The Salon Wrap-Up for March 31, 2019: "What A Swell Party, Parody Or Patter Song"

If you've been around the Cabaret community, ou've seen performer/writer/director, our Co-Host: Jeff Harnar! Alex Rybeck was on the piano to perform the very Dean Martin-meets-Robert Preston-esque "Having A Ball," which Cole Porter wrote for Panama Hattie with just a few lyrics (no, actually a lot) rewritten to fit the party. Alex then played and sang a "Cole Porter Friendship Medley" which included "Well, Did You Ever," "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," "Friendship," "You're the Top," amongst others, with Jeff jumping in for a few answering lyrics and harmony lines. Rick Crom (composer of Newsical the Musical) once imagined if Sondheim had written Oklahoma, and Jeff sang "Sunday in the Meadow with Curly." This was not only an astounding parody, but pretty spot-on imitation of what Sondheim might write for the opening, including "golden brown beautiful haze...what a beautiful mornin.'" Jeff then sang a series of Oklahoma characters as seen through Sondheim's eyes: Curly's invitation to the box social, Ado Annie singing a "Not Getting Married Today" parody on the theme of "I Can't Say No," and the show's title song itself then got an "Another Hundred People" musical angle. For the second half, Jeff did his tribute to Danny Kaye, a fast-paced list of famous Russian composers, "Tschaikowsky (and Other Russians)." He then did it again, even faster, trying to beat the 39 second record...but someone forgot to start the clock, so we don't know if he made it! He finally thanked us for being here, and sang Johnny Mercer's swingingly lovely "Too Marvelous For Words."

Jeff Harnar

Classical Corner

The plan for the evening originally was for Mark's MSM Students to be the spotlight before an early Monday morning call. However, six sick students needed their rest, so Mark had to think. He remembered the first parody he ever heard at age 8 or 9, and in College he and his students did parodies with combined classical pieces combined together, including "This was the symphony that Schubert wrote that never finished," adding lyrics to classical repertoire. Sometimes these lyrics were passed down from class to class just to aid the memorization of the melody of the piece. Mark then invited Matthew Martin Ward to sit at the piano, and they both asked for a tune from the audience just to improvise classical parodies on it, back and forth. The song was "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" and was first played by Mark in a straightforward way, but then it was "Motzarted" a bit, then Matthew turned it into another composer, then Mark into "Moonlight Sonata," and on and on. They then duetted on the keyboard at the same time, one taking the melody of "Raindrops" and the other adding the underbelly of one classical piece beneath it, ending on some amazing work! It was stunning in arrangements to begin with, but the fact that it was all improvised on the spot made it all the more impressive. To finish, and taking from a parody that Heather Villaescusa sang earlier, they ended on a stirring "Raindrops Keep Falling on the William Tell Overture."

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-Host: Jeff Harnar (Alex Rybeck on piano)
Alex Rybeck and Jeff Harnar (Alex Rybeck on piano)
Ann Kittredge (Alex Rybeck on piano)
Joanne Halen (Alex Rybeck on piano)
Bernie Boronson
Heather Villaescusa
Madelaine Warren
Bobbie Horowitz (Matthew Martin Ward on piano)
Marcia Roney (Matthew Martin Ward on piano)
Andrea Axelrod (Matthew Martin Ward on piano)
Janice Hall (Matthew Martin Ward on piano)
Sally Darling (Matthew Martin Ward on piano)
Matthew Martin Ward (self on piano)
Sierra Rein
Jaye Maynard
Classical Corner
BREAK
Co-Hosts: Jeff Harnar 
Tanya Moberly
Tim Cahill (James Harder on piano)
Nicola Mills
Bob Simonello
Alicia Littman
Ira Lee Collings
Deborah Stone
Zach Wobensmith
Dawn Derow
Michael Colby
Sandra Gilmore (Stephen Cordine at the piano)
Stephen Cordine (self at the piano)
Joshua Bennett
Bennett Silverstein
Joan Jaffe
Richie Eisenberg

Special thanks to our pianist for the evening, Mark Janas, and to the musicians James Harder, Alex Rybeck, Matthew Martin Ward, and Stephen Cordine. Thanks also to David Ballard on lights and sound, and the astounding waitstaff (Joshua and Leo), and management at Don't Tell Mama. Also thanks to our videographer for the evening, Reuben Olvera.

Ongoing Shows:

Most Tuesdays (6pm): Peaceable Hour with Sarah Rice, Janice Hall, and Mark Watson at St. Clements Church, free, see schedule for details - peaceablehour.com, 423 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesdays-Sundays: Adam Shapiro is performing in Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish at Stage 42, 422 W 42nd St, NYC.

Upcoming Shows:

Monday, April 1st, 2019 (7pm): Matthew Martin Ward will be a part of Joe Keenan's “Everybody Rise: A Resistance Cabaret” at Theatre at Birdland, 315 West 44th St, NY.

Monday, April 1st, 2019 (8pm): Tanya Moberly directs Dan Ruth in the award-winning "A Life Behind Bars" at City Winery, 155 Varick St, NYC.

Thursday, April 4th, 2019 (7pm): Joan Jaffe in "Little Girl Blue" with special guest Charles Baran, Kuni Mikami on piano at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Sunday, April 7th, 2019: Heather Villaescusa and others perform at the Singnasium benefit.

Wednesday, April 10th, 2019 (7pm): Frances O'Flynn with Matthew Martin Ward sing Jimmy Kennedy - "The Man Who Wrote the Teddy Bear's Picnic" at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Friday, April 12, 2019 (7pm): Tanya Moberly directs Stephanie Trudeau in "Chavela: Thing of Me; Songs & Stories of Chavela Vargas" with David Lahm on piano and Diego Cebollero on guitar, Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Sunday, April 14th, 2019 (7pm): Frances O'Flynn with Matthew Martin Ward sing Jimmy Kennedy - "The Man Who Wrote the Teddy Bear's Picnic" at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Sunday, April 28th, 2019: Tim Cahill with James Harder will be featured in "Groovin on a Sunday” at Don’t Tell Mama, 345 W 46th St., NYC.

Friday, May 3rd, 2019 (7pm): Frank McDonough will be singing at the National Opera Center, 330 Seventh Ave., NYC.

Monday, May 6th, 2019: Bernie Boronson will be a part of Producer Eadie Scott's Cabaret show, at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Saturday, May 9th, 2019 (7pm): Janice Hall will perform in the rarely done opera by Benjamin Britten of "Owen Wingrave" for Little Opera Theater of NY at GK ArtsCenter, 29 Jay Street, Brooklyn.

Thursday, May 11th, 2019 (7pm): Janice Hall will perform in the rarely done opera by Benjamin Britten of "Owen Wingrave" for Little Opera Theater of NY at GK ArtsCenter, 29 Jay Street, Brooklyn.

Thursday, May 16th, 2019 (7pm): Tanya Moberly and Barb Junger direct Susanne Mack in "Where I Belong" with Musical Director Paul Greenwood at Pangea, 178 2nd Ave, NYC.

Friday, May 17th, 2019 (7pm): Tanya Moberly and Barb Junger direct Susanne Mack in "Where I Belong" with Musical Director Paul Greenwood at Pangea, 178 2nd Ave, NYC.

Friday, May 17th, 2019 (7pm): Tanya Moberly directs Stephanie Trudeau in "Chavela: Thing of Me; Songs & Stories of Chavela Vargas" with David Lahm on piano and Diego Cebollero on guitar, Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Friday, May 17th, 2019 (8pm): Jaye Maynard in the a cappella Art Mob 40th Anniversary Spring concert at the Ronald Feldman Gallery, 31 Mercer Street, NYC.

Thursday, May 23th, 2019 (7pm): Tanya Moberly and Barb Junger direct Susanne Mack in "Where I Belong" with Musical Director Paul Greenwood at Pangea, 178 2nd Ave, NYC.

Wednesday, May 29th, 2019: Ann Kittredge in "An Evening of Ahrens and Flaherty" - Director Andrea Marcovicci and Music Director Alex Rybeck at 54 Below, 254 W 54th St, NYC.
Thursday, May 30th, 2019 (7pm): Tanya Moberly and Barb Junger direct Susanne Mack in "Where I Belong" with Musical Director Paul Greenwood at Pangea, 178 2nd Ave, NYC.

Friday, May 31, 2019 (7pm): Sierra Rein - as part of Marquee Five - performs "8-Track Throwback" with Dan Pardo on piano, Matt Scharfglass on bass, Tony Romano on guitar, and Emma Ford on drums, at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 W. 42nd Street, NYC.

Sunday, June 2nd, 2019: Sandra Gilmore with Stephen Cordine at the piano at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Sunday, June 9th, 2019: Andrea Axelrod in "After the Bawl" with John Cook.

Tuesday, June 11th, 2019: Joanne Halen (with Alex Rybeck on piano) makes her Debut at Birdland Theater, 315 W 44th St, NYC.
Friday, June 14th, 2019: Andrea Axelrod in "After the Bawl" with John Cook. Sept 8th 13th.

Sunday, June 16th, 2019 (1pm): Dawn Derow in "The House That Built Me" with Musical Director Matt Baker, Guest artist Peter Calo, Guitarist, Directed by Jeff Harnar at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 W. 42nd Street, NYC.

Tuesday, June 18th, 2019: Sandra Gilmore with Stephen Cordine at the piano at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, June 26th, 2019 (7pm): Dawn Derow in "The House That Built Me" with Musical Director Matt Baker, Guest artist Peter Calo, Guitarist, Directed by Jeff Harnar at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 W. 42nd Street, NYC.

Monday, June 17th, 2019 (7pm): Ira Lee Collings sings at benefit for SAGE at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

Sunday, September 8th, 2019: Andrea Axelrod in "After the Bawl" with John Cook.

Friday, September 13th, 2019: Andrea Axelrod in "After the Bawl" with John Cook.

Thursday, October 17th, 2019: Bobbie Horowitz presents "It's Just a Number" at Don't Tell Mama, 345 West 46th Street, NYC.

NEXT SALON: April 7th, 2019
The theme for next Sunday will be one that is TOTALLY OPEN: "Mixed Bag – A Salon Potpourri." Or maybe it's about Gucci purses and rose smelling things...your pick! Our Co-Host will be 2019 Bistro Award Honoree Luba Mason, and our Salon Spotlight will be Lucille Carr-Kaffashan!

Sierra Rein
Blogette for The Salon
Email me if I missed anything!