoping that someday this song will be added to a full length show as the eleven o’clock number! (hint hint...)

Richie Eisenberg
Janice Hall, Salon regular and valued Etceterette, sang her version of the eleven o’clock number (meaning: it’s French) - the Edith Piaf song, “L”Accordeoniste.” Matthew Martin Ward, who was at one time the musical director for the Isadora Duncan Dance group, played a tune from one of their programs, “Soriabin Etude in D# Minor.” (He played this while asking us to imagine a woman in a red dress stomping on the floor!) Your Blogette, Erin Cronican, was next with Frank Wildhorn’s “A New Life”, sung by the character of Lucy in “Jekyll & Hyde.” And Maureen Taylor, tonight’s Etceterette, brought up the gorgeous, “Children Of The Wind” from Charles Strouse’s, “Rags.”

For this week’s Classical Corner, Mark talked about what it would take for a solo pianist to have an Eleven O’Clock number. Here are a few key requirements for the song:

• a good beginning, something that hooks you
• a good lyrical theme
• a sense of virtuosity, technique or show off (for example, a song that is very left-hand heavy)
• a dynamite ending
Host Mark Janas
To demonstrate each of these, Mark took to the piano with examples from Ravel, Beethoven, Chopin and others. He also brought up Matthew Martin Ward to demonstrate a left hand section from the piece Matthew played earlier. Once these examples were completed, Mark mused about what song might satisfy all of the criteria at once. One specific song came immediately to mind - Chopin’s “Polanaise in A Flat Major”, which he went on to play -- phenomenal! Really, Classical Corner is one of the most unique musical experiences in the city - and you can only get it here!

Second Set

From the radio musical, “Tales From The City”, Salon Co-Host Kristine Zbornik sang, “Ride ‘Em Hard” (yep, you read that correctly) with backup singers Tanya Moberly, Erin Cronican and Maureen Taylor as backup singers. Her next song (normally sung by a male character) was, “Her Face,” from the musical, “Carnival.” For the final song of the set, Kristine gave us her very best Gypsy Rose Lee, with “Rose’s Turn.” Tanya Moberly brought us Stephen Schwartz’s “Where is the Warmth” from “The Baker’s Wife.” David Ballard brought up the completely unexpected, and in no way type-cast, “Way Ahead of My Time” by Peter Mills. (ha!)
David Ballard
Marnie Klar gave us the sultry and vulnerable, “Maybe This Time” from Kander & Ebb’s “Cabaret” - which might be one of my favorite songs she’s sung. Great job, Marnie! Jack DiMonte, a friend of Kristine’s from year’s ago, came to the mic next with the ballad, “Something Cool.” Joseph DiSalle, a new friend of The Salon, sang “Cycles” by Gayle Caldwell.

Joseph DiSalle
The final song of the evening was sung by our lovely co-host, Kristine Zbornik, the quintessential closer, “And The World Goes Round.” We were so tickled to have Kristine with us - she really is a consummate performer!
Co Host Kristine Zbornik
NEXT WEEK: The optional theme for the evening is “One of a Kind.” Bring along any song that talks about being unique, your favorite things, your first time, or even songs about card games (though, I wouldn't wish a "one of a kind" hand on you.) We also welcome songs that are off-theme, and be sure to bring a second option, in case your song has already been reserved. Our Co-Host will be the wonderfully creative (and stylish!), Rosemary Loar.

-Erin Cronican
Blogette for The Salon
URL’s I missed? Names misspelled? Please email me.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Update from Producer, Tanya Moberly - January 16, 2012

SALON – that unique, MULTIPLE AWARD WINNING,Weekly Open Mic Event, created and hosted by Mark Janas returns to Etcetera, Etcetera - 352 West 44th Street, NYC 10036 – on Sunday, January 22ndfrom 7-10:30PM! (Sign-Up Begins at 6:15.)

The optional theme for the evening is “One of a Kind”!

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

Our Co-Host will be Rosemary Loar! Rosemary and her jazz trio - Frank Ponzio, Tom Hubbard & Vito Lesczak – will be holding a CD Release Event for 'Sting, Stang, Stung! Rosemary Loar Swingin' The Music Of Sting' at The Metropolitan Room on Tuesday, February 7th and Sunday, February 19th. Both shows at 7pm. For more information: www.rosemaryloar.com

Salon continues every Sunday (except February 5th)...
January 29th:
Theme: Old Love, New Love, False Love, True Love
Co-Host: Andy Gale

February 5th: NO SALON

February 12th:
Theme: Harkthrobs
Co-Host: Sean Harkness (Featuring members of the Harkness Harem - Karen Oberlin, Randie Shane & Dawn Derow.)

February 19th:
Theme: Enough With This Love Sh*t! Songs About Anything But
Co-Hosts: Ritt Henn & Mary Liz McNamara

Monday, February 20th:
SALON PRESENTS Carolann Sanita at 7 & 9:30pm!
Reservations: tanya@tanyamoberly.com / 646-637-2806

Salon is an ongoing open entertainment event in which singers, writers and musicians share their talent with each other and audience members.

There is a $10 cash cover collected at the door and a $15 food/drink minimum (cash or credit) per person. (For more information about Etcetera, Etcetera's delicious menu: www.etcrestaurant.com.) There are no reservations; seating is on a first come/first served basis. Doors open and sign up begins at 6:15pm. The evening runs 7-10:30, with one intermission. If you would like to sign up to perform, see one of the evening's 'Etceterettes' to fill out a card with your name, the name of your song, whether or not Mark will be playing for you and any upcoming events you'd like to promote. We do not present performers in order of sign-up, however, indicating requests as clearly and as early as possible as far as time restraints are concerned always makes everything much more possible. ALWAYS BRING SEVERAL SONG SELECTIONS to avoid duplication. All types of material, on or off theme, are always welcome at Salon. We enthusiastically welcome instrumentalists, poets, playwrights, essayists, comics, illusionists and performance artists. Please limit your selections to three or four minutes in length (including introductions). Please also bring clear, complete charts for Mark to read. Sitting on the piano is not allowed, nor is flash photography. Please turn off all noise making devices and give performers your undivided attention.

Visit our website at www.markjanasthesalon.com and look for us on Facebook!

Thank you to our sponsors Dr. Garrett Bennett & Father Jeffrey Hamblin, MD!

Looking forward to seeing you all Sunday, January 22nd!


Thanks,

Tanya Moberly
Producer

Friday, January 13, 2012

The Salon Wrap-Up for January 8, 2012 "Denial Is Not Just A River In Egypt"

We were thrilled to have a full house in the first Salon of the year. One of the first things guests noticed as they walked in was the snazzy new purple backdrop hanging behind the stage. The Salon kicked off with what is now a weekly tradition - Mark Janas bounded to the stage and started the event by asking the audience what shows they had seen the week before, and how they felt about them. This is one of many ways The Salon is different than other open mics in the city - The Salon and its members are passionate about supporting one another!

This week’s theme was, “Denial Is Not Just A River In Eqypt.” And who better to launch this theme than the King of Denial (no, not really) - Salon favorite Kevin McMullan! Kevin started his set with Bill Zeffiro at the piano and the “Kevinettes” Janice Hall and Marissa Mulder -- singing the fun and powerful, “Cleopatra - Queen of Denial” - complete with interpretive dance. Kevin asked for a show of hands for who was in denial… and for those who didn’t raise their hands, he asserted, “You’re in denial… Just like those who think cabaret will lead to stardom… you know, those who think, ‘Just step into my limo as we cruise down to the Mac Awards…’” We knew at that moment that we were in for a treat with this wonderful host!

Your Co-Host, Kevin McMullan
For the first open mic song of the night, Barb Malley brought the fun and charming, “He Had Refinement.” Lou Iacovino crooned the ballad, “You’ve Changed.” Elaine St George was next with the jazzy, Brazilian tune, “Upside Down.” Elaine was finally able to reveal the name of her brand new show - “Take Me As I Am- Joni Mitchell and Others, On Relationships” which will be running in a few months. Stay tuned for more details!

We were thrilled to welcome Salon newbie, Peg McCormick, whose hilarious song she called an ode to people who put the “pro” in procrastinate - “My Book” by Jeff Blumenkrantz. Bree Lobbett, another Salon newbie, came to the stage and set the mic aside to sing the spunky and beautiful aria, “Glitter and Be Gay” - the ultimate denial song, if you ask me.

Bree Lobbett
Michael Colby joined us next with “Who’d Have Guessed It”, a song from his musical, “North Atlantic” (co-written by Kevin McMullan’s partner, Jim Fradrich.) This show has a reading in November starring Robert Cuccioli and Erin Cronican (me!), in the hopes that the show might get some legs for a full production. As the song was a duet, Michael asked me to open the song, which I was thrilled to do. Susan Hodgson then sang, “I Don’t Know How To Love Him” from the soon-to-be revived Broadway musical, “Jesus Christ Superstar.” Miles Phillips, darling of the cabaret and musical theater scene, graced the stage with his gorgeous version of “Moon River”. Miles directed Kevin McMullan’s recent cabaret - we hope to have him back at Salon very soon!

Miles Phillips
David Ballard, Etcterera Etcetera’s awesome server, sang a heartfelt ballad, "A World Without You" from the musical, "Children of Eden" by Stephen Schwartz. Erin Cronican was next with Jason Robert Brown’s, “I’m Not Afraid of Anything” from his musical, “Songs For A New World.” Sarah Rice, this week’s Etceterette, then sang, “Torch,” the 1931 tune from “Face the Music.” Sarah led off the song by saying, “This is what happens when sopranos go bad.“ In a rare treat, Tanya Moberly and 5 of her Etceterettes crowded the stage with the song, “Cell Block Tango” from the Kander & Ebb musical, “Chicago.” (We didn’t do it!)

(L-R) Maureen Taylor, Marissa Mulder, Tanya Moberly, Sarah Rice, Janice Hall, Erin Cronican

This week’s Classical Corner involved operas with leading ladies who were in classic cases of denial. The first was Puccini’s “Tosca” (first performed in 1900) which tells the tale of singer Floria Tosca, her lover, painter Mario Cavaradossi, and Baron Scarpia, chief of the secret police – none of whom survives to the final curtain.

The sadistic Scarpia seizes Cavaradossi as a political prisoner, then tells Tosca the price for her lover's life is to have sex with him. Tosca agrees but murders Scarpia instead, thinking Cavaradossi will be set free after a mock execution. Too late, she discovers Scarpia has tricked her and the execution is real. As the police close in, she throws herself off the ramparts of the prison. (Synopsis from The Huffington Post.) The second opera was, “Turandot” (also by Puccini) which involves prince Calàf who falls in love with the cold princess Turandot. To obtain permission to marry her, a suitor has to solve three riddles; any false answer results in death. Calàf passes the test, but Turandot still hesitates to marry him. He offers her a way out: he agrees to die should she be able guess his real name. (Synopsis from Wikipedia.) To introduce these shows to The Salon, Mark invited powerful tenor, Jim Price, to the stage to sing, “Elucevan Le Stelle” from “Tosca, and “Nessum Dorma” from “Turandot.” His performance was simply breathtaking.

Second Set

The second set was kicked off with a hilarious stand up routine by co-host Kevin McMullan, which segued into the song, “I’m Twenty Seven.” (As in, age 27. As in, lots of people are in denial about their age.) Salon Producer, Tanya Moberly then wished us a Happy New Year with her touching and timely, “River” by Joni Mitchell.

Tanya Moberly
Julie Reyburn, Salon Board Member, brought in a medley of Kander & Ebb songs about men who do women wrong, including “Maybe This Time,” “And All That Jazz,” “Cell Block Tango,” “Mein Herr,” “Frankie & Johnny,” and “The World Goes Round.” What made the medley even more special was that Mark Janas filled in on vocals, and had a lot of clever word play as Julie sang. Ginny Dustin sang the great tale, “Life Story.” Parker Scott, who, quote, “lost his Salon virginity tonight” (yeah!) sang a song that, according to Parker, was deviant in its day - “Begin the Beguine.” It was wonderful to have so many new faces at The Salon, and welcomed back some folks we haven’t seen in a while.

Parker Scott
Elisa Pupko was next, singing the charming, “Happy To Keep His Dinner Warm” from the musical, “How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.” Elisa is about to start rehearsals for a modern version of “Three Sisters” by Brian Friel, alongside Salon regulars Erin Cronican and Mary Lahti. Lea McKenna Garcia regaled us with her first original song, “He’s a Tall Man,” written about Stephen Merchant (a 6’7” writer who is more than a head taller than her… it’s true - she brought in a tape measure to prove it.) As you can see, The Salon loves songwriters, and we invite you to try out your songs in front of this very appreciative audience. Marissa Mulder then used “Old Black Magic” to woo the audience into submission. Lucky are we to have this MetroJam MetroStar winner with us week after week!
Marissa Mulder
Bill Zeffiro, who has a number of songs about denial… but the one that “deals with it most directly” is his song, “Lower Your Expectations.” Coming to the stage after Bill was Louisa Poster, all sparkly in sequins, with her number, “Flash Bam Alakazam.” Richie Eisenberg was next (and at the piano no less!) with his original number, “Winter Arrives.” What a delight to hear a ballad from Mr. Eisenberg! We were so excited to have back, Adam Shapiro, who’s been touring with a show for the past 6 months or so. He sang the gorgeous then hilarious, “Denial” from the Off Broadway show “Newsical.” As the song swelled, Adam encouraged everyone to sing along - always a fun part of The Salon. Welcome home, dear Adam!

Adam Shapiro
Matthew Martin Ward came to the piano with, “It’s Good to Have You Near Again” (lyrics by Dory Previn, music by Andre Previn) while interjecting classic Matthew witticisms. The audience anxiously awaited the return of Janice Hall to the stage, and it was well worth the wait! Janice sang a song that was written especially for her by Matthew Martin Ward and Peter Napolitano - “I’d Rather Be Doing This…” Caroline Ferenczi was back to the Salon after a brief hiatus, and she gave us the Patsy Cline classic, “Crazy.” Salon regular (and occasional Etceterette) Maureen Taylor was next, with the lilting & glowing, “Will You” from “Grey Gardens.” Maureen just closed a tribute show about Lauren Bacall, but is planning on running the show in rep later this winter. Rumor has it that Lauren Bacall herself is planning on attending - our warmest congrats to Maureen on this successful show! Joan Jaffe, The Salon’s funny lady, then brought up, “The Spider and the Fly.”

Joan Jaffe
The last song of the evening was done by co-host, Kevin McMullan - who sang the powerful and determined, “I Don’t Want To Know” from the musical, “Dear World.” As many of you know, Kevin is traveling the globe scattering the ashes of his wonderful partner, Jim Fradrich. He’s headed off to India this month, so be sure to follow Kevin and all of his adventures abroad via his travel blog: blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog/kmac55/1/tpod.html You can access the entries by scrolling down after his profile introduction.

Kevin McMullan
NEXT WEEK: The optional theme for the evening is “Eleven O’Clock Numbers.” Bring along any song that is a show stopper, or makes you feel like it’s 11 o’clock. We also welcome songs that are off-theme. (Be sure to bring a second option, in case your song has already been reserved.) Our Co-Host will be Kristine Zbornik, fabulous Broadway and cabaret performer. It’s been reported to us that Kristine has nothing going on performing-wise so if anyone needs an inappropriate clown for children’s parties, she’s available. She is currently working on an honest to God original musical with Erik James (composer/lyricist) called “Going Postal” and thinking about putting together all of her disparate pieces from her journal as well as her adventures on the road with 9 to 5 for a brand new club act called “I Shit My Pants Today In Montauk.”

For more hilarity from Kristine, we’ll see you on the 15th!

-Erin Cronican
Blogette for The Salon
URLs I missed? Names misspelled? Please email me.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Update from Producer, Tanya Moberly - January 11, 2012

SALON – that unique, MULTIPLE AWARD WINNING, Weekly Open Mic Event, created and hosted by Mark Janas returns to Etcetera, Etcetera - 352 West 44th Street, NYC 10036 – on Sunday, January 15th from 7-10:30PM! (Sign-Up Begins at 6:15.)

The optional theme for the evening is “Eleven O'Clock Numbers”!

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

Our Co-Host will be MAC & Bistro Award Winner Kristine Zbornik! Kristine has nothing going on performing-wise so if anyone needs an inappropriate clown for children's parties, she's available. She is currently working on an honest to God original musical with Erik James (composer/lyricist) called "Going Postal" and thinking about putting together all of her disparate pieces from her journal as well as her adventures on the road with 9 to 5 for a brand new club act called "I Shit My Pants Today In Montauk". For more information: www.kristinezbornik.com.

Salon continues every Sunday (except February 5th)...
January 22nd:
Theme: One of a Kind
Co-Host: Rosemary Loar

January 29th:
Theme: Old Love, New Love, False Love, True Love
Co-Host: Andy Gale

February 5th: NO SALON

February 12th:
Theme: Harkthrobs
Co-Host: Sean Harkness (Featuring The Harkness Harem)

February 19th:
Theme: TBA
Co-Hosts: Ritt Henn & Mary Liz McNamara

Monday, February 20th:
SALON PRESENTS Carolann Sanita at 7 & 9:30pm
Reservations: tanya@tanyamoberly.com / 646-637-2806

Salon is an ongoing open entertainment event in which singers, writers and musicians share their talent with each other and audience members.

There is a $10 cash cover collected at the door and a $15 food/drink minimum (cash or credit) per person. (For more information about Etcetera, Etcetera's delicious menu: www.etcrestaurant.com.) There are no reservations; seating is on a first come/first served basis, Doors open and sign up begins at 6:15pm. The evening runs 7-10:30, with one intermission. If you would like to sign up to perform, see one the evening's 'Etceterettes' to fill out a card with your name, the name of your song, whether or not Mark will be playing for you and any upcoming events you'd like to promote. We do not present performers in order of sign-up, however, indicating requests as clearly and as early as possible as far as time restraints are concerned always makes everything much more possible.ALWAYS BRING SEVERAL SONG SELECTIONS to avoid duplication. All types of material, on or off theme are always welcome at Salon. We enthusiastically welcome instrumentalists, poets, playwrights, essayists, comics, illusionists and performance artists. Please limit your selections to three or four minutes in length (including introductions). Please also bring clear, complete charts for Mark to read. Sitting on the piano is not allowed, nor is flash photography. Please turn off all noise making devices and give performers your undivided attention.

Visit our website at www.markjanasthesalon.com and look for us on Face Book!

Thank you to our sponsors Dr. Garrett Bennett & Father Jeffrey Hamblin, MD!

Looking forward to seeing you all Sunday, January 15th!


Thanks,

Tanya Moberly
Producer

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Update from Producer, Tanya Moberly - January 4, 2012

SALON – that unique, MULTIPLE AWARD WINNING, Weekly Open Mic Event, created and hosted by Mark Janas returns to Etcetera, Etcetera - 352 West 44th Street, NYC 10036 – on Sunday, January 8th from 7-10:30PM! (Sign-Up Begins at 6:15.)

The optional theme for the evening is “Denial Is Not Just a River in Egypt”!

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

Our Co-Host will be Singer, Actor, Comedian, Producer, Writer, Displaced Southerner and Salon Regular Kevin McMullan! Kevin is in the process of traveling the world and spreading the ashes of his late partner, composer & orchestrator, Jim Fradrich. Next stop: India. For more information: http://www.facebook.com/#!/kevin.mcmullan

Salon continues every Sunday...
January 15th:
Theme: Eleven O'Clock Numbers
Co-Host: Kristine Zbornik
January 22nd:
Theme: TBA
Co-Host: TBA

January 29th:
Theme: Old Love, New Love, False Love, True Love
Co-Host: Andy Gale

Salon is an ongoing open entertainment event in which singers, writers and musicians share their talent with each other and audience members.

There is a $10 cash cover collected at the door and a $15 food/drink minimum (cash or credit) per person. (For more information about Etcetera, Etcetera's delicious menu: www.etcrestaurant.com.) There are no reservations; seating is on a first come/first served basis. Doors open and sign up begins at 6:15pm. The evening runs 7-10:30, with one intermission. If you would like to sign up to perform, see one of the evening's 'Etceterettes' to fill out a card with your name, the name of your song, whether or not Mark will be playing for you and any upcoming events you'd like to promote. We do not present performers in order of sign-up, however, indicating requests as clearly and as early as possible as far as time restraints are concerned always makes everything much more possible. ALWAYS BRING SEVERAL SONG SELECTIONS to avoid duplication. All types of material, on or off theme, are always welcome at Salon. We enthusiastically welcome instrumentalists, poets, playwrights, essayists, comics, illusionists and performance artists. Please limit your selections to three or four minutes in length (including introductions). Please also bring clear, complete charts for Mark to read. Sitting on the piano is not allowed, nor is flash photography. Please turn off all noise making devices and give performers your undivided attention.

Visit our website at www.markjanasthesalon.com and look for us on Face Book!

Thank you to our sponsors Dr. Garrett Bennett & Father Jeffrey Hamblin, MD!

Looking forward to seeing you all Sunday, January 8th!

Thanks,

Tanya Moberly
Producer

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

The Salon Named Top 10 Cabaret Show of 2011

Congratulations to The Salon!

Stephen Hanks of Cabaret Scenes Magazine contributed an article to the Times Square Chronicle, naming his favorite cabaret shows for 2011 -- and included our open mic! Here is a snippet of the feature:

The Salon Open Mic Cabaret: At Etcetera Etcetera Restaurant (West 44th St), Host and Musical Director Mark Janas and Producer Tanya Moberly have created the classy go-to place to hear singers of every age and style on Sunday nights. Janas’ presentation of “Classic Corner” during the mid-show break alone is worth the cover charge and the minimum.

Also mentioned in the article, co-written by reviewers Sandi Durell and Joe Regan Jr, were a bunch of Salon regulars (including Raissa Katona-Bennett, Janice Hall, Marissa Mulder, Sigali Hamburger, Marquee Five, Dana Lorge, Helena Grenot, Edie Stokes, Joan Jaffe, Maureen Taylor, Mary Liz McNamara, Ritt Henn, Shana Farr, Marya Zimmet and Joey Infante) as well as past Salon co-hosts (Terese Genecco, Shaynee Rainbolt, Patricia Fitzpatrick, Ricky Ritzel, Daryl Glenn, and Alison Nussbaum.)

Click here to read the full article...



-Erin Cronican
Blogette for The Salon
URL's I missed? Please email me.