WORK IN PROGRESS - SLIDE SHOW

I went on a "Spring Flower" hunt this afternoon - sort of a cold, dull day but I needed to get back in touch with nature as bast a city-dweller can. At the top of the column to the right is the result of an hour stroll - mostly taken at a little neighborhood park one black away from my apartment house. This is my first attempt to include a slide show in the blog and it all needs some adjusting.

NYC: MAC AWARDS NOMINATION ANNOUNCEMENT EVENT APRIL 6th

The official final-ballot nominees for the 2009 MAC Awards will be announced at a press conference on Monday, April 6th at 1:00 pm at THE BARNES & NOBLE BOOKSTORE (66th Street and Broadway, NYC). Members of the MAC BOD and several Broadway and cabaret stars will reveal the nominees for the 2009 MAC Awards. This event is free and open to the public.

NYC: ALGONQUIN SALON THIS SUNDAY: CLASSICALLY CLASSY!

Mark Janas' Algonquin Salon usually takes place on Sunday nights from 7:00 to 10:00 pm in the lobby of THE ALGONQUIN HOTEL (59 West 44th Street, NYC - 212-419-9331 ). The Salon is a weekly event in which singers, writers and musicians share their talent with each other and audience members in the lobby of the Algonquin Hotel, an informal, yet elegant setting with a grand tradition of artists gathering to socialize. There is no cover and no minimum. Salon Secretary Peter Napolitano reports that on Sunday, April 5th, the special co-host will be opera singer Jodi Keogan and the theme is "CLASSICALLY CLASSY!". The spotlight will be on material considered to be a classic, i.e. something which has stood the test of time or seems destined to. Original material inspired by a classic is also welcome! Remember, any material, on or off-theme, is always welcome at the Algonquin Salon.

ON RADIO: "EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW": PHILLIP OFFICER

CABARET ON THE RADIO - TV - WEB
---------------
On Sunday, April 5th, EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN, on the Radio over WBAI 99.5 FM and on the Internet at http://www.2600.com/offthehook/hot2.ram, usually heard from 9:00 to 11:00 pm and hosted by David Kenney, feature the music of Phillip Officer. Some of the songs from his career that you will hear: "Look To The Rainbow"; John Bucchino's "That Smile"; "Everybody's Got A Home But Me" (Richard Rodgers / Oscar Hammerstein II); "Once In A Blue Moon" and "Skylark". David will also conduct an In-Studio Interview with Hilary Kole prior to her performance on April 6th at Dizzy's Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center - NYC. Each week David presents the usual blend of big-band jazz, swing, standards, showtunes, contemporary cabaret and celebrity interviews plus MEGA-MEDLEY MADNESS. For more information contact: oldisnew@earthlink.net. You are also invited to e-mail your comments and suggestions for future shows. You can listen to past shows at any time by going to the WBAI Archives.

EVERY DAY, IN EVERY WAY, I TRY TO MAKE IT BETTER AND BETTER

I keep trying to find ways to make the website and the newsletter better and better. I try new things, change old things, test other things - all to serve the readers and website visitors as best I can.

Of course, this is a solo project right now - I can't afford to hire writers, and it isn't fair to ask writers to work for free. Good writers should be paid for their work. So 100% of what you read in the newsletters and on the website is mine. I admit, there is a physical limit to what I can do. But just the same, I am adding some new sections.

Starting this weekend we are adding four new threads: FEATURED EVENT - FEATURED BENEFIT - FEATURED CD - FEATURED REVIEW. I might not get all four up by Monday, but I'm sure going to try. Items in each section will change at least weekly, with published items "archived."

FEATURED EVENT will be the type of item that would have appeared in the newsletter under TODAY'S TOP STORY (something we have dropped for space considerations). FEATURED BENEFIT will focus in greater detail on an upcoming cabaret-stye benefit show. FEATURED CD might be a review, but also might announce a new CD release, or an article about a particular favorite CD of mine from the past. And the FEATURED REVIEW will be a review of a show recently seen (I have a few dozen in backlog so this might start out with a "medley" of reviews).

Suggestions - comments - ideas - all are welcome.

ANOTHER FREE SERVICE OF CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE

It's safe to go back to the message board. We haven't been "hacked" since the first of the year. I hope you will take advantage of this special free service open to all - just click on the button marked MESSAGE BOARD at the top of each page on the website and "post away". I am still monitoring the board so it might take anywhere from 15 minutes to a few hours (if I am away from my computer) for your item to appear. Of course, I ask that you use your real name when posting - we no longer permit "trash & run" postings - if you have something to say, say it, but also accept responsibility for saying it.

ALGONQUIN CLOSING? update 04/03/09

Regarding the item by Cindy Adams in Thursday's N.Y.POST about THE OAK ROOM AT THE ALGONQUIN, and mentioned in yesterday's newsletter and posted below, booking manager Barbara McGurn responded to my inquiry that the Algonquin's "PR firm is unable to secure source of item from Cindy's office." Stay tuned.

GREAT SHOWS GIVING DISCOUNTS TO MEMBERS NEXT 10 DAYS

---------------
NYC: LUCIO FERNANDEZ' "THE CUBAN KID IN CONCERT" RETURNS
MEMBER DISCOUNT: $5 OFF THE COVER
---------------
Lucio Fernandez, nominated for a 2008 MAC Award for his performance in the show "The Cuban Kid in Concert", and winner of both the ITRA Award and Premio ARTE Award, will return to DON'T TELL MAMA (343 West 46th Street, NYC - 212-757-0788 - ) on Saturday, April 4th at 8:00 pm. Lucio will be accompanied by his five piece band, performing Broadway tunes, a few Latin standards as well as some of the poetry from his new CD. The show centers around Lucio's life story of being born in Cuba, his experiences growing up in "Jersey", and becoming a City Commissioner. The show is written by Gerard Karabin and Lucio Fernandez, musical arrangements & direction by Mark Goodman, and directed by Megan Fernandez. In his act, "The Cuban Kid" in Concert, he discusses the challenges of being an artist while serving as a "politician". He jokes about being a Cuban-American singing Broadway tunes, and of being an artist in the world of "machismo". There is a $10 cover plus a 2-drink minimum. $5 cover for members of CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE.
---------------
NYC: SHAYNEE RAINBOLT SINGS RUSSELL GARCIA
MEMBER DISCOUNT: 2-FOR-1 COVER
---------------
MAC Award wining singer Shaynee Rainbolt and her Four Trombone Band sing the songs of Russel Garcia at THE METROPOLITAN ROOM (34 West 22nd Street, NYC - 212-206-0440 - ) on Saturday, April 4th at 5:00 pm and Thursday, May 7th at 9:45 pm. Shaynee and the band, featuring Barry Levitt (piano) Tom Hubbard (bass) Ray Marchica (drums) and the FOUR TROMBONES (John Allred, Nate Mayland, Isrea Buttler & George Flynn) will be presenting Russ Garcia's music - originals as well as some favorite standards, all arranged by Garcia for Shaynee. Recently Shaynee Rainbolt went into the studio with this legendary composer/arranger to create the first-ever vocal album of Russ Garcia originals. Whether Russell Garcia was composing film scores In Hollywood (The Time Machine, Atlantis the Lost Continent, Charlie Chaplin's Limelight etc.), arranging for Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Anita O'Day, Julie London, Blossom Dearie, Mel Torme, or Frances Faye (to name just a few) or composing ground-breaking modern symphonic Jazz for Stan Kenton in the 50s, it is undisputed that Garcia's musical contributions created the template by which so much of our modern movie music, big band and pop-jazz have sprung. Garcia literally wrote the book on arranging that musicians around the world have relied on since the 40's, and he continues to write, teach and perform today at the tender age of 92. There is a $20 cover plus a 2-drink minimum. 2-for-1 cover for members of CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE.
---------------
NYC: LAURIE KRAUZ' TAPESTRY REWOVEN AT THE IRIDIUM
MEMBER DISCOUNT $10 OFF THE COVER
---------------
ScoBar Entertainment presents Laurie Krauz & The Daryl Kojak Octet and their show "Tapestry Rewoven," a jazz re-imagining of the Carole King classic, to the IRIDIUM JAZZ CLUB (1650 Broadway, NYC - 212-582-2121 ) the first Tuesday of every month. Next performances is April 7th. Joining Laurie and Daryl on stage will be Sean Conly on bass, Gene Lewin on drums, Jamie Fox on guitar, Sue Terry on sax & flute and Emily Bindiger, Margaret Dorn, and Kathryn Raio on backup vocals. There is a $25 cover plus a $10 minimum. $15 cover for members of CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE.
---------------
NYC: STEARNS MATTHEWS REPRISES DEBUT SHOW AT DON'T TELL MAMA
MEMBER DISCOUNT: $3 OFF THE COVER
---------------
Cabaret newcomer Stearns Matthews returns to DON'T TELL MAMA (343 West 46th Street, NYC - 212-757-0788 - ) with his acclaimed November 2008 cabaret debut show "I Was Here" on Saturday, April 11th and and Wednesday, April 15th, both shows at 7:30 pm. Stearns placed as the first runner-up in last year's METROSTAR competition, and recently appeared in METROSTAR winner Anne Steele's "Strings Attached" show at that club in February. Stearns is a graduate of the Music Theater program at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. With musical and stage direction by MAC Award winners Steven Ray Watkins and Lennie Watts, the song list includes "I Was Here" by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, "Better "by Ed Kleban, "When it Happens to You" by Jule Styne, and "Love Song For No One" by John Mayer, as well as rarely heard older songs such as "Chlo-e" (Song of the Swamp) by Gus Kahn and Neil Moret. There is a $10 cover plus a 2-drink minimum. $7 cover for members of CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE.
---------------
NYC: PATTI WICKS IN WEEKLONG RUN AT METROPOLITAN ROOM
MEMBER DISCOUNT: $5 OFF THE COVER
---------------
Patti Wicks, jazz pianist/vocalist, along with bassist Linc Milliman, will be at the THE METROPOLITAN ROOM (34 West 22nd Street, NYC - 212-206-0440 - ) from Tuesday through Saturday, April 7th through 11th. Showtimes are Tuesday at 7:00 pm, Wednesday & Thursday at 7:30 pm, and Friday & Saturday at 9:45 pm. There theme of the show is "Songs of Love and April." There will be a $20 cover plus a 2-drink minimum. $15 cover for members of CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE.

N.J.AREA: "THE CABARET NIGHTS AT McLOONE'S" RETURNS

Bob Egan Entertainment proudly presents the Jersey Shore's hottest new performance venue TIM McLOONE'S SUPPER CLUB (1200 Ocean Avenue, Asbury Park, NJ - 732-774-1400 - ) and "The Cabaret Nights at McLoone's" on Thursday, April 2nd at 8:00 pm. It's Bob Egan's BIG Variety Showcase Night and this week's "All-Star" Cast features Eddie Bruce, Tom Adams, Lisa Sherman, William Vosseler and Cat Faulkner. There is no cover charge - reservations recommended.

SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM SPAM

According to the NY TIMES, 94% of all e-mail is spam! I truly believe this. My spam filer tosses out over 960 e-mails a day - and then puts another 300 "maybe spam" e-mails in my JUNK MAIL box for me to check. And my own filter "flags" another 20 or so e-mails from folks not currently in my address book, about 80% of which are also spam. UGH!

WEBSITE RESTRUCTURING

Starting this weekend, we are going to revise the website with four new weekly (more often, when possible) items: Featured Cabaret Show, Featured Cabaret Review, Featured Cabaret CD and Featured Cabaret Benefit. The event items will appear in synopsis on the Home Page (with the synopsis also appearing in the DATEBOOK/DIARY listings by date) and in full on four special pages on the website - one for each title. Of course, this is dependent on receiving enough press releases (and complete press releases - A FLIER IS NOT A PRESS RELEASE), and my getting to enough shows to review. But I have a backlog now of about a dozen reviews to start with. Stay tuned.

ALGONQUIN CLOSING? APRIL FOOL PRANK?

Up until a few years back we sent out a special (but stealth) APRIL FOOLS DAY ISSUE on CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE on or around April 1st each year, with lots of faked news releases - some of which actually later turned out to occur. We had one fake release about a church one block from DON'T TELL MAMA, THE FIREBIRD CAFE, and DANNY'S (that's how long ago it was) that was converting to a cabaret space - and low and behold, a few months later ST. CLEMENTS THEATER (423 West 46th Street, NYC) began presenting cabaret shows, most notably shows by Caroline Montgomery! Then, when I had the operation on my knee on March 30th, 4 years ago, I sort of wasn't in the mood (and just a bit too groggy) to produce a special issue - and never resumed the practice.

I am wondering if Cindy Adams was the object of an April fools prank with her very short one phrase item in today's N.Y.POST that the Algonquin Hotel's OAK ROOM Cabaret would be closing. One of my "sources" was put "on the case" to see of there was any element of truth in the rumor, and the answer from booking manager Barbara McGurn was that she had no knowledge of such an event. I sent a request for an "official" statement to Ms.McGurn for inclusion in the next issue but it was not received by press time.

Such rumors are often self-fulfilling - staff members read the item, and morale drops, folks begin to look for new jobs elsewhere and the venue loses a lot of its glamor and cache. I even had a difficult problem deciding whether or not to write about this particular item - its from Cindy Adams, it was in the N.Y. POST - but everyone gets "pranked" from time to time. Stay tuned.

NYC: SETH'S CHATTERBOX: JO SULLIVAN LOESSER GUEST

FEATURED CABARET BENEFIT EVENT

Seth Rudetsky's BROADWAY CHATTERBOX at DON'T TELL MAMA (343 West 46th Street, NYC - 212-757-0788 - ) is usually presented on Thursdays at 6:00 pm.On Thursday, April 2nd, Seth's guest is Jo Sullivan Loesser, who became one of the musical theatre's most radiant stars with her legendary performances as Rosabella in the landmark Frank Loesser Broadway musical, The Most Happy Fella, and as Polly opposite Lotte Lenya in the long-running, classic New York production of The Threepenny Opera. Seth's weekly interview show always features stars, soon-to-be stars and folks behind the scenes of the musical theater stage - for just a $10 cover - 2-drink minimum. Best of all, all proceeds from the cover go to BROADWAY CARES/EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS!

NYC: BRANDON CUTRELL & COHORTS: BENEFIT FOR AUTISM AWARENESS

FEATURED CABARET BENEFIT EVENT

The After Party's own and 2009 Nightlife Award winner, Brandon Cutrell, takes to the THE WEST BANK CAFE/LAURIE BEECHMAN THEATER (407 West 42nd Street, NYC - 212-695-6909 - ) stage with his new show, BRANDON CUTRELL & COHORTS: A Cabaret Showcase on Thursday nights, April 2nd & 9th at 9:30 pm. Brandon Cutrell & Co-Horts will feature five individuals, each of whom will present a fifteen minute, three song set. From original works to contemporary musical theatre to standards from the Great American Songbook, this show will provide audience members with the opportunity to meet some of New York's youngest, but most promising up-and-coming talent. Performers scheduled for April 2nd include Bradley O'Bryan Hawks, Rachel James, Rachel Potter, Erik Sisco and Jason Zammit with a special guest appearance by Katie Thompson. Thursday, April 2nd is WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY. A portion of all tickets sold at the door will go to Autism Speaks. Donations will also be accepted. There is a $20 cover plus a $15 food/drink minimum.

TERESE TONIGHT AT IRIDIUM

New York City welcomes its newest performer in residence, Terese Genecco, tonight at THE IRIDIUM with sets at 8:00 & 10:00 pm. This is the first of an open ended run, the last Tuesday of every month. Welcome to NYC (although Terese is no stranger here, having already been awarded Bistro and MAC awards over the past few years)!

Where in the world is Marnie Baumer?

In a few weeks Marnie will be all over the UK - Marnie found out this past week that she will be playing the role of "Mrs. Potts" in the first UK National Tour of Disney's "Beauty & The Beast." She writes that it is a huge and beautiful production and best of all, she gets to sing the most famous song from the show as her solo "Beauty & The Beast" or known to some as "Tale As Old As Time...". She will be touring from May 2009 through January 2010 and traveling all over England, Scotland and Wales. Is this the part where the performer has to keep one arm up all the time while on stage?

I'VE BEEN TO A MARVELOUS PARTY!

I was at a fabulous, mood-lifting show Sunday (and it had to be a really special show to get me out of the house on my "day of rest") namely Cynthia Crane's show at 4:00 pm at THE METROPOLITAN ROOM. I know, I've raved about this cleverly funny show before, but this performance topped them all. It was the last show of this run, and it was also Cynthia's birthday. Best of all, and most thrilling of all, was that the room was packed! And everyone had to leave their recession blues at the door on the way in. By the way, if you are only as old as you feel, then Cynthia turned 27 yesterday - Congratulations! Brava!

Spotted in the audience were such cabaret luminaries as Ed Doyle, Audrey Lavine, Phil Bond, Karen Oberlin, Shaynee Rainbolt, Barbara and Peter Leavy, Jonathan Whitton, Miles Phillips, Terese Genecco, Stephanie Cheek, Kevin McMullan and more! The show was recorded for a possible CD.

My favorite line of the show - when Cynthia described herself as a "saloon singer" was this one: "When times get tough, a caffe latte is no going to do it!" Favorite song in the show? "City of New Orleans" (I'm an old train buff). Paul Greenwood's arrangement was spot-on!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CYNTHIA CRANE!

See you at your show this afternoon, Sunday, March 29th at THE METROPOLITAN ROOM (34 West 22nd Street, NYC - 212-206-0440 - http://www.metropolitanroom.com/ ) at 4:00 pm!