The Salon Wrap-Up for October 22, 2017: "Longing For Change"

As Mark Janas was still out performing with Kathleen Turner, we needed a change of hands at the piano; with the theme of "Longing For Change," our Guest Host was the illustrious and consistently amazing Ian Herman.  Ian spent the evening hitting the 88's for most of the evening, but especially for the sultry co-host, Dawn Derow. In her 1940's garb (complete with red-hot lipstick) and a powerful voice with range, jazzy sweet straight-tone and a powerful belt to match the era, Dawn first swung into a combination of "Let's Get Away From it All" into "How About You?" and informed us that a cocktail in 1941 cost .75 cents, which means a two-drink minimum was only $1.50! Indeed, Dawn had many little tidbits of information regarding historical factoids from 1941 throughout the evening, and offered packages of Peanut M&Ms for anyone who was new to The Salon, since those candies made their debut in 1941 as well! For her Act II set, she leaned against the piano and cheekily sang the spicy "The Saga of Jenny" by Kurt Weill. After revealing her process losing her original Musical Director, Barry Levitt, a month ago, she honored his memory by singing "My Ship," with a gorgeous a cappella vocal opening. She then shot straight into "Blues in the Night," which featured her soulful belt.  To wrap the entire evening up with a cocoon of vintage warmth, Dawn put on a period sweater and her soprano voice with the soaring "White Cliffs of Dover," a 1941 lullaby by Walter Kent and Nat Burton.

Dawn Derow

Her show "My Ship: Songs From 1941" - Directed by Jeff Harnar - will feature both nautical songs and ditties written in '41 on November 4th at 2:00pm ($40 tickets which will be a benefit for the family of the late, great Barry Levitt), and November 29th at 7:00pm at The Laurie Beechman Theater, 407 W. 42nd Street, NYC. Tom Hubbard on bass and and Daniel Glass/Ray Marchika on drums, with Ian Herman replacing Barry at the piano.

Salon Spotlight

Our spotlight on Sunday was Marnie Klar, who sang selections of her upcoming show "Bedtime Stories," a romp through a number of bed-related events, from fairy tales, to concepts of hopes and dreams to (yes) sexy time under the sheets. With her expressive eyes, youthful wistfulness, and comedienne chops, she started out with Mary Rogers and Stephen Sondheim's "The Boy From..." from The Mad Show, featuring all the comedic diction possible.  She then went into the dreamily blue yet still innocent "Something Cool" by Billy Barnes. Finally, she switched into ebullient children's theater storytelling with "The Tale of the Oyster" by Cole Porter from Fifty Million Frenchman, and had so much fun on stage it was palpable.

Marnie Klar will perform her show "Bedtime Stories" on Wednesday, October 25, Wednesday, November 8, 2017, Friday, November 10, 2017 (all at 7pm), and Saturday, December 10, 2017 and Tuesday, December 19, 2017 (both at 4pm), Directed by Tanya Moberly with Stephen Ray Watkins at the piano at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Quick Wrap - Ian's Corner

Ian Herman took to the piano spotlight to play in his little corner of the room to first play "Too Fast," an original piece he wrote as an ode to George Gershwin, which had some of the most nimble piano playing I've ever heard, and (talk about "Longing to Change!") key and jazz rhythm/tempo changes throughout from one theme to the next. George would have been proud...or if you believe in karma, it was almost as if George was already at the piano! Ian then played another original entitled "Edwina," a rolling Latin-infused piece with hot rhythms that made me dance in my seat at one point, but then brought a darkly ominous middle section into the mix before bringing us back into the burning rhythm as before. As a pianist, Ian is an amazingly supportive player, but as a soloist at the keys, he is absolutely stunning!

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 Ian Herman unless otherwise noted.

Co-Host: Dawn Derow
Bobbie Horowitz (with Matthew Martin Ward on piano)
Michael Colby
Rian Keating
Ira Lee Collings
Joe Peck
Linda Glick
Angela Leone
Amy Beth Williams
Kim Castlemain (self at the piano)
Frances O'Flynn and Matthew Martin Ward (with Matthew Martin Ward on piano)
Janice Hall (with Matthew Martin Ward on piano)
Matthew Martin Ward
Sarah Rice
Sierra Rein
Salon Spotlight: Marnie Klar (with Stephen Ray Watkins on piano)

Ian's Corner: Ian Herman

BREAK

Co-Host: Dawn Derow

Tanya Moberly
Charles Evans
Grace Callahan
Jen Bradley
Joe Peck (encore)
Amy Beth Williams (encore)
Rian Keating (encore)
Ira Lee Collins (encore, with Matthew Martin Ward on piano)
Sarah Rice (encore)
Sierra Rein (encore)
Frances O'Flynn (encore)
Bobbie Horowitz (encore, with Matthew Martin Ward on piano)
Janice Hall (encore, with Matthew Martin Ward on piano)
Matthew Martin Ward (encore, self on piano)
Co-Host: Dawn Derow

Special thanks to tonight's musicians: Ian Herman, Matthew Martin Ward, Kim Castlemain, and Stephen Ray Watkin.

Thank you, also, to Janice Hall on lights and sound, Joe and our amazing waitstaff, and the management at Etcetera Etcetera.

Ongoing Shows:

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

Weekly: Bill Zeffiro plays and sings with a rotating list of guests at La Rivista, 313 W 46th St, NYC.

Upcoming Shows:

Monday, October 23, 2017 (6pm): Sierra Rein will perform "Love in the Time of Recession: A Musical" an original 20-minute musical by Peter Saxe as part of "Across a Crowded Room" at The Bruno Walter Auditorium, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, NYC.

Wednesday, October 25, 2017  (7pm): "Bedtime Stories" with Marnie Klar (Directed by Tanya Moberly with Stephen Ray Watkins at the piano) at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, October 25, 2017 (7:30pm): Linda Glick will perform "Teach Me Tonight" with Ian Herman at the piano, at Pangea, 178 2nd Ave, NYC.

Friday, October 27, 2017 (7pm): Tanya Moberly and Ian Herman are appearing at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Saturday, October 28, 2017 (2pm): Tanya Moberly directs the return of "A Life Behind Bars," written and performed by Dan Ruth, at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 W. 42nd Street, NYC.

Sunday, October 29, 2017 (7pm): Sarah Rice and Sierra Rein (as part of Marquee Five) will sing in "Sondheim Unplugged: Into Sweeney Todd's Woods" at Feinstein's 54 Below.

Sunday, October 29, 2017 (7:15pm): Ira Lee Collings in "The Gay Geezer: Life Is A Song – So Why Not Sing it?” at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, November 1, 2017 (7:30pm): Linda Glick will perform "Teach Me Tonight" with Ian Herman at the piano, at Pangea, 178 2nd Ave, NYC.

Thursday, November 2, 2017: Barbara Malley will perform "Oh My God: Am I a Diva?" with Matthew Martin Ward at the piano, as a benefit for Housing Works at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Monday, November 6, 2017 (9:30pm): Tanya Moberly directs the return of "A Life Behind Bars," written and performed by Dan Ruth, at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 W. 42nd Street, NYC.

Wednesday, November 8, 2017 (7pm): Marnie Klar performs "Bedtime Stories" (directed by Tanya Moberly with Stephen Ray Watkins at the piano) at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Friday, November 10, 2017 (7pm): Marnie Klar performs "Bedtime Stories" (directed by Tanya Moberly with Stephen Ray Watkins at the piano) at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Friday, November 10, 2017 (7:30pm): Linda Glick will perform "Teach Me Tonight" with Ian Herman at the piano, at Pangea, 178 2nd Ave, NYC.

Saturday, November 11, 2017 (5:30pm): Andrea Bell Wolff will perform "Prisoner of Love" with Matthew Martin Ward at the piano) at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Saturday, November 11, 2017 (7pm): Frances O'Flynn will perform (with Matthew Martin Ward at the piano) at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Monday, November 13, 2017: Amy Beth Williams, with Tanya Moberly directing and Ian Herman at the piano, performs "A Thousand Beautiful Things" at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Tuesday, November 14, 2017 (6:30pm): Rian Keating will perform his show "there is a time: songs of love and life" as a benefit for the Lower East Side Preparatory High School MeiLing Tse - Virginia Yu Scholarship Fund at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Friday, November 17, 2017 (7pm): Tanya Moberly and Mark Janas are appearing at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Saturday, November 18, 2017 (4:00pm): Rian Keating will perform his show "there is a time: songs of love and life" as a benefit for the Lower East Side Preparatory High School MeiLing Tse - Virginia Yu Scholarship Fund at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Sunday, November 19, 2017 (5pm): Bobbie Horowitz will present "It's Just a Number" featuring Sally Darling and Bob Diamond at The Triad, 158 W. 72nd Street, NYC.

Wednesday, November 29, 2017 (7pm): Sally Darling (with Matthew Martin Ward on piano) presents "Totally Noël" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Friday, December 8, 2017 (7pm): Tanya Moberly and Steven Ray Watkins at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Saturday, December 10, 2017 (4pm): Marnie Klar performs "Bedtime Stories" (directed by Tanya Moberly with Stephen Ray Watkins at the piano) at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Saturday, December 16, 2017: Andrea Bell Wolff will perform "Prisoner of Love" with Matthew Martin Ward at the piano and Peter Napolitano as Director as part of "Winter Rhythms" at Urban Stages, 259 West 30th Street, NYC.

Saturday, December 16, 2017: Janice Hall will perform "The Opera Show With No Opera" with Matthew Martin Ward at the piano as part of "Winter Rhythms" at Urban Stages, 259 West 30th Street, NYC.

Monday, December 18, 2017: Amy Beth Williams, with Tanya Moberly directing and Ian Herman at the piano, performs "A Thousand Beautiful Things" at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Thursday, December 21, 2017 (7pm): Matthew Martin Ward will present his show "After the Fair" at the Winter Rhythms Festival - starring Rebecca Luker - at Urban Stages, 259 West 30th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, December 27, 2017: Sally Darling and Matthew Martin Ward bring back her show "Love, Lust, and Longing" at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Friday, December 29, 2017 (7pm): Tanya Moberly and Sean Harkness are appearing at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

NEXT SALON!

As is SALON TRADITION, we will have an amazing Halloween Salon night on October 29th, 2017, with scarily talented Co-Hosts Janice Hall and Adam Shapiro leading us through screamingly good shanties and apparition-filled arias with the theme of "Eat, Drink, and Be Scary." Costumes are encouraged! Even more frightening, the Salon Spotlight will be on Daryl Glenn, Mardie Millit & Molly Pope! Ooooooooooo!

Sierra Rein
"Blogette" for The Salon
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