Show to See: "Putting Things Away" with Raissa Katona Bennett

From Broadway's Phantom and Chess and 1st National Tours of Cats and Parade

Raissa Katona Bennett
"Putting Things Away"

Director: Eric Michael Gillett
Musical Director: David Caldwell

Saturday, November 1, 2008 @ 5 pm
Sunday, November 2, 2008 @ 4pm

$20 cover/2 drink minimum

Reservations: (212) 206-0440
http://www.raissa.info/

This lady, who hosts the Algonquin Salon open mic many a time as well as the New Concerts at Tudor City Greens, is one of the most talented, beautiful, supportive and encouraging people I've met in New York to date. She never hesitates to say "way to go" or "you can do it!" when referring to new shows, projects, songs, and dreams. And the shows she hosts are always full of talent, humor and energy, a positive experience for performers and audience alike. If this is how she hosts her shows, heaven knows what amazingness will be seen in her solo work. Plus, with Eric Michael Gillett and David Caldwell at the helm, it's bound to be a tight, well-orchestrated night of her talent.

I'll be there...wanna book a table together?

-Sierra

Jenna Esposito: Takin' A Chance on Love

2008 MAC Award Nominee for Female Vocalist Jenna Esposito in:

"Takin' A Chance on Love"

Jenna sang at the Tudor City Greens concert last week, and was so charming. Great, classic voice for the songs she sang, classic 50's and big band 40's songs.

Jenna returns to The Metropolitan Room with an encore performance of her newest show, "Takin’ A Chance On Love!" Featuring a wide selection of (you guessed it!) love songs, from a wide variety of writers, including Harold Arlen, the Gershwins, Jerome Kern, Kander & Ebb, and Leonard Cohen, the show is a musical journey through the course of a romance.
Reservations strongly encouraged; please call (212) 206-0440.

Musical Director: Fortune Esposito
Director: Lennie Watts

Tuesday, October 7, 2008 @ 7pm
Sunday, October 12, 2008 @ 7pm

Metropolitan Room

34 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10010
Reservations: (212) 206-0440
$20 cover + 2 drink min.



Website: www.JennaEsposito.com
Blog: jennaesposito.blogspot.com

She also has a CD out, "13 Men...and Me!" out on CDbaby, Digstation.com & iTunes.

A Sobering Moment...and a Question

A sobering but beautiful street memorial chained to a lamppost at the corner of 40th Ave & Broadway











Franco Scorcia
72 Years Old
Killed By Car
December 6, 2007
Rest In Peace









Dig the snazzy Fashion District trash bags. I live in Washington Heights - why don't we get designer trash bags like the Fashion District? HMMMmmmmmmm?

NYC Sound Tracks - A Talent Competition for Subway Musicians

My mom emailed me after I wrote an entry about finding a lot of talent under the streets of New York, within the subway system's many train stations. She noted that the MSG Network was hosting a talent competition, trying to find the city's most talented Subway musicians. As they put it on their website: "Five Boroughs, 16 Musicians, One Superstar. We're looking for the best sounds from the underground — and you will be the judge. Join the search for New York City's greatest subway musicians, Sundays at 8PM on MSG and MSG.com." Round 1 starts August 10th Sundays at 8PM on MSG. Or you can watch 'em online. I will check it out - thanks, Mom!!!

WHAT???!? SORRY, OUR TRAIN IS HERE....WHAT????

There's always that negative stereotype of New Yorkers: they're all loudmouths who yell at you instead of talking in a moderate, even, "indoor voice." I always thought this stereotype might have emerged from the idea that New Yorkers had more attitude or are more "in your face" than other people.

Nope. Now that I've lived here for 2 months, I know now why many New Yorkers are well-trained in the art of yelling and have little concept of speaking in a normal tone sometimes: NEW YORK IS FREAKIN' LOUD!!!!

From the buses to the honks of taxi horns to the squeal of subway brakes, the noise of New York is truly an amazing thing to experience. Even walking down the street, I can't hear the voice of the person on the other end of my cell phone very well. Many a time, I will just stop in the middle of my conversation with my husband as a whole series of car honks explode in the street next to us. (By the way, why do drivers here insist on honking their horns for no good reason???) It's a bit distressing because I want to make my career off of my voice, and I can't very well risk hurting my voice or creating nodes by getting into the habit of yelling over the sound. It's why I hate going into a club or restaurant with loud music when I have an audition or rehearsal or performance the next day - when invited to these environments, I usually sit in silence or try to communicate via gesture. No, when I scream, I want it to be on the falling side of a rollercoaster or during the recording session/ADR of a horror movie.

Back to NY: It's no wonder that the parks in this city (especially Central Park) are so revered and well kept. Walk to the center of Central Park, and you can barely hear the roar of the city beyond the trees. These parks provide such a well-needed audio respite from the screetches and rhhhum rhuums and breeeeeeeeek that makes up the daily soundscape of the city of New York.

This 2006 study I found just now notes how hearing loss has been connected to the subway system here in NY. The article also points out that wearing headphones at high volume (which one has to do when the subway is too loud to listen to one's music or podcasts on a regular volume) can lead to hearing loss. Made me want to go out and buy those &#%$@ SkullCandy noise-cancelling headphones that my hubby has. There are a lot of tenant rights and noise codes
that are midly enforced throughout the city around residential neighborhoods too. Coincidentally, today I saw a woman put earplugs in her ears as she traveled through about 5 stops with me.

But it also could have been the fact that a 1 1/2 year old baby started to have a screaming fit on the other side of the car.
I wonder if New Yorker babies have naturally louder vocal prowess than other babies. Can someone start a new study, please?