The Salon Wrap-Up for August 28, 2016 - "Bernstein – 98 and Still Great!"

Mark Janas opened up the 98th Birthday Celebration of his friend Leonard Bernstein - "Bernstein - 98 and Still Great!" - bringing up a different story from past Salon events to regale us with. Sporting a West Side Story tee from a production he did a long time ago, Mark told us about Bernstein's conducting job in Vienna and his rivalry with German conductor Karajan (and the German gentleman's neurosis about his height, which Bernstein seemed to use as a sticking point).

Julie Reyburn returned once again to Co-Host this evening, being one of the best emotional interpreters of Bernstein I've ever heard. For 17 years she has been Mark's creative partner, winner of almost every cabaret and solo performer award in New York City, and a wonderfully powerful mother and businesswoman. Julie started the evening and brought the energy up by exploding onto the stage with the ebullient "Tonight" from West Side Story. To open the second set, Tanya Moberly once again took on the mantle of Anita to sing some sense into Julie's Maria with "A Boy Like That/I Have a Love" from West Side Story. Next came a mashup of "Build Me a House," cut from Bernstein's Peter Pan, and Jerome Kern's "The Folks Who Live on a Hill." She then ranted and raved her way again through the epic "Trouble in Tahiti" from the show of the same name, backed up by the Island Magic vocalists Mark, myself and David Ballard. To finish up the evening, we went back to On The Town to hear Julie sing the sweetly bitter "Some Other Time" with Janice, David, Mark and Sierra (me!) singing backup.

Julie Reyburn

Julie Reyburn will perform at the Cabaret Convention on October 19th, 2016 at 6pm at Lincoln Center's Rose Hall, Broadway at West 60th Street, NYC.

Classical Corner

Bernstein's work is often discordant, jazzy and requiring of much concentration on rhythms, breaths, and gorgeous reaches, so Mark and violinist Bradley Bosenbeck had their work cut out for them: to perform a piano-violin duet by Bernstein called "Serenade for Solo Violin and String Orchestra", and they did so with gorgeous heart and soaring notes. Isaac Stern introduced this piece - which is inspired by Plato's Symposium - to audiences in 1954. In this 5-movement concerto, Bernstein strove to create extra music to tie everything to an accounting of a real discussion on what love means. Echoes of musical lines and playing between ideas are part of this work, almost like a musical portrayal. The second movement even quotes music from a previously composed anniversary work (pieces written for different people for their birthday) and dealt with the mythology of Aristophanes - he thought that we used to be four-legged, two-headed beings until the Gods split us in half, and we are merely trying to find our other half in love. Bernstein composed this search lovingly, and Mark and Brad played tenderly. They skipped the Third Movement, which was "waaaaaay too f****** hard" for them to tackle, so they moved to the Fourth Movement - Agathon's - a gloriously lyric piece about the true nature of love. The last movement of Symposium contains a reprise of the Agathon movement, signifying a powerful speech which is suddenly interrupted by a band of people who bring in wine and make a party. They played a bit of this insanely complicated romp through rhythms and notes, and the entire audience whooped as much as if they were at the same party!

Mark then invited Zach Wobensmith and the "Short Notice Singers" Julie Reyburn, Sierra Rein, Janice Hall and David Ballard to join on stage to sing through "To what you said..." a song heard in the overture of Bernstein's musical 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but which in its full version is often said to be a "coming out" song, with a pulsing middle C that makes its way throughout the entire piece.

Special Note: In attendance was Heather Bobeck, who coached with some of Lennie's original notes and demands of the part, sang on Mark's request a pitch-perfect rendition of "Glitter and Be Gay" with stunningly precise vocals, hilarious and real honest laughter, and high notes that ran down the spine. Brava!

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

Julie Reyburn
Bobbie Horowitz
Marnie Klar
Kathleen France
Kit Court
Madeline Warren
Heather Bobeck
Jerome Weinstein
David B. Martin
Barbara Malley
Charles Baran
Paula Dione Ingram (with Alex Rybeck on piano)
David Ballard
Sierra Rein
Janice Hall (with additional violin by Bradley Bosenbeck)
Julie Reyburn
Tanya Moberly
Ann Dawson
Zach Wobensmith
Travis Bloom
Steve Bustamante (with self on guitar)

Special thanks to tonight’s musicians: Mark Janas, Alex Rybeck, Steve Bustamante, and Brad Bosenbeck!

And thank you to Gil Alexandre on lights and sound, our amazing waitstaff who always handle the demands of a full house with grace and style, and Steve Bustamante who is providing video footage for people interested in that service!

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

Upcoming Shows:

Saturday, September 3, 2016 (9:30pm): Paula Dione Ingram brings "Dark Legacy: Bright Lights of Black Broadway" with MD Alex Rybeck and Director Barry Kleinbort at The Metropolitan Room, 34 W 22nd St, NYC.

Tuesday, September 6, 2016 (7pm): Ann Dawson is appearing in "Traveling Solo: Tales and Times" at the Metropolitan Room, 34 W 22nd St, 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): Sierra Rein and her group Marquee Five are performing their show, "Back Porch Swing" at the Laurie Beechman, 407 West 42nd St, NYC.

Monday, September 12, 2016: "It's Just A Number" presented by Bobbie Horowitz at The Metropolitan Room, 34 W 22nd St, NYC.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016 (7pm): Janice Hall reprises her award-winning show, "Grand Illusions: The Music of Marlene Dietrich" as part of Stephen Hanks's series, "NY Cabaret's Greatest Hits" at the Metropolitan Room, 34 W 22nd St, NYC

Wednesday, September 14, 2016 (6:30pm): Final performance of The Concert for City Greens at Tudor City Greens.

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: Charles Baran will open as Bea Arthur in "Golden Girls: The Musical" at The Drom in the East Village, 85 Avenue A, NYC.

Sunday, September 25, 2016 (4pm): Jim Speake presents "Sweet Life: The Show," featuring the songs from his MAC-winning CD at Don't Tell Mama, 343 W 46th Street, NYC.

Monday, September 26, 2016: "Look Out I'm Back" with Kit Court.

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): One night only: Kathleen France performs her show, "La Bella Vita," at The Iridium, 1650 Broadway, NYC.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016 (9:30pm): "Look Out I'm Back" with Kit Court.

Wednesday, October 5, 2016 (7pm): Ann Dawson is appearing in "Traveling Solo: Tales and Times" at the Metropolitan Room, 34 W 22nd St, 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 8, 2016 (4pm): Jim Speake presents "Sweet Life: The Show," featuring the songs from his MAC-winning CD at Don't Tell Mama, 343 W 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, October 19th, 2016 (6pm): Julie Reyburn and others at the Cabaret Convention at Lincoln Center's Rose Hall, Broadway at West 60th Street, NYC.

Saturday, October 22, 2016 (4pm): "OMG!! Am I a Diva?" with Barb Malley, Director Sally Darling and MD Matthew Martin Ward at The Laurie Beechman, 407 West 42nd St, NYC.

Monday, October 24, 2016 (7pm): Adam B Shapiro makes his directing debut with Sallie Jo Hadley's show, "Bustin' Loose," at Don't Tell Mama, 343 W 46th Street, NYC.

Sunday, October 30, 2016 (7pm): Erin Cronican and Maureen Taylor are performing at Michael Colby's birthday celebration at the Triad, 158 W 72nd 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.

Saturday, November 5, 2016 (4:30pm): Madeline Warren with Barry Kleinbort 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, December 6, 2016 (7pm): Marnie Klar is bringing back her show "Tuned In" (directed by Tanya Moberly) to 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.

THERE WILL NOT BE A SALON ON on September 4, 2016 - the NEXT SALON will be September 11, 2016 with the theme "It's Better With A Partner" with Co-Host Mark Watson. Find someone to sing a duet with - you have two weeks to practice! Or bring a song about being a partner, a couple, or the struggle to find that matching earring (I know I lost it in the couch....)!

Sierra Rein
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