Greetings Salonistas! It's the original male etceterette Adam B. Shapiro and this week, the B stands for BLOGGER! It was a treat to be there on Sunday for our final Salon of the season (before we give Mark and Tanya a much needed break). The theme tonight was "Secret Dreams" and our co-host was the master of mirth, Gary Crawford! Gary is a MAC Award winner for Male Debut and recorded a CD of his debut show "In Love With Love". His most recent show sparked our theme for this evening, Secret Dreams: Gary Crawford sings the music of Barry Levitt, in which all of the songs were original compositions by Barry Levitt and various lyricists, including Gary himself. A CD of that show is currently in the works and we are anxiously waiting to hear it.
Gary began the evening with a favorite, "Hurry! It's Lovely Up Here" (and another favorite, Barry Levitt), which I truly think he was singing of our lovely upstairs room at Etc. Etc. At the top of the second half, Gary sang the beautiful Dietz and Schwartz song "I See Your Face Before Me", reminding us that sometimes our secret dream can be someone we long for. He followed it up by a song that has become a bit of a standard in the cabaret world, John Bucchino's "Sweet Dreams" which tells the story of two people who travel together in search of their dreams. To finish his set, he gave us one of the songs that he had written with Barry Levitt, "Dancing Into Love", which reminded us what a great team Gary and Barry are. (Gary and Barry...that rhymes! Tee hee.) To bring the evening to a close, Gary sang one of the signature songs from the show Nine,"Unusual Way", a lovely illustration of how someone or something can come into our lives unexpectedly and change everything.
Gary Crawford
Quick Wrap - Classical Corner
For classical corner, Mark began by playing Ravel's Gaspar De La Nuit, inspired by the poem "Ondine" by Aloysius Bertrand. Mark illustrated the way the music sounded like water and told the story of a mortal man, who had to tell Ondine the mermaid that he could not follow her down into the deep. Ondine's reply: a tear, then laughter, and vanshing forever.
Continuing to show us how classical composers wrote in dreamlike fashions, Mark then played a recording of lovely soprano Elly Ameling singing a beautiful Schubert piece, literally called Nacht und Traume (Night in Dreams), which highlights the fact that, often, the dream world is much happier than the real world.
"Holy night, you sink down;
The dreams flow down too,
Like your moonlight through the rooms,
Through the people's silent chests.
They listen softly with desire;
They call when day awakens:
Come back, holy night!
Sweet dreams, come back!"
Come back, holy night!
Sweet dreams, come back!"
Continuing our theme of pieces truly written about dreams, Mark showed us how a different instrument can change the feel of the piece altogether, playing us a recording of the magnificent cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason playing Faure's "Apres en Reve", about someone following a misguided dream.
"In a sleep which your image charmed
I dreamed of happiness, ardent mirage;
your eyes were sweeter, your voice pure and ringing,
you shone like a sky lit up by the dream.
You were calling me and I was leaving the earth
to flee with you towards the light;
the skies parted their clouds for us,
unknown splendours, divine half-seen gleams...
Alas! Alas! Sad awakening from dreams!
I call on you, o night, give me back your deceits;
come back, come back resplendent,
come back, o mysterious night!"
And, having asked himself what he could end with that could truly illustrate how music can put us into a dreamlike state, Mark closed the evening playing the legendary "Clair de Lune". Sweet dreams everybody.
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.
Click link to visit the performer’s website or other links, when available.
All piano accompaniment by Mark Janas unless otherwise noted.
Co-host- Gary Crawford (with Barry Levitt on piano)
Sonja Stuart
Carol Sue
Lane Bradbury
Todd Monroe
Marta Sanders (with Mark Nadler on piano)
Patti Bottino Bravo (with Barry Levitt on piano)
Debbee May (with Barry Levitt on piano)
Edie Stokes (with Barry Levitt on piano)
Andrea Wolff (with Barry Levitt on piano)
Fred Aiese (with Barry Levitt on piano)
Dawn Derow (with Barry Levitt on piano)
Classical Corner: Mark Janas
BREAK
Co-host- Gary Crawford (with Barry Levitt on piano)
Sally Darling (with Matthew Martin Ward on piano)
Matthew Martin Ward
Angela Leone (with Bill Zeffiro)
Bill Zeffiro
Sallie Jo Hadley (with Barry Levitt on piano)
Susan Jeffries (with Barry Levitt on piano)
Richard Eisenberg
Julie Jordan
Co-host- Gary Crawford (with Barry Levitt on piano)
Special thanks to tonight’s musicians: Mark Janas, Barry Levitt, Matthew Martin Ward, and Bill Zeffiro!
And thank you to Gil Alexandre on lights and sound, and to David Ballard and our amazing waitstaff!
And thank you to Gil Alexandre on lights and sound, and to David Ballard and our amazing waitstaff!
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
Monday and Wednesday nights (8pm): Bill Zeffiro performs weekly at La Rivista, 313 West 46th St, NYC.
This summer: Tanya Moberly will judge Mama's Next Big Act at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Monday nights (7pm): Opera Open Mic at Shanghai Mong with Mark Janas and Matthew Martin Ward, 30 West 32nd Street, NYC. www.shanghaimongnyc.com
Monday and Wednesday nights (8pm): Bill Zeffiro performs weekly at La Rivista, 313 West 46th St, NYC.
This summer: Tanya Moberly will judge Mama's Next Big Act at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Upcoming Shows:
Friday, May 26, 2017 (9:30pm): Sharron Williams presents her new solo show "Girl Crush", with Kevin Ramessar on Guitar at 54 Below, 254 W. 54th Street, NYC
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.
Sunday, June 4, 2017 (5pm): Sally Darling in "Love Lust and Longing" with music director Matthew Martin Ward, at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Wednesday, June 7, 2017 (7pm): Lane Bradbury, Broadway's original Dainty June, in "Let Me Entertain You Again", written by Doug Davita, directed by Elkin Antoniou, with musical director Joe Goodrich at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Friday, June 9, 2017 (7pm): Sierra Rein (as part of Marquee Five) brings "Broadway By The Letter" back to The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 W 42nd St, NYC.
Friday, June 9, 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.
Sunday, June 11, 2017 (5pm): Patti Bottino Bravo in "Dreams Come True" with musical director Barry Levitt and Director Lina Koutrakos, at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Wednesday, June 14, 2017: "Bastard Jones", the new musical by Mark Acito and Amy Engelhardt opens at the cell theatre, featuring Adam B. Shapiro. The show runs through July 14. www.thecelltheatre.org
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.
Thursday, June 15, 2017 (7:30pm): Joan Jaffe, with her music director, Bill Zeffiro, is bringing her show "Food" to Pangea, 178 2nd Avenue, NYC.
Tuesday, June 20, 2017 (7:30pm): Mabel Mercer Foundation presents Marta Sanders and others in "That's Entertainment: Dietz and Schwartz and Friends" at Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, 57th Street and Seventh Avenue, NYC.
Tuesday, June 20 2017 (7pm): Maria Corsaro and Linda Kahn in "What the Hell is Cabaret?" with Kenneth Gartman on piano at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 W 42nd St, NYC.
Saturday, June 24, 2017 (7pm): Maria Corsaro and Linda Kahn in "What the Hell is Cabaret?" with Kenneth Gartman on piano at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 W 42nd St, NYC.
Sunday, June 26, 2017 (7:15pm): Sue Matsuki's "Coming Home To Mama's" series continues with "Celebrating Food" with special guest Adam B. Shapiro. Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Monday, June 26, 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.
Wednesday, June 28, 2017 (7pm): Becca Kidwell will bring "A Song and It's Girl," with Tracy Stark as Music Director and Gretchen Reinhagen as Director, back to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Thursday, June 29, 2017 (7pm): Lane Bradbury, Broadway's original Dainty June, in "Let Me Entertain You Again", written by Doug Davita, directed by Elkin Antoniou, with musical director Joe Goodrich at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Monday, June 26, 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.
Wednesday, June 28, 2017 (7pm): Becca Kidwell will bring "A Song and It's Girl," with Tracy Stark as Music Director and Gretchen Reinhagen as Director, back to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Thursday, June 29, 2017 (7pm): Lane Bradbury, Broadway's original Dainty June, in "Let Me Entertain You Again", written by Doug Davita, directed by Elkin Antoniou, with musical director Joe Goodrich at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
June 30-July 16, 2017: Erin Cronican is starring in the Caryl Churchill play "Cloud 9" with The Seeing Place Theater, NYC.
Wednesday, July 5, 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.
Sunday, July 9, 2017 (5pm): Sally Darling in "Love Lust and Longing" with music director Matthew Martin Ward, at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Wednesday, August 23 (7pm): Andrea Wolff with Barry Levitt, at The Metropolitan Room, 34 W. 22nd Street, NYC.
Saturday, September 23 (9:30pm): Andrea Wolff with Barry Levitt, at The Metropolitan Room, 34 W. 22nd Street, NYC.
Sunday, October 15 (4pm): Andrea Wolff with Barry Levitt, at The Metropolitan Room, 34 W. 22nd Street, NYC.
Saturday, December 2 (7pm): Andrea Wolff with Barry Levitt, at The Metropolitan Room, 34 W. 22nd Street, NYC.
NO SALON UNTIL JULY 9th! I know, I know, it seems like forever, but come on! Mark and Tanya deserve a vacation! Have a great start to the summer and we will be back on July 9th with the theme "When I Go, I'm Going Like Elsie: A tribute to Kander and Ebb" with co-host Kathleen Stuart
Adam B. Shapiro
Blogger for The Salon
