Sunday, July 24, 2016

The Salon Wrap-Up for July 24, 2016 - "Déjà Vu"

The term "déjà vu," French for "already seen," was the theme for tonight's Salon, and there were many interpretations of the this theme. Songs of familiarity and memory peppered the stage, and we all had a mini-moment of déjà vu as we remembered having Co-Host Josephine Sanges at Salon before (and she has certainly risen to new heights since then)! Josephine introduced us to pianist and arranger John M. Cook before starting up the evening. Their first number was "Haven't We Met," a lilting and romantic jazzy song perfectly suited for Josephine's smooth and versatile - and very playful - voice. She then introduced Celia Berk to sing a two-person arrangement by John, entitled "Sondheim Duet," consisting of a medley of three Sondheim pieces, including "Move On." For the middle set, Josephine sang "Where or When" in a beautifully Sondheim-esque arrangement (with a little Gershwin mixed in) by Cook that featured her fluidity and bell-like middle range. "Now and Then" by Michel Legrand was next; a bluesy and haunting tune that let her high notes and John's jazz piano shine through. They then switched to something completely different - an uptempo, driven and virtuosic version of "Ding Dong The Witch is Dead" from The Wizard of Oz. She ended the evening with a taste of her upcoming Ann Hampton Callaway show - Callaway's song "Perfect" - and indeed...she was!
Josephine Sanges
Josephine is offering two upcoming shows. The first is "Haven't We Met?" at Don't Tell Mama on August 1st (Monday) and August 5th (Friday) - both at 7pm - featuring John M. Cook as Musical Director and Director Barry Kleinbort. The second is "Josephine Sanges Sings the Music of Ann Hampton Callaway," with John M. Cook as Music Director and Deb Berman, Director - at Don't Tell Mama October 26th (Weds, 7:00 pm), November 6th (Sunday, 5:30 pm), November 15th (Tues, 7:00 pm), November 20th (Sun, 7:00 pm).

Salon Spotlight
Bill Zeffiro has written a new musical - a parody of the movie which made the term "NO WIRE HANGERS!" so famous - and he was here to perform clips of it as our Salon Spotlight. The musical is called "Mommie Deadest" and we had Janice Hall to play the Mommie role of Lucy Faye and Melissa Mulder as her beleaguered daughter, Lucy Faye Junior. Bill also brought up a fantastic guest artists - Ratanya Alda (who was IN the original "Mommie Dearest" as Carol Ann) to help out as characters within a few scenes. Bill and Co. started out with "Mad Mommie Waltz" into "Payback Time," revealing the madcap and darkly funny parody it was. Janice killed as Mommie herself, singing a song representative of every child's nightmare, "Another Me." Finally, the "cheap scifi effects" (Bill's words) were brought out to the finale of the show, and they all sang "Fly, Mommie, Fly." Looking forward to the moment this show is fully realized on stage!

Rutanya Alda
Quick Wrap: Classical Corner:
"Mommie Deadest" was a hard act to follow, but Mark Janas brought in the big guns with a discussion of The Sonata. In particular, Mark brought in Beethoven's 32 Sonatas (well, the second volume of his work on these genre). Beethoven had three Sonata periods: Early, Middle, and End, and they were the first important set of a full cycle of a "works of a kind." In fact, they were considered the "New Testament" of music. Mark really wanted to delve into the form of the Sonata, so he thought he would take the Opus 2 No. 3 Sonata in C Major and explain how it was constructed. Even some symphonies are constructed in Sonata form, which is a combination of rules and inner drama between themes. Several different themes (A, B, C, etc) have little plays and play-lets within the pieces, and these themes can differ on energy, arpeggiation, key, and how they transition within each other. They are often described in gender (ie legato being female, boisterous as male), and individual themes can be considered "duets" between the male and female "voices."

The particular story of this Sonata starts with an Exposition, thus introducing all the characters of the "show," and takes us from "I love you babe, and I'll ravish you"/"But don't forget about my father"/"Oh to hell with your father, we're in love"/"Ok, we're duetting now and in love" into a big transition from the 2nd A theme to a new idea - the B theme into a coda into the ending in a Dominant (the feminine) chord. The Development section is next, which opens with a few beats of transitional music into a blend of all the themes, used in different ways. An improvisatory structure appears here; Beethoven is playing with themes and keys and false capitulations (where a development theme re-appears in the "wrong" key). Then the Ending section appears (there's a hopping octave theme that is accompanied by an echo) and the recapitulation comes back along with the inclusion of the first transition theme (the "what about my father?" section, only this time in a different key, so maybe she's changed her mind about the whole thing).  Both the themes are resolved a bit toward each other in key and tone, so perhaps by the end, the two characters are eye to eye. The Coda ends the final part of the piece, which wraps the whole play up, and the characters get to take a bow.

Mark played the entire piece for us, and challenged us to listen carefully and with the ears of audiences of hundreds of years past, and really find the characters and their relations within the themes.

Roster of performers for the evening (in order of appearance):
Click to visit performers' website or other links when available.  All piano accompaniment by Mark Janas unless otherwise noted.

Josephine Sanges (with John M. Cook at piano)
Celia Berk and Josephine Sanges (with John M. Cook at piano)
Ira Lee Collings (with John M. Cook at piano)
Angela Leone (with Bill Zeffiro at the piano)
Barbara Malley
Jerome Weinstein
Derek Williams
Deborah Stone
Sandra Bargman
David Ballard
Sierra Rein
Dawn Derow
Josephine Sanges (with John M. Cook at the piano)
Tanya Moberly
Sally Darling (with Matthew Martin Ward on piano)
Matthew Martin Ward (with self at piano)
Joseph Mulholland
Susan Olsen (with John M. Cook at the piano)
Josephine Sanges (with John M. Cook at the piano)

Big thanks to Gil Alexandre on lights and sound, and continued thanks to our amazing waitstaff each Sunday, for being such fantastic servers. Thanks also to Steve Bustamante who provides beautiful and illuminating video footage service.

Special thanks to tonight’s musicians: Mark Janas, John M. CookBill Zeffiro, and Matthew Martin Ward.

Ongoing Shows:

Monday nights (7pm): Opera Open Mic at Shangai Mong with Mark Janas and Matthew Martin Ward, 30 West 32nd Street, NYC. www.shanghaimongnyc.com

Monday, July 11, 2016 (6:30pm)The Metropolitan Room's 9th Annual MetroStar Challenge begins for seven Mondays in a row, and who knows...one of our Salon regulars may win! The Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St., NYC.

Upcoming Shows:

Friday, July 29, 2016 (7pm): Angela Leone - with Barry Levitt at the piano - in "All My Tomorrows" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Monday, August 1, 2016 (7pm): Josephine Sanges in "Haven't We Met?" with John M. Cook, Music Director, and Director Barry Kleinbort, at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, August 3, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings the Blues with Ian" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, August 3, 2016 (7pm): Celia Berk in "Manhattan Serenade" at The Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St., NYC.

Friday, August 5, 2016 (7pm): Josephine Sanges in "Haven't We Met?" with John M. Cook, Music Director, and Director Barry Kleinbort, at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Tuesday, August 9, 2016 (7pm): reading of "The Lady in Penthouse B" by Peter Napolitano and Matthew Martin Ward, featuring David Ballard, Bill Zeffiro and Adam B. Shapiro, at Urban Stages, 259 West 30th Street, NYC.

Friday, August 12, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings the Blues with Ian" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, September 7, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Amy, Ani, Ricki, Joni with Ritt" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Saturday, September 10, 2016 (7pm): Marquee Five (featuring Sierra Rein) in the NYC debut of "Back Porch Swing" at The Laurie Beechman Theater, 407 West 42nd Street / Downstairs at the West Bank Cafe, NYC.

Friday, September 16, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Amy, Ani, Ricki, Joni with Ritt" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Sunday, September 18th, 2016 (4pm): Sandra Bargman, with Ian Herman at the piano and direction by Shawn Moninger, in a CD Release Party of "the Edge of Every Day" at The Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St., NYC.

Saturday, September 24, 2016 (4pm): Deborah Stone in "Exactly Where I Belong" with Woody Regan at The Metropolitan Room, 34 W 22nd St, NYC.

Friday, September 30, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Amy, Ani, Ricki, Joni with Ritt" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

October TBD, 2016: Barb Malley, Matthew Martin Ward, Sally Darling in "OMG!! Am I a Diva?" at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 West 42nd Street / Downstairs at the West Bank Cafe, NYC.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Amy, Ani, Ricki, Joni with Ritt" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Saturday, October 8th, 2016 (2pm): Michael Colby opens the American Popular Song Society at The Musicians' Hall, 322 West 48th Street, NYC.

Friday, October 14, 2016 (7pm): Sally Darling in "Totally Noel" with Matthew Martin Ward, at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Sunday, October 16, 2016 (5pm): Sally Darling in "Totally Noel" with Matthew Martin Ward, at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016 (7pm): "Josephine Sanges Sings the Music of Ann Hampton Callaway" with John M. Cook, MD, and Director Deb Berman, at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Loggins with Watkins" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016: Deborah Stone and others in Cabaret Cares performance, at The Metropolitan Room, 34 W 22nd St, NYC.

Sunday, November 6, 2016 (5:30pm): "Josephine Sanges Sings the Music of Ann Hampton Callaway" with John M. Cook, MD, and Director Deb Berman, at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Friday, November 11, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Loggins with Watkins" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016 (7pm): "Josephine Sanges Sings the Music of Ann Hampton Callaway" with John M. Cook, MD, and Director Deb Berman, at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Sunday, November 20, 2016 (7pm): "Josephine Sanges Sings the Music of Ann Hampton Callaway" with John M. Cook, MD, and Director Deb Berman, at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, December 7, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Loggins with Watkins" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Friday, December 9, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Loggins with Watkins" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

NEXT SALON, Sunday July 31st, 2016:
The theme for next week will be "Yearning For More" with Co-Host Sandra Bargman. So bring those songs of longing, wishing, hoping, and "why not me?"-ing!

Sierra Rein
Blogette for the Salon
(Updates? Changes? Email me!)

Monday, July 18, 2016

The Salon Wrap-Up for July 17, 2016 - "Love Songs & Lullabies"

What a great week at Salon!  Mark Janas welcomed us back for our second week, and after our lovely producer Tanya Moberly skimmed through the rules for the evening, we were off and running with our themed "Love Songs & Lullabies" show for the night!  NO ONE fell asleep, because everyone's songs were just lovely.  And with married couple Eva & Jonathan Kantor hosting for the evening, how could anyone not enjoy the entertainment?  

Jonathan is both a Barry Manilow and Louis Armstrong Award Winning jazz clarinetist, with smooth intonation, incredible breath support, and with a tone  so light, that when you listen to him play, makes you feel like you're floating on air!  He opened the show with Si Tu Vois Ma Mere (which means, if you see my mother, but the song is also known as I Remember When), which is played in the Woody Allen movie Midnight In Paris, and Paris is where Eva & Jonathan celebrated their honeymoon, so romance was in the air!


Eva joined her husband later to do two songs that just may be part of their upcoming show about Benny Goodman and Rosemary Clooney, entitled Memories of You and It's Bad for Me, which was a funny take on people's perceptions in relationships.  Eva then did a solo number from Funny Girl called The Music That Makes Me Dance, which made us all realize why she did so well in the 2012 MetroStar Talent Challenge, and why she was a Noel Coward Competition Finalist.  


Mark Janas is not only a great musician, but also a wonderful teacher.  His weekly session at Salon entitled, Classical Corner, is always my favorite time of night because I learn so much more about music.  
This week was a special treat, because we also had Jonathan there to play with him.  Our feature of the night was learning about transcriptions, as opposed to arrangements or orchestrations.  Arrangements can change the original song, but a transcription is where you take a song that has been written for one instrument, and play it on another.  With transcriptions, the sense of the piece stays the same and should capture the feel of the original.  Pianists learn little tricks they can do to make a piece sing, by adding pedal, or connecting phrases more than what is actually written on the page, or changing volume, but when you use transcription and add an instrument to the piece, it can really bring it to life, and the pianist doesn't have to use these tricks to connect and make the piece more fluid.  It was amazing to hear the piece played first solely on piano, and then hear it change when the clarinet was added.  The three numbers performed were the first movement of Erik Satie's Three Gymnopedies, the second movement of Johann Sebastian Bach's Italian Concerto, and they finished with a lovely arrangement of Claude Debussy's Clair de Lune.  

This was the perfect night for our singers to perform all of those standards that we love from the Great American Songbook!  Songs from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and Dr. Doolittle were performed, we had spoken word poetry and original songs, and a whole lot of Gershwin, Rogers & Hart, Harold Arlen, Vincent Youmans and Sammy Cahn, just to name a few.  And to wrap up our evening, Eva and Jonathan performed a lullaby that they sing to their super cute one year old son every night - Sleepy Man, from the musical The Robber Bridegroom.  It was a great way to end our themed show, and everyone could say that this night, we were going home to our beds after being sung a lullaby.  I'm sure everyone got a wonderful nights sleep!



Roster of performers for the evening (in order of appearance):
Click to visit performers' website or other links when available.  All piano accompaniment by Mark Janas unless otherwise noted.

Jonathan Kantor
Barb Malley
Richard Eisenberg
Anna Marie Sell
Jerome Weinstein
Mark Ryan Anderson - (Salon Debut!)
Diane Carey
Sally Darling (with Matthew Martin Ward on piano)
Matthew Martin Ward
Steve Bustamante
Joseph Mulholland
Kathleen France
Marnie Klar
Mark Janas & Jonathan Kantor (Classical Corner)
Eva Kantor & Jonathan KantorTanya Moberly
Terry Scott
Zach Wobensmith
Eva & Jonathan Kantor

Big thanks to Gil Alexandre on lights and sound, and even more thanks go to our amazing waitstaff each Sunday, for keeping us well fed and hydrated. Thanks also to Steve Bustamante who provides beautiful and illuminating video footage service.

Special thanks to tonight’s musicians: Mark Janas, Jonathan Kantor, Matthew Martin Ward, and Richard Eisenberg!

Ongoing Shows:

Monday nights (7pm): Opera Open Mic at Shangai Mong with Mark Janas and Matthew Martin Ward, 30 West 32nd Street, NYC. www.shanghaimongnyc.com

Monday nights (6pm-10pm): Andy Prescott is a singer and pianist at Bowman's Tavern in New Hope. bowmanstavernrestaurant.com

Monday nights (6:30pm)The Metropolitan Room's 9th Annual MetroStar Challenge begins for seven Mondays in a row, and who knows...one of our Salon regulars may win! The Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St., NYC.

Upcoming Shows:

Wednesday, July 20, 2016 (7pm): Marnie Klar in "Tuned In" (directed by Tanya Moberly) at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, August 3, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings the Blues with Ian" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Friday, August 12, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings the Blues with Ian" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Monday, August 15, 2016 (7pm): Gregory Harrell in "Lovers and Other Killers" (directed by Tanya Moberly with Music Direction by Rick Jensen) at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Wednesday, September 7, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Amy, Ani, Ricki, Joni with Ritt" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Saturday, September 10, 2016 (7pm): Marquee Five (featuring Sierra Rein) in the NYC debut of "Back Porch Swing" at The Laurie Beechman Theater, 407 West 42nd Street / Downstairs at the West Bank Cafe, NYC. 

Monday, September 12, 2016 (7pm): Bobbie Horowitz presents "It's Just a Number" at The Metropolitan Room, 34 W 22nd St, NYC.

Friday, September 16, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Amy, Ani, Ricki, Joni with Ritt" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Saturday, September 24, 2016 (4pm): Deborah Stone in a soon-to-be-titled at The Metropolitan Room, 34 W 22nd St, NYC.

Sunday, September 25, 2016: Mark Cummings in "extraORDINARY" at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 West 42nd Street / Downstairs at the West Bank Cafe, NYC.

Friday, September 30, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Amy, Ani, Ricki, Joni with Ritt" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Tuesday, October 4, 2016 (8pm):  Kathleen France gets you ready for the Columbus Day weekend with her one night only tribute to Italian-American singers, "La Bella Vita" with Ian Herman conducting the 8-piece band, and Tanya Moberly directing, at Iridium Jazz Club, 1650 Broadway, NYC.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Amy, Ani, Ricki, Joni with Ritt" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Saturday, October 8th, 2016 (2pm): Michael Colby opens the American Popular Song Society at The Musicians' Hall, 322 West 48th Street, NYC.

Friday, October 14, 2016 (7pm): Sally Darling in "Totally Noel" with Matthew Martin Ward, at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Sunday, October 16, 2016 (5pm): Sally Darling in "Totally Noel" with Matthew Martin Ward, at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016: Maureen Taylor and others at the Cabaret Convention (Sondheim Night).

Thursday, October 20, 2016 (9pm):  Dan Ruth brings his original play "A Life Behind Bars" to the United Solo Festival on Theatre Row, 410 West 42nd Street, NYC.  (Directed by Tanya Moberly)

October TBD, 2016: Barb Malley, Matthew Martin Ward, Sally Darling in "OMG!! Am I a Diva?" at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 West 42nd Street / Downstairs at the West Bank Cafe, NYC.

Sunday, October 30, 2016: Michael Colby's all-star Birthday Benefit party at The Triad, 158 West 72nd Street, NYC.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Loggins with Watkins" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016 (7pm): Lisa Viggiano in "Night in the City" at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 West 42nd Street / Downstairs at the West Bank Cafe, NYC.

Friday, November 11, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Loggins with Watkins" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Friday, November 11, 2016: Lisa Viggiano in "Night in the City" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, December 7, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Loggins with Watkins" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Friday, December 9, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Loggins with Watkins" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.


NEXT SALON, Sunday July 24th, 2016:
After an incredibly relaxing week of "Love Songs and Lullabies" with Co-Hosts Eva and Jonathan Kantor, we move on to next weeks "DejaVu" with Co-Host Josephine Sanges and featured Salon Spotlight, Mommie Deadest!  And next week we move on to "DejaVu" with Co-Host Josephine Sanges and featured Salon Spotlight, Mommie Deadest...wait a sec, didn't I hear that somewhere before?


Kathleen France

Blogette for the Salon

Monday, July 11, 2016

The Salon Wrap-Up for July 10, 2016 - "The Eyes Have It"

We're BACK, baby! Mark Janas welcomed us back from 6 weeks of breakdom, and Producer Tanya Moberly brought all of us - old-timers and newcomers alike - up to date on the rules of the evening...then, we were on our way to start the new season of Mark Janas' The Salon!

"A song is an extraordinary event" - Hal Holden

(thanks, Deborah Stone, for the quote)


Jerry Herman turned 85 yesterday, so Tanya found the best aficionado of all things Herman - Richard Skipper - to be Co-Host of the evening! Richard has been a champion of Carol Channing and all things Hello, Dolly! throughout the years, and has even performed as Carol Channing as Dolly Levi in a number of regional theater shows. Richard sparkled figuratively and literally in his sequined shirts (Act I in black, Act II in red) as he performed. He started out with the song he sang the first time he Co-Hosted The Salon years ago (with the late and great Dana Lorge), "Personal Property." For Act II, Richard began by sangin' a brassy tenor version of "Broadway Baby." He then dedicated the next song - "Almost Young" to the Birthday babies Jerry Herman, Peggy Eason, and all the young'uns in the audience. He finished the evening singing "Bye Bye Baby" from Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, as himself, ending on a mini-duet with Tanya Moberly.


Richard Skipper
Richard Skipper Celebrates is an ongoing series with new guests and new celebratory themes each performance. Check out the website for updates and new events. At The Triad, 158 West 72nd Street, NYC.

Salon Spotlight


Peggy Eason
Peggy Eason was not only the Salon Spotlight, but she was also the proclaimed "Chocolate Diva" and the Birthday Girl! Yup, she celebrated her birthday at The Salon along with Jerry Herman, and continued to be charming throughout her set as the Spotlight singer.  The first of the songs she performed was written especially for Peggy by a very good friend of hers - who is also blind - and she sang it in superb mix-belt and soprano, the flowing and romantic "Discover Me". She then introduced her gorgeous Operatic Soprano power by singing "Tu che di gel sei cinta" from Puccini's Turandot. Her third song was another jazzy piece written for her, "I Don't Play With Dolls Anymore," which she sang with flirty gusto (although she admitted to learning every flirty tactic from Richard Skipper). And then when the applause died down, we all sang Happy Birthday to Peggy!

Quick Wrap: Classical Corner:
What is it about the eyes that can be connected to Classical music? Well, markings on the sheet music delineate how musicians can play the music the way the composer intended beyond the notes on the page, whether the musician is in New York, Tokyo, or on the Space Station. Tempo markings, dynamics, and all the lovely Italian words we read on the page give us insights into how to emotionally play the drama of the piece. Mark introduced Beethoven's 1804 Sonata Opus 53 entitled "Waldstein," named after the Count he wrote it for.  It was somewhat of a breaththru sonata at the time: it not only had an unusual melody - in those days, melody came from a sense of singing, and this time, the odd rhythms would not be easy to sing in this case.  This was also Beethoven's biggest Sonata to date - from his middle period - and was highly technical and structural.  Like most sonatas, it contained A theme and B themes, but this one had many more A and B themes to offer, since it was so big. You hear an incredible number of transitions and textual differences, which all had to be strictly delineated in the written sheet music notation. These included interpretation of the balance, dynamics (Beethoven only used p,pp, f, ff  - he was very much into the drama of music, so nothing was mezzo or in-between) and he crescendo'd and diminuendo'd between them, and offered many tempo changes (poco ritard and a tempo among them). After Mark explained this, he invited Matthew Martin Ward to come up to join him near the piano to verbally do a play-by-play Sport-cast-style while Mark performed the development section of Beethoven's 1804 Sonata Opus 53 (very much like the Beethoven's 5th Sportcast conducted by Peter Jacoby). This live performance was hilarious and illuminating at the same time! After Mark played the development section, Matt stopped his narration and allowed us to fill in the blanks in our own head, perhaps visualizing all the dynamic markings in our head as he finished the piece.

Roster of performers for the evening (in order of appearance):
Click to visit performers' website or other links when available.  All piano accompaniment by Mark Janas unless otherwise noted.

Richard Skipper
Maria Ottavia
Krista Donough
Carol Sue Gershman
Marnie Klar
Jerome Weinstein
Lisa Viggiano
Brenda Kravitz (poetess)
Michael Colby (with Andrea Colby at the piano)
Annie Lebeaux
Mark Cummings
Paul Kay
David Ballard
Sierra Rein
Maureen Taylor
Peggy Eason
Richard Skipper
Tanya Moberly
Ira Lee Collings (with Matthew Martin Ward on piano)
Sally Darling (with Matthew Martin Ward on piano)
Matthew Martin Ward (with self at piano)
Sarah Rydel on saxophone (with Richard Eisenberg at the piano)
Richard Eisenberg
Deborah Stone
Bobbie Horowitz
Barb Malley
Steve Bustamante (with Matthew Martin Ward on piano)
Andy Prescott
Christine
Richard Skipper

Ginormous thanks to Gil Alexandre on lights and sound, and even more thanks go to our amazing waitstaff each Sunday, for keeping us well fed and watered (or, Vodka'd, in my case)! Thanks also to Steve Bustamante who provides beautiful and illuminating video footage service.

Special thanks to tonight’s musicians: Mark Janas, Andrea ColbyAnnie Lebeaux, Matthew Martin Ward, Sarah Rydel, and Richard Eisenberg!

Ongoing Shows:

Monday nights (7pm): Opera Open Mic at Shangai Mong with Mark Janas and Matthew Martin Ward, 30 West 32nd Street, NYC. www.shanghaimongnyc.com

Monday nights (6pm-10pm): Andy Prescott is a singer and pianist at Bowman's Tavern in New Hope. bowmanstavernrestaurant.com

Monday, July 11, 2016 (6:30pm)The Metropolitan Room's 9th Annual MetroStar Challenge begins for seven Mondays in a row, and who knows...one of our Salon regulars may win! The Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St., NYC.

Upcoming Shows:

Wednesday, July 13, 2016 (7pm): Maureen Taylor in "Taylor Made Bob Merrill" at The Metropolitan Room, 34 W 22nd St, NYC.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Loggins with Watkins" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Friday, November 11, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Loggins with Watkins" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, July 20, 2016 (7pm): Marnie Klar in "Tuned In" (directed by Tanya Moberly) at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, August 3, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings the Blues with Ian" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Friday, August 12, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings the Blues with Ian" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, September 7, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Amy, Ani, Ricki, Joni with Ritt" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Saturday, September 10, 2016 (7pm): Marquee Five (featuring Sierra Rein) in the NYC debut of "Back Porch Swing" at The Laurie Beechman Theater, 407 West 42nd Street / Downstairs at the West Bank Cafe, NYC.

Monday, September 12, 2016 (7pm): Bobbie Horowitz presents "It's Just a Number" at The Metropolitan Room, 34 W 22nd St, NYC.

Friday, September 16, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Amy, Ani, Ricki, Joni with Ritt" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Saturday, September 24, 2016 (4pm): Deborah Stone in a soon-to-be-titled at The Metropolitan Room, 34 W 22nd St, NYC.

Sunday, September 25, 2016: Mark Cummings in "extraORDINARY" at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 West 42nd Street / Downstairs at the West Bank Cafe, NYC.

Friday, September 30, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Amy, Ani, Ricki, Joni with Ritt" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

October TBD, 2016: Barb Malley, Matthew Martin Ward, Sally Darling in "OMG!! Am I a Diva?" at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 West 42nd Street / Downstairs at the West Bank Cafe, NYC.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Amy, Ani, Ricki, Joni with Ritt" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Saturday, October 8th, 2016 (2pm): Michael Colby opens the American Popular Song Society at The Musicians' Hall, 322 West 48th Street, NYC.

Friday, October 14, 2016 (7pm): Sally Darling in "Totally Noel" with Matthew Martin Ward, at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Sunday, October 16, 2016 (5pm): Sally Darling in "Totally Noel" with Matthew Martin Ward, at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016: Maureen Taylor and others at the Cabaret Convention (Sondheim Night).

Sunday, October 30, 2016: Michael Colby's all-star Birthday Benefit party at The Triad, 158 West 72nd Street, NYC.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Loggins with Watkins" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, November 2, 2016 (7pm): Lisa Viggiano in "Night in the City" at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 West 42nd Street / Downstairs at the West Bank Cafe, NYC.

Friday, November 11, 2016: Lisa Viggiano in "Night in the City" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, December 7, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Loggins with Watkins" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Friday, December 9, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Loggins with Watkins" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

NEXT SALON, Sunday July 17th, 2016:
Since the parade passed by with fanfare this week, we'll bring it down to a soft murmur (or maybe perhaps not...) this coming Sunday to the lovely theme of "Love Songs and Lullabies" with Co-Hosts Eva and Jonathan Kantor. Don't wake the baby...

Sierra Rein
Blogette for the Salon
(Updates? Changes? Email me!)