A special event at Germano’s Monday night…

An Evening “In the Heights” with Rayanne Gonzales and Friends
        Monday, Mar 1, 2010 at 7:30 pm — Doors open at 6pm for pre-show dining
Join Rayanne Gonzales and fellow “In the Heights” cast members for a fabulous evening of cabaret, accompanied by Musical Director James Fitzpatrick on piano.

$10 cover.  Proceeds of the show will be donated to Broadway Cares: Equity Fights Aids.  

Performers:

        Rayanne Gonzales
        James Fitzpatrick

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Justin Ritchie at the Metropolitan Room

You know you’re at the right place in the cabaret world when you look up and see Julie Wilson there.  Last Saturday, at 5:00, that place was the Metropolitan Room for Justin Ritchie’s show, On My Way Here.

Justin presented a terrific variety of material, beautifully sung and emotionally expressed.  (Don’t take my word for it, see Jenna Esposito’s review in Broadway World.) 

Having seen an earlier iteration of the show, it was really nice to see how well Justin had settled into the material.  Favorite moments for me were the way he made the intro of the song But Beautiful really work, and the humor he got out of He Never Did That Before.  And he was endearing and spontaneous while accompanying himself on Mrs. Whitney.  Needless to say, for the rest of the show, Rick Jensen provided his typically wonderful and inventive music direction.

It was also great to see the contingent of people from DC who made the trip to see Justin including Mary Reilly, Lonny Smith, Maris Wicker, and Chris Cochran; plus Jill Leger made the trip down from Toronto.  So a lovely, lovely way to spend an afternoon !

Goldrich & Heisler Songbook, Volume 2

Good news in cabaretland!  That lovely, witty writing team of Zina Goldrich and Marcie Heisler have published a second volume of songs including The Alto’s Lament • Amazing (What a Little Faith Can Do) • Branches of God • Compromise • Gabriel’s List • I Always Try • I Believe in You • Los Pinguinos (presented in both male and female keys) • The Things I Know of Love • This Lonely Road • A Thousand Stars • True Believer

The return of the Wendy…

DC Cabaret Network founder emertita, Wendy Lane Bailey, returns to DC Monday night (3/1), bringing her show to Blues Alley.

The evening not only features what is sure to be a great line-up of material by Wendy, but an appearance by Laurel Masse (founding member of the Manhatten Transfer) and music direction by the great Michele Brourman.

Shows are at 8pm and 10pm.

Tickets and info.

Wendy’s Web site

DCCN Open Mic Report

The DC Cabaret Network February Open Mic returned to the Atlas Theater last night.  The seating (as you can tell from Matt Howe’s lovely picture above) was quirky, but the piano and sound were terrific (especially because the incredible Mary Sugar was playing and Jeff Tucker was on sound).

Here’s what people sang:

• Matt Howe
  • I Never Has Seen Snow
  • It’s a New World
• Alan Kelliebrew
  • I Can’t Give You Anything But Love
  • You’re Just in Love
• Paul Pampano
  • Quite Nights and Quiet Stars
  • Fly Me to the Moon
• Charlene James Duguid
  • “Judi Dench I”
  • “Judi Dench II”
• Toni Rae Brotons
  • Brave
  • Turn Me On
• Ron Squeri
  • Leavin’ on a Jet Plane
  • Kiss of Fire
• Justin Ritchie
  • I’d Rather Be Sailin’
  • Hallelujah
• Terri Allen
  • Blue Skies
  • I’m Comin’ Home Again
• Michael Miyazaki
  • A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
  • The French Song
• Robert Mormon
  • Any Time (I Am There) 

Stephen Holden on the Johnny Burke Tribute

The NYTimes weighs in on the 92nd Street Y’s tribute to Johnny Burke: “The show posed unspoken questions: Were we once so innocent that an ode to a “pug-nosed” dream girl met at a country dance could be a hit? (Nowadays it might conceivably be used in a rhinoplasty ad.) And would any male contestant on “American Idol” dare to croon, as did the young Johnny Mathis, “I’m as helpless as a kitten up a tree”?”

Judy Collins in the NYTimes

The NYTimes Sunday Routine column has a profile of Judy Collins.  I found the following quote especially inspiring: “There is a choir and an organist. I don’t sing; I’m listening, which is the other side of performing, and I get a lot of nurturing from that music. I get that wonderful transformative experience hearing these great choirs.”