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 Colby, Annie 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
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