Friday night, it was off to Don't Tell Mama for Rob Langeder: Undead in Hell's Kitchen, which was a spook-tacular success! First of all, the room was packed to the gills, not a seat to be had, which added to the excitement of seeing a Halloween show that was marketed as being "not for the faint of heart." It was also made clear in the marketing that this was a rock 'n roll show: no "Monster Mash," no "Flying Purple People Eater," but true rock, which seems like an appropriate style for the holiday. Well, boy was it ever! Interspersed between songs like Oingo Boingo's "Dead Man's Party," Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Bad Moon Rising" and The Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" were all kinds of special effects and pranks - some silly, some downright creepy, some so realistic that some folks didn't know they were a pre-planned part of the show! It was a wild ride, and Mr. Langeder did a terrific job of guiding us through! Direction was by Miles Phillips, and musical direction was by Tracy Stark, and the band rocked - literally! Tracy Stark on piano and keyboard, Skip Ward on bass, David Silliman on drums (he gets the triple crown - three mentions in my column this week!), and Sean Harkness on guitar nailed the style and made a great contribution to the feel of the show. The show has one more performance tonight at 7 p.m. - if you haven't figured out your Halloween plans yet, this might be a great way to kick off the evening!
Where I'm going this week...
Monday, November 2nd: Cast Party at Birdland. Hosted by Jim Caruso, this fantastic open mic runs from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. but make sure you get there early to sign up if you want to sing!
Tuesday, November 3rd: I'll be at the Metropolitan Room with my Connie Francis tribute show, Jenna Esposito Sings Connie Francis!" This show is a special CD Release celebration - we recorded the show live over the summer, mixed it down, and are ready with the finished product! Everyone in attendance will receive a free CD!
Wednesday, November 4th: It'll be back to the Metropolitan Room for Danielle Grabianowski, who was the first runner up in this year's MetroStar competition, and the winner of last year's 1930's Idol competition sponsored by Big Night Out. I've only heard Danielle sing a song or two at a time, and am very much looking forward to seeing her in a full-length show!
Thursday, November 5th: Off to Don't Tell Mama for Watts Happening, a "new monthly variety show with 'tude," hosted by the ubiquitous and highly entertaining Lennie Watts. Lennie's guests for this month are Helen Baldassare and "The Polish Diva," Terry Palacz. Show is at 8:30 p.m.
Friday, November 6th: Back to Don't Tell Mama for Helena Grenot at 7 p.m. Helena is yet another performer I've only had the pleasure of hearing at open mics - can't wait to see the whole shebang!
Pictured: Kathleen France
