Sunday, April 23, 2017

The Salon Wrap-Up for April 23, 2017 - "Comes Love - Nothing Can Be Done"

It was a night of youthful energy and scholarly love, as the students of Mark Janas' Manhattan School of Music Cabaret class provided effervescent Co-Hosting for the evening. Even before the 7pm "curtain" began, the students were singing from their chairs as Mark played the piano from memory on a number of opera and musical theater pieces. Master Emcee, and MSM Teacher-Director Andy Gale was on hand to bring forward people to and from the stage, and pianist Shane Schag expertly played through these classic Broadway showpieces and standards for the students. The students, who had already performed this work in their Spring Cabaret "Comes Love" this past month, were: Angela Candeal, Celeste Morales, Christina Parnell, Luke Sikora, Zuhao Zhang, Jianing Zhang, and Xulei Zhao. Also in attendance was the choreographer of their work, Michelle Puskas, as well as other supportive MSM students.

To hit the evening's top with a high note, the entire ensemble stood up directly from their chairs to sing the snappy (literally and stylistically) "Comes Love" from Yokel Boy by Sam H. Stept, Lew Brown, and Charles Tobias. A few songs in, we had a double lesson in Irving Berlin's work as Luke and Angela playfully duetted on "You're Just in Love" from Call Me Madam; then Christina Parnell sang "Blue Skies" from Betsy (and later, White Christmas) in a rich, powerful alto. Next, Jianing joyfully (with soaring vocals and with help of the Ensemble, who added their solo voices into a beautiful collection of harmonies) on Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty's "Alone in the Universe" from Seussical. Xulei and Zuhao then did some amazing baritone songs: "Once Upon a Dream" from Frank Wildhorn's The Scarlet Pimpernel and "Some Enchanted Evening" from South Pacific. To end the first act, we had a nice big set of songs from the MSM Students. First, Jianing, Angela, and Celeste trio'd with gloriously melded voices and twittery "birdie" harmonies on "Sing for Your Supper" from The Boys from Syracuse (Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart). Luke then came back to sing "I Cannot Hear the City" from Marvin Hamlisch and Craig Carnelia's The Sweet Smell of Success with heartfelt, smooth tenor vocals. We then witnessed some coffee talk between Christina and Jianing over guys as they sang a cleverly divided "The Boy Next Door" from Meet Me in St. Louis by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "A House is Not a Home" (a pop song featured in Promises, Promises on Broadway) was sung soulfully by Xulei.

To open the second half of the Salon, Mark Janas re-introduced the MSM students, who started out a heartache-themed set of music. A hilariously inebriated bro-filled "Agony" from Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods was sung with gusto by Luke and Zuhao. Luke then passed the glass to Angela, who wistfully sang "Jimmy" from Thoroughly Modern Millie by Jeanine Tesori and Dick Scanlan. Christina and Celeste then sloshed their drinks up to and onto the stage to sing a woman's-heart-to-woman's-heart song (one dear to my heart), "You Can Always Count on Me" from Cy Coleman and David Zippel's City of Angels. Departing from musical theater entirely, Xulei and Zuhao sang Paul McCartney's "Yesterday," with beautiful pain and heartache. To end the set, Celeste then brought down the roof with John Kander and Fred Ebb's hopeful anthem from Cabaret, "Maybe This Time."

MSM Director/Teacher Andy Gale also took a moment to beautifully croon a beautiful arrangement by Mark Janas of "Moon River" by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer from Breakfast at Tiffany's and "It Goes Like It Goes,"from Norma Rae by David Shire and Norman Gimbel.

For the end of the evening, the MSM students brought in a series of upbeat and antidote-to-what-ails-this-world songs: "Pick Yourself Up" from Swingtime by Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields, "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer, and "Sing Happy" from Flora, the Red Menace, by John Kander and Fred Ebb.



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.


Co-Hosts: The MSM Students: Angela Candeal, Celeste Morales, Christina Parnell, Luke Sikora, Zuhao Zhang, Jianing Zhang, and Xulei Zhao (with Shane Schag at piano)
Zach Wobensmith
Marnie Klar
Deborah Zecher
Becca Kidwell 
Jerome Weinstein
Ira Lee Collings
Lynda Rodolitz
Co-Hosts: Luke and Angela, Christina, Jianing/Company, Xulei and Zuhao (with Shane Schag at piano)
Sierra Rein
Dawn Derow (self on guitar)
Steve Bustamante (self on guitar)
Co-Hosts: Jianing, Angela, and Celeste, Luke, Christina and Jianing, Xulei (with Shane Schag at piano)
BREAK
Co-Hosts: Luke and Zuhao, Angela, Christina and Celeste, Xulei and Zuhao, and Celeste (with Shane Schag at piano)
Tanya Moberly
Andy Gale
Barb Malley and Matthew Martin Ward (with Matthew Martin Ward at the piano)
Sally Darling (with Matthew Martin Ward on vocals and piano)
Matthew Martin Ward (self on piano)
Richard Becker
Richard Eisenberg
Angela Leone
Co-Hosts: The MSM Students: Angela Candeal, Celeste Morales, Christina Parnell, Luke Sikora, Zuhao Zhang, Jianing Zhang, and Xulei Zhao (with Shane Schag at piano)

Special thanks to tonight’s musicians: Mark Janas, Shane Schag, Matthew Martin Ward, Dawn Derow, and Steve Bustamante!

And thank you to Gill Alexandre on lights and sound, to our amazing waitstaff Sian and Phillip, and Steve Bustamante who is providing video footage for people interested in that service!

Ongoing Shows: 

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

Saturday nights: Louisa Lee Poster and the Rick Bogart Quartet will be at the Empire Steak House East, 151 East 50th Street, NYC.

This Summer - July/August 2017: Deborah Zecher can be seen in three 3-hour shows - which include a Broadway singalong! - at  Gateways Inn 51 Walker St. Lenox, MA.

Upcoming Shows:

Tuesday, April 25, 2017 (6pm): Marnie Klar will sing seven songs amidst three 10-minute plays at in "Vaudevillage" at the Cordelia Street Cafe, 29 Cornelia Street, NYC.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017 (7pm): Tanya Moberly directs Dan Ruth in "A Life Behind Bars" at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 W 42nd St, NYC. Use discount code "Behindbars" for $5 off!

Sunday, April 30, 2017 (7pm): Sierra Rein (as part of Marquee Five) featured in "Sondheim Unplugged" at Feinstein's 54 Below, 254 W 54th St, NYC, and will be performing a showcase for the NYU Graduate Musical Theater writing program on April 25th.

Tuesday, May 2, 2017 (7:30pm and 9:30pm): Dawn Derow, Sean Harkness, and Suzanne Fiore, at Caroll Place, 157 Bleecker Street, NYC.

Wednesday, May 3, 2017: Matthew Martin Ward will perform with Christine Pedi in a Comden and Green show at Feinstein's 54 Below, 254 W 54th St, Cellar, NYC.

Tuesday, May 9, 2017 (7pm): Tanya Moberly directs Dan Ruth in "A Life Behind Bars" at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 W 42nd St, NYC. Use discount code "Behindbars" for $5 off!

Wednesday, May 10, 2017 (7pm): Sally Darling in "Love Lust and Longing" with music director Matthew Martin Ward, at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Monday, May 15, 2017 (7pm): Marnie Klar and others will be featured at Bobbie Horowitz's "It's Only a Number" at The Metropolitan Room, 34 W 22nd St, NYC.

Wednesday, May 17, 2017 (9:30pm): Tanya Moberly directs Dan Ruth in "A Life Behind Bars" at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 W 42nd St, NYC. Use discount code "Behindbars" for $5 off!

Wednesday, May 31, 2017 (7pm): Tanya Moberly directs Amy Beth Williams in "Carried Away," with Daryl Kojak (piano), Ritt Henn (bass), Will Holshouser (accordion), and John Henry Williams (violin) at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Friday, June 2, 2017: Dawn Derow will perform with with Barry Levitt in "Songs From 1941" at the Cape Cod Cabaret Festival.

Friday, June 2, 2017: Ira Lee Collings in "Life is a Song, so Why Not Sing it? Plus Weed Songs" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Friday, June 9, 2017 (7pm): Sierra Rein (as part of Marquee Five) brings a revamped "Broadway By The Letter" back to The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 W 42nd St, NYC.

Monday, June 12, 2017: Ira Lee Collings in "Life is a Song, so Why Not Sing it? Plus Weed Songs" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, June 14, 2017 (7pm): Tanya Moberly directs Amy Beth Williams in "Carried Away," with Daryl Kojak (piano), Ritt Henn (bass), Will Holshouser (accordion), and John Henry Williams (violin) at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Monday, June 25, 2017: Sally Darling and four other 2017 MAC Nominees for Female Vocalists are doing a show together, Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Monday, June 26, 2017: Ira Lee Collings in "Life is a Song, so Why Not Sing it? Plus Weed Songs" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, June 28th, 2017 (7pm): Becca Kidwell will bring "A Song and It's Girl," (Music Director Tracy Stark and Director Gretchen Reinhagen) back to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

September 23, 2017: Steve Bustamante in 50th Birthday solo show - save the date!

NEXT SALON will be April 30th on the theme "Songs Of The 21st Century" with Co-Host: Lucille Carr-Kaffashan and Salon Spotlight: Kathryn Allyn. What songs do you think from the last 17 years will last the test of time? Or perhaps sing a song from the past which foresaw 100 years into the future? Get into your time machine either way, and we'll see you then! 

Sierra Rein
Blogette for The Salon
Updates and kitten pictures can be emailed to me!

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