Witchcraft - The New Concerts at Tudor City Greens - a Monster Hit!

Wow - what an incredible week it's been! As I get ready for my return engagement to the Metropolitan Room this weekend, (come see me!) there is so much going on, that I've yet to tell you all how fantastic our second concert at Tudor City Greens was! This is the first time a noon concert was attempted, and even 45 degree weather and gale force winds didn't keep over 150 people from coming to see Broadway and Cabaret's best! Many thanks to MAC, Rob Lester from Cabaret Scenes and Cabaret Exchange and Stu Hamstra from Cabaret Hotline for coming to review us and help spread the word! And Fred Anthony Marco, an amazing singer himself, showed up with his professional camera to document it, as a lovely surprise to us all, which means I can share some photos with you here!

Scot Albertson started us out with his smooth bari-tenor, Broadway diva Sarah Rice charmed us next, and then Lennie Watts, accompanied by the fantastic Steven Watkins, brought the house - uh, sky down, with the audience and performers singing back up for him! I sang next and then Roger Mapes delighted us with two original compositions and played guitar, Sierra Rein and her gorgeous voice had us entranced and Scott Barbarino and the Bev-Naps pulled out all the doo-wop stops! Smoky voiced cabaret star, Mary Foster Conklin showed us how jazz is done, and Broadway and cabaret star, Eric Michael Gillett, wrapped up the day with his powerful performance.

Many thanks to so many: CIBO for once again sponsoring us and for hosting the chilled performers and audience after the show, the Toy Balloon Shop for providing festive balloons and Bob Rendon of PRG sound, for making two round trips from New Rochelle to not only advise us on which sound system to get, but then how to use it! Imagine having the man who designs sound for Radio City Music Hall, come to help us, just because...he's an angel! And speaking of angels, Dr. Garrett Bennett not only provided us with the sound system, but he arranged his schedule to run the sound for us! Although he has a hectic performance schedule of his own, Hector Coris still provided us with posters, programs and press releases, and new MAC board member Jenna Esposito helped with just about everything. Special thanks to MAC volunteer, Bobbie Horowitz for all her help, too! My biggest thank you goes to my musical director, David Caldwell, for playing for us with freezing fingers and then literally running to make his matinee of Forbidden Broadway!

All of these amazing people helped us raise funds to keep the Tudor City Greens growing, and we are so grateful to all the Greens volunteers who braved the cold to help with it all, especially, Julie Warshaw, President of the Greens, board members Brian Thompson and Anne Stoddard.

THE NEW CONCERTS AT TUDOR CITY GREENS - TAKE TWO!

Hi Friends:

This Wednesday, Oct. 22nd at noon, join us at the South Park of Tudor City, which is located at East 41st Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue, for our second (and final till the springtime) concert of this series,

produced in association with MAC. Post show reception at CIBO (41st and 2nd). Hosted by Raissa Katona Bennett and Starring from the world of Broadway and NYC Professional Cabaret: Scot Albertson, Scott Barbarino and the Bev-Naps, Raissa Katona Bennett, Mary Foster Conklin, Eric Michael Gillett, Roger Mapes, Julie Reyburn, Sarah Rice, Lennie Watts and Sierra Rein!

Bundle up and come out and join the fun!

Love and light,

Raissa

Wasn't Takin' a Chance - Jenna's a sure thing!

Tuesday, Oct. 7th was such a busy day. First, we met with CIBO, our sponsor for the Tudor City Greens Concert series. They agreed to keep up their sponsorship and even offered a dinner for two to add into our free raffle! They were thrilled with our first line up of talent, and are excited to see this months performers on 10/22 at noon.


Then 4 of us from Tudor City, headed to the Metropolitan Room to see Jenna Esposito in her show, "Takin' A Chance On Love". They had seen Jenna in the Tudor City Greens concert, and wanted to see more. As my blog title says, we weren't takin' any chance - Jenna was terriffic. Backed up by a combo that included her musical director/guitarist dad, Fortune Esposito, Jenna "sparkled" through a fantastic set of old favorites and standards, with a fresh twist of arrangements, and a stunning soprano/mix voice. Jenna is our new favorite "girl singer"! You better call for reservations at 212-206-0440 right now, to catch her last show on Sunday night, Oct. 12th at 7 pm.



We were home in time for the debates, but after such a positive show from Jenna, I couldn't stomach the negative rhetoric, and I headed off to the Iridium to catch Mary Foster Conklin at 10:30 pm. I'm usually in bed by then, and as exhausted as I was, within minutes of Mary taking the stage, I didn't want to be anywhere else. Her smoky contralto wove it's way around a versatile set that included delightlfully obscure to well known jazz, and number that I believe was written by Clifford Odetts. I wish I had thought to get the titles from her, because another favorite that night had lyrics with "cinnamon and clove" in it, and I just loved it. I guess you'll just have to catch her yourself and see if she'll sing it for you. Mary is being featured in our next Tudor City Greens concert at noon on 10/22, so come and ask her it!

Not a bad way to spend a day, right? Great lunch at CIBO, a sweet soprano and a sultry contralto. We didn't even need a dessert topping....

Love and Light,
Raissa