The Salon Wrap Up for March 25, 2012 - "The Rat Pack"

Salon was super-charged to swing and have the snapping on the twos and fours, as the theme of the evening was "The Rat Pack." On hand to keep us swinging was a duo of hip ladies who could have easily stepped between Dean and Frank and sing and drink and banter with them - Terese Genecco and Shaynee Rainbolt! Terese is lead singer of The Little Big Band, which plays a long-running nightclub act on Broadway at the Iridium. As a couple, Terese and Shaynee won a 2012 Bistro Award for their Russ Garcia 95th Birthday Show. They were also both nominated individually for 2012 MAC Awards - and on March 29th, Terese and the Little Big Band won for Show of the Year and she won for Major Artist! Their CD, "Live at the Iridium" has been released (and it's just fantastic) and is available on CD Baby, Amazon, and at their show on April 17th at the Iridium.  Shaynee and her Quartet will be performing on Friday, April 13th at Ashford and Simpson's Sugar Bar, 254 West 72nd St. NYC, 212-579-0222. Sets at 8 and 9:30pm. For more information: www.teresegenecco.com / www.shayneerainbolt.com.

Producer Tanya made sure we were all settled and introduced Bill Zeffiro to the piano.  Mark Janas was in the hospital in preparation for brain surgery (more information on the update - he's fine! - here), and Bill would be sitting in for Mark for the evening.  Terese then came to the mic to sing "Ain't That a Kick in the Head" in coincidental honor of Mark, with Shaynee looking on.  Then Shaynee, in a lovely powder-blue dress (her "Pan Am look," as she claimed) sang a tender "Fly Me to the Moon."  The two of them then took over co-hosting duties, riffing off of each other and amusingly becoming the "Statler and Waldorf" of the evening, according to Bill.   Shaynee then introduced Frank Loman to the stage, who sang the classic "The Man that Got Away" in an urgent vamp.  He will perform "Dangerous Cabaret - Frank Loman sings Bucchino, Kahr, and Sondheim" at Don't Tell Mama on April 4th and 12th, 7:30pm.  Bobbie Horowitz then sang her original "Planning a Vacation," her sweet love poem to the joys of returning to New York City.  Next, we had a Salon Debut with Vanessa Noveck, who was accompanied vocally by Tony Imgrund.  Vanessa is a dancer new to singing, and sang Frank Sinatra's hit "Something Stupid" with Tony in simple harmony and adorable, sweet, innocence.  Welcome, Vanessa!  Tony then stayed at the mic to flawlessly sing "Maria" from West Side Story - it was almost like he was named Tony just to sing the role of "Tony", it was pitch and moment perfect!

Terese swings it into gear, with Shaynee looking on.

Vanessa Noveck and Tony Imgrund

Richard Eisenberg was next, performing his "Would You Like...?" which normally demands the sweet sounds of a female voice to duet with him.  Well, he chose Bill Zeffiro as the "chick" in the duet, and the two of them performed the most amazingly cute and funny version of the song possible, including improv'd interjections by the "old gavone" Bill himself.  Elaine St. George sang the swinging "That Green Dress," and teased us with the information that she'll be bringing a new show, "Take Me as I Am," at the Metropolitan Room in June.  Next, the fedora-wearing Mick Bleyer (who was not only here to sing a song in preparation for a Cabaret callback on Thursday, but who was here to raise a glass with me for my birthday!), gorgeously sang "Why Should I Wake Up?"  Maureen Taylor performed the beautiful David Friedman ballad "He Comes Home Tired" in her gorgeous, mature mezzo. David Ballard then sang the gut-tickling "I Believe" from The Book of Mormon - this song was perfect casting for his high tenor and totally believing blue eyes.  We then heard from Becca Yure, a friend of mine (we performed as nuns in The Sound of Music in California).  Becca is a singer-songwriter who is now performing her set of original songs around New York - she sang the song "Butterfly," accompanying herself on guitar.  Then I - Sierra Rein, with fedora on head - got to sing "Pet Me, Papa," from the movie version of "Guys and Dolls" (it had Frank Sinatra in it, see?!?), but not before getting serenaded with a Birthday song from the entire Salon!  Then Arianna (also in a fedora!) sang "One For My Baby" in a sultry, breathy soprano tone.  She is busy at Ellen's Stardust Diner (so she sings nightly on Broadway folks!) and is in rehearsals for the show "13 Fat Girls and a Dead Cat," a one-act which will be a part of The Roy Arias Studio Theater's Spring Festival in April 2012.

Bill Zeffiro then had his "Zeffiro's Corner," this time quickly giving the lyrics of Sammy Cohen a spin.  He wrote countless special lyrics for the Rat Pack guys - Sinatra, Dean, etc - and Bill had the honor to play for Sammy in the past.  Apparently, Cohen wrote these lyrics "once through the typewriter," making them both honestly biting and sometimes imperfect.  But they were always unique and funny and perfectly pitched to match the style and personality of the singer.  For Frank Sinatra, Bill showed us, he wrote new lyrics to "Let's Fall in Love," which included the line "all the Orthodox and the Goyim," and for Dean he wrote a parody of "Almost Like Being in Love," only this time it opened up with "What a day this has been / I've had whiskey, scotch and gin..."  Bill played bits and pieces of a number of these songs, then closed with "I Love Vegas" (a la "I Love Paris") and Sammy's take on "That's Amore."  After the applause for Bill died down, Tanya announced the Act I break and also that she had just spoken with Mark, who was at the hospital.  Mark had found a piano in a lobby or conference area in the hospital and held his own "Salon" along with the other patients, staff members, and visiting family members and friends!  With just his own memory of songs and the voices of others, he held his own court, and actually made $32 dollars in tips! We were thrilled by this information, and happy that Mark kept the spirit of music in his heart and his practice all the way through his hospital experience.

Becca Yure on guitar

Arianna croons

Arianna, Sierra and Mick, the Fedora Rat Pack

Bill Zeffiro hits the keys, with a little something on the rocks.

After the break, Tanya brought everyone back to their seats and re-introduced the co-host Shaynee Rainbolt, who sang "I've Got a Crush on You" in a smooth, jazzy voice (and a curtsey to close the song after!). With all the cocktails on hand necessary for a "Rat Pack" night, she introduced Terese, who performed Bill Zeffiro's "Universal Truth" (which happened to have won the MAC Award for Special Material on Thursday as well!).  During the instrumental break, Terese joked "we usually have a big horn section, but tonight we have Bill Zeffiro!" Then Tanya Moberly, Producer and now 2012 MAC Award winner for The Salon (that's three consecutive years!), sang "My Funny Valentine."  Lou Iacovino (who is "definitely Italian," Terese says) sang "Witchcraft."  Then Joan Jaffe, who took home the 2012 MAC Award for Best Musical Comedy Performer on Thursday, performed "You Make Me Feel So Young" in a perfectly peppy and fun way.  She had a funny story about Joe Francis, who stood in for Frank Sinatra in a commercial shoot.  Apparently during the set-up, Joe did his best Frank Sinatra impression, the cameras capturing him all the while.  When Frank came on set, he took one look at the footage of Joe and his impersonation, took one look at Joe and calmly said, "I can do that." 

Shaynee sings as Terese looks on

Funny lady/MAC Winner Joan Jaffe

We then heard the gorgeous Janice Hall, who sang "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered." Although Janice said "The Rat Pack is not really my strength, although I am half Italian," she had nothing to apologize for on Thursday at the MAC Awards, where she won for Female Vocalist!  On April 18th, Janice will bring back her show "I'd Rather Be Doing This" at the Metropolitan Room, and can be seen Off-Broadway in "My Occasion of Sin," which runs until April 15th at Urban Stages, 259 W. 30th St.  Next, we heard Metrostar winner Marissa Mulder, who sang Arthur Schwartz's "Rhode Island Was Meant for You," a song Frank Sinatra never sang but the earnest lyrics easily could have been.  Stephen Hanks sang "The Tender Trap" next - his first two reviews for BroadwayWorld.com are up and has a review of Terese Genecco's Third Anniversary show and her new CD as well.  He will also be directing his first cabaret show - Billie Williams at the Metropolitan Room on June 8 and 15th.  After Stephen, Marnie Klar then sang the lovely "That's All."

"That's All" from Marnie Klar

Stephen Hanks

The sunny Marissa Mulder

Terese then finished out the evening with "I've Got You Under My Skin," giving a shout out to Mark Janas, who needed our thoughts, prayers, and for us to "do do that Voodoo at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning," which is when the surgery would take place Monday morning.  Shaynee jumped in to sing "Night and Day," asking Bill Zeffiro to "do that again, Zeff" ("I love being called Zeff!" Bill exclaimed) to close out the evening.

TOMORROW'S SALON - SUNDAY, MARCH 29th! The optional theme for the evening is “These Foolish Things - Fools in Love, Class Clowns or Any Kind of Fool or Foolish”.   **PLEASE NOTE: Parody songs are still encouraged, but the competition has been postponed.** Our Co-Host will be the Matson and Bistro Award Winning Singer/Songwriter/Actor/Producer D.C. Anderson! For more information: www.dcanderson.net. Our Guest Host/Pianist will be David Caldwell! David is a theatrical music director as well as composer/lyricist.  So, bring your foolish, funny, silly or bitingly ironic songs tomorrow! See you there!

Reminder that there is NO SALON on April 8th as it is Easter - have your fill of chocolate and return to The Salon on April 15th.

I grabbed a copy of Terese's CD that night

Shaynee in powder blue

Terese Genecco and Bill Zeffiro

-Sierra Rein
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