Monday, January 28, 2013

The Salon Wrap-Up for January 27, 2013 "The Music That Makes Me Dance"

Tonight we had a lively evening with a lively theme, “The Music That Makes Me Dance.” Salon regulars and newbies gathered in the warm room on the 2nd floor of Etc Etc restaurant, looking forward to sharing the tunes that made them boogie in their chairs.

Our co-host was a quirky and inventive Amy Wolk. Amy immediately started with jokes and a smile, and we knew we were in for a fun evening. Amy has a show coming up at The Duplex – A WOLK ON THE WILD SIDE on February 17th at 7pm. We’re so thrilled to have her and her amazing music director, Steven Ray Watkins, with us tonight!

Co-host Amy Wolk!
To start the evening, Amy Wolk sang, appropriately, “The Music That Makes Me Dance” from Funny Girl. Kicking off the open mic segment, Jane Glick (in a gorgeous sparkly blouse) sang a dark and dramatic, “Hot in Here.”Jane has a show coming up at the Metropolitan Room on Tuesday, January 29 and February 19 (both shows at 7pm.) Be sure to get out to see it!

Adam Shapiro sang one of my favorite songs, “A Way Back To Then” from Title of Show. Adam’s bringing back his show, “Adam Shapiro’s Guide to the Perfect Breakup” for a final encore on January 30 at 7pm at The Duplex. And he’s offering Salon members only $7 covers! I saw the show last month and I really loved it. You won’t be disappointed! Ruth Carlin was next with “Shoes" by Ahrens & Flaherty. Ruth has a CD out entitled, “Moon Song” which you can find on CD Baby. She also has it for sale on the nights that she’s at The Salon. Congrats, Ruth!

Marnie Klar sang a haunting “Maybe I Like It This Way” from The Wild Party. Marnie has two shows coming up. One is a play, “Spin Cycle” with The Seeing Place Theater, running 8 performances March 3-12, 2013. The next is her solo cabaret, which is running for 4 performances at Don’t Tell Mama starting April 13. Be sure to get out to support live theater and cabaret. Sally Jo Hadley brought in a delightful “Lullaby of Birdland”

John Gabrowski sang the by Ray Davies tune, “Celluloid Heroes” (with Steven Ray Watkins on piano.) Steven stayed up to accompany Natasha Castillo on Martina McBride’s upbeat tune, “Happy Girl” (which makes me want to dance, too!) Natasha’s bringing back her show, “Anything But Ordinary” to The Duplex on February 2 at 7pm. There’s a MAC discount and if you’ve already seen the show and want to see to again, you’ll be comped!

Chris Barrett, accompanying himself on piano, was next with a jolly medley of songs including, “Cheek to Cheek”, “I Love To Dance” and “It Only Happens When I Dance With You.” David Ballard brought in a song that was new to him, “Sailing On” by Alan Menken and Dean Pitchford. Erin Cronican (that’s me!) gave us one of her favorite, simple songs, “What Makes Me Love Him” from The Apple Tree. You can see Erin next as Beth in The Seeing Place Theater’s production of A Lie of the Mind March 1-17, 2013 right here in Hell’s Kitchen (314 W 54th St.)

Janice Hall, tonight’s Etceterette, sang, “Golden Hair,” one of the wistful yet powerful ballads from her recent show, James Joyce’s The Dead. Janice can also be seeing in The Seeing Place Theater’s production of A Lie of the Mind March 1-17, 2013 - playing the role of Lorraine. Tickets are only $12 and no drink minimum - good theater CAN be inexpensive! After demonstrating how to speak to a pianist when setting up music to sing, Salon board member Raissa Katana Bennett gave us a warm and contemplative, “A Piece of Sky.” You can see Raissa perform in a Cabaret Cares benefit concert called, “We Lost It At The Movies” at the Laurie Beechman, February 17 at 7pm.


Classical Corner

Mark Janas lead a short and sweet Classical Corner this evening. He started by saying that classical music has always been influenced by the way people danced (for example, Tchaikovsky wrote “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” to sound like women dancing on the tips of their toes.)

He went on to say that baroque music, in particular, was meant to accompany dancing. Dance music of that time was very courtly and stately. He talked about how certain kinds of rhythms, themes and melodies would be covered by many different kinds of composers.

After a time, the waltz was developed in Austria and was distinguished by being the first dance where a man put his hand on the woman’s waist. One of the big proponents of the waltz was Johann Strauss, and Mark played a small snippet of “Blue Danube Waltz,” one of his popular waltzes that had most everyone at The Salon humming and swaying in their chairs.

To complete Classical Corner, Mark thought he’d demonstrate what he was talking about in true Classical Corner style - by taking a theme suggested by the audience and improvising a waltz with it. Richie Eisenberg suggested, “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” and Mark ran with it, adding in “With A Song In My Heart” woven throughout. It was wonderful to hear, and the Salon family loved it. :)


Salon Spotlight

We were thrilled to have as our Salon Spotlight the gregarious and talented, Eric Michael Gillett. Luck was on our side, as we got to be a part of his trying out 3 numbers from the show (which he said were dedicated to Lorenz Hart himself):

1) “The Heart Is Quicker Than The Eye”

2) “You Mustn’t Kick It Around”

3) A medley which included “Falling in Love With Love”, “Blue Moon” and “Funny Valentine” (among others.)

All tunes had depth, were well connected to a personal story, and were impeccably sung. And Don Rebic on keys was no slouch himself. :) We’re so lucky to have had them “practice” their songs before hitting their upcoming gig - 54 BELOW with Eric’s show, “Careless Rhapsody: The Lyrics of Lorenz Hart” - February 4 (7pm), Feb 7 (9:30pm), Feb 26 (7pm) & Feb 27 (7pm).


Second Act

Amy Wolk kicked off the second set with an amazing medley of huge Broadway show tunes which made most of us itch to get up a move to the music, for sure. For her second number, she sang a lovely and fun, “Do You Wanna Dance.” She finished her set with a clever and hilarious grammar lesson for all of the lyricists out there. As I listened, I started to get a bit worried about Amy looking at the writing mistakes in this blog! :)

Salon producer, Tanya Moberly sang, “He Plays The Violin” from 1776. Tanya is bringing back her show, “Tanya Lorraine Moberly sings Barbra Joan Streisand, with Steven Ray Watkins” at Don’t Tell Mama - one last show February 1 (7pm). There are discounts for Salon members - be sure to make reservations in advance! Richie Eisenberg brought in a brand new song - “Dancing” which was inspired by Cole Porter. Richie is doing an encore performance of “Smile On My Face: The Songs of Richard Eisenberg” - which was named, “Most Delightful Performance by a Group in a Revue” by Stephen Hanks of Broadway World! You can see this last performance at Don’t Tell Mama on February 7 at 7:30pm starring Erin Cronican, Rob Langeder, Stacie Perlman, and Adam Shapiro, with music direction by Barry Levitt on piano and direction by Peter Napolitano.

Joann Sicoli gave us a little movement along with her song when she sang, “Dancing in the Streets.” Fun fact: Joann said she was one of the original Go Go Girls at the Peppermint Lounge! Zach Wobensmith sang a lovely Jerry Herman medley of “As Simple As That” and “Marianne.” Barb Malley got us all clapping along with her rendition of “In The Mood” from her pats cabaret show show, “I Remember Brooklyn.” Barb as a new show coming up in April called, “Out Of Order” - I can’t wait to learn more!

Susan Hodgdon told us a story about this about this cute boy she had a crush on - and at a school dance he asked her to dance when THIS song came up - “Love Will Keep Us Together” by Neil Sedaka. Bill Zeffiro did a great job swinging on the keys! Susan is bringing back her show. “On The Bumpy Road to Love” for one more performance, February 1 at 7pm at Don’t Tell Mama. She’s giving tickets away - just mention The Salon at the door!

Our sound and light guru, Tommy Shull, was next at the piano singing & playing the dreamy, “Across The Universe.” He revealed to us that he would be directing a feature film sometime in 2013, and it’s possible he’ll have a pretty big name actor on the roster! I hope he’ll keep us updated. :) Matthew Martin Ward opened the lid of the piano and introduced the concept of a Baroque gavotte, which is normally in played “in 2” but this piece is a dance in 6/8, which means it’s in 2 and in 3, at the same time. He then followed up with an example, Ravel’s “Tombeau de Couperin.”

Steven Ray Watkins came back to the piano and welcomed up Mica to sing a gorgeous version of “Landslide.” Jack DiMonte sang, “The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing” from White Christmas - Matthew Martin Ward joined him at the piano and played from memory. How talented is our Salon family?! :) Bill Zeffiro replaced Matthew at the keys and invited Ellen Bullinger to the stage to sing Irving Berlin’s “I’m in Heaven.” It’s always a pleasure to have this lovely jazz singer with us- welcome back, Ellen!

Bill Zeffiro stayed at the… mic? Yes, he stood before the mic! Mark Janas replaced Bill at the keys and Bill went to the mic and sang his mother’s favorite song, “Nina” (Noel Coward’s parody of Cole Porter’s “Begin the Beguine.”) I love seeing him act his songs - more of this, please! You can see Bill on Tuesday nights at La Mediterranee on 2nd Avenue between 50th and 51st. It’s a really awesome time - you can just stop by and bring some music to sing a long with him!

The final song of the evening was sung by our lovely co-host, Amy Wolk - “Sing Happy.”


THERE IS NO SALON NEXT WEEK 
as Salon members fill up on cheese puffs, pizza and beer while they’re watching the Super Bowl

We will return February 10 with the optional theme “It Takes Two.” Bring in your duet, two step, or song about partnerships, or bring in something off theme. Just about everything s welcome at The Salon.

Our co-host will be Stone & Stone. Salon Spotlight will be Rosemary Loar.

We’ll see you then!


In the meantime, if someone video-recorded your performance and you’d like us to know about it, please post the link in the comments section of this blog post. Thank you!

-Erin Cronican
Blogette for The Salon
Need anything? Please email me.

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Update from Producer, Tanya Moberly - January 23, 2013

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 27th from 7-10:30PM! (Sign-Up Begins at 6:15.)

The optional theme for the evening is “The Music That Makes Me Dance”

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

Our Co-Host will be MAC Award Winner Amy Wolk! Amy returns to The Duplex – 61 Christopher St, NYC 10014, 212-255-5438 – in A WOLK ON THE WILD SIDE on February 17th at 7pm. For more information: www.amywolk.com.

Our Salon Spotlight will feature MAC & Bistro Award Winner Eric Michael Gillett & Don Rebic! Eric Michael & Don will be bringing CARELESS RHAPSODY: AN EVENING DEDICATED TO THE LYRICS OF LORENZ HART to 54 Below – 254 West 54th St, NYC 10019, 866-468-7619 – on February 4 at 7pm, February 7th at 9:30pm, February 26th at 7pm and February 27th at 7pm. For more information: www.ericmichealgillett.com /www.donrebic.com.

Salon continues every Sunday (except February 3rd & February 24th)…

February 3rd: NO SALON (Super Bowl)

February 10th:
Theme: It Takes Two
Co-Hosts: Stone & Stone
Salon Spotlight: Rosemary Loar

February 17th:
Theme: TBA
Co-Host: Marieann Meringolo

February 24th: NO SALON (Academy Awards)

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.etcetcnyc.com. A 20% gratuity is added to all checks.) There are no reservations; seating is on a first come/first served basis, Doors open and sign up begins at 6:15pm. The evening begins at 7:00, has a 15-minute break at 8:30 and ends promptly at 10:30. 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.comand 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 27th!

Thanks,

Tanya Moberly
Salon Producer

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Update from Producer, Tanya Moberly - January 17, 2013

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 20th from 7-10:30PM! (Sign-Up Begins at 6:15.)

The optional theme for the evening is “Unexpected Outcomes.”

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

Our Co-Host will be MAC Award Nominee Lynly Forrest! Lynly has recently taken over as Executive Director of The Singer’s Forum. For more information: www.lynlyforrest.comwww.singersforum.org

Our Salon Spotlight will feature Dawn Derow & Sean Harkness! Dawn & Sean will be at The Metropolitan Room – 34 West 22nd St, NYC 10010 – Saturday, January 19th at 4pm & Wednesday, January 23rd at 7pm. For more information: www.metropolitanroom.com

On Saturday, January 19th SALON PRESENTS: A Memorial Cabaret Tribute to Michael Nelsen. Hosted by Julie Reyburn.

Performers will include Tom Anderson, Scott Coulter, Baby Jane Dexter, Tim Di Pasqua, Natalie Douglas, David Friedman, Terese Genecco, Daryl Glenn, Jeanne McDonald, Carolyn Montgomery, Miles Phillips, Shaynee Rainbolt, John Patrick Shutz, Marcus Simeone & Stacy Sullivan.
Musical Direction by Mark Janas.

Doors will open at 7:00. Show begins at 8:00. There will be a $15 food/beverage minimum per person (cash or credit) but there will be no cover charge. Instead, donations will be accepted (cash or check) for The Michael J. Nelsen Memorial Fund. (This annual memorial scholarship awards monies to an up and coming cabaret performer.)

For reservations: tanya@tanyamoberly.com / 646-637-2806.

Salon continues every Sunday (except February 3rd)…

January 27th:
Theme: The Music That Makes Me Dance
Co-Host: Amy Wolk
Salon Spotlight: Eric Michael Gillett & Don Rebic

February 3rd: NO SALON (Super Bowl)

February 10th:
Theme: It Takes Two
Co-Hosts: Stone & Stone
Salon Spotlight: Rosemary Loar

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.etcetcnyc.com. A 20% gratuity is added to all checks.) There are no reservations; seating is on a first come/first served basis, Doors open and sign up begins at 6:15pm. The evening begins at 7:00, has a 15-minute break at 8:30 and ends promptly at 10:30. 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 20th!

Thanks,

Tanya Moberly
Salon Producer

Friday, January 11, 2013

The Salon Wrap-Up for January 6, 2013 "Songs That Raised Me"

The room at Etc Etc was packed as The Salon family ushered in 2013 with a bang! Mark Janas started off talking about the theme for tonight, which was “Songs That Raised Me.” This isn’t only about music you knew when you were a kid, but also songs that make you feel raised up or inspired.

So who better to bring us a theme like this than our charming co-host, Stephanie D’Abruzzo, the original Kate Monster/Lucy T Slut in Broadway’s Avenue Q (and, one of my personal favorites, I Love You Because)… as well as currently appearing on PBS’s Sesame Street. Stephanie said that she thought of tonight’s theme as a way of sharing who we are (which I appreciate as we kick off the new year!) She said that who we are is established at various points in our lives, and she thought music was the perfect way for us to get to know one another better. (Love her!)

Our co-host, Stephanie D'Abruzzo!
Stephanie D’Abruzzo started the evening with the first Hoagie Carmichael song she ever heard, “Yabba Dabba Doo.” To kick off the open mic portion of the evening, Jim Speake brought us “The Sunny Side of the Street” - a song that he says his family would sing around the piano when he was growing up. He’s bringing back his show, “Jim Speake Sings Til The Cows Come Home” on February 23, 5pm at Don’t Tell Mama, with special guest Sidney Myer.

Joann Sicoli was next with, “Singin’ With The Big Bands.” Stephanie asked Joann is she was “Italiano” and when Joann responded with flood of Italian, Stephanie’s apologized by saying that her parents didn’t speak Italian around her (they told her it was their “secret language” ha!) Warren Edward brought us “Song on the Sand” from La Cage Aux Folles. And Edie Stokes sang a heartfelt, “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square.”

Adam Shapiro sang a completely serious and straightforward and… jazzy(?) “Rubber Ducky” made famous by Sesame Street’s Ernie. It was perfect. Just perfect. Adam’s bringing back his show, “Adam Shapiro’s Guide to the Perfect Breakup” on January 30 at 7pm at The Duplex. Natasha Castillo was next with “Rainbow Connection” in a new arrangement by Steven Ray Watkins - a perfect, contemplative song for this theme! Natasha is bringing back her show, “Anything But Ordinary” to The Duplex on February 2 at 7pm.

Bob Diamond came to the mic, bringing up David Jarvis to give Mark Janas a break at the piano. Bob sang a simply stunning version of, “Places That Belong To You.” Bob shared that he used to work for the Children’s Television Workshop in its first 1.5 years and was around when those songs were first done. How wonderful! Bob is bringing back his show, “The Funny World” at Don’t Tell Mama on January 27 at 5pm. Tina Lindsay, accompanying herself on piano, doing a song that she heard for the first time when she was a kid and it came on the radio - Johnny Ray’s “Cry.” This is the first time I’ve had the pleasure of hearing Tina’s deep, resonant, swinging alto - please come back to The Salon again, Tina!

Steve Schachlin, singer/songwriter extraordinaire, brought us his tune, “Connected.” 20 years ago Steve was diagnosed with HIV, 18 years ago he was supposed to be dead, but after being bedridden for 2 years, he ended up writing a musical instead. Amazingly, he celebrates his 60th year this year, and he brought in tonight’s song from that musical, celebrating this feat! It’s seriously amazing to have such talent and love in this room. What raises love? Nick Levin says it’s the city of Paris, so he brought up Janice Hall to sing about it - “The Night They Bathed in Par-ee!” The audience loved it - it might be one of the best comedic songs from Nick, and comic performance from the lovely Janice!

Parker Scott was next (accompanying himself on piano!) with a song “that could be about what I wanted to do in Paris” - “Making Love”, the theme from the movie of the same name starring Kate Jackson(his favorite Angel), Harry Hamlin and Michael Ontkean. I loved the simplicity of Parker’s song as he played the piano. Fabulous! He’s bringing back his show to The Metropolitan Room February 25. Ruth Carlin sang a lovely, “Sweet Baby James” by James Taylor. Ruth is having a CD launch show this spring - stay tuned for more information!

Your blogette, Erin Cronican (me!) sang “How To Return Home” by Kait Kerrigan and Brian Lowdermilk. Erin will be appearing February 7 in Richard Eisenberg’s acclaimed 4-person cabaret revue, “Smile On My Face” at 7pm at Don’t Tell Mama. She is also producing & starring in The Seeing Place Theater’s production of “A Lie of the Mind” by Sam Shepard March 1-17, 2012 with fellow Salon-ers Janice Hall and Mary Lahti. Your Etceterette, Maureen Taylor, brought in “Something Wonderful” from The King and I - one of the 1st musicals she was cast in. She told us that her father is celebrating his 83rd birthday this year, and that this song is quite an interesting twist for a daughter to sing about her father.


Classical Corner


To kick off Classical Corner, Mark started with an improvised classical intro and then segued into a fit of Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog”… giving us a sense of the spectrum of music Mark was exposed to as a child. Mark said that no matter which piece he was taught, there were things he learned that added to his appreciation of music. As a child, one of the songs he was taught by his piano teacher was Bach’s “2 Part Invention” (which Mark demoed for us.) One of the main differences between that song and the first song he learned to play (which was an old church hymn that his grandmother taught him) was that the chords from left hand supported the melody, and that the bass lines was very important.

He then demoed Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” which introduced him to the hidden difficulties of 3 against 4 (a “cross rhythm”) - with 3 played by the left hand and in 4 by the right hand/melody. (He then taught us how to do this by having half the room chant a phrase in 3 and the other half chant a phrase in 4. I learned, in this moment, that I can never be responsible for cross-rhythms. Yikes) One other things he learned from Beethoven is that you can’t play every note the same volume on both hands. Accompaniment should be get in the “accompaniment range” of volume so that the melody can come out.

He then played Chopin’s heartbreaking, “Valse in B Minor” which taught him about sustaining a long line - “never let the fingers leave the keys.” He also learned how to bring out the voices that were moving.

Another piece that most students learn is Chopin’s “Prelude in E Minor.” Mark said there’s TED Talk (see it here- starting at minute 2) that talks about the different stages the song goes through as a student learns how to play it over their years of training.

But the main thing that Mark learned from these kinds of pieces is that life has loss in it, that things went away that don’t come back. The power of dissonant notes that make things feel up in the air, kind of like spiritual lessons. Mark’s first waltz was “Valse in C# Minor” and the dissonance was palpable - you can tell that happy things are sought after but not achieved. There is a sense of tension and release that is one of the most basic and fundamental gesture in music.

The last facet of learning he discussed was repetition of a line to the point of climax, and then release. Mark said Chopin & Liszt were known for repeating lines twice. Mozart was know for repeating lines three times. He them revealed that Bruchner repeats lines four or more times and never, ever releases (which Mark says is kind of like a eunuch…get it?)

With that, Mark closed with one of his favorite waltzes by Chopin, “Valse in C# Minor.”


Second Set


Stephanie D’Abruzzo started by telling us about her dear friend, Jerry Nelson, a longtime Muppet Performer (including The Count) who passed away in August 2012 after a long illness. Her first song, by Paul Williams, was dedicating to Jerry, called, “When The River Meets The Sea.” What a touching tribute.

Stephanie said she had a lot of Sesame Street records growing up, but beyond that she didn’t have many besides the Hans Christian Anderson soundtrack (Frank Loesser) and the Mary Poppins soundtrack. As such, she knew every diphthong of Julie Andrews…which she demonstrated with her second song “Feed The Birds.” (When the song went into the chorus, Stephanie relaxed into her own lovely voice. Both were wonderful!)

Stephanie told us that Karen Carpenter taught her how to be an alto and Richard Carpenter taught her how to pick out harmonies. She revealed that this would be her first time ever singing a Carpenter’s song in public - she gave us a lovely, “Hurting Each Other.” I’d say it was a success!

Salon Producer, Tanya Moberly, brought us her childhood anthem, Barbra Streisand’s “Don’t Rain On My Parade.” Afterward her mom, Kathy, came to the stage to certify that Tanya did, in fact, sing this song many times as a young child, but now as she says, “…with a woman’s body and voice.” Tanya is bringing back her show, “Barbra Joan Streisand with Steven Ray Watkins” at Don’t Tell Mama - January 26 (5pm) and February 1 (7pm). There are discounts for Salon members - be sure to make reservations in advance! (I made mine for January 26!)

Kathy Moberly then went to the piano (what a treat!!!) and accompanied her friend, Maria Maas on the German aria, “Chianti Lied.” Next, Matthew Martin Ward came to the piano to accompany the fabulous Christine Pedi! The song wasn’t so much about what raised her, but she said it has everything to do with the way she turned out - “An Apathetic Man” by Marcy hoister and Zina Goldrich. Christine will be singing this song at The Marcy & Zina Show at Birdland on January 7 at 7pm.

As a great segue… when our co-host, Stephanie D’Abruzzo, did the first reading of Avenue Q in 2000 at the York Theater, the show was original was supposed to be a TV show, with many composers contributing music. Zina Goldrich & Marcy Heisler wrote “Taylor The Latte Boy” for the role of Kate Monster, which Stephanie got to sing then! Fast forward to the Broadway run of the show - our next performer Matthew Martin Ward subbed on piano in the band of Avenue Q, which is where he and Stephanie met for the first time. We wet lucky enough to hear the world premiere of Matthew’s brand new song, “This Gray Day.” Matthew has three shows coming up: “Choices” with Sally Darling (January 20, 5pm and January 25, 7pm); “Hopelessly in Love, The Songs of Tom Toce” (January 27, 4pm); and Caroline’s Comedy Club with Elizabeth Tryon “Madcap look at Opera and Serious Singing (Not!)” (February 9, 4pm).

Marissa Mulder sang a gorgeous and lilting, “I Can’t Help Falling I Love” with Bill Zeffiro at the piano. She’ll be performing this song this week at the Friars Club in honor of Elvis Presley’s 78th Birthday. Bill asked Marissa to stay at the piano to sing his original tune, “My Kind of Guy (Line Up If You’re A Loser)”. On October 2, 2010 - in this very room - Marissa asked Bill: “Bill, can you write a song for me about what a pain in the ass it is dating in Manhattan?” Not only was this rendition amazing, but rumor has it that a version of this song appears in Adam Shapiro’s show. (go see ti!)

David Ballard sang a stunning version of “Over The Rainbow.” David is writing a musical version of “My Man Godfrey” as a project for the BMI Workshop. I can’t wait to hear it! Barb Malley was next with a spirited and fun, “Love is Blue.” Zach Wobensmith gave us “The Lady Must Be Mad” from Illyria, a musical adaptation of Twelfth Night by Peter Mills. Zach is appearing in “The Cranky Cabaret” - a selection of songs about vexation and discord, at Joria Studios January 12 & 13 at 8pm - $20 get you a ticket and an open bar!

The Bistro Award winning, Richie Eisenberg brought us a charming “Hum A Song” - which he not only sang but he also wrote the music and lyrics! Richie is having an encore of his Broadway/Cabaret World nominated show, “Smile On My Face: The Songs of Richard Eisenberg” on February 7 at 7pm at Don’t Tell Mama. Adam and I are in that show, so it (of course) holds a dear place in our hearts. Jane Glick was next with, “The Lies of Handsome Men.” Jane has a show, “The Blizzard of Lies” which is benefiting victims of Hurricane Sandy through the Mayor’s Fund. It’s performing The Metropolitan Room January 29 and February 19.

A fabulous Robin Kradles sang a fun, swinging version (arranged by Steven Ray Watkins) of the classic “As Time Goes By.” Sally Jo Hadley brought her classic soprano trill to the classic tune, “Bye, Bye Blackbird.” This is the first time I’ve gotten to hear Sally sing - what a treat! Salon regular Marnie Klar was next (with Bill Zeffiro on the keys) singing the Gershwin favorite, “Someone To Watch Over Me.” Marnie is doing a show a Don’t Tell Mama, directed by Tanya Moberly and music directed by Jeff Cubeta, this spring. Stay tuned for more info!

Alexa Smith told us a story about how, as a child, she sang along to all of the classic sopranos on cast albums. At a certain point, she realized that all of the sopranos were white, and after attending drama camp and seeing that there weren’t many African Americans, she started to wonder, “Where do I fit?” A bit later, she got the cast album for Carousel. As she opened the CD, she saw Audra McDonald and said, “Huh. She’s not white.” And it was in that moment she realized she really could do anything she wanted. And thus, Alexa gave us a gorgeous and quirky, “Mister Snow” from Carousel. Next up, she’s doing Marie Christine at Columbia Stages.

To close out the evening, Stephanie D’Abruzzo asked the audience to sing along with her on “Making Our Dreams Come True (The Theme Song for Laverne & Shirley).”

Next week, the optional theme is “Taking Flight!” This could be about emotions soaring, flying toe exotic destinations, or going a little bit cuckoo. We’re excited to welcome co-host T Oliver Reid. T. Oliver’s Broadway credits include “Chicago”, “Kiss Me Kate”, “Follies”, “Thoroughly Modern Milllie”, “Never Gonna Dance”, “La Cage Aux Folles”, “The Wedding Singer”, “Mary Poppins” & “Damn Yankees”. He was also the winner of the Metropolitan Room’s “2010 Metrostar Challenge” and was a featured artist in The 21st New York Cabaret Convention.

Next week's co-host, T. Oliver Reid!
Our Salon Spotlight will feature Sally Darling & Matthew Martin Ward! Sally & Matthew will be appearing at Don’t Tell Mama – 343 West 46th St, NYC 10036, 212-757-0788 – on Sunday, January 20that 5pm & Friday, January 26th at 7pm.

We’ll see you then!

In the meantime, if someone video-recorded your performance and you’d like us to know about it, please post the link in the comments section of this blog post. Thank you!


-Erin Cronican
Blogette for The Salon
Need anything? Please email me.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Update from Producer, Tanya Moberly - January 9, 2013

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 13th from 7-10:30PM! (Sign-Up Begins at 6:15.)

The optional theme for the evening is “Taking Flight!”

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

Our Co-Host will be T. Oliver Reid! T. Oliver’s Broadway credits include “Chicago”, “Kiss Me Kate”, “Follies”, “Thoroughly Modern Milllie”, “Never Gonna Dance”, “La Cage Aux Folles”, “The Wedding Singer”, “Mary Poppins” & “Damn Yankees”. He was also the winner of the Metropolitan Room’s “2010 Metrostar Challenge” and was a featured artist in The 21st New York Cabaret Convention. For more information: www.toliverreid.com.

Our Salon Spotlight will feature Sally Darling & Matthew Martin Ward! Sally & Matthew will be appearing at Don’t Tell Mama – 343 West 46th St, NYC 10036, 212-757-0788 – on Sunday, January 20that 5pm & Friday, January 26th at 7pm. For more information: www.donttellmamanyc.com.

On Saturday, January 19th SALON PRESENTS: A Memorial Cabaret Tribute to Michael NelsenHosted by Julie Reyburn.

Performers will include Tom Anderson, Scott Coulter, Baby Jane Dexter, Tim Di Pasqua, Natalie Douglas, Terese Genecco, Daryl Glenn, Carolyn Montgomery, Shaynee Rainbolt, John Patrick Shutz, Marcus Simeone & Stacy Sullivan. Musical Direction by Mark Janas.

Doors will open at 7:00. Show begins at 8:00. There will be a $15 food/beverage minimum per person (cash or credit) but there will be no cover charge. Instead, donations will be accepted (cash or check) for The Michael J. Nelsen Memorial Fund. (This annual memorial scholarship awards monies to an up and coming cabaret performer.)

For reservations: tanya@tanyamoberly.com / 646-637-2806.

Salon continues every Sunday (except February 3rd)…

January 20th:
Theme: Unexpected Outcomes
Co-Host: Lynly Forrest
Salon Spotlight: Dawn Derow & Sean Harkness

January 27th:
Theme: The Music That Makes Me Dance
Co-Host: Amy Wolk

February 3rd: NO SALON (Super Bowl)

February 10th:
Theme: TBA
Co-Hosts: Stone & Stone
Salon Spotlight: Rosemary Loar

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.etcetcnyc.com. A 20% gratuity is added to all checks.) There are no reservations; seating is on a first come/first served basis, Doors open and sign up begins at 6:15pm. The evening begins at 7:00, has a 15-minute break at 8:30 and ends promptly at 10:30. 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.comand 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 13th!

Thanks,

Tanya Moberly
Salon Producer

Friday, January 4, 2013

Update from Producer, Tanya Moberly - January 4, 2013

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 6th from 7-10:30PM! (Sign-Up Begins at 6:15.)

The optional theme for the evening is “Songs That Raised Me.”

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

Our Co-Host will be Tony & Drama Desk Award Nominee & Outer Critics Circle’s Theatre World Award Winner Stephanie D’Abruzzo! Stephanie is best known for her performance as Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut in the Tony Award Winning Broadway musical Avenue Q. She has also spent 20 seasons as a Muppet Performer on the Emmy Award Winning Sesame Street, where she currently lends her talents to Curly Bear, as well as a myriad of walk-on characters on the street, countless inanimate objects on Elmo's World, and sings as principal and chorus characters in nearly everyElmo the Musical as well as Muppet inserts “30 Rocks,” “Preschool Musical,” and “G!” (the Gleeparody). Her vocal performance with R.E.M. on their “Furry Happy Monsters” is featured on the Songs From the Street: 35 Years of Music. For more information: www.stephaniedabruzzo.com.

Salon continues every Sunday…

January 13th:
Theme: Taking Flight
Co-Host: T. Oliver Reid

January 20th:
Theme: Unexpected Outcomes
Co-Host: Lynly Forrest

January 27th:
Theme: TBA
Co-Host: Amy Wolk

ALSO – On Saturday, January 19th SALON PRESENTS: A Memorial Tribute to Michael Nelsen Hosted by Julie Reyburn. Doors open at 7:00. Show begins at 8:00. There will be no cover charge, but donations will be accepted (cash or check). $15 food/beverage minimum per person (cash or credit). For 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.etcetcnyc.com. A 20% gratuity is added to all checks.) There are no reservations; seating is on a first come/first served basis, Doors open and sign up begins at 6:15pm. The evening begins at 7:00, has a 15-minute break at 8:30 and ends promptly at 10:30. 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, January 6th!

Thanks,

Tanya Moberly
Salon Producer