CELEBRATING THIS WEEK'S ENTERTAINERS AT THE IGUANA!

Another week is here. Summer is over. Autumn is here. I was in the Hamptons for the weekend and there are pumpkins everywhere.
And as we go into the last week of September, we also celebrate passages and new beginnings this Wednesday night at The Iguana! This is one of my favorite times of the year. I like to celebrate the abundance of shows we have to choose from in NY.
We are blessed at the choices we can make EVERY DAY in NY. Wednesday Night at The Iguana is a chance to see and choose from so many!

One of our entertainers this week is Daryl Glenn. Daryl has a new show opening on the 17th that features our very own Saadi Zain!
Daryl Glenn & Jo Lynn Burks & Friends
A COUNTRY(ISH) EVENING OF SONG!
with saadi zain (bass)
special guest stars
Joe Iconis and Marty Thomas
scheduled to appear*
Liz Lark Brown/Karen Dryer/Danielle Grabaniowski/Amber Martin
Brad Wills (*subject to change at any moment!)
sunday, oct 17 @ 10 pm
IGUANA NYC

240 west 54th street
(212) 765-5454

$10 cover/no minimum, however… fabulous food and drink available!!!
reservations essential


Marya Zimmet returns this week!Sunday, 10/3, 9:00 pm Marya is doing a 35-minute set, with Tex Arnold on piano, and Jon Burr on bass. Jazz and Latin standards, Stephen Sondheim, Joni Mitchell, as well as more obscure gems that tend toward the bluesy, swinging and/or hauntingly beautiful.
This event is part of the Westbeth 40th Anniversary Arts Festival.

Marya is one of several performers that night. FREE

RITA ELLIS HAMMER RETURNS!You can take Rita home with you! http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ritaellishammer


GLORIA WALDMAN RETURNS!

JANICE HALL RETURNS! Janice Hall, one of the five finalists in this year's Metrostar Talent Challenge at the Metropolitan Room, is debuting her first solo show, "Grand Illusions: The Music of Marlene Dietrich," at the Metropolitan Room.

Janice, an internationally-known opera singer who is now turning her attention to the art of cabaret, will pay tribute to the life and legend of one of the true icons of the twentieth century. Marlene Dietrich’s musical repertoire included songs from the Weimar cabaret, jazz standards,
folk songs, antiwar songs, French chansons, and, of course, her famous film songs.

In Grand Illusions, Janice re-interprets many of Dietrich's famous hits, bringing the beauty and distinction of her own voice as well as her considerable dramatic gifts into play. The show also features many lesser-known but beautiful songs for you to discover. Included are songs by Friedrich Hollaender, Cole Porter, Lerner & Loewe, Fats Waller, Robert Stolz, Charles Trenet, and Pete Seeger.


The show is directed by Bistro and MAC award-winning Peter Napolitano, with musical direction by legendary pianist Paul Trueblood, and featuring Ritt Henn on bass.
Show dates are: Nov 3, @ 9:30PM; Nov 6, @ 4:00PM; Nov 13 @ 4PM; Nov 21 @ 4PM, and Dec 8, @ 9:30PM. There is a $15.00 cover ($10 for MAC and Cabaret Hotline members), and a two-drink minimum.
The Metropolitan Room
34 West 22nd St, NY, NY10010
(Betw. 5th & 6th Ave.)
For reservations: Tel: 212 206 0440 - Fax: 212 206 0433
Online at: www.metropolitanroom.com

"…sleek, chic and elegant in appearance as well as in the presentation of her songs…pure, unalloyed gold." (Beatrice Williams-Rude, Broadway After Dark)



KEN GREVES RETURNS! Ken Greves is a passionate interpreter of the Great American Songbook and a specialist in the music of Harold Arlen.



“Arlen’s music resonates profoundly with my musical sensibilities,” says Ken. “Arlen considered himself a jazz composer and wanted to be a vocalist himself. He was unique in that he was unafraid to break out of the standard 32-bar form.”




Another important influence on Ken was the voice of Judy Garland.

“My fascination with Garland was her uncanny ability to musically shape a song while acting and telling a story. She demonstrated that a song has a beginning, middle and end.”


Ken grew up in Nassau County, on the south shore of Long Island, NY. Neither of his parents were musicians, but they noted early on their son’s fascination with music, theater, and dance.
DALE BADWAY RETURNS!
JILLIAN LAURAIN RETURNS! Jillian's show "When The Sun Comes Out" returns on Sat. evening, Nov. 13th at 7pm at the Metropolitan Room. Tommy C. James, arranger for the Duke Ellington Orchestra will be bringing down the house once again. Songs by Sondheim, Arlen, Herman. $15 cover charge ($10 for MAC members). For reservations, please call 212-206-0440

SANDRA DAVIS RETURNS!

LINN LORKIN RETURNS!!

FRANK TORREN RETURNS!

MARQUEE FIVE RETURNS!

VALERIE LEMON APPEARS AS PART OF OUR LINE-UP FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME!

DEB BERMAN RETURNS!





EARL LEVIT RETURNS!Earl Levit's JOYEUX NOEL will open on Saturday night, December 4, 2010.
The tickets will be $25 including one beverage. There is a surcharge for credit card reservations, the theatre will be able to tell you the costs.
The tickets will go on sale sometime late October early November. 215-923-0210 for reservations.

SIERRA REIN, who is also part of MARQUEE 5, will also sing a solo! Soaring on the success of their debut show, We Can Make It: The Songs of Kander & Ebb, which earned the group a 2010 MAC Award for Best Vocal/Duo/Group, Marquee Five isn’t leaving any dust in their wake as they forge ahead in this latest creation. 8-Track refers to music on magnetic 8-track sound recordings popular in the ’60s and ’70s, eras that produced many of the greatest hits of all time.
Reminiscent of The Modernaires, the 1940s quintet with the Glenn Miller Orchestra who recorded “Make Believe Ballroom Time” for WNEW, the tight harmonies of Marquee Five are, indeed, top-notch spectacular. Impressive, too, are the talents of the individual singers who comprise the group: soprano Vanessa Parvin; mezzo Julie Reyburn; alto Sierra Rein; and the two smooth-sounding males, Mick Bleyer and Adam West Hemming, the latter responsible for the clever arrangements and musical direction.


From group numbers like “Moondance” and the smart, witty “Copacabana”(that intermingles “Oye Como Va,” “Them from The Pink Panther” and “Theme from Sex and the City”), to individual highlights—including Hemmings’s rich and beautifully phrased “A House Is Not a Home” underscored with “Honesty,” Rein’s strong and expressive “Move Over,” Reyburn’s intense rendition of time and love “Tangled Up in Blue” and the juxtaposing duet of Bleyer and Hemming’s pairing “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” and “All in Love Is Fair”—there isn’t a dull moment. The musicians are a unique combination of talents: Mark Janas (piano); Matt Scharfglass (bass guitar); John Benthal and Tony Romano sharing dates on acoustic/electric guitar.
Joseph Ward directs. Special thanks to Father Jeffrey Hamblin who produces Marquee Five.

Sandi Durell

Cabaret Scenes
September 17, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org

WILLIAM BLAKE RETURNS!Video clips from the Labor Day show @ Birdland coming soon! Subscribe now to Youtube: willybsinger's Channel.
Then, of course, there is Dana Lorge!
CATT JOHN RETURNS!



BARBARA PORTEUS RETURNS!Barbara Porteus is the quintessential cabaret performer who can give you precisely what you came for from Stephen Sondheim to Johnny Mercer. She has performed in such shows as The Sound of Music with Marie Osmond, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying with Donald O'Connor, The Wizard Of Oz with Phillis Diller, Peter Pan with BD Wong and David Ogden Stiers, The Music Man with Gary Sandy, Fidler On The Roof with Jan Peerce. Performing in nightclubs on land and sea, her extensive and impressive resume includes touring with Eddy Arnold and opening for Petula Clark, Sid Ceaser and many others. Currently, her collaboration with musical director Barry Levitt, bassist Eric Udel and Mayra Casales at Don't Tell Mama is packing the house and receiving rave reviews.

HELENA GRENOT RETURNS!




JERRY WICHINSKY RETURNS!




THE FOLLOWING ARE RECENT COMMENTS FROM
http://www.richardskipper.com/guestbook.html

Richard, I just unearthed the CD of the radio interview we did 3 years ago, with you on the phone in NYC and Carol Channing on the phone in LA - I hope you still have access to it;we had so much fun and she was just so complimentary of you!
Ginny Wolf, Spotlight On Connecticut, http://s121103653.onlinehome.us/SpotlightonCT/AboutGinnyWolf.html

Richard & Dana, Thank you so much for making Wednesday Night at The Iguana such a memorable occasion. I was honored to be on the program with so many other wonderful, talented singers recently. What a bore Wednesday nights would be without the joy of you two marvelous entertainers and the diverse group of artists you manage to bring each week to the Iguana. May it go on, and on, and on and on.
Alicia Terry Littman,NYC

What a fun and fabulous night of great entertainment at the Iguana! Richard, you and Dana are the King and Queen (you decided who is which) of herding a huge group of crazy singers into a wonderful show. I loved the eclectic mix or performers, the friendly vibe, and the fact I could actually hear myself when singing on stage! Oy! What a relief.
There was never a dull moment, never a lull in the energy, and that's hard to accomplish in this kind of show. Now I understand why Wednesday Night at the Iguana is an award-winning production.
Thank you for including me, and I will definitely be taking that 2-hour train ride from Kingston to the city to be at the Iguana again.
Nancy Tierney, http://nancytierney.com

TILL NEXT WEEK...HERE'S TO A MUSICAL SEPTEMBER!

With grateful XOXOXs for your support!
Richard Skipper, Richard@RichardSkipper.com

SPEND TONIGHT WITH US AT THE IGUANA!

Julie Reyburn will perform tonight at The Iguana! Tonight Dana Lorge and I are celebrating our 25th week at The Iguana!

Obviously, we have a lot to be Thankful for as we go into this holiday season.

TONIGHT'S SHOW IS AT 7pm


IGUANA VIP LOUNGE, 240 West 54th Street, NYC

THANKSGIVING EVE AT THE IGUANA



Barry Levitt on keyboard & Morrie Louden on bass. PLEASE NOTE: SHOW STARTS AT 7PM - - Tonight's guests include: Christopher Gerrard,
William Blake, Jim Speak, David Vernon, Diana Templeton ... A few other surprises as well! Remember $10.00 Cover/No food or drink minimum!
Reservations a must (212) 765-5454

When we were first approached by Joan Crowe, our goal was to raise the bar. I didn't want to do another "open mic".

I wanted a real opportunity for entertainers to showcase themselves and build their fan base!
(Joan Crowe, pictured)

After Ray Jessell appeared in our show last week, 12 people from that night's audience came to his show Monday Night at Don't Tell Mama.

Meet some of the entertainers we have tonight:


David Vernon is a self-trained song stylist with a seemingly endless repertoire of music.

His vocal range is as broad as his song-list. Developing an early appreciation and study of performance art he strives to challenge material and weave it into an experience to be heard.

Testing and developing his gift by performing in dozens of nightclubs he has established a loyal following and continues to recruit new listeners.
By the age of 19 he had already produced and directed himself in a three-act nightclub engagement.
He then went on doing engagements featuring standards and theatre compositions.

David first entered the recording studio in 1986 to record his first demo and has since continued to record 5 more albums all showcased on this website.
Shortly after relocating to New York he has been commissioned to do demo work for several different composers.
David Vernon has done television appearances with both his performance and design showcases.

David the designer specializes in Haute Couture. David builds his own designs from paper to finished product with a close eye on detail and expert tailoring.


In 2000 he unveiled his first full collection. His agency has pushed him forward and will be the foundation for future collections.

His current project stems from a nightclub act done in New York City.

The Album of that show entitled “By Myself” is a compilation of songs that conjures up the emotions and questions derived through solitude.

The album is currently available at this website. When David is not performing or designing he spends his time working for not-for profit arts organizations raising funds and recruiting patronage.


David Nathan Scott has a lovely stage presence...' Phil Geoffrey Bond - Laurie Beechman Theatre.
J. Michael Reeds. Feel free to check out his CDs! http://www.jaymichaelreeds.com/discography.html


Rita Ellis Hammer.

When the petite, elegant, bird-like lady walks out on stage and stands in the spotlight, chances are she\'ll have you expecting some delicate crooning.

Not on your life. Rita Ellis Hammer could fill a room the size of Radio City Music Hall with her voice alone--no microphone necessary.
This is one of those prodigious, force-of-nature sounds, a Broadway belt, a Mermanesque vibrato and High Brooklynese enunciation that are not for the faint of heart.
Prepare to be walloped.


Diana Templeton is making a rare NYC appearance this eve! Diana Templeton is a singing actress - or an acting singer, I can't decide which. Having both a lovely sweet voice that can sail over a wide ocean of notes as well as the talent to convey emotions and tell good stories, Templeton seems virtually unlimited in her repertoire of song.


Esther Beckman who won the MAC 2007 Award for Best Female Debut!



Jim Speake with Steven Ray Watkins on piano. Jim Speake is an actor/ singer living in New York City. Jim is originally from Alabama. His early years were spent on a cotton farm. As an adult he lived and worked in Atlanta, Georgia where he built his own company, Speake Garden Furnishings.
This company sold quality garden furniture and accessories to the design trade from a showroom in The Atlanta Decorative Arts Center. While in Atlanta, Jim worked with several local theater companies including The Savoyards Musical Theater Company. In 1996, Jim was one of four "Catfish" in the Opening Ceremonies of The US Olympic Games.







Erin Cronican Proud Member of AEA, SAG and AFTRA. Currently residing in New York City, Erin was raised in San Diego, California and has been acting/singing/dancing since the age of 9. Erin's first role was as the gander in "Charlotte's Web" and this was only the first of many gender-bending and species bending roles! In fact, it wasn't until college that she started to play roles in her own age range, ethnicity and gender









Maria Ottavia! Her connection with both audience and her material - serving as a conduit for the
feelings and thoughts expressed in the show- was amazing.
Quite honestly, I have
never heard the very familiar "If I Loved You" done quite as well! Several song
pairings were surprising - and perfectly performed.
And when it comes to a ballad,
no one does it better than Maria on songs like "A Quiet Thing."

Truly someone
ready to make her mark on the cabaret scene, Ms. Ottavia is a performer to watch -
and catch when she makes her next appearance.

Stu Hamstra, Cabaret Hotline


AND POSSIBLY YOU! All other singers present will be chosen by lottery! Check out the fun we have at The Iguana!


Support THE ARTS! LIVE THEATRE! Go see a show this week! Send me your reviews and suggestions and I will put them in my next blog coming out next Tuesday! Here's to an ARTS-filled week! Don't forget to contribute to the DR. CAROL CHANNING & HARRY KULLIJIAN FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS: http://www.carolchanning.org/Foundation.htm

With grateful XOXOXs for your support!

Richard Skipper

Follow me on Twitter @RichardSkipper



HERE IS WHAT AUDIENCES ARE SAYING ABOUT MY WORK:
You were fabulous! You made me cry when you recited the soliloquy from "Dolly". You look wonderful and are such a precious person all around. Keep on going ...pleease.... with your talent extraordinaire!!!! Sondra was a delight. I wish her the best of good fortune. Loved chatting with Donna Hanover. Our sons attended the same high school (not at the same time). She is so sweet and I am so glad she found happiness!
Thanks for letting me come.
Love,
Lozita, New Jersey



I had the honor of participating in a very special memorial concert for musician/composer Jim Fradrich who passed away in August. This wonderful evening was produced by Jim's partner Kevin McMullan and took place at the Actors Chapel on 47th St in Manhattan. Kicking off the concert was Richard Skipper who's amazing voice vibrated through the entire church..it was like a choir of angels. Jim was smiling down upon us I'm sure. Julie Reyburn, http://www.juliereyburn.com


Hi Richard,
I am away at a Music Therapy Conference in San Diego but I wanted to thank you for last Wednesday night (11/11/09).
I think the show seems to be unique in that it offers singers the oppurtunity to perform Jazz, Broadway, comedy and even opera. Within that the diversity every performers uniqueness made it truly interesting and exciting. The talent seems to get better and better. More importantly the audience seems to feel comfortable and enjoying themselves which in turn makes the performers feel connected and good about what they are doing. Barry is also a joy to work with and you and Dana just know how to make everybody laugh and smile. As a singer, counselor and Music Therapist I feel you have created a show of diversity, comfort, talent and joy and that is what connects to people. I have no doubt you and Dana will continue to be a huge success.
And I a very grateful to be a part of your organization. Please tell me what I can do to be of further assistance.
Allegra Pigott, Stamford, CT



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NYC

Now a night out in NY to see a show at a VERY AFFORDABLE price!
Dana Lorge and I have put our OWN spin on the variety show format and are now hosting every Wednesday night in NYC at The Iguana VIP Lounge (http://www.iguananyc.com) in the heart of
NYC (240 West 54th Street 8-11PM/with an intermission).
WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT THE IGUANA!



Barry Levitt on keyboard and Morrie Louden on bass!
on bass. Time: 8 - 11:00 p.m.

Cover: $10 - no food or drink minimums – but remember – the food is great!

This is a nice night
out with the family!
A
"throw back" to the variety shows we grew up with.
For more info, please call 845-365-0720 or visit _www.RichardSkipper.com_
RESERVATIONS A MUST!!!!!!!!
212-765-5454. No one admitted before
7:30.










December 2nd: Cynthia Crane, The debut of The Marquee 5 (Mick Bleyer, Adam Hemming, Vanessa Parvin, Sierra Rein, Julie Reyburn) singing selections from their upcoming revue, "We Can Make It...The Songs of Kander & Ebb" and Hector Coris!


December 9th: Richard Holbrook, Josh Zuckerman, Helena Grenot, Jillian Laurain, Jerry Wichinsky

December 16th: Jessee Luttrell and Susan Eichorn-Young


December 30th: Ritt Henn, Annie Hughes, Yvette Malavets-Blum, David Nathan Scott

January 20th: D'Yan Forrest and Scot Wisniewski
Keep checking http://www.richardskipper.com/schedule.html


February 17th: James Alexander!