This lady is a thunderclap of talent, crackling with energy, intelligence and beauty of voice, face, body and soul. Amber Martin’s new show at 54 Below, Stoned Soul is a tribute to singer/songwriter Laura Nyro, herself a big storm of talent. It’s only natural (or perhaps supernatural) that Martin singing Nyro should be hair-raisingly electrifying!
JVB is out to spread the love in v’s summer show and summer dress. Well, a combination of wryly cynical observations about love and heartfelt renditions of songs with love in the title, which range from Burt Bacharach and Todd Rundgren to The Cure and Kate Bush. V is also out to do some summer “camping” with the incredibly insightful thought that “Being campy is dangerous! Apparently people will kill you for being campy!”
The concert celebration of all things Judy Garland will have its third annual performance on Monday, June 17 to raise money for the Ali Forney Center, the nation’s largest organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth. The all-star lineup this year includes Martha Wash, Carolee Carmello, Madeleine Peyroux, Justin Vivian Bond, Lea DeLaria, Jaime Cepero, Karen Mason, Telly Leung, Christiane Noll, Scott Matthew, Maude Maggart, Natalie Joy Johnson, Tituss Burgess, Molly Pope and Danielle Grabianowski.
The Rodgers & Hammerstein score for Cinderella has the verve they always had – lots of those soaring Rodgers waltzes – even if it isn’t filled with immortal standards like Oklahoma or South Pacific. Laura Osnes sings the title role beautifully, particularly in her earnestly yearning take on “In My Own Little Corner”. On stage, Santino Fontana is charmingly awkward as Prince Topher, but here his duet with Osnes, “Ten Minutes Ago”, is simply charming. Marla Mindelle and Ann Harada are probably the funniest stepsisters ever, and Harada kills it in “Stepsister’s Lament”. Overall, a lovely rendering of a beautiful R & H score.
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For more reviews and interviews by Jonathan Warman, see his blog Drama Queen.
This one-man show is quite possibly the gayest show in town. Ben Rimalower, a director making his writing/performing debut with this piece, tells his own story of a gay man dealing with his estranged father – who is also gay – interspersed with Patti LuPone diva-worship. Gay, gay, gay!
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