When the one stepping on your grave… is you

Today’s New York Times has a review of Raissa Katona Bennett’s act at Feinstein’s.  Here’s a great piece of special material that she does.

New words today, we’ll learn to say…

… Lady Mondegreen.

According to the NYTimes, a Lady Mondegreen is “the term for misheard song lyrics that give rise to new words or meanings.”

Excuse me while I kiss this guy.

Nelson Pressley on the DC cabaret scene

Article from Sunday’s Post by Nelson Pressley on the Signature Sizzlin’ Summer Cabaret festival and his take on the DC scene:

Life is not a cabaret in buttoned-down Washington. Or is it?

The show tune and its close cousins may be making more inroads around town than you’d guess. More than ever, it’s possible to find singers — most of them with theater roots — crooning Broadway tunes or mashing up standards and pop hits in that casual, intimate brand of performance known as cabaret.

Cue dirge …

The NYPost today reports that Feinstein’s at the Regency will be closing in January.  Bummer!

Matt Howe — Burning (Man) It Up

One of the highlights of Matt Howe’s recent shows at Black Fox and Germano’s was Burning Man, a song written for him by Jeff Blumenkrantz at the suggestion of Matt’s husband Dan Adler.  Perfect for these burning days…

The Songs of Bernadette

Playbill.com had a great article incorporating videos-up of various Bernadette Peters performances from her television talk show appearances over the years.  Well worth checking out.  (BTW, I think my favorite is English Girls from Song & Dance).

Dada Gets Reviewed

More than a week after Jane Horowitz saw the show, her review FINALLY appeared in the Post.

As I told the cast last night, except for our deliriously wonderful leading lady, each of the rest of us (depending on our level of ego) can decide where s/he fits into acting reviewed as being “not (of) a uniform level of skill.”

I’m in the show this coming weekend (6/14-17) and will be missing the closing weekend of the DCAC run, and then will be doing the show in the Fringe Festival.

DC Cabaret Network Monday Night

The next DC Cabaret Network Open Mic is on Monday, June 11th.  Sign-up is at 7:30 and the singing starts at 8:00pm.  Jonathan Tuzman will be at the keys.

The Atlas Theater is located at 1333 H St NE, Washington DC.

Ten Great Tips

AuditionTrax is a great service — you send Tom the sheet music and he’ll send you an MP3 of the track. With or without the melody line.

Tom also provides tips from esteemed experts*.  The current one from voice teacher and performance coach Pat Whiteman has several pieces of advice that are great for life, singing or not:

• Stop Singing In Someone Else’s Voice
• Progress, Not Perfection
• Stop Worrying, Excusing, Freaking Out, Controlling
• Show Up
• Experiment
• Let Go
•  Cultivate Your Best Attribute

 Definitely worth a read!

 

Donald Smith Tribute

The cabaret world lost one of its greats earlier this year when Donald Smith passed away.  Smith was one of the great impressarios.  He helped launch the careers of so many top artists like Andrea Marcovicci, KT Sullivan.  And he was responsible for founding the Mabel Mercer Foundation and for launching the Cabaret Convention in New York.  (Those of you who have those great videos of Mercer can see Smith front and center appreciating every moment.)

Playbill has a terrific write-up of a memorial concert for Smith that was recently held at Town Hall.