IT'S A BIG MONTH!

Hi Friends:

It's been a very busy time - hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I wanted to blog about all the great shows I've seen lately, but all I have time to tell you is that if you have a chance to see Miles Phillips, Jason Wynn, Terese Genecco, Maureen Taylor, or Baby Jane Dexter - GO! All of their shows were amazing and they are kind and talented people.

Also, go see MILK with Sean Penn. In light of the Prop 8 debacle, it's frightening to see how far we haven't come, and also how far we have come. It's an important piece of history.

My thanks to performers Julie Reiber, Devin Richards, Ilene Kristen, Lee Summers, Musical Director Don Rebic, Bassist Tom Kennedy, Drummer Joel Rosenblatt and producer Scobar (Scott Barbarino) for an incredible debut of BROADWAY JAZZ ON BROADWAY. It was so successful, that Scott will continue to produce it with Don as Music Director and me, as Hostess! Our next show will be Jan. 27th - keep checking here and my website, http://www.raissa.info/ for more info. We got a great review already at http://www.cabaretscenes.org/ and there was a great interview at http://www.talkinbroadway.com/ if you click the cabaret link!

This Saturday, 11/29 at 4:30 p.m., you'll find me singing in LOVE MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND, a benefit performance for Zani's Furry Friends Animal Rescue, at the Metropolitan Room. Sunday, Valerie Lemon is performing her Marvin Hamlish show at the Metropolitan Room at 7 and after that, we'll head to the Algonquin Salon to join co-hosts Peter Napolitano and Bill Zeffiro as they host with the theme, "Around the World". Hope to see some of you there.

Wednesday night, 12/3 at 7 p.m. at the Metropolitan Room, I'll be a guest of Jenna Esposito in her Birthday Bash show! Thursday, 12/4 at 6 p.m., I'll be hosting the Tudor City Christmas Tree Lighting, featuring performers: Scott Barbarino and the Bev-Naps, Scott Coulter, Julie Reyburn, Lennie Watts, Susan Winter, and Musical Directors: David Caldwell, Mark Janas and Steven Ray Watkins - our special guest is SANTA CLAUS! Come join us in the South Park at Tudor City - 41st Street between 1st and 2nd Ave. In the event of inclement weather, we'll hold this in the community room of #5, the Windsor. Come enjoy!

On Sunday, December 14th at 2 p.m., I'll be performing at John Znidarsic's Holiday Songbook Series at the Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center, 111 Amsterdam Ave. just south of 65th Street - phone: 212-870-1630. I'm debuting a special Christmas song called "All I Can Give" that was written especially for me by Composer Mark Janas, and Lyricist, Peter Napolitano! I'm incredibly honored that they have written me a song, and it's absolutely beautiful! For more info on this, go to www.artsandartistsatstpaul.com - their website is not yet updated, but it will be soon.

On New Year's Eve, I'm very excited to be a special guest of my friend, director and Broadway/Cabaret Star, Eric Michael Gillett, in his show, LIFE OF THE PARTY at the Metropolitan Room. Wonderful comedian, Richard Cramer, will be opening for Eric, and Broadway diva, Melanie Vaughan will also be a special guest. The charge is only $75 for the show AND open bar and midnight champagne toast! Better make your reservations now, as the seats are going fast and we'd love to ring the New Year in with our best friends!

Have a wonderful holiday season!

Love and light, Raissa

Raissa hosts at the Algonquin and Iridium this week!

Hi Friends:

I lifted this announcement directly from Peter Napolitano's newsletter- read on:

This SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH from 7 to 10pm, THE ALGONQUIN SALON, hosted by Mark Janas in the lobby of the historic Algonquin Hotel, will be co-hosted by the incomparable Raissa Katona Bennett and her singing surgeon husband, Doctor Garrett Bennett! The optional theme is "DUETS!" Join us as our Salon regulars and surprise guests pair up inunexpected ways. But if you choose to perform "stag", so to speak, that's fine, too! Speaking of two, there are many songs with "two" in the lyric that would fit the theme as well. And if you're a musician, bring your instrument of choice and jam with Mark!

This Sunday's co-host, Raissa Katona Bennett, is a busy gal! OnTuesday, November 18th, at the Iridium Jazz Club (1650 Broadway, at51st St.), Raissa will be hosting the first in an ongoing seriesproduced by Scott Barbarino of Scobar Entertainment entitled "Broadway Jazz on Broadway with Don and Raissa". Don is the incredible Don Rebic who is the musical director of many notables such as Eric Michael Gillett, KT Sullivan and Karen Akers, plus a ton of Broadway shows up his sleeve. He's joined by Tom Kennedy on Bass and Joe Rosenblatt on Drums to form the Don Rebic Trio who will be jamming with Broadway stars singing Broadway songs in a jazz style. Joining Raissa (Phantom of the Opera) will be Ilene Kristen (Grease, TV's OLTL, Ryan's Hope), Julie Reiber (Wicked), Devin Richards(Tale...Cities, 110 in the Shade) and Lee Summers (Dreamgirls). There will be two sets at 8:30 and 10:30pm. The $25 cover is for both sets, with a $10 minimum for each. MAC and cabaret website members get a$10 discount. For reservations, call 212-582-2121 or visit http://www.iridiumjazzclub.com/.

Here's some important information about the Algonquin Salon you should all know. The Salon is a weekly event in which singers, writers and musicians share their talent with each other and audience members in the lobby of the Algonquin Hotel, an informal, yet elegant setting with a grand tradition of artists gathering to socialize. There is NO COVER AND NO MINIMUM, but we're sure you'll want to liberally order from the hotel's delicious drink and food menu. You DO NOT need to sign up in advance to perform. Just show up and see me, Mark or the co-host to fill out a card. All types of material including spoken word are welcome at the Salon but please keep your selections within the bounds of good taste (no profanity, please) and under five minutes. And do come early to be sure of a good seat and a shot at those $10-off-your-check tickets given out to the first performers of the evening. If you would like to add your name to our list, e-mail me at http://us.mc371.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=algonquinsalon@aol.com. Also, if you have an upcoming event you'd like mentioned (space permitting, of course), let me know that,too.

So join us this Sunday, November 16h from 7 to 10pm for "DUETS!" with your co-hosts Mark Janas, Raissa Katona Bennett and Dr. Garrett Bennett in the lobby of the legendary Algonquin Hotel (59 West 44thSt., between Sixth and Fifth Aves.).

So, that's what Peter wrote - now I'm reminding those of you I've mentioned this to directly to come, bring your show flyers, and let us help you fill your show seats!

Love and light,Raissa