SARAH RICE AT 54 BELOW

 Sarah performed her own show at 54 Below, a most darling nightclub in Manhattan.   I saw her on the evening of March 3rd, haven't not heard her sing since we were in The Pirates of Penzance in P'Town, the summer of 1982.

The evening entitled “Glamorous Nights and Careless Rapture was dedicated to the music of composers Ivor Novello and Noel Coward.  Accompanying her was Bill Zeffiro on the Piano, Maria Banks on the Harp, and Jonathan Russell, a very young and talented Violinist.

We not only experienced the delight of her sweet soprano voice, with both moving and humorous tunes, the audience was treated to Sarah playing an instrument called the theremin. This particular instrument is never touched but controlled through sound waves. 

 For upcoming performances, visit her website at www.sarahrice.com

SARAH RICE TO APPEAR

SARAH RICE

Glamorous Nights & Careless Rapture

Music of the Era of Downton Abbey, Gosford Park and more...

Featuring the songs of Ivor Novello, Noel Coward and British Music Hall.

March 3 @ 7PM

Sunday

Sarah Rice, Vocals & Theremin

William Zeffiro, Piano & Vocals

Maria Banks, Harp

Jonathan Russell, Violin

One of the most dazzling and beloved singers on the worldwide cabaret and concert scene today, multiple award winner Sarah Rice brings Glamorous Nights and Careless Rapture -- Music of the Era of Downton Abbey, Gosford Park and more... to 54 Below in a special one night only performance.

Stephen Sondheim and Harold Prince chose Sarah to become part of musical theatre history when she was cast as the original Johanna in SWEENEY TODD on Broadway, for which she won a Theatre World Award and recorded on RCA. This recording won a Grammy for best show album and SWEENEY swept the Tony awards, including best show. Her recording of "Green Finch and Linnet Bird", was recently chosen by Stephen Sondheim to be on a CD of his favorite renditions of his own works, "Stephen Sondheim: The Story So Far..." on the Masterworks Broadway/Legacy label. She has since gone on to perform leading soprano and dramatic roles all over the world.

An evening to delight the senses, join Sarah as she takes you back in time to an era of glamorous elegance and exquisite beauty, depicted in the film and television classics Downton Abbey, Gosford Park, and more! A match made in musical heaven, celebrating the songs of Ivor Novello, Noel Coward and British Music Hall and more, she is accompanied by Bill Zeffiro, Piano, Maria Banks, Harp, and Jonathan Russell, Violin. And maybe she will even play a tune on the theremin!  Think evening brandy & tiaras. Dress for dinner! White tie and tails optional. www.SarahRice.com

"Another highlight, Sarah Rice, the original Johanna from "Sweeney Todd," singing in her spine-tingling soprano, "I Could be Happy with One Little, Little Boy" moved off the stage and elegantly through the crowd, searching each male face. I felt like Odysseus tied to the mast when this siren caught me in her gaze and sang directly to me." By Tom Dworetzky / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS 2013

"Gloriously sung, or held back, the showcase presents different sides of the radiant Rice voice." -- Rob Lester, Cabaret Scenes

"it is evident that her voice remains a ravishing instrument" -- Roy Sander, Bistro Awards

"And this Tuesday night she wasn't just funny. She played the theremin (would you believe!),  — and she just brought the house down." By Tom Dworetzky / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS 2013

54 Below

254 W 54th St, Cellar

New York, NY 10019

Maitre D' & Reservations: (646) 476-3551

To purchase tickets visit TicketWeb.com or call (866) 468-7619

http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=3355314

For more information and questions

please call the club directly at:

(646) 476-3551

JAZMO IS MO JAZZ AT IRIDIUM

What or who is Jazmo? The Bedford Hills based, much buzzed about and highly acclaimed new intergenerational rock band who will make its New York Premiere at the world-renown IRIDIUM (1650 Broadway at 51st Street, NYC) on Tuesday, January 8th at 8:00pm and 10:00pm.

The band whose members include Jeff Lasdon (vocals/harp/lyrics), Michael O’Keefe (drums/vocals/music), David Toy (guitar/vocals/music/lyrics), Paul J. Magliari (bass/vocals) and Al Orlo (guitar) will be introducing their new songs that are being readied for the recording studio and a new CD.

Here’s the scoop on this.  The songs that they will be singing are:
Cuz We Want To, Someone To Tell,  Love Songs,  Better Than This,  Heart Collector,  For Sale City, Sal Mineo,  Cigs and Beer,  The Blue Note,  The Bird of Babble-On,  Molecules,  Giving It All Away, The Other Side of the Map,   Angry Game,  and  The One Mistake.  

BIRDY, Downtown’s Empress of Song, and guiding Mantra, will be featured as the evening’s Special Guest Artist and JAZMO fully intends to blow the roof off the underground uber club, as they bedazzle the room full of expected record industry czars and impressively expanding fan base.   

Still want more info on Jazmo?  “JAZMO’S roots are firmly planted in the legacy of intergenerational rock and the power of poetry. Longtime partners DAVE TOY and MIKE O'KEEFE had been making music in the Toy Studio for decades after abandoning their electric punk project ‘Dressed For Success’. The band was an 80's fixture in such N.Y.C. venues as CBGBs and The Ritz. 1995 found the two friends still dedicated to their music but in need of lyrics for their tunes. ENTER JEFF LASDON. A retired promoter from Boulder, Colorado, LASDON was eager to share his poetry from his days of study with Beat Poets Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs.  Words hidden away for 30 years were the genesis of a marriage between LASDON and TOY.  In LASDON the two original JAZMO players had adopted an illegitimate child who would eventually morph from wordsmith to songwriter to performer.

Through a generous dose of patience TOY and O'KEEFE allowed LASDON to fulfill his childhood fantasy of playing in a rock n' roll band.  Call in old friend renaissance bassist PAUL MAGLIARI and JAZMO is a living breathing experiment gone awry!  Operatically trained and downtown rock songbird, BIRDY, has given the JAZMO songwriters a true rock 'n roll diva.  Songs written expressly for BIRDY are hits waiting to happen. This egg incubated by JAZMO and now ready to crack promises to produce a bird of another feather.”

Let’s not forget BIRDY, an astute businesswoman who is taking over late night downtown Manhattan.   An operatically trained singer, she left that world to record her own power pop ballads on a record label she is building to her own specifications where she will globally export herself, as well as other carefully considered artists, to a world she is convinced is patiently waiting for the next new tsunami of sound.   A studied artist in her own right, she has begun designing make-up that is as prophetic as it is strikingly stunning.  Birdy has most recently received high critical acclaim for her two Special Guest Appearances at the prestigious downtown event, ’Oh! You pretty Things: The New Romantics.’   Channeling Siouxsie and The Banshees, she blew the roof off Le Poisson Rouge.  She is currently meeting with Click Models.

For reservations call 212-2121 or log on to www.iridiumjazz.com

ROZ RYAN IS 54 ABOVE AT 54 BELOW

Broadway and Off-Broadway shows are great and now I'm widening my horizon to focus on the performers themselves who get gigs at nightclubs.  Having experienced Feinstein's and Cafe Carlyle, I was off to 54 Below, located in the cellar of the original Club 54.  This was a follow up to seeing Roz Ryan in "Scandalous".  A night of Roz, her pianist Shelton Becton, and the band.  My reaction?  Move over Aretha Franklin!

This is one entertaining woman who can charm an audience with a combination of a totally outstanding voice and a great sense of humor!  So what was on the bill?  Roz opened with "The Best Is Yet To Come", followed by, "We're In Love", "Love Wants To Dance" and "Old Friend".

She took a break to allow us the pleasure of hearing another fabulous voice; that of Shelton Becton singing, "Where's God". You'd think he was leading a gospel choir but doing a solo!  Amazing!  You might just as well get both voices as this was followed by a duet of "I'm In Love Again".

Another song and another duet of "You Don't Have To Say You're Sorry" and it was back to a solo on the piano. "Music For The Birds".  Boy can Shelton tickle those ivories 'til their on the floor laughing.

"All Of Me", "Yesterday" (Charles Aznavour composition...not The Beatles), a Patty Austin song, "Love Me By Name" and "How Long Has This Been Going On" lead into her ending number of "My Way".  We all knew that she would come back for an encore and so did she.  Hell....it was demanded!  She sang, "Teach Me Tonight".

The evening was supported by many of her fellow cast members from both "Scandalous" and the former show she starred in, "Chicago". 

As for the nightclub.  It's low lights and a some long tables directly in front.  There are tables in the back that are higher up so that no one in front is blocking your view.  Tables in the sides, too. In other words, there's not a bad seat in the house.

There's basically a cover charge and two drink minimum.  Food is available as I tried a few items on the menu. Penne Shrimp with Broccoli, Beet Salad with Goat Cheese and Carrot Cake.  Quality deserves dining there.

Location is 254 West 54th Street,  866-468-7619.  www.54below.com 

ZANI'S FURRY FRIENDS

There is a poem in the program entitled "Whispering". 

I am the dog you see on the chain
I am the cat you see in the drain

I am the friend who has no home
I am the stray who lives alone

I am the friend you helped today
I am the one you transported far away

I am the voice you hear in you head
I am the caged animal who often dreads

I am the opinion you are trying to change
I am the anger you feel, and the rage

I am the tears you cry when I am sick
I am the hurt you feel, but cannot fix

I am the voice in your head, when you cannot sleep
I am the reason for the long hours that you keep

I am the voice who desperately needs you
And if not you...then who?

I am whispering
and you are my voice

The show was entitled, "Zani's Furry Friends", a fundraiser , for this non-profit organization committed to rescuing companion animals from NYC's shelters. It was an evening of a slew of singers and instrumentalists that included Broadway star Sarah Rice (who didn't sing enough, as far as I'm concerned).

"Love Makes The World Go Round" was the opening number for the entire cast. We then met the two co-hosts, singer/actress Dana Lorge and Sydney Myer, who is the booking manager for the club Don't Tell Mama.

So here's how it went. Dana introduced Richard Skipper, known for his portrayal of Carol Channing. Dana sang, "I am Your Friend", quite a funny song.  Sydney sang, "Look For the Bare Necessities".  Up came Len Cariou (who you are presently seeing playing Tom Selleck's father on Blue Bloods) singing, "Clang, Clang, Clang Goes the Trolley".  Edd Clark, co-founder of the New Opera Group in NYC, got in a little ditty called, "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas".  Sue Matsuki followed with a very funny song entitled, "The Pretty Little Dolly".  She is teamed up with Edd for a Christmas show.

Rich Flanders and Joanne Yeoman humored us with a song, "Nobody's Perfect", followed by Richard Skipper, singing a medley from Hello Dolly but not in a Carol Channing voice.  Break in the singing to have two pianists, Mark Janas and Matthew Martin Ward, do several renditions of "How Much Is That Doggy In the Window" as they kept switching positions at the piano.  It was quite entertaining to watch the fete.

Rich Flanders, with Jonathan Russell on the Violin, sang a Marty Robbins tune "Man Walks Among Us Be Still". Eve Weiss sang a song about a pig while strumming on her guitar.  Following her was Carol Demas (the original Sandy in Broadway's Grease) put forward a great performance of "Everybody's Got a Home, But Me".  It was then Joanna Morton Gary's turn (known for being a Catskill performer), who sang, "Don't Let Me Go".

Steve, "the whistler" Herst whistled out, "Bring Me Home" and it was superb.  Jonathan Russell then performed solo on his violin.  Out came Emily Buttner, Celia Burke and Sarah Rice with "Sing For Your Supper" dedicated to birds.  Steve Saari, another fabulous pianist performed classical variations of the song, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic".  Final number was "I Happen to Like New York" sung by Celia Burke.

Cast came out for finale, bows and thunderous applause!  It was one helluva show!  A smorgasbord of fantabulous entertainment that raised a few thousand for the cause. 

PETER GALLAGHER AT FEINSTEIN'S

I can always count on a great cabaret performance at the Loews Regency Hotel's nightclub, Feinstein's (who I have yet to see perform).  The intimacy of a room with just enough tables to sit anywhere and still be close enough to the entertainer is what makes it works.  This hotel will be up for some renovation as Feinstein's will soon be having a new venue, although I won't know until a few weeks (when it's announced) as to where nor whether it will be temporary.  In the meantime, we have the month of December to look forward to.

I had the pleasure of seeing Peter Gallagher do his thing, calling his act, "How'd All You People Get In My Room".  On this particular evening Gallagher had some friends and family as he sang and told heartwarming stories about his career while imitating many of those he met (such as Jimmy Cagney).

Back in 1977, for instance, while auditioning for the Broadway show, Hair, he sang Paul Anka's hit "Put Your Head On My Shoulder" and whereas performers are halted after eight bars, they allowed him to finish the song. "My knees buckled, and my eyes filled with tears". 

Gallagher had a story for each of the songs including a duet with his 19-year-old daughter Kathryn singing "Anything You Can Do (I Can Do Better)".  He then took a break to allow her to perform her original "rock-ballad" song, "Damaged".

A quartet, led by pianist Jeff Collela, accompanied the evening's performance as Gallagher strolled through the audience a few times singing to the ladies.  We got to hear, "Luck Be A Lady" from when he was in Guys And Dolls.

Gallagher certainly has a whole bunch of talent, with a career that spans Broadway, movies and television (including "The O.C.").  He's a mere 57-years-old.  Expect to see and hear a lot more of him.