The Cabaret Chronicles: Cast Party, Stuffed & Unstrung, and More!

Hello and Happy Weekend!  It finally feels like Spring again in NYC, and I had a great time going to see a few shows this week.  Things kicked off (as they do on so many Mondays!) with Jim Caruso’s Cast Party at Birdland.  Now in its seventh year, Cast Party continues to be THE place to go on Monday nights, and this past week was another shining example of why!  Birdland was jam-packed, and  some of the amazingly talented performers for the night included Kathleen France, William Blake, Erich Bergen, Renee Marino,  Natalie Douglas (who will be doing her Lena Horne tribute at Birdland this coming Monday), and jazz pianist extraordinaire Loston Harris (who can be found at Bemelmans Bar every Tuesday through Saturday).  On hand to take in the festivities were Michael Feinstein and Linda Lavin, which made the evening extra-special!  Host Jim Caruso was his usual charming self, and the Cast Party Symphony Orchestra (Tedd Firth on piano, Saadi Zain on bass, and Steve Bakunas on drums) maintained their usual level of excellence!

On Wednesday evening, I ventured out of the cabaret world and headed over the Union Square Theatre for Henson Alternative’s Stuffed and Unstrung, which is one of the best things I’ve done all year!  Silly, irreverent, daring and naughty, this improv show features 80 Henson puppets, six very talented comedians/puppeteers, and host Patrick Bristow.  Throughout the show, Mr. Bristow plays the part of director, emcee, audience-rouser, and much more.  Scenes are set by taking suggestions from the audience, and the puppeteers then proceed to work wonders with their puppets!  I was blown away by their ability to not only think on their feet and create incredibly funny scenes, but to do so while manipulating the puppets!  It is a fun, zany show, and well worth checking out!  In fact, I can’t wait to go back again and see what other antics the naughty puppets will come up with!

Thursday night, I headed over to the famed Friars Club for their Cafe Thursdays open mic night.  Hosted by Stan Gilbert and co-produced by Mr. Gilbert and Tom D’Angelo, these Thursday nights at the exclusive club are always enjoyable.  With Marty Silver on keyboard, Bobby Sher on drums, and any number of seasoned musicians sitting in on various instruments, what’s not to like?  This Thursday was no exception, with Friars like Mr. Gilbert and Mr. D’Angelo paving the way.  Other featured performers included Friar Steven Scott, cabaret chanteuse Marieann Meringolo, and Cafe Thursdays regular Mark Saladino.  Despite the traffic chaos caused by President Obama dining down the block at the St. Regis, the room was packed, and everyone seemed to have a terrific time!

Friday evening, I headed up to my hometown, Middletown, NY.  My dad, Fortune Esposito, has a regular Friday night gig at a terrific restaurant there, John’s Harvest Inn, and I try to get up to see him whenever I can!  And the fun part is, in addition to my dad’s excellent music, all kinds of musical folks tend to flock to this restaurant!  Just a few weeks ago, polka king Jimmy Sturr was in the house on a Friday night, and multi-award-winning vocalist Jeanne MacDonald is a regular there!  So, this Friday, Jeanne and I both got up to the mic and joined in the fun - it was like “Cabaret North!”  And not only was the music great, but the food was out of this world!

That’s all I managed to squeeze in this week, but check back next week for a new article!

Where I’m Going This Week...

Monday, May 17th:  7:00 p.m. - Natalie Douglas  at Birdland in her new show, “To Lena...A Tribute To The Lady And Her Music.”  This show has been planned for quite some time, but given the passing of the legendary Ms. Horne this past week, it’s sure to be an extra-special performance!

10:00 p.m. - Jim Caruso’s Cast Party at Birdland.  This weekly open mic, hosted by the fabulous Jim Caruso, is THE place to see and be seen!  It’s always packed, and sign-up starts early; try to arrive by 9:15 if you’d like to sing!

Thursday, May 20th: Johnny Rodgers at The Oak Room at The Algonquin Hotel.  Johnny Rodgers may well be one of the most enjoyable performers I know of!  His smooth voice, easy manner, likable persona, and fabulous musicianship all add up to one fantastic show!

Friday, May 21st: Yankees vs. Mets at Citifield.  Yeah, yeah, not a “show,” but there’s sure to be plenty of drama!  Go Yanks!