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Bits & Bytes

Vikki Carr triumphs at Skagit, McPartland delights at Jazz Alley, Thumper's plans month of cabaret
by Milton W. Hamlin - SGN A&E Writer As the Emerald City gears up for Bumbershoot weekend madness and the traditional Labor Day entertainment outings, local entertainment fans are looking forward to exciting new events on area stages and screens. Bits&Bytes, of course, is excited by upcoming events and happy to take a look at recent offerings. Read on: VIKKI CARR TRIUMPHS AT SKAGIT CASINO Three-time Grammy Award winner Vikki Carr triumphed in two sold-out shows at The Skagit, the Skagit Valley Casino Resort just one hour north of Seattle. Restarting her U.S. career, Carr has been a million seller recording artist in Mexico-and Australia-since her career highs of the late 1960s and '70s in the states. "Everyone wondered where I went-just across the border." Born of Mexican heritage, Carr delighted the diverse crowd her tales of her early career. "My agent told me to tell reporters I was Spanish-it was more sophisticated than 'Mexican'." Then my father, proud of his Mexican heritage, sat me down-as only Hispanic fathers can-and had a talk with me. I've been 'Mexican" ever since," she laughed. Carr entered the Casino's Pacific Showroom in a whirl of figure-flattering black velvet and flowing chiffon-plus about 200 pounds of rhinestones trimming the floor-length dress. The Showroom is flat-floored-like many casino spots it does double duty at other times-but the stage is elevated and sight-lines are fine. Her mix of retro 60s and 70s hits and newer Mexican recordings delighted the crowd-many seniors with valued LPs clutched in their grip, hopefully to be signed by their vocal favorite, younger audience members drawn to the headliner's comeback career, Hispanic audiences eager to hear "their Vikki." Her most recent Mexican smash, "So What," delighted the crowd with its Spanish lyrics-dealing with a break-up, the singer notes, "I lived before you, I'll live after you. "You Never Shed A Tear" was another Mexican million seller. Saluting her first CD, "big band stuff," Carr tore into "Bye, Bye Blackbird" with an obvious delight. "We all have more fun with the great old songs," she smiled. She was right. "Anyone Who Ever Had A Heart" broke up the crowd. "There Is A Rose In Spanish Harlem" showcased Carr and her six band members, including her drummer who went wild with a Conga drum solo. Talking about show business, Carr sang "Adios, Amor," one of her best numbers. "A major Mexican composer wrote it for me. Then he liked it so much he recorded it and had the million selling hit version. That's show biz&" she laughed. Mentioning her long career-"48 years of being an overnight success"-she went into "It Must Be Him," which won three Grammy Awards. Years rolled away as the older members of the cheering crowd remembered when "we were all young," as Carr tactfully noted. Noting a series of "disastrous marriages," Carr is now married to "a man who was my friend for 30 years." The crowd was delighted. "One day we just fell in love." It was her husband, "an older man," who encouraged Carr to return to singing in the U.S. He was right-she is a major talent who has been missed. Now touring "on the casino circuit," Carr recently appeared at the fabled Hollywood Bowl for a sold out event. It was great to see the singing legend-"at last" for this scribe-and watch as she rebuilds her stateside career. Like many casino showrooms, The Skagit hosts at least one major headliner a month. The Men Of Las Vegas check in Oct. 8 for two shows, 4 and 8 p.m. A Chippendales-styled dance revue, the show has obvious appeal for many SGN readers. Debbie Reynolds, now a major star of the "casino circuit," arrives Oct. 15 for two sold out shows. The Lettermen bring their hits and their Christmas Show to the Skagit Dec. 3 and 4 for three shows. The Skagit offers concert tickets to each event as well as hotel packages that include overnight accommodations, dinner, the show, and special "gaming fun packs." Check it out. Details at (888)-724-1640. Yea, go ahead and tell 'em Bits&Bytes told you to call. MARIAN McPARTLAND SCORES AT JAZZ ALLEY Seattle's Jazz Alley, one of the country's most sophisticated jazz clubs, was the place to be when piano legend Marian McPartland packed the club for her opening night in mid-August. The sold out crowd ended the evening with a heartfelt standing ovation for the 88 year old performer-still going strong, still a musical legend. McPartland-looking great at 88-delighted jazz fans of all ages with her diverse programming. She started the evening with "Take The A Train," featured some Monk, Coleman and Bill Evans before moving into songs from The Great American Songbook. Jerome Kern's "All The Things You Are" started with McPartland's elegant piano solo with Mozart-like variations before her bass and percussionist joined for the second chorus. Reminiscing about her long marriage to jazz legend Jimmy McPartland, she segued into "Singing The Blues." "Jimmy taught it to me," she shyly told the capacity crowd. And she played it for us. "Stella By Starlight" followed and then the Gershwins' "Lady Be Good." She treated the appreciative crowd to "one of my tunes," the rarely heard "In The Days Of Our Love," which has lyrics by Peggy Lee and receives "a couple of pages" in the new Lee biography," McPartland confided to the crowd. "Cleo Laine has a great recording of it-go buy it," McPartland laughed. "Where Or When" and "I'm Old Fashioned" ended the evening with "Close Your Eyes" taking the encore spot. One of the highlights of the evening was the diverse ages represented in the turn-away crowd-one friend at Bits&Bytes' table has seen McPartland in Washington, D.C, in 1951. McPartland celebrated her 85th birthday three years ago with a double disc Concord recording, 85 Candles, with guest appearances from today's top headliners in jazz, including Karrin Allyson (see below). The CD has not left my turntable since then. Check it out. KARRIN ALLYSON ARRIVES SEPT. 12 AT JAZZ ALLEY Karrin Allyson, one of the country's top jazz vocalists, returns to Jazz Alley for a Sept. 12-17 stay. She is touring behind her new Concord CD, Footprints, her 10th release for the important jazz label. Vocalist Nancy King joins Allyson and her quartet on Friday and Saturday nights. Allyson-"a sultry jazz vocalist"-is a terrific talent, and Seattle fans will delight in her Jazz Alley return. Reservations and full details at 441-9729. Speaking of reservations, Jazz Alley reports near capacity for the Manhattan Transfer visit in late September. The popular jazz club is taking no more dinner reservations for weekend shows-the kitchen has reached capacity for key performances. Call today for details and reservations-441-9729. JAZZ ALLEY HOSTS FREE SISTER CITY JAZZ CONCERT Jazz Alley hosts the 7th Sister City Jazz Day with "vocal queen" Mami on Monday, Sept. 11. The concert is free-as in free, a word not normally used in the world of the smart, stylish club. Mami Nishida, the 2006 Vocal Jazz Queen from Kobe, Japan, appears with Seattle's Bill Anschell Trio. The free concert is sponsored by the Seattle/Kobe Sister City Association. During its seven year history, the free concert has drawn a diverse crowd and given budget-minded music fans a chance to visit Jazz Alley for free. Bits&Bytes has always enjoyed the evening-and bets you will, too. No reservations are needed-door open about 6 p.m. with the concert following at 7:30 p.m. THUMPER'S HOSTS MONTH OF CABARET Thumper's Cabaret On The Hill series, featured in last week's Sunday Seattle Times' article on hot Emerald City cabaret spots, is hosting a full month of cabaret shows almost every night during September. GAY VERSION OF SONG & DANCE OPENS THURSDAY A special male version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Tell Me On A Sunday, opens this Thursday, Sept. 7, and continues Thursdays and Sundays through the month. Tell Me On A Sunday is actually Act One of Webber's award winning Song & Dance, a London and New York smash-Bernadette Peters won a Tony for her Broadway appearance in the solo first part. The original show featured a song cycle as the "Song" part of the evening-a heartbreaking series of songs about a failed relationship. The single character asks that the inevitable breakup be on a Sunday-a quiet day in her schedule. (The "Dance" section of the two-part evening found the theater half-empty in London and New York, and the sequence is usually dropped in Song And Dance revivals. One of the lyrics includes "Don't give me that old song and dance&." and, thus, technically fulfills the original title, if not the concept.) In Seattle's GayDar Production, Jacob Mahoney takes the solo role and, by implication, the relationship takes on a male-to-male element. Rick Anderson directs with musical direction by Mikel Poulsen. Reservations at 328-3800. FREAK SHOW! PLAYS WEEKENDS Freak Show! An Off-Beat Cabaret opens next Friday evening, Sept. 8, at Thumper's and continues Friday and Saturday performances through Sept. 23. Cheryl Serio and Marcus Wolland team for the two-character cabaret that features music of Queen, The Beatles, Rufus Wainwright, Elvis Costello "and more." Characters in this Freak Show! Include Lionel and Louisa, "the fabled half-man, half-woman." The "sophisticated siren," Countess Lucretia Crustacea, also plans a visit. Watch, too, for the Queen Of the Jungle and Chicken Girl. This evening "of freakish fun" explores "the ups-and-downs, the ins-and-outs of side show life." Sounds like great, silly fun. (Full disclosure: Cheryl Serio is one of Bits&Bytes' favorite Seattle performers-and can, simply, do no wrong.) Check it out. Reservations at 328-3800. RUBY BISHOP CONTINUES FREE PIANO MONDAYS Ruby Bishop, a rare performer who deserves the "Seattle Legend" title, is still going strong in her 80s and still packing the house on Monday nights at Thumper's free cabaret/open mic/sing along event. Bishop usually starts with an appreciative but intimate crowd at 8 p.m. Miraculously, the audience increases about 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. often find a nearly full house-one of the rare Monday night events that actually draws a late night crowd. One of Thumper's waiters actually asks to work on Monday. "Ruby is so great," the young man told Bits&Bytes, "and the crowd is so much fun. It's my favorite night to work." ARNALDO! RETURNS WITH REVIVAL OF BEWITCHING HOUR Arnaldo!-Seattle's "favorite drag chanteuse"-returns to Thumper's in late September for a revival of last year's The Bewitching Hour, originally a Halloween season cabaret but now playing late September into October Details were not fully developed at press time, but Emerald City fans of the talented singer (female impersonator is not the right term, he often uses the "gender illusionist" phrase) should plan on the revival of the popular show. Arnaldo sings in his own terrific voice and is at his best with the sexy upbeat Eartha Kitt, and her ilk, stylings. Check with Thumper's next week for full details, show times and (most importantly) reservations-328-3800. INTIMAN OFFERS GONE WITH WIND & PEANUT ALERT In getting ready for the September opening of Moonlight And Magnolias, the off-Broadway hit about the goings on behind the scenes during the filming of Hollywood's Gone With The Wind, Intiman Theatre has several special events planned-plus an allergy-to-peanuts alert. Intiman's popular Spotlight Supper for Moonlight And Magnolias is planned for next Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 6 p.m. at the theater at the Seattle Center. This behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming production is free to the public. Dinner is on-your-own-many use Gretchen's (which delivers) but patrons are welcome to bring their own supper. A special screening of Hollywood's classic Gone With The Wind is offered on Monday, Sept. 18, at 6:30 p.m. at the theater. Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children. It's the perfect way to prepare for the upcoming stage production. Full details on Intiman's 2007 season will be mailed to subscribers today. The box office will be open tomorrow and Sunday for telephone renewals. Watch for a listing of 2007 plays in an upcoming Bits&Bytes. As part of the production of Moonlight And Magnolias, a large quantity of peanuts and peanut shells will be scattered across the stage. Patrons with peanut allergies are asked to call the box office and request seats away from the front of the stage. Only in Seattle&. Details on all Intiman events are available at the ticket office-269-1900.