SUNDAY IN NEW YORK: MYTHS AND LEGENDS!

(Bobbie Horowitz performing Something's Rotten in Transylvania at The Salon July 10th, 2011)
"New York on Sunday,
Big City taking a nap!
Slow down, it's Sunday!
Life's a ball, let it fall in your lap!
If you've got troubles,
Just take them out for a walk."


Happy Hump Day!
It's Wednesday...you're half way through the week. You're thinking about how wonderful your past weekend was (or was not)...or you're contemplating your upcoming weekend.
The same could be said of ANY day of the week. I keep saying that those of us who live in NY are incredibly lucky, there are so many opportunities available to us EVERY DAY!
This is true for people in other areas as well. Sometimes, you just have to look a little harder!
Today I celebrate the music in the air...and my friends that create that music!
If I was to go see three shows tonight (yes it is possible!) and do this every night for the rest of this year, I still wouldn't see every thing.

This past Sunday night, I was already planning on seeing the amazing David McBride at The Metropolitan Room at 9:30PM.

David was joined by the joyous Jennifer Miller)
Jennifer did an incredible tribute to Judy Garland and I am now a fan.

(Sandra Holiday and Richard DeFonzo )



Sierra Rein!

I was also planning on finally seeing Faye Lane's Award winning show, Beauty Shop Stories, in the afternoon. But last month, she decided to move her show from Sunday afternoons to Friday nights. (I've rescheduled for August 5th...to celebrate 32 years in NY! Hope you'll join me!).


I received an e-mail from Adam Shapiro that he was going to be hosting THE AWARD winning Salon. I decided we would have dinner there, Etc. Etc., maybe sing a song, see friends and singers I haven't seen in a while, before heading on to see David at the Met. Room.

Adam is about to go on tour in Zorro, the musical! Congratulations to him!

I was going to finally be meeting Sandra Holiday, a Facebook friend (but more!), David, of course, Vincent Wolfe was in town with his partner; we were just going to make it a musical night out!

I've often said that if everyone began each day with a show tune or a happy song, there would be no violence in the world. I truly believe that. At The Salon and The Metropolitan Room combined, there was so much love abounding that it was palpable! And it was great to share that with my friends, both new and old!

This unique, MULTIPLE AWARD WINNING, Weekly Open Mic Event, created and hosted by Mark Janas returned to Etcetera, Etcetera - 352 West 44th Street, NYC 10036 – this past Sunday, July 10th from 7-10:30PM! (Sign-Up Began at 6:15.)

(with Vincent Wolfe)

Any material, on or off theme, is always welcome at Salon. Adam Shapiro was the perfect host!



I love sharing these nights with groups of friends. There were 9 in our party. So many people just show up. They don't try and bring others along for the ride. Expand your groups, folks! So, even if the show is not great, you would have had great company! Well, in the case of Sunday night, it was win-win all around! Here is another fun night I had out!

The Salon, as I mentioned earlier, was hosted Sunday night by Adam Shapiro. The theme was "Myths and Legends". It is an appropriate title for what I would like to address about New York Night Life. New York Night Life, BEYOND BROADWAY, is ALIVE!

From Wikipedia, The Salon (French: Salon), or rarely Paris Salon (French: Salon de Paris), beginning in 1725 was the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, France.
(David McBride's INCREDIBLE trio!)


Between 1748–1890 it was the greatest annual or biannual art event in the Western world. From 1881 onward, it has been organized by the Société des Artistes Français.

Next week's theme is July 17th:
Theme: The 1930's – Brother, Can You Spare a Song?
Guest Host/Pianist: Fred Barton
Co-Host: Natalie Douglas
It's killing me that I can't be there! I love Fred and Natalie!

(Bobbie Horowitz, my partner Daniel Sherman, and Dana Lorge)

This clip has nothing to do with The Salon. I just want to share it with you! See what I mean with sharing LOVE with a song?

Ann Hampton and Liz Callaway's Boom! was released yesterday! Boom! is the concert of baby-boom generation songs featuring sisters and Tony-nominated actresses Liz Callaway and Ann Hampton Callaway. The album was recorded during the Callaways' recent engagement at New York's Birdland. Tommy Krasker and Bart Migal serve as album producers.

Celebrating "the soundtrack of the sisters' childhood with songs from the 1960s and '70s," Boom! premiered in 2010 at New York City's Town Hall to great acclaim. According to PS Classics, the label devoted to the heritage of Broadway and American popular song, the show is "a joyous, exultant evening — sometimes zany, often moving, always surprising — that features tunes made famous by Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Barbra Streisand, Jimmy Webb, Stevie Wonder and others. The sisters, who alternate expressive solos with radiant duets, also share heartwarming, humorous stories of their years growing up in Chicago and New York." (SOURCE: PLAYBILL.COM)


Scot Wisniewski

Scot Wisniewski was born and raised in the small city of Auburn, NY. Although he believes his musical training began when his mother used to sing to him in the womb, it actually began with piano lesson at age 5. His highly anticipated stage debut was at the age of 7, where he played the lead in his Elementary schools production of The Three Piggy Opera! :)

As he grew up Scot performed in many community and regional theater productions. Productions he’s been in include: The Hobbit, Annie, South Pacific, Oklahoma, Much Ado About Nothing, Brigadoon, Fiddler on The Roof, The Sound of Music, The Hollow, Company, Julius Ceasar and Bye Bye Birdie just to name a few.

In 2000, two weeks after graduating from college, Scot packed his bags and moved to NYC. Since living in NYC Scot has recorded two albums (he’s an independent artist), appeared in feature and independent films, done commercial print modeling, has had two highly successful sold out one man cabaret shows and has sung as a guest singer in many friends cabaret shows.






Support these artists! Next Sunday night, go to the Award winning Salon!


I own nothing, no copyright infringement on anything included in this blog intended.


Thanks for being a loyal reader of my Blog!

GO SEE A LIVE SHOW TONIGHT!
Become A Facebook friend of mine!
Follow me on Twitter
If you've seen one of my appearances/shows, add your thoughts to my guestbook at www.RichardSkipper.com



Tomorrow's blog will be A Celebration of Bastille Day, Colleen McHugh, Craig Pomranz, and Elaine Chez!...I'm open to suggestions!

Please contribute to the DR. CAROL CHANNING & HARRY KULLIJIAN FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS: http://www.carolchanning.org/foundation.htm

TILL TOMORROW...HERE'S TO AN ARTS FILLED JULY!
Richard Skipper, Richard@RichardSkipper.com

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I LOVE NEW YORK! I LOVE Faye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories!! I LOVE LINDA KOSUT...and more!!!

" The main dangers in this life are the people who want to change everything-or nothing."
-Viscountess Nancy Aster, American-born British politician (1879-1964)

(Playwright Kathleen Warnock stops by the Caffe Cino plaque on Pride Day, 31 Cornelia Street)


Happy Monday!
I hope you ALL had a wonderful weekend and those of you who celebrated PRIDE this weekend did so responsibly and in a fashion that we ALL can be proud of. This is a great time to be in New York. New York stands to gain over $180 MILLION for their support of Marriage Equality. Not a bad deal. EQUALITY IS GOOD BUSINESS!!!

(Crowds gathered for the 42nd Annual LGBT Pride March on Christopher Street in the West Village on Sunday, June 26. New York City's annual Pride March began in 1970 as a commemoration of the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. The March has since grown to become the oldest and one of the world's largest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) events.



Credits: Bryan Smith for Daily News

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/galleries/gay_pride_parade_2011/gay_pride_parade_2011.html#ixzz1QUaqELq2


My horoscope this morning reads, " Your faith in humankind starts with your faith in those closest to you.
Loved ones will be supportive and will go out of their way to help you.
You'll know the love of a good family."
The timing of this could not be better right now! I am truly reminded of who my "family" is by the actions of those in my circle over the past 72 hours.
When I first came to New York, there was a "I LOVE NEW YORK" ad campaign. I think the time has come to re-visit that campaign and somehow bring it back!
The legislative session this year ended a week late, but it ended in extraordinary fashion: A property-tax cap and legalizing same-sex marriage were adopted on the same day!
In his first six months in office, the DEMOCRATIC governor scored victories on ALL of his legislative priorities, a remarkable feat at a state Capitol legendary for its rigidity.
With his soaring popularity, Cuomo used a mix of hospitality, cajoling and a stern focus on his priorities to move a reluctant Legislature into adopting measures that had literally been collecting dust for decades.
Thank you, Governor Cuomo for being a STAND-UP person in a SIT-DOWN world!
So, all of my New York friends, celebrate and support all that New York has to offer! To all of my non-New York friends! Come to New York! There is SO MUCH GOING ON RIGHT NOW! NY, THE EQUALITY STATE!

June 26 is the last Sunday to see
Faye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories
before they move to Fridays at 8

Enjoy award-winning stories and songs,
a cold MoonPie Martini,
and the air-conditioned comfort
of Soho Playhouse
Tickets just $18.50 for Faye's friends!

(regular price - $30)
Click here to buy your DISCOUNT tickets now!
and enter code FAYEB
or use code FAYEB at (212) 691-1555
or the box office
Everyone loves Faye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories!

Winner! Bistro Award for Musical Comedy

Winner! MAC Award for Special Production!
Jester Journal declares "Go and see this show all you jaded souls!"

The Villager says that Faye "is on her way to becoming a bit of a legend."

AOL's City's Best has a wonderful interview with Faye! She's a "Texas rose that keeps on rising."



Sunday June 26 at 5 pm
Fridays at 8 starting July 1!

Nitelifeexchange.com gushes: "in an ideal world, she and the show would win an award every day for the rest of her natural life."

"That girl belongs on Broadway!"
-- Joan Rivers


Joan saw the show last summer and loved it!

She laughed, she cried, she let Faye touch her girdle!

Soho Playhouse
15 Vandam Street
between 6th Ave and Varick Street (7th Avenue)
Spring Street (C/E) Houston Street (1)


Click here for directions.

The Dallas Morning News calls Faye "simultaneously hip and down-home.
Her 90-minute performance recounts a series
of delicious tales from Lane’s childhood and early career."

Read the TheaterLife.com review! "A little show with a big heart, “Faye Lane’s Beauty Shop Stories” is an irresistible treat."

D Magazine gives the show a great review! "fabulous and chic in black dress and cowboy boots, [Faye] still has the sparkly eyes of that precocious little girl in her bedazzled Burger King crown"

For more information about Faye and the show, visit
www.beautyshopstories.com

Become a fan:
facebook.com/beautyshopstories
I am a fan!

And I cannot wait to celebrate my 32nd anniversary of coming to NY on August 5th! If you would like to join my celebration, please let me know!

Another entertainer I love is not in New York. But she is a New Yorker born and bred in the Bronx. Linda Kosut!

2008 Bistro Award
THE BMI AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING RECORDING

2008 Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs
BEST FEMALE JAZZ VOCALIST & BEST JAZZ RECORDING Nominee

2007 Cabaret Hotline Online
MEMBERS' CHOICE AWARD FOR RECORDING

Linda Kosut, "a jazz troubadour with a Chet Baker style and a Bette Midler flare," seamlessly weaves differing genres into a delightful fusion of jazz, pop & folk.

Award-winning vocalist Linda Kosut blends cabaret and jazz styles into sparkling and exciting renditions of songs of differing genres. Don Heckman, International Review of Music and jazz critic to the Los Angeles Times says of Linda “ [this] amazing Bay Area canary brings her skills as an actress to her insightful interpretations of songs underscored with a fusion of jazz, pop and folk.” Linda has performed to full houses at New York’s Iridium Jazz Club to San Francisco’s Yoshi’s and The Rrazz Room.
Growing up in New York City and transplanted to San Francisco over 20 years ago, Linda only began pursuing her dream of performing several years ago as she approached “boomer” status, and she has not stopped since. “I am sure that I am not alone in my journey to satisfy a creative bug I’ve had my whole life; but one that up until nearing ‘retirement’ status, I did not pursue,” says Linda. “The joy I have in performing translates to my audience who tell me how I have inspired them. It is my sheer pleasure to do so.”Linda Kosut performs "Summer In the City" with Norman Curtis at the piano, Max Perkoff on trombone, Tom Hubbard, bass and Scott Latzky, drums in NYC, June 1, 2007. Norman co-wrote this song with Oscar Brown Jr.
Go see Linda if you get the opportunity!

I still cannot believe Alice Playten has passed away. Here is another look at this amazing talent:


I am putting this here for no other reason than entertainment value:

Betty White did "HELLO, DOLLY!" with The Kenley Players in August of 1979.

The Kenley Players were a major Strawhat Theatre for some of the greatest names in Show Business. Look at their season from 1961, my birth year!
1961
Bells Are Ringing (Gordon & Sheila MacRae)
Auntie Mame (Gypsy Rose Lee)
Destry Rides Again (Hugh O'Brian)
Blithe Spirit (Zsa Zsa Gabor)
Take Me Along (Jack Carson & Betty White)
Pal Joey (Andy Williams & Julie Wilson)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Betsy Palmer)
Sex-Tette (Mae West)
West Side Story (Carla Alberghetti)
Under the Yum Yum Tree (Hugh Downs)
Naughty Marietta (Kathryn Grayson)
A Streetcar Named Desire (Vivian Blaine)
The King and I (Patricia Morison)
The Student Prince (Robert Rounsville)

WOW!

I own nothing, no copyright infringement on anything included in this blog intended.

Thanks for being a loyal reader of my blog!

GO SEE A LIVE SHOW TONIGHT!
Become A Facebook friend of mine!
Follow me on Twitter
If you've seen one of my appearances/shows, add your thoughts to my guestbook at www.RichardSkipper.com



Tomorrow's blog will be about You tell me...I'm open to suggestions!

Please contribute to the DR. CAROL CHANNING & HARRY KULLIJIAN FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS: http://www.carolchanning.org/foundation.htm

TILL TOMORROW...HERE'S TO AN ARTS FILLED SUMMER!
Richard Skipper, Richard@RichardSkipper.com

Musings on cabaret...

The ride: well it can be rough. Hang on tight, let go sometimes and make sure you choose the right people to take it with you.


Even before I knew Sherry Eaker, I knew of Sherry Eaker. It was because of BACK STAGE, the theatrical trade paper geared to the performing artist. When I first came to New York, I used to buy the paper religiously EVERY Thursday morning.
It would be the deciding factor on how the next weeks and possibly my life would unfold. That's where I got all my info for auditions and practically everything else to do with my profession. BACK STAGE was the brainchild of Ira Eaker, Sherry's father. Sherry eventually became the editor-at -large of the paper. A few years ago, the paper changed hands and I have not bought it since.

In the late eighties, I started dabbling in cabaret. When that happened, the first thing I would read when I got BACK STAGE was BISTRO BITS, the column by the late great Bob Harrington. Bob was an integral part of the cabaret world and largely responsible for its resurgence in the 1980s. Bob loved writing about cabaret, and cared so much about what and whom he was writing.

His reviews began appearing in March 1984 under the headline "Bistro Bits", although only on a per-show basis when space in the paper allowed.
Realizing the need for additional coverage of this burgeoning industry, Sherry Eaker created an entire column dedicated to cabaret, and the first "Bistro Bits" column appeared on November 2nd, 1984.
"Bistro Bits" got an immediate and positive response. Janice Hall, 2011 Bistro Award winner for Tribute Show
"Grand Illusions: The Music of Marlene Dietrich"
Metropolitan Room, Urban Stages (Video by Corinne Cohen)

I was 18 when I first arrived in New York. When I discovered DON'T TELL MAMA, I was in heaven! THAT was the world that I wanted to be part of. I lived on 47th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues. DON'T TELL MAMA was my neighborhood hangout.

One thing that I learned early on was IF I desired to make a success of what I am working on,I would need to enlist the aid of people whose knowledge is superior to my own. Bob Harrington was that person. You see, not only did he write about cabaret artists (as a reviewer), he wrote about the craft of being a cabaret ARTIST! Notice, I used the word "reviewer" instead of "critic". I believed Bob was INTERESTED in elevating the art form rather than tearing it down.
(Sean Harkness 2011 Bistro Award winner for Instrumentalist)
For me, it was always the work. I LOVE the creative process. I love when creative people come together for the common good of creating art. When you go to see a show, the audience should never see the blood, sweat, and tears that go into a show.
Yet there are so many people who make that happen to make that person in the spotlight shine! A cabaret act needs a technical team to create its sound, look, and flow.

"I've learned how special the audience is, the feeling you get from people being right in front of you, becoming part of your act.
They tell you if they are amused or moved by your interpretation and how they perceive you and your personality."
Julie Wilson, The Cabaret Artist's Handbook by Bob Harrington, Edited by Sherry Eaker


Someone wrote to me that Tuesday night's Bistro Awards gave him a wonderful opportunity to see the best of what was being offered in cabaret today and that can be attested to by anyone who was in attendance Tuesday night. The show ran like a well oiled machine.
The BISTRO AWARD was established by Bob Harrington in 1985 in his “Bistro Bits” column in the trade weekly Back Stage, then under the editorship of Sherry Eaker. For the first few years, the awards were merely listed in Harrington’s column as notable performances he had seen during the calendar year. The first formal presentation of the awards was held in 1990 at Eighty Eight’s, a popular cabaret venue in the West Village. From there, the show moved on to The Ballroom in Chelsea, and then relocated to the Supper Club in the Broadway District, where it remained for many years. This year marks the fourth year at Gotham Comedy Club.
When Bob Harrington was alive, he knew more about what some entertainers did than they did.

"Richard, everything was amazing. It was a gorgeous, tight show. The direction was so impressive! I laughed, I cried, I had goosebumps. It was an honor to be part of such a great night! PS The after show dinner was delicious. So are you. xox"
Faye Lane, 2011 Bistro Award winner for Musical Comedy
"Faye Lane's Beauty Shop Stories"
Soho Playhouse
Trying to put together a definition of what cabaret is for a column sometime ago, then Back Stage editor-at-large and frequent boitegoer Sherry Eaker interviewed a number of that year's Bistro Award winners. Their responses were anything but a consensus, which in an all-encompassing way begins to suggest a definition — a loose and perhaps not entirely satisfying one. Cabaret can be anything that takes place in a cabaret room or anything taking place in other, larger rooms where cabaret performers participate. And that's the burden of the reviews that reflect those shows.
One of the members of the Bistro committee is Erv Raible. NYC based director, coach, publicist and consultant. Executive Director / Artistic Director of the International Cabaret Conference at Yale University, and Executive Director of Erv Raible Cabaret & Concert Artists International.
Owned and booked the cabarets and piano bars: The Duplex (1978-84), Brandy’s (1980-85), Don’t Tell Mama (1982-89) and the legendary Eighty Eight’s (1988-99); and through these venues presented over 4000 performers to the public. Co-founded The Manhattan Association of Cabarets & clubs (president for 11 years, produced the first 9 MAC Award shows). Has written book and lyrics for Wallis & Edward: The Love Story of the Twentieth Century? and is co-lyricist for Ship of Fools: The Musical. Is directing and developing Hildegard of Bingen and the Living Light. Is developing a music documentary Silent Voices: Words and Music of the Holocaust, Hate, Hope and the Human Spirit for the Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Also on the committee is Roy Sander. Roy Sander has been covering cabaret and theatre for over twenty years. He's written cabaret and theatre reviews, features, and commentary for seven print publications, most notably Back Stage, and for CitySearch on the Internet. He covered cabaret monthly on "New York Theatre Review" on PBS TV, and cabaret and theatre weekly on WLIM-FM radio. He was twice a guest instructor at the London School of Musical Theatre. He is currently Chairman of the Advisory Board of MAC.

Elizabeth Ahlfors was born, raised and educated in New York (NYU). Her first love was always music, cabaret, and theatre – in the audience, not performing.
She writes for Cabaret Scenes, citycabaret.com, bBistroawards.com, totaltheater.com, and Curtain Up's "Cabaret Nights." She was previously Philadelphia correspondent for theatre.com and InTheatre Magazine and reviewed for the Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia City News, and Spotlight Magazine. She is a member of the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle.

I would venture to say that most people reading this blog have probably experienced, in one way or another, the magic of cabaret, either as a member of the audience or as a performer singing in an intimate venue.(Lua Hadar, pictured)Lua Hadar with her band TWIST debuted their CD at New York's famed Iridium Jazz Club on Broadway, May 10, 2008. The song is George Gershwin's American Songbook classic, "Soon," in an arrangement inspired by Ella Fitzgerald. Jason Martineau, music director, at the piano, with the New York band.Cabaret is a distinctive art that requires a lot of soul-searching, risk-taking, creativity, and honesty.
I would like to help you reach your goals in cabaret. "It is never too late to be who you might have been" --anonymous

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(845) 365-0720
or
richard@richardskipper.com



Beyond the 3 "F"s
How to Build an Audience and Create a Following (The following is from my press release)

RICHARD SKIPPER, critically acclaimed, multi-award winning performer, director, co-producer of the 2010 & 2011 Bistro Awards, career consultant is bringing years of experience to this workshop. The cost of the workshop is $125 for three hours. Please call (845) 365-0720 for more information and to reserve your space Richard's shows continue to be wonderful successes around the country (he recently appeared off-Broadway in Richard Skipper as "Carol Channing" in Concert), and as he continues making his business great, he looks forward to sharing his experience with others.

This workshop will focus on how to get you the attention that you need. Richard's shows have been sell-outs. Other topics will include how to use the internet to your advantage in marketing; how to get your name "out there"; cold calling; creating a contract specific to your needs; how to create a press kit that shows you to your best possible advantage and more! Richard gets a sense of the various levels of each workshop and custom makes, on the spot, a class catering to the needs of the actual group in the room. He will ascertain YOUR agenda prior to the workshop beginning so that each participant will leave with all of their questions answered, so come prepared!

Richard is also available for one-on-one consultations which afford you the personal time with him catering specifically and only to your needs.

On board with Richard is graphic designer, GLEN CHARLOW, who brings over 15 years in the business to the participants of this class and who will discuss the concept of image; how to use the internet effectively and how your website "sells" you even before you pick up the phone. To read more on Glen Charlow please visit: www.gcdtp.com.
Whether your goal is to use cabaret as a launching pad for other artistic opportunities, or simply to experience the pleasures that are unique to cabaret, the information you will receive from these workshops will help you gain a better understanding of the art and the business of cabaret, and will ultimately allow you to arrive at your destination.

For general information on workshops or Career Coaching, please contact Richard Skipper directly at 845-365-0720 or Richard@RichardSkipper.com.

(THE CABARET ARTIST'S HANDBOOK by Bob Harrington, edited by Sherry Eaker was a MAJOR source of this blog)

Tomorrow's blog will be YOU TELL ME...the first three suggestions I receive!

Please contribute to the DR. CAROL CHANNING & HARRY KULLIJIAN FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS: http://www.carolchanning.org/foundation.htm

TILL TOMORROW...HERE'S TO AN ARTS FILLED WEEK!


Richard Skipper, Richard@RichardSkipper.com