“Julie Gold: Closing the Distance”

Gerry Geddes
The mission statement of the annual Village Trip Festival is “To uplift, to entertain, and to celebrate the arts for all New Yorkers, their families, and all people from around the world who come to visit Downtown Manhattan’s special oases, Greenwich Village and the East Village.” It covers music, theatre, fine arts, politics, written word,...

Trevor Ashley: “Queen of the Moment”

Gerry Geddes
At the risk of being asked to turn in my “gay card,” I must confess that I do not follow Drag Race or any of its offspring. I occasionally catch a random episode of one or another, or I’ll see a clip on Facebook or YouTube but that’s the extent of my involvement. So I...

Jason Henderson: “Getting to Noël You”

Gerry Geddes
One of the deprivations of growing up in New Hampshire was that I was never exposed to more sophisticated entertainments in general, and Sir Noël Coward in particular. It was not until I got to Columbia University here in NY that I discovered the wit, the panache, the lyrics and melodies, plays, and stories of...

Club Review: Tony Yazbeck

Gerry Geddes
To translate the energy, the heart, the style, the artistry and the power of a Broadway star performance into the intimate surroundings of a cabaret (even as large and stylishly theatrical a cabaret as 54 Below) is not an easy thing to do.  Some singers just recreate the energy and size of their theatrical triumphs...

Jason Danieley’s “Without a Song”

Gerry Geddes
In 1972, director Bernardo Bertolucci released his controversial erotic drama, Last Tango in Paris which received an X rating for its explicit sex scenes between Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider. Rumors ran rampant that the sex scenes, although not pornographic, were ultra-realistic because the two stars were actually engaged in intercourse during the filming. It...

Meg Flather’s “Hammerstein & Sondheim— Carefully Taught”

Gerry Geddes
It seems that since the passing of iconic Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim, not a week has gone by without some new revue, or tribute, or memorial in his honor.  Of course, he is deserving of as much praise as the world can manage to heap upon him, but even the heartiest of fans might be...

Emilie-Claire Barlow

Gerry Geddes
It is hard to believe that it took Canadian jazz singer, Emilie-Claire Barlow until 2023 to make her debut in NYC.  She has long been recognized as one of her home country’s most gifted musical minds and has been an award-winning vocalist for over 25 years. Through her marvelous recordings over that time, I became...

Daniel Reichard’s “It’s You I Like”

Gerry Geddes
First, a confession.  Mr. Rogers, the famed creator and host of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, was “after my time,” so I have little frame of reference when it comes to his legendary television show. I also pre-date Romper Room.  My TV show, once we could afford to have a television—ours had a screen the size of a...

Salty Brine’s “He’s So Unusual”

Gerry Geddes
It is always a cause for celebration when Bistro Award-winning performer Salty Brine releases a new chapter in his ongoing series, The Living Record Collection.  The concept for the series is to present an album in its entirety, with the songs in order, while interweaving a literary work along with related personal stories and reminiscences. ...

Club Review: Songs from “Rhinegold”

Gerry Geddes
Back in the mid to late 20th century, theatre in New York (especially Off Broadway and Off Off Broadway) was quite a different animal Plays were not so much produced but burst forth from the creative energies of all involved. The writer(s), director, cast, and crew, often even the house staff, were invested in what...