“Build it and they will come!” It’s an expression that perfectly describes The Concerts at Tudor City Greens that, this year, thanks to the hard of work of Raissa Katona Bennett, her husband, Dr. Garrett Bennett, and a group of supportive neighbors and friends, won a special 2010 Bistro Award and MAC nomination for Variety Show/Recurring Series. Opening its season in May (reviewed in our last issue) and after a rain-caused rescheduling, a stellar group of Broadway and cabaret performers gathered for an evening appropriately themed Stars and Songs of Broadway.

The rain date, the next night, proved to be a beautiful spring/summer evening, with a light breeze in the air, trees gently rustling and “nightingales” galore singing in the magical Tudor City Park!

From Broadway, and racing back to play Lurch in the musical, The Addams Family, was Zachary James. He sang a song from the show The Pajama Game called “A New Town Is a Blue Town” in a huge, booming baritone that got the attention of the entire neighborhood. In like fashion, he also sang Javert’s solo, “Stars,” from Les Misérables, with conviction and strength.

Kristy Cates, despite a “burning throat,” nailed Jason Robert Brown’s “Stars and the Moon” and showed her “Broadway belt” with a song from Wicked, “The Wizard and I,” sung by Elphaba (the lead character she understudied while in the original Broadway cast’s ensemble, and later played in the national tour).

Other “Broadway Babies” included Jana Robbins (Good News, I Love My Wife, Romance, Romance, Crimes of the Heart, Gypsy, and Tale of the Allergist’s Wife), Katona Bennett herself (Phantom of the Opera and Chess concert) and Shana Farr, whom I look forward to hearing again when she brings her Julie Andrews tribute to Feinstein’s at Loews Regency in August. And speaking of Feinstein’s, it was well represented on the roster! Both appeared there in successful shows and the supper club has lent its support to the series since its inception.

Adding warmth, charm and “sparkle” to the evening were Hector Coris, Karen Oberlin and Richard Skipper. Needing to move on to their respective gigs at MAC, The Algonquin and The Iguana, each provided a certain “razzle-dazzle” to the evening and represent the best of what’s being offered these days in NYC’s live entertainment world. BTW, it was FREE…though donations were greatly appreciated.

Thank you, Raissa et al for being cabaret “good will ambassadors” with your continuous efforts to introduce this marvelous art form to a garden full of new listeners.

Lynn DiMenna
Cabaret Scenes
June 2, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org