Feb 6
A Celebration of Whitney
One of the most fun and rewarding parts of my job at The Pierre continues to be working with the Broadway community. Their talent, generosity and grace never cease to amaze me–as it did last Monday at Kevin Smith Kirkwood’s Classic Whitney: Alive!
The evening at Joe’s Pub began with a delightful dinner at signature restaurant The Library. Though I’ve been to Joe’s Pub many times over the years, this was my first visit to The Library and it didn’t disappoint. Good friend Lori and I loved the cozy, inviting vibe. I chose from the three-course $42 Winter Restaurant Week menu (cleverly described as Acts I, II and III). The salmon tartar, cauliflower cassoulet & gala apple crumble with vanilla ice cream and caramel were all excellent. Restaurant Week runs through February 9th and The Library is definitely worth adding to your itinerary.
Whitney as channeled by Kevin!
Our satisfying meal was the perfect preamble to Kevin’s dazzling show. From the moment the lights go down and he enters the room wearing angel wings and declaring, “Whitney is in the building!” you are transported to another time. A time when Whitney was deservedly the queen of pop.
After opening with a rousing rendition of “Joy To The World” (from the movie, The Preacher’s Wife), Kevin dons a patriotic track suit as he belts out “One Moment in Time,” Whitney’s majestic anthem for the 1988 Summer Olympics. Then, slipping into a sparkly one-piece jumpsuit, he raises the roof with classic hits like “Saving All My Love For You,” “I Have Nothing,” “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay” and “Exhale (Shoop, Shoop).”
Kevin rocked this one-piece Whitney-esque jumpsuit
That Kevin not only loved the late, great Miss Houston but has studied her most memorable performances is apparent throughout his 90-minute set. He infuses his soulful singing with Whitney’s distinctive mannerisms and on-stage banter telling her story. Having had the great good fortune of seeing Whitney at the height of her career in 1993, I can honestly say that Kevin becomes the very essence of her during the show. With his powerful pipes and glamorous fits-like-a-glove costume changes—and brilliant support from Musical Director Drew Wutke– Kevin transcends impersonation and makes you forget you’re not actually watching Whitney.
Some of the night’s best numbers are when Kevin is paired with backup singers playing key people in Whitney’s life (including mother Cissy and brother Gary). One showstopping duet—“When You Believe,” as performed by Whitney and Mariah Carey at the 1999 Grammys. The gal portraying Mariah nailed the diva’s vocal trills and melodramatic gestures.
Encore, Encore! The grand finale (photo credit: Neal Bennington).
The evening ended with “I Will Always Love You” and an encore of “I’m Every Woman.” Kevin pulled out all the stops for both songs, garnering a well-deserved standing ovation.
Afterward, Lori and I had the pleasure of congratulating Kevin and Drew. They both spoke of how Classic Whitney: Alive! was created with love to be a joyful celebration of the beautiful music and memories she gave us.
Mission accomplished.
For more info about Kevin’s upcoming shows, visit his website. Future Whitney dates are in the works!
Aug 17
Pure Joy: U2 & Disney’s Aladdin
One of my favorite things about living in NYC is being able to experience the world’s best entertainment. My dear friend Sara and I recently enjoyed two memorable nights of music and theater.
We joined a sold-out crowd at Madison Square Garden for one of U2’s eight shows there. The beloved Irish rockers delivered on the Innocence + Experience theme of their current tour, taking the audience on a powerful journey during their 2.5 hour set.
U2 rocked Madison Square Garden
U2 played on two stages and a suspended cage that served as both another stage and projector. Throughout the show, a series of images flashed–from a rendering of teenage Bono writing a song for his future wife to family photos and shooting stars in “Iris,” a moving tribute to his late mom. The setlist covered tracks from their current album Songs of Innocence alongside classic hits including “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” “Desire,” “Pride (In the Name of Love)” and “Beautiful Day.”
Sprinkled throughout were messages of social activism, filtered through the lens of the heartfelt reflection that comes with getting older. Bono spoke with gratitude for fan support of U2’s Red campaign against AIDS, also expressing thanks for the band’s longevity.
For the encore, they ended with “Where The Streets Have No Name” and a version of “One” that had everyone happily obliging Bono’s request to–
“Sing yourselves home.”
No doubt about it—U2 is still one of the greatest rock bands of our time.
Just a few days after being wowed by U2, Sara and I headed to the New Amsterdam Theater to see Aladdin. The stage version of Disney’s beloved 1994 animated film delivers plenty of laughs, heart and romance.
Dazzling choreography, colorful sets and rapid fire costume changes (337 costumes in total!) vividly bring the classic story to life. Aladdin features new songs penned for the show in addition to iconic numbers from the movie. Aladdin and Jasmin’s magic carpet ride to “A Whole New World” is spectacularly recreated.
James Monroe Iglehart dazzles as the genie (Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann/AladdinTheMusical.com)
Adam Jacobs is easy to like as Aladdin, Courtney Reed less so—her portrayal of Jasmine comes off as more bratty than spunky. Jonathan Freeman, who voiced villainous Jafar in the movie, reprises his role with panache. He’s almost upstaged by Don Darryl Rivera, a fireball of wicked energy as snarky sidekick Iago. But Aladdin’s biggest star is Tony Award winner James Monroe Iglehart. With his infectiously charming portrayal of the genie, Iglehart brings down the house, truly making this iconic role his own.
Aladdin is pure joy – an Arabian Night that’s enjoyable from start to final curtain call.
Dec 14
A Fabulous Night With Fresh 102.7 FM
Earlier this week, I enjoyed a girls night out at two of my favorite NYC venues.
My dear friend Sara and I met up at Pappardella on the Upper West Side. This cozy Italian eatery has long been a neighborhood staple with good reason–delicious, consistent fare and friendly service. We shared a caprese salad (with melt in your mouth fresh mozzarella) then enjoyed one of their signature dishes–pappardelle with wild mushroom ragu, white wine, truffle cream, roasted garlic & basil. Yummm.
After dinner, we walked over to the iconic Beacon Theater on Broadway. The event–Fresh 102.7 FM‘s first ever Winter Jam concert.
Fresh 102.7 FM’s Kim and Kane
I always start my day with Fresh’s Kim and Kane in the morning. So it was a treat to see them emcee part of the four-hour show, which featured an A-list lineup of pop artists. I’ve attended several radio station concerts over the years; this was far and away one of the best, most well executed productions. And we got to experience it all from fifth row center seats!
American Authors
The concert kicked off with American Authors, debuting a song from their upcoming second album and powering through “I’m Just A Believer” and “Best Day of My Life.” Spunky family band Echosmith were effervescent fun, closing out their set with “Cool Kids.”
Next up, Gavin DeGraw, who was as irresistible as he was when I saw him at an SPG Moments concert last year. He did older songs from his catalog like “Follow Through” and “I Don’t Wanna Be,” and newer classics like “Sweeter” and “The Best I Ever Had,” ending with his mega-hit “Not Over You.”
Gavin DeGraw (photo courtesy: Fresh 102.7 FM)
Daughtry performed an acoustic set, including a memorable version of “Home” dedicated to U.S. troops. It was fantastic to hear stripped down versions of “It’s Not Over,” “September,” “Battleship” and one of my all-time favorites, “Waiting For Superman.”
Daughtry (photo courtesy: Fresh 102.7 FM)
The evening ended on a very high note, with Train. Lead singer Pat Monahan demonstrated why Daughtry raved about him being one of the best pop vocalists today (not to mention, adept at taking selfies with front row audience member phones).
Train
So many great songs in Train’s catalog, and they performed most of them—including “Cadillac, Cadillac,” “Angel In blue Jeans,” “99 Ways To Say Goodbye” and “Calling All Angels.” They ended their set with breakout hit “Drops of Jupiter.”
A truly amazing night of great music and fun with a dear friend. One that reinforced something I’ve been feeling a lot lately – truly blessed to call this incredible city home.
