|
||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
![[Valid RSS]](images/valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed"){kind=small}
|
 |
|
 |
|
| Cabaret March at Julia's a success | |
|
by Milton W. Hamlin -
SGN A&E Writer The Pacific Northwest Cabaret Association took a gigantic risk with its "March Is Cabaret Month" series of five Sunday nights at Julia's On Broadway, and Bits&Bytes is delighted to report that it paid off in the end. Unseasonal weather, strange calendar events, and the rocky economy all caused concerns, but the audience built week by week, ending with a total sell-out for the fifth and last show in the series. Two out-of-town guests for that last show added to the appeal, but PNCA deserves a big round of applause for taking such a big risk with its ambitious series. Last year, PNCA hosted a single cabaret night, while 2009 brought five shows. Who knows what's in store for 2010? Bits&Bytes will let you know. Watch this space. Sunday, March 1, brought opening night to the "March Is Cabaret Month" series. Threats of snow, a general feeling of "Is it March already?" and other uncertainties found an "intimate audience" of cabaret fans collected at Julia's. Just more than a dozen people gathered in Julia's showroom, which PNCA had worked with the owners to make more "audience-friendly." New window curtains, a "must" for early shows, a heavy velvet curtain screening off the noise from the bar area, oversized, freestanding folding screens that can narrow the room on quiet nights - all of these are plus changes at Julia's (and things that will be enjoyed by other artists and other audiences). Four artists were scheduled, but one was felled by the flu that seemed to attack half of Seattle this winter. Arnaldo!, Seattle's "favorite drag chanteuse," served as master of ceremonies (and the unofficial organizer of the PNCA series). A fixture on the Emerald City's cabaret circuit, Arnaldo! welcomed the crowd, suffered some technical problems with the microphone, and finally got the show rolling. His set was "Classic Arnaldo!" - "Peel Me A Grape," "Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered," an Eartha Kitt tribute with "I Wanna Be Evil," Piaf's "If You Love Me," ending with "If You Believe" (from The Wiz) and "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" (the Wizard of Oz classic that always delights). Victor Janusz followed from the keyboard. A welcome mixture of original songs, like "Circus," and songs from Elvis Costello, the Beach Boys, and Phoebe Snow followed. A lovely "When I Fall In Love" was the highlight of his piano/vocal set. Janusz accompanied the other artists in their performances - an added bonus for his fans. Helene Smart took the third slot with an eclectic set that featured Dolly Parton's "Here You Come Again," "Something Stupid," and works by Sondheim, the Beatles and Andrew Lloyd Weber. This was the first time this scribe had heard Smart, and he was delighted to see that she was to be featured again in the third Sunday concert. With one missing artist, the show clocked in at about 45 minutes. A delightful waitperson, Suzanne, was especially attentive and created great vibes for Julia's and the opening of the series. A week later, March 8, found Cheryl Serio and Marcus Wolland in a theme or plotted cabaret show. This night was a return to yesteryear and a tongue-in-cheek tribute to K-Tel Records, the late-night-TV music company that advertised all the greatest hits, often by "cover" artists. These economy packages of "Great Hits, Country Hits, Future Hits" were available on "LP, cassettes or eight-track tapes." Ah, memories, memories. Silly cabaret shows once dominated the cabaret scene in Seattle - think the golden days of Cabaret de Paris or Thumper's - and this K-Tel Tribute was an audience-pleaser from start to finish. Wolland's "Nothing From Nothing" found the popular singer decked out in gold chains and sunglasses. Serio's "Midnight At The Oasis" sent her center stage in a sleek, sophisticated black dress with handkerchief hem - a classic cabaret outfit that looked so good on the effervescent singer. The K-Tel Tribute continued - "The Music You Love at Prices You Can Afford" was the company's omnipresent theme - with "More, More, More (How Do You Like Your Love?)", "Undercover Angel," "Don't Give Up On Us," "We're All Alone," "Southern Nights" (a standout for Wolland - who was looking great for the show), "Here You Come Again," "Island Girl," "On And On," "Moonlight Feels Right" (with Wolland in a spiffy gold shirt), "I Love The Night Life," followed, with Serio now in a short, fringed disco classic, with the evening ending with "I've Got The Music In Me." Daryl Spadaccini provided keyboard support to the silly trip down memory lane, a kaleidoscopic whirl of a 1970s jukebox. Although both singers took alternate solos, they ended up sharing many songs. Talking with Serio (one of this author's favorite Seattle performers) after the show, she noted that she and Wolland would love to polish the show and find a place for a longer run. Watch this space. The K-Tel Tribute was undoubtedly one of the audience favorites in the series. As the only themed show, the nostalgia-filled night was a natural for the cheering audience, which seemed to all be old enough to remember the original silly hits. Audience attendance swelled to about 40, a remarkable increase. Running time - about 45 fun-filled minutes. Suzanne was back to keep things running smoothly. March 15 found Seattle in a snow alert. Heavy snow at the passes prevented an Ellensburg-based artist from traveling to Seattle. Cheryl Serio, who was sick the first week and who headlined the second, filled in, reprising several of her highlights from the K-Tel evening the week before. Helene Smart returned with a much more confident outing. With songs from Sondheim, the Eagles, rare Harold Arlen, a delightful outing with "The Warthog" from the virtually forgotten New York and London hit revue, At The Drop Of A Hat. Smart's wise vocal choices spotlighted her edgy, contemporary choices. "Cabaret," she told the appreciative audience, "allows you to take the song out of context." Personally, Bits&Bytes can't wait to hear her in a full evening of cabaret. After all, how often do you hear an Eagles tune in a classic cabaret show? A wistful "I Don't Want to Live On The Moon" ended the well-received set. Attendance continued to grow, Suzanne worked her magic again, even snow didn't spoil the evening. March 22 found things running smoothly. Arnaldo! returned to host and sing. Victor Janusz added sophisticated charm to his own set, ending with a poignant "For All We Know." A welcome intermission was added to the format, allowing the audience to mix and mingle mid-way through the evening (and stretching the night into a "better value" for the $15 cover charge). Joanne Klein, "a pistol," as she was described, was the new cabaret star this evening. Her Act Two set was a highlight of the series. (Klein, it must be admitted, is a favorite of this writer and, of course, she can do no wrong.) "World Of Your Imagination," a Klein classic, opened the set, with a whimsical "If I Had A Ribbon Bow" following. "Everything I've Got Belongs To You" gave Klein a chance to swing - and to belt a bit. "You Can Always Count On Me," a comic delight, came next. A hushed "Sophisticated Lady" showed Klein's wide range of first-rate delivery. A jazz favorite, "They Always Shoot The Eight Ball Last," was another highlight. Kurt Weill's "Pirate Jenny" and "Make The Most Of Yourself" ended the evening. Thus far, March 22 was the best of the series. Attendance continued to grow, a near sell-out, Lorissa took over the waitstaff spot, and Julia's "value meal" of the evening, a meatloaf sandwich at $7.99, was delicious. A total sold-out crowd greeted the March 29, fifth Sunday of March Is Cabaret Month. Two out-of-town guests - one from San Francisco, one from Palm Springs - flew in just for the finale. (Artists cover their own travel, personal and music costs and simply split the cover charge - a trek from either city is a major show of support to cabaret in general and especially to the PNWCabaret Association. Good going, gang.) With Daryl Spadaccini at the keyboard, Arnaldo! returned (in a glamorous form-fitting black sheath with tiny spaghetti straps) to host and to sing. Larry Lazzaro, fighting a cold, made his Seattle debut with Act One. A swinging "This Could Be The Start Of Something Big" opened his set. And, as the title forecast, it was. The tongue-in-cheek "Garbage (You Called Me Garbage)" showed Lazzaro's comic side. An openly Gay man, a self-proclaimed "hopeful, hopeless romantic," the former New Yorker now makes his home in Palm Spring. He sings as a Gay man, changing pronouns as necessary (as in his confident "He Loves Me" that started life as the title song to Broadway cult classic, She Loves Me) and working with touching, Gay-themed material, such as the intensity of "What More Can I Say," from the Gay-themed Falsettos. A rousing outing with The Music Man's "Trouble" was a comic highlight of the evening, turning the pool hall of River City into a Starbucks' warning. Gay composer Stephen Sondheim's "Everybody Says Don't" was a wonderful ending to his set. Lazzaro, coming out of a year of personal problems, delivered big time, a triumph of delivery at times, but a triumph of showmanship. Intermission followed - a wonderful time to divide the two guest artists. The total sold-out crowd appreciated a chance to stretch, get another drink. San Francisco's Linda Kosut ended the evening and ended the series - a terrific finale for all concerned. (Kosut is another "bestest buddy" of this writer - be forewarned.) Great diction, great delivery nailed her opening "Kicks," which quickly won the audience over. Looking very cabaret-ish in a glorious black dress - velvet, lace inserts - and her cascading mane of dark auburn hair, Kosut took total control of the stage and never let go. Next came two numbers from her award-winning CD tribute to Oscar Brown, Jr. ("A Jewish, New York woman singing the works of a black jazz great was just too much for the judges!") "Hazel's Hips," Brown's memory of a sexy waitress at a local diner, showcased every level of Kosut's winning delivery. "The Snake," probably Brown's best-known cult classic, is cabaret perfection. The allegorical tale of the appeal of the bad guy, "The Snake" was an out-and-out highlight of the whole series. Later, Kosut sang the classic "'Round Midnight" using Brown's unauthorized lyrics - a cabaret rarity that brought class to Seattle. After some welcome personal ramblings ("raising chickens in San Francisco"), Kosut swung into "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens," another vocal highlight. Dave Frishberg's "Bruce," a drag queen send-up, delighted the crowd with Kosut's deadpanned delivery. A charming, thoroughly on-target "Give Me A Kiss to Build A Dream On" ended Kosut's set on a high note. (A planned "Birth of The Blues" encore "seemed redundant," the smiling Kosut noted after the show.) All in all, a terrific set, a terrific Seattle debut, a terrific March Is Cabaret Month ending. Kosut appears regularly in San Francisco and throughout the Bay Area. She will appear at The Iridium Jazz Club in New York, in the theater district, on Sunday, May 17. Check out her schedule at info@lindakosut.com. |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 post your own information onthe Seattle Gay Blog |
 |
||||||
 |
||||||
 |
||||||
|
||||||
: http://sgn.org/rss.xml | what is RSS? | 
use Google to set up your RSS feed
copyright Seattle Gay News - DigitalTeamWorks 2009
USA Gay News American News American Gay News USA American Gay News United States American Lesbian News USA American Lesbian News United States USA News