Mama and Her Boys: Fun Family Gathering

A few weeks ago, I attended the opening night of Mama and Her Boys at NYC's The Underground, the new heartfelt and fun musical revue created by and starring Ethan Paulini, Christopher Sidoli, and Wendy Watson. Through song, Mama and Her Boys took the audience on a life cycle journey of the relationship between a mother and her two sons.

I have seen many musical revues that claimed to tell a story through song, but Mama and Her Boys, clearly told this story. They picked excellent songs to move the evening forward, hitting all the right notes and then some! The evening was a mixture of fun and recognizable songs like Lady Gaga's "Born This Way," "When You're Good To Mama" by Kander/Ebb, "Sisters" by Irving Berlin, " "We Are Family" by Nile Rodgers/Bernard Edwards, and "The Facts of Life" theme song by Alan Thicke/Gloria Loring/Al Burton as well some great songs that I had not been familiar with such as "Why Don't You Like My Man" by Bosco Mann, "Don't Mess With Me (I'm Somebody's Mother) by Sally Fingerett.

Intermixed with these fun songs were some wonderful heartfelt songs including Drew Overcash's "Imagine" and "By Your Side," "I'll Be There" by Brian Holland/Lamont Dozier/Eddie Holland, "Who Will Love Me As I Am" by Henry Krieger/Bill Russell, "You Could Never Shame Me," by Kander/Ebb, "Tell Mama" by Clarence Carter/Marcus Daniel/Wilbur Terrell, Dolly Parton's "To Daddy," David Yazbek's "Invisible," "Sweet Child of Mine" by W. Axl Rose/Slash/Izzy Stradlin'/Duff McKagan/Steven Adler, and "Rose's Turn."

From left to right: Christopher Sidoli, Wendy Watson, and Ethan PauliniFrom left to right: Ethan Paulini, Wendy Watson, Christopher SidoliAs wonderful as these songs were, it was the talents of Ethan, Christopher, Wendy and musical director William Demaniow that helped bring Mama and Her Boys to life! William's arrangements catered perfectly to each performers voice, allowing them shine bright. While William kept the sound of the songs close to what everyone is used to, he was also able to bring a freshness to the songs, which was quite delightful. When Ethan, Christopher, and Wendy sang together, the three of them sounded divine, singing perfectly in unison, but when they sang separately, they were allowed to glow brightly on their own. The talent of these three was very exciting to watch.

What made Mama and Her Boys extra special was that every week, there is a featured guest "family" artist brought in to make this show a full family experience. The week I had attended the show, the special guest was none other than Christina Sajous who's Broadway credits include American Idiot, Baby, It's You, and Spiderman, Turn of the Dark as well as her current gig in Off-Broadway's Forever Dusty. Christina was a great addition to this already extraordinary night of talent as she brought the house down with "Mama Knows Best" by Jessica Cornish/Ashton Millard. Christina's voice is like no other and she took to the maximum height. When Christina sings, people pay attention. It was great to add her talent to this exciting evening.

From left to right: Ethan Paulini, Christopher Sidoli, and Wendy WatsonIf you are looking for a fun and heartfelt show, take the train uptown to experience Mama and Her Boys at The Undergound (955 West End Avenue at 107th Street) every Monday at 9pm. It's a very enjoyable evening filled with timeless music and big talent! Be sure to visit http://www.ethanpaulini.com/mama-and-her-boys to find out more, including each week's guest artist. Click here for tickets and follow Mama and Her Boys on Facebook and Twitter!

Eric Michael Gillett: Careless Rhapsody at 54 Below: Perfection

The first time I had heard Eric Michael Gillett sing was in 2011 when he performed Cast of Thousands: Gillett Sings Carnelia at The Laurie Beechman Theatre. Two years later, Eric Michael has bestowed his magnificent talent upon 54 Below for a week of shows dedicated to the songs of Lorenz Hart entitled, Carless Rhapsody: An Evening Dedicated to the Lyrics of Lorenz Hart, with music direction by Don Rebic. I had the honor of attending his final night.

Eric Michael's voice is golden! He really knows how to use his gift perfectly. From the quiet moments to big belty numbers, Eric Michael delighted the crowd with so many wonderful songs. What I enjoyed most about this show, aside from getting to hear the glorious voice of Eric Michael, was this show brought out a comedic side to Eric Michael I had not previously seen. It was great to see Eric Michael add many comedic moments to several of the songs throughout the night. I could tell what a fun time he was having on stage and that transcended equally to the enthusiastic crowd. 

While Eric Michael scored big with the whole evening, some of my favorite numbers of the evening were "The Heart Is Quicker Than The Eye" (from On Your Toes), "You Took Advantage of Me" (from Present Arms), "I Could Write A Book" (from Pal Joey), "Falling in Love with Love" (from The Boys From Syracuse), "My Romance" (from Jumbo), "My Funny Valentine" and "I Wish I Were in Love Again (from Babes in Arms), "My Heart Stood Still" (from One Dam Thing After Another), "This Can't Be Love" (from The Boys From Syracuse), and the encore "Sing For Your Supper (from The Boys From Syracuse) which featured Eva Kantor, Bailey Means, and Marissa Mulder.

Carless Rhapsody may have ended its run, but there are plenty of opportunities to see Eric Michael around the city! First up is as director/host of The Amanda McBroom Project The Laurie Beechman Theatre on March 8, 9, 15, 16 all at 7pm. Then there is his new bi-monthly series We Lost It at the Movies also at The Laurie Beechman Theatre. Call 212-695-6909 for reservations and more information on these shows.

For more on Eric Michael be sure to visit http://www.ericmichaelgillett.com and follow him on Facebook and Twitter!

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella: Empowering, Enchanting, and Entertaining

The Broadway production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella, with a new book by four-time Tony Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane and direction by Mark Brokaw, is an empowering show that will leave you enchanted and entertained. With a stellar cast, excellent costumes, a fun set, Cinderella made me leave the theatre with a big smile on my face.

Laura Osnes and Santino Fontana in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" on Broadway, Photo Credit: Carol RoseggLaura Osnes gave a triumphant performance comprised of her gorgeous vocals and strong acting skills as "Cinderella," while Victoria Clark was delightful as "Marie, The Fairy Godmother." It's always a delight getting to hear Victoria Clark sing; luckily I got to hear her a few times. As "Madame, Cinderella's Stepmother," Harriet Harris gave a brilliant performance. Harriet knew how to deliver each line on target. Ann Harada stole the spotlight each time she was on stage as "Charlotte, Cinderella's Stepsister." Ann's brilliant comedic timing resulted in huge laughter from the audience. Marla Mindelle also did a fantastic job as "Gabrielle, Cinderella's other Stepsister." I saw Marla in Broadway's Sister Act, but in Cinderella, she really got to show off her humorous side. Cast as "The Prince" Santino Fontana wooed the audience with his gifted voice, as Peter Bartlett ("Sebastian"), Greg Hildreth ("Jean-Michael"), and Phumzile Sojola ("Lord Pinkleton") all added much laughter to this story.

Cast of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" on BroadwayIn addition to the above, the one aspect of Cinderella I LOVED most was the strong message it gave of how important it is to believe in yourself and stand-up for what you want. It's essential to teach this value to people, especially young children. Going to see this show will not only introduce children (or adults) to the magical world of theatre, but it will instill the importance of following your heart. "Cinderella," "The Prince," "Gabrielle," and "Jean-Michael," all displayed this belief in themselves wonderfully. They showed everyone how you can live the life you deserve if you have a strong sense of self-worth and go after your goals.

Cinderella is a show for adults and children alike. I believe you will leave the theatre feeling stronger while still being entertained by the glorious talent up on the stage of the Broadway Theatre. If you want to be taken into a world of laughter, hope, strength, and magic, then I would definitely recommend going to see Cinderella on Broadway. Cinderella plays the Broadway Theatre (1681 Broadway at 53rd Street). Click here for tickets and be sure to follow the show on Facebook, Twitter, and at http://cinderellaonbroadway.com!

Lauren Elder and Friends: Stellar Evening of Music and Song

Fun times were had by all on Wednesday, February 20, 2013 when I attended Lauren Elder and Friends at Stage 72 (formerly the Triad Theatre). I remembered Lauren from seeing her in the revival of Hair on Broadway. She always captured my attention when I saw the show, so when my friend Bobby Cronin invited me to her solo concert, I just had to attend.

I was beyond delighted I experienced this brilliant evening of music and song. Lauren's voice is stellar...big, bold, and very controlled! Not only is Lauren a fantastic singer, but she has quite a future as a songwriter. With talents on the ukulele as well, Lauren sang a mixture of original songs and covers. She lit up that stage extra bright! Joining Lauren in this venture were the talents of Katie Kiyan, Allison Guinn, Brett Dameron, Bobby Cronin, and Brett Teresa!

I really enjoyed Lauren's self-penned songs "Sometimes," "Wrong Place," "Don't Leave Me," "Dreamy Afternoons," "Something Inside," and "Wintry Vacation." All of these songs had to deal with love and loss and Lauren captured these emotions perfectly! The next time, I'm looking for an album to explain all my feelings, I will be sure to put on Lauren's (so she better record it soon). Throughout each of these songs, Lauren's voice excelled. From big belty moments to soft reserved sounds, Lauren knew to use her powerful vocals. One thing Lauren did in her songs was whistle in a very cool way for her musical interludes between versus. While it was fun to hear in the first song or two, I hope going forward, she does not put it in every song, but reserves the whistle for those special moments. 

From Left to Right: Bobby Cronin, Katie Kiyan, Lauren Elder, Allison Guinn and Brett Dameron.Out of all the cover songs Lauren sang, I loved her stripped down version of Paula Abdul's "Straight Up" the most. It was so beautifully orchestrated and arranged, that I know if Paula heard it herself, she would cry. This brilliant configuration demonstrates exactly how on the mark Lauren is about her craft! She also scored big points with Ella Fitzgerald's "When I Get Low I Get High." Lauren brought much feeling to this jazz standard!

Another great part to this evening was getting to hear Lauren duet with one of my favorite singers/songwriters, Brett Teresa! They killed it together on "Rootless Tree," a song from Masked Plays that Lauren and Brett performed in together. In addition to this great duet, Lauren's first encore was, "Dear Daddy," one of my most cherrished songs by the award winning composer/lyricist Bobby Cronin (from his Broadway-bound show "W2ML"). Lauren was spot on in conveying the emotional intensity of this song about a girl who lost her father. To round out the evening and end on a high note, Lauren's second encore was a group performance of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire." It was evident just how much fun all these performers have together. They made leave the show with a big smile and feeling of joy!

Lauren Elder is definitely a singer/songwriter on the rise! I can't wait to see what's in store for her! For more on Lauren be sure to visit http://laurenelder.wordpress.com and follow her on Twitter and Facebook!

Really Really: Thought-Provoking New York Debut by an Emerging Playwright

With his new play, Really Really, Paul Downs Colaizzo has decended his voice and talent on the theatre world. This young new playwright is definitely going places and Really Really is just the start of it. The first play in his "Want, Give, Get" trilogy, Really Really tells the story about a group of friends who's loyalty to each other is put to the test when after-party gossip turns ugly and every person is out to protect themselves. Directed by David Cromer and produced by MCC Theater, Really Really stars a host of talent including Zosia Mamet ("Leigh"), Lauren Culpepper ("Grace"), Kobi Libii ("Johnson"), David Hull ("Cooper"), Matt Lauria ("Davis"), Evan Jonigkeit ("Jimmy"), and Aleque Reid ("Haley").

Since the 1900s, each generation has been identified by a name. My great-grandparents were part of the G.I. Generation while my grandparents were in the Silent Generation and my parents are Baby Boomers. I'm part of Generation X, with Generation Y after me, and now there's Generation Z. This new generation seems have an attitude of me, me, me and Paul has explored this topic very well in Really Really.

When accusations start circulating about "Davis" and "Leigh," all that their friends worry about is how these allegations will affect them and their life. What will these charges cost them? Their friends don't think about what "Davis" and "Leigh" are going through or how they can help or if they are okay. They focus solely on themselves.

Paul's thought-provoking show made me think about the interactions I've had with Generation Z and while not all of them are about themselves, I've met my fair share who are. I can't help but wonder, where did they adopt this attitude? How will they survive when this selfishness comes back to bite them?

Paul Downs Colaizzo is an emerging playwright who's quickly planting his seeds. Really Really is just the beginning and I can't wait to see what Paul will create next! Really Really plays at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in NYC (121 Christopher Street) through March 10. Click here for tickets!