WHEN OCTOBER GOES-- CATCH-UP ON CABARET

By Rob Lester

Coming soon to a cabaret near you as October ends: Who's Singing Who: Valerie Lemon Sings Marvin Hamlisch... Gretchen Reinhagen Sings Janis Joplin....Grace Cosgrove Sings Laura Nyro..... Jen Brooks Sings Bette Midler.... Eddie Bruce Sings Anthony Newley..... Also in this column... October begins with a bang and a show you can win free admission to in our Contest (Read on).

Every year, a few questions run through my mind as it becomes increasingly obvious that October's days are waning (I am glancing at my wall calendar, with the last days marked, "Warning: Waning!") and the blue skies of summer are growing darker earlier and the weather is getting cooler (I am wearing a sky-blue scarf while writing this) and the leaves are falling (one leaf just wafted in through an open window that looks out on a smokey roof and a plane went by and it landed on my computer keyboard --- the leaf, not the plane --- and that leaf has a drop of snow on it and a shivering, tiny caterpillar crawling on it, who has now crawled up to my book of Johnny Mercer lyrics I'd been reading...OK, I made that part up, but it is either a charming poetic image, or it would explain why I am wearing that sky-blue scarf...the window is open, for goodness' sake!). The questions running through my mind are............. #1: Did I remember to send my mother a birthday card in time? (Answer: Yes, sort of, thanks to Yahoo Greetings, you can send/deliver the same day or program in advance to be sent on the required day) .........#2: Where did I put that scarf? (Answer, in this case: You're wearing it.)..........and # 3: what is that song about the waning days of October? (Answer: see below).

"And when October goes
The snow begins to fly
Above the smokey roofs
I watch the planes go by.."

It's a Johnny Mercer lyric set to music posthumously, by Barry Manilow and it is a bittersweet lyric which ends:

"It doesn't matter much
How old I grow
I hate to see October go."

And I do. But I love hearing the song. The most recent recording of "When October Goes" is on a new CD by Jennifer Sheehan, who won the first Noel Coward Award from the Noel Coward Society and was presented with it at October's Cabaret Convention's second night (more on that below). Her album is called You Made Me Love You and is full of standards and new songs in honor of what she tells us is the 100th anniversary of the Great American Songbook. She marks its beginings as the year of one of the CD's choices, "Some of These Days." Some of these October days, as the days dwindle down to a precious few (hmmm....why does that sound so familiar...oh, that's part of the lyric to "September Song"---sorry, one month too late...those days have already dwindled---now where was I? Oh, yes, you might want to spend some of these days of October's dwindlement seeing some cabaret. The last days of October have plenty of attractive choices, but you'll have to move more quickly than a caterpillar on a leaf, as they won't be here forever....but some continue into November. So without further ado ---and I think there has been enough ado --- if you don't want to sit looking at planes flying over your smokey roof, you can fly off to some of these shows:

Valerie Lemon sings the music of Marvin Hamlisch at Feinstein's at Loews Regency on Sunday, October 24. She's had a long professional relationship with the composer of A Chorus Line, The Goodbye Girl, They're Playing Our Song and "The Way We Were," as a featured soloist in his concerts. Last Sunday, she sounded as sunny and sweet and bright as the title items in the early hit he composed for Lesley Gore, "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows," when she sang it during her guest co-hosting duties at the weekly open mic, The Salon. It's at the Etc. Etc. restaurant on West 44 Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. And when October goes, The Salon will be skipping that last Sunday since it falls on Halloween. Likewise, they'll be skipping the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend, but otherwise they are around with varying themes and co-hosts, with a current audience-development incentive: returning audience members/singers can get in free if they bring two people who have never been to the Salon but want to be open to the possibilities of an open mic... performing or just listening, drinking, nibbling.

Earlier that Sunday evening when Valerie sings the marvels of Marvin, Gretchen Reinghagen will be at Don't Tell Mama singing the songs of Janis Joplin, spotlighting her iconic-- and final --album, Pearl. Versatile Gretchen is the winner of the Bistro, MAC and Niightlife Awards for her 2009 cabaret show focused on a very different icon, Kaye Ballard. She first went all Joplinish as the Pearl girl as part of Lennie Watts's Under the Cover series this past March, where various cabaret singers sing all the songs from a favorite album by a favorite artist. I caught her show at the time and was impressed by her range, robust rootsiness and rockin' and rollin'. She'll be repeating the show on October 26 and November 4. A highlight from that same series is also coming back, just before October goes bye-bye: On Saturday afternoon, October 30, at Metropolitan Room, Grace Cosgrove goes back down the Stoney End to the songs of the fascinating Laura Nyro. I'm a Laura Nyro devotee from way back when, and so is Grace. She performs the songs with respect, understanding and -- though this may sound like an oxymoron---an elegant passion. This time, she has a band and three back-up singers.

On Tuesday, October 26, Jen Brooks will try the Triad for her salute to the irrepressible Bette Midler. Our Miss Brooks will be bringing sass and brio and dragging along three drag queens as the obligatory high-steppin' back-up gals Midler called The Harlettes. Audience members are invited to wear their Halloween costumes. If you have a yen to see Jen in action, you get a taste via video at www.thejenbrooks.com where you can get a giggle with an Enchanted moment of song filmed on location at the famed Ellen's Stardust Diner on Broadway where she toiled as a singing waitress. There's also a sample of Jen taking her turn doing "Rose's Turn" as Mama Rose from Gypsy, a turn many took, including Midler (in the TV-movie version). Given the evidence, it sounds like a sure Bette. "Wait a minute!" I hear you cry. Wasn't there a Bette Midler show as part of that Under the Covers series and wasn't it that wonderful Amy Wolk with three guys backing her up in her divine madness and wasn't that show brought back to Don't Tell Mama for October? Well, you're right. But that was last week. I told you: and when October goes, October goes. But fear not: Amy will be back on the stick and back with the shtick on November 29, at Mama's. This town is big enough for two Midler shows, I'm sure. Amy's a hoot and includes the Sophie Tucker jokes and the fun and frenetic faaaabulous foolery of the live album she covers.

Jen Brooks presents The Happy Working Song

After all, there's always another month of cabaret whatnot: And when October goes and is going, going, gone, it will be --- according to reliable sources --- November. You might start November with another tribute show: Eddie Bruce at Metropolitan Room singing Anthony Newley. I haven't seen that show yet, but have heard good things and heard good things each time I played his CD, a trbute to another icon: Tony Bennett.

And now for that promised contest: Three readers, selected at random, who respond by e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it will each get two passes (2-drink minimum still applies) to the November 2 show at Metropolitan Room with the singer Deb Berman, accompanied by in-demand guitarist Sean Harkness. It's the second performance of Deb's second cabaret show, All in Good Time. Her first show won her the Bistro Award for Outstanding Debut and Debut Deb's follow-up is already getting good buzz with its songs about time passing (like October goes, but on a bigger scale). How do you win? Just send an e-mail with CONTEST in the subject line.