When I was growing up, Saturday was my favorite day. It was the day my older brother, Adrian, was forced to escort his pesky little sister to the movies. The attraction was the double feature. It was a full afternoon of cinema entertainment.
Fast forward to the present. Last month on a Saturday, I once more (one mo’ time) enjoyed a double-header. First, I went to the Snapple Theatre Center, West 50th Street at Broadway (not Bayonne’s Broadway) in Manhattan and was treated to a show called “Everything the Traffic Will Allow.” Sounds familiar? Right – a lyric out of “There’s No Business Like Show Business.” It featured Klea Blackhurst, “The Songs and Sass of Ethel Merman.” I was able to get a good look at the star since I sat in the first row of the theater in the round. The very talented lady looks fine. She has a passion for musical-theater history (right down my alley – even though I don’t know where that is!). I did grow up loving Merman singing the songs of Berlin, Gershwin, and Porter. They were the songs of the 1930s through the mid-1960s (still my favorite tunes). Klea Blackhurst’s show is the kind I could see every week. She is backed by a very good, very cohesive trio called The Pocket Change. In this show the star sings many of Merman’s signature songs as well as rarely performed obscurities. In addition, she has a crackling wit, which adds to her delightful vocals. I haven’t given Ethel Merman a thought in a long time, but the performer brought her back in her own brilliant savvy way. Interestingly enough, Klea Blackhurst performs this program every Saturday at 5 p.m.
Now for my double-header: I had hoped to get back to Bayonne sooner, but had to cope with the irritating Holland Tunnel traffic. My goal was to get to The Networking Café on 19th Street and Broadway (this time I mean Bayonne’s Broadway). Barbara Beeman, who is my favorite home-grown talent, was appearing there. The lady sings with soul, and I was fortunate enough to catch her interpretation of “You Don’t Know What Love Is.” By the time the Beeman and Bannon Band finished I really didn’t know what love is! Ha! At any rate, if you prefer not to get involved with the traffic mess going to New York City, here’s a way to enjoy top-rate musical entertainment right around the corner, the corner of 19th Street, that is. For details, call David at The Networking Café to find out what he has scheduled this month: (201) 467-1777. P.S. Happily, there’s a very small cover charge and, of course, no gas or toll charges. It’s all an incredible bargain.
Surprise – I’ve become interested in the guitar. How come? First of all, the Bayonne Senior Orchestra now has two guitarists: Steve Pizzella and David Gusick. Both are fine musicians and sing beautifully, too. There’s another plus – not a musical one – they are handsome (so-o what does that have to do with their musicmaking, you ask). OK! Now another reason I’m into the guitar is that my 14-year-old grandson, David I., is studying the instrument with earnest enthusiasm. It’s wonderful to see that he doesn’t need to be told to practice – spends many hours on his own working on his acoustic and electric guitars. He gave me quite an education on his current favorite guitarists – Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck. David attended their recent concert at Madison Square Garden and he was totally animated as he described how thrilling it was. “The New York Times” concurred. Its headline said, “Yes, two guitars are better than one.” As David described it, it was “a night of guitar bliss.” I asked about the audience that had come to see these two leading contenders for the title of the world’s greatest guitarists since the 60s. He said the audience included kids, young women and men, with a ratio three males to one female. While describing the concert, David was wearing a shirt that said “Eric Clapton and Jeff Back Together and Apart.” Although David knew all the tunes they played, I only recognized two – a Beatles song and “Moon River.” To help me fully appreciate the guitarists, David played their tape, and I was surprised when I actually enjoyed listening. David is on a mission to update his grandma to the 60s. It won’t be easy.
It was all new to me. I had never been to a comedy club. Frankly, however, I wasn’t even aware that such a place existed until a friend of mine took me to the Gotham Comedy Club, 208 West 23rd Street, New York City. A comedienne, Jane Marx, explained that “it was a subculture – comics who go to open mike and who go on the road to tell jokes.” The talented Ms. Marx was one of the performers the night that I was there. There were about six and perhaps I was prejudiced, but I enjoyed her monologue the most. The others all indulged in excessive use of expletives and shouting. It seemed to me that if they didn’t have sex and drugs to focus on, they would have no act.
What surprised me was the 10,000 square foot space in a 1929 building, art deco design – an upscale theater environment where all this took place. The Gotham Comedy Club features stand-up comedians, and each week a new host introduces them for an hour of original comedy. I assume it’s the best place to network with other comics and people involved in the industry. The Gotham offers a workshop that runs for eight weeks. I hope Jane Marx gets her break to become the next Bea Arthur. She certainly has the talent!
Would you get out of bed at 7 a.m. to drive through the Holland Tunnel? Ouch! Luckily, my intrepid friend assured me. He said it would be worthwhile. We were going to Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center. The special treat was to attend an open rehearsal of the New York Philharmonic. What, you query, is an open rehearsal? Ah! It’s a working rehearsal and not a performance. But wait – there was a big plus in store. The guest violinist was the classical musical phenomenon for some 40 years – Pinchas Zuckerman. I’m happy to report that he is still handsome with a shock of white hair – and a marvel to watch. His musicality amazes.
At the open rehearsal, the audience is asked to refrain from conversation and to stay seated until the 20-minute intermission break. What I didn’t know was that at open rehearsals, light refreshments are included one half hour before rehearsal. If there’s a next time for me, I’ll make sure not to miss out on that!