Sunday, May 3, 2015

The Salon Wrap-Up for May 3, 2015 - "Celebrating Men"

May 3, 2015
Theme: “Celebrating Men”

I think I’ve said this before but I’ll say at again - I love coming to The Salon. I have made some of the most dear and wonderful friends, get to listen to the best talent in the city, and get to share a little of my storytelling, all packed within a short 3.5 hours on a Sunday night. How lucky are we?

Our Co-Host was the always sassy and sultry, Charlotte Patton (with jazz legend Barry Levitt on piano)! She started the evening with a perfect kickoff - “I Love To Love.” When she ushered us back from the break, she elegantly sat down on a stool and gave us a contemplative and humorous, “Unexpected Complication” by Steven Lutvack. She then sang a silky smooth, “Bewitched, Bothrered & Bewildered” and followed it with a powerful and charming, “Ah Men.” And to polish off the evening, Charlotte sang and sensual and bluesy, “Do It Again.”

Charlotte will be at The Metropolitan Room – 34 West 22nd St, NYC 10010 – in CELEBRATING MEN (BLESS THEIR HEARTS) May 28th at 9:30pm, June 29th at 9:30pm, July 31st at 7pm & August 20th at 7pm. For more information: www.charlottepatton.com

Our Co-Host, Charlotte Patton
Our Salon Spotlight featured The Fine Whine: Heidi Seigell, Margaret Kelly & Rebecca Kendall! Each of the three singers sang their own solo odes to men - Margaret sang, “Children of the Wind”; Rebecca gave us, “Blues in the Night” and Heidi brought us, “Good Morning Heartache.”

These fine ladies will be singing back-up for Bistro, MAC & Nightlife Award Winner Carolyn Montgomery-Forant in VISIBLE PHOENIX at The Laurie Beechman Theater – 402 West 42nd St, NYC 10036 – on Friday May 8th at 7pm. For more information: www.carolynmontgomeryforant.com


Quick Wrap: Classical Corner

Mark Janas, Salon founder and host, started Classical Corner by posing the question: Who would be the preeminent opera composer that we might call “The Man”? Why, Puccini, of course. Mark pointed out that Puccini penned one of the few operas that have been on Broadway - La Boheme. This week’s Classical Corner featured MAC Award Winner Dawn Derow, and she started by singing snippets from a few popular pieces from the opera.

Puccini was a proponent of a style that was just coming to the forefront in 1896 - “verismo” (meaning "realism", from Italian vero, meaning true or “true to life”) - before that the opera subjects had always been about kinds, prince and big battles and lofty subjects. Puccini was one of the first to tell stories about the poorer classes - real people and real life.

First her first song, Dawn sang on of the more recognizable arias from the opera. Not only did she knock us out with her vocals, but she traveled the room and delivered the song personally to specific people in the audience. It was pretty thrilling. Mark went on to share the synopsis of the popular scene where Rodolfo meets Mimi for the first time nd gave us some of the translation of Mimi’s aria (in Italian.) For the final song of the set, Dawn sang Mimi’s aria toward the end of the opera when she is very ill. It was stunning to hear Dawn and Mark partnered together on this glorious music.

Dawn will be at The Metropolitan Room – 34 West 22nd St, NYC 10010 – in LEGIT (again, with Mark Janas) on May 9th at 4pm, May 26th at 7pm & June 19th at 9:30pm. For more information: www.dawnderow.com


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

Charlotte Patton (with Barry Levitt on piano)
Lou Iacovino (with Barry Levitt on piano)
Wendy Russell
Stephen Hanks
John Trujillo
Marilyn Michaels & Mark Will (with Barry Levitt on piano)
Carol Mailhet (with Scott Mayfield on piano)
Scott Mayfield (on piano)
Belinda Powell (accompanying self on ukelele)
Bill Zeffiro
Carolyn Montgomery Forant (with Heidi Seigell, Margaret Kelly & Rebecca Kendall on backing vocals)
David Ballard
Margaret Kelly
Rebecca Kendall
Heidi Seigell
Janice Hall (with Matthew Martin Ward on piano)
Matthew Martin Ward (on piano)
Ira Lee Collings
Richie Eisenberg
Amoricka Amaroso
Ann Dawson
Helen Glassman
Bennett Silverstein
Sallie Jo Hadley (with Barry Levitt on piano)

Special thanks to tonight’s pianists and guitarists: Mark Janas, Barry Levitt, Bill Zeffiro, Matthew Martin Ward, Nicholas Levin, Scott Mayfield and Belinda Powell.

And thank you to Gill 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!


Salon Presents: 

Wednesday, May 27, 2015 (9:00pm) - Salon Presents Jaye Maynard in "Bird Amongst the Blossom: A Tribute to the Blossom Dearie Songbook," at Etcetera Etcetera, 352 West 44th St, NYC.


Upcoming shows:

Ongoing: Matthew Martin Ward plays on Mondays at the West End Lounge, 955 West End Ave, NYC.

Ongoing: Bill Zeffiro plays every Tuesday (8:30-11pm) at Millesime, 92 Madison Ave, NYC and every Wednesday (8-12) at La Rivista, 313 W 46th St, NYC.

Friday, May 8, 2015 (7pm) - Carolyn Montgomery Forant and The Fine Whine (Stephanie Hedges-Thomas, Margaret Kelly & Rebecca Kendall) in Visible Phoenix at The Laurie Beechman Theater, 402 West 42nd St, NYC.

Friday, May 8, 2015 (9:30pm) - Tanya Moberly in “Songs I Feel Like Singing” (with a rotation of musicians - this date has Mark Janas) at Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W 46th St, NYC.

Saturday, May 9, 2015 (4pm) - Dawn Derow in “Legit” (with Mark Janas on piano) at The Metropolitan Room – 34 West 22nd St, NYC.

Wednesday, May 13, 2015 (7pm) - Tanya Moberly in “Songs I Feel Like Singing” (with a rotation of musicians - this date has Mark Janas) at Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W 46th St, NYC.

Thursday, May 14, 2015 - Janice Hall in a Tribute to Julie Wilson at 54 Below, 254 W 54th St, NYC.

Tuesday, May 19, 2015 (7pm) Erin Cronican featured in “The Diva Selections” hosted by Robin Kradles at Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W 46th St, NYC.

Friday, May 22, 2015 (7pm) Natasha Castillo featured in “The Arrangement Experience” at Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W 46th St, NYC.

Wednesday, May 20, 2015 - Carly Ozard is appearing at Tudor City, NYC.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015 (7pm) - Dawn Derow in “Legit” (with Mark Janas on piano) at The Metropolitan Room – 34 West 22nd St, NYC.

Wednesday, May 27, 2015 - Bobbie Horowitz in an evening of her songs, “It’s Just A Number,” at The Metropolitan Room – 34 West 22nd St, NYC.

Thursday, May 28, 2015 (9:30pm) - Charlotte Patton in “Celebrating Men (Bless Their Hearts)” at The Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St., NYC.

Wednesday, June 10, 2015 (9:30pm) - Tanya Moberly in “Songs I Feel Like Singing” (with a rotation of musicians - this date has Sean Harkness) at Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W 46th St, NYC.

Friday, June 12, 2015 (7pm) - Tanya Moberly in “Songs I Feel Like Singing” (with a rotation of musicians - this date has Sean Harkness) at Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W 46th St, NYC.

Saturday, June 13, 2015 - John Trujillo in “The Tie That Binds: Stories & Songs of Family” at The Duplex, 61 Christopher St., NYC.

Saturday, June 13, 2015 (1pm)Adam Shapiro in “Nothing Normal” (with Erin Cronican on vocals) at The Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St., NYC.

Saturday, June 13, 2015 (4pm) -  Bennett Silverstein in “Bennett Sings (Tony) Bennett” at The Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St., NYC.

Monday, June 15, 2015 - Carly Ozard and Adam Shapiro in the David Friedman Tribute at The Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St., NYC.

Wednesday, June 17, 2015 (7:00pm) - Ira Lee Collings in “Gay Since 1935: a Gay Geezer’s Odyssey” at Don’t Tell Mama, NYC.

Thursday, June 18, 2015 - Wendy Russell in “Where Have I Been All My Life”, NYC.

Friday, June 19, 2015 (9:30pm) - Dawn Derow in “Legit” (with Mark Janas on piano) at The Metropolitan Room – 34 West 22nd St, NYC.

Saturday, June 20, 2015 - National Arts Club tribute to Michael Colby’s book “The Algonquin Kid.”

Saturday, June 20, 2015 - Helen Glassman in “Confessions of a Native New Yorker”, NYC.

Monday, June 22, 2015 (7:00pm) - Ira Lee Collings in “Gay Since 1935: a Gay Geezer’s Odyssey” at Don’t Tell Mama, NYC.

Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - Carly Ozard in “Midler on the Roof”, NYC.

Saturday, June 27, 2015 - Wendy Russell in “Where Have I Been All My Life”, NYC.

Sunday, June 20, 2015 - Helen Glassman in “Confessions of a Native New Yorker”, NYC.

Monday, June 22nd, 2015 (7:00pm) - Ira Lee Collings in “Gay Since 1935: a Gay Geezer’s Odyssey” at Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W 46th St, NYC.

Monday, June 29, 2015 (9:30pm) - Charlotte Patton in “Celebrating Men (Bless Their Hearts)” at The Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St., NYC.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015 (7pm) - Tanya Moberly in “Songs I Feel Like Singing” (with a rotation of musicians - this date has Ritt Henn) at Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W 46th St, NYC.

Friday, July 15, 2015 (9:30pm) - Tanya Moberly in “Songs I Feel Like Singing” (with a rotation of musicians - this date has Ritt Henn) at Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W 46th St, NYC.

Friday, July 31, 2015 (7pm) - Charlotte Patton in “Celebrating Men (Bless Their Hearts)” at The Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St., NYC.

Wednesday, August 5, 2015 (9:30pm) - Tanya Moberly in “Songs I Feel Like Singing” (with a rotation of musicians - this date has Steven Ray Watkins) at Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W 46th St, NYC.

Friday, August 14, 2015 (7pm) - Tanya Moberly in “Songs I Feel Like Singing” (with a rotation of musicians - this date has Steven Ray Watkins) at Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W 46th St, NYC.

Thursday, August 20, 2015 (7pm) - Charlotte Patton in “Celebrating Men (Bless Their Hearts)” at The Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St., NYC.


Next Week - No Salon

We will be honoring our mother’s next week for Mother’s Day, but we will be back on May 17 with the theme, “On A Queer Day You Can Sing Forever,” with your co-host, Carly Ozard. The Salon Spotlight will be Tym Moss. We’ll see you then!


Erin Cronican
Blogette for the Salon
(Updates? Changes? Email me)

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