Halloween Countdown 2015: Manhattan Transfer in the Twilight Zone

It's Friday. Ready to party?

The Manhattan, including the late Tim Hauser, its founder, bring their distinctive harmonies to bear on this disco classic from 1979.

Here, on this year's Halloween Countdown, there is a dimension beyond that which is known to man....

This Is It! EXCLUSIVE Q&A with the One & Only Ms. Melba Moore ~ part 1

Melba Moore basically needs no introduction. She is a diva to be reckoned with; one who has conquered the Broadway stage, the recording industry and, now, cabaret. I am thrilled, then, to present to you our exclusive Q&A. This is it! 

Buddy Beaverhausen: I understand you come from a musical family. Could you tell us more about that?
Melba Moore: Absolutely. My father was a musician as was my mother, who also sang. She married my stepfather, also a musician. My brother, who passed away, was a wonderful pianist who majored in Music in college. I went to college at Montclair State Teacher's College, New Jersey, majoring in Music. So music was the centerpiece of our lives.

BB: You'll be performing at the Metropolitan Room on October 30th. What might audiences expect?
MM: I hope to do a few little surprises because this is going to be my third or fourth time at the Metropolitan Room. Cabaret audiences have really evolved and they have even more sophisticated tastes nowadays. I'll probably perform songs from Broadway shows and some things from the Great American Songbook. Maybe something by Ella Fitzgerald or Frank Sinatra or Streisand. Of course, I'll be singing songs from my own Broadway shows.
BB: And will you be singing "This Is It?"
MM: You know, we're getting several request for that song. So I'll consult with some people and, if we feel it's appropriate for the room, well do it.



BB: You've worked with so many great people throughout your career. Who were some of your favorites?
MM: Oh, so many, it's hard to think. I just worked with Jeanie Tracy, who worked with the late, great Sylvester. Recently sang with Jean Carne. So many wonderful voices!
BB: Anyone you've worked with, then thought, "Mmmm... Maybe not again?"
MM: You know, I'll work with anyone. We don't need to have an ideal relationship personally. I've had some bad experiences with promoters, but not talent. Even Anita Baker, who is known for being not easy to get along with. She was always nice to me. Maybe because I don't compete with other singers when I sing.

BB: I remember seeing you as a guest on Bea Arthur's variety special in 1980. What was it like working and singing with the late Ms Arthur?
MM: Oh, she was so sweet and kind to me. She also came from a stage background and had a really good voice. I enjoyed singing Fats Waller songs with her. A gentle lady and a kind spirit. And, of course, she was so tall and white and I am so short and dark, we made a good pair. I sang "Your Feets Too Big" to her. [laughs] And the costumes and gowns were to die for. It was great fun. Great, great fun! And everything on that show was top-notch: the production, the musicians. Rock Hudson was on that show too, and Wayland Flowers and Madame, his wonderful puppet. I had a ball!

Thanks to Ron Richardson, Bernie Furshpan and Sarah Dash for helping set up this Q&A.



[Stay tuned for part 2 coming very, very soon.]

http://www.melbamoore.com

This event will sell out very quickly.  Reserve now @ http://metropolitanroom.com if seats are still available.

Buddy Beaverhausen Salutes Labor Day

Unofficially, Labor Day marks the end of summer and the start of fall in the United States. Autumn equinox is not until September 23rd this year. But, after all the barbeques and beach parties are done this weekend, there will be a certain sense in our psyches that, for all intents and purposes, summer has left us.

Like International Workers Day (May Day) in Europe, Labor Day is a celebration of working people and their achievements. It will be celebrated by parades and get-togethers, getaways and hideaways as most people have a three-day weekend. Labor Day, in the USA, is always on the first Monday of September.

When I was a boy, Labor Day meant a return to school on the next day, so there are some bittersweet memories for you. This year, I will probably celebrate by ordering Chinese delivery -- another great American tradition.

It will be interesting how Tea Party Republicans treat and speak about this all-American holiday this year as their position is distinctly anti-Labor and anti-working people. I look forward to Donald Trump stumble into talking about it. The US Labor movement brought us Labor Day just as they brought us weekends, unions and working people's rights.

For me, Labor Day is the start of the Social Season with a line-up of cabaret shows, theater events, concerts and recordings. Clothing stores will have out their new seasonal lines. I couldn't be retired and collecting Social Security or having my pension money if it weren't for the Labor movement, and for that I'm especially grateful this holiday weekend.

A parade will march down my avenue in Brooklyn on Monday. Parades will happen nationwide. There will be a large one in Manhattan, which hosted the very first Labor Day parade ever.

So, as you throw another shrimp on the barbie or pop open another cold one, celebrate with family and friends, or just relax, remember this one's for you. Take some time to reflect on the meaning of this holiday that honors this country's working people. Enjoy your holiday, everybody!

Video Beaverhausen: The Anniversary

When it comes to Bette's monster moms, you can't top 1967's The Anniversary, produced by UK's Hammer studios. What an indisputable bitch!

My mother had nothing on Bette's character when it came to guilt-tripping, though she was good; VERY good at it. As in, "Oh, I forgot. I'm ONLY the mother." Can't come close to the cyclops of a passive-aggressive madre in this film. Sorry, Mom.

We can all relate to Davis' extreme monster mom but that's the point of this whole exercise, it would seem.

"Could you sit over there?" Davis asks her youngest son's fiancee. "Body odor offends me." Our favorite line!

Sturdy direction by Roy Ward Baker throughout. My close friend, Tracey, commented on how the avant-garde Brit humor still seemed fresh today. Indeed.

Daring for the time, especially regarding tranvestism, Oedipal obsessions and pedophilia, The Anniversary still rocks today as black comedy.

"Putting me in a fruit cellar? Do you think I'm fruity, boy?" Norman Bates' mother asked. None of the characters in this outrageous film can put Bette anywhere. She's an immovable -- and seemingly indestructible -- object. Hammer horror monsters are like that.

Based on a very successful West End hit in London.

Video Beaverhausen: Not a Piece of "Cake" for Jennifer Aniston

Jennifer Aniston is perhaps a revelation in Cake, her Oscar nominated performance. I can relate to her character to an extent as someone with invisible ailments, though I don't have pins in my legs. (Thankfully!)

You won't think of her solely as a sitcom star after watching this. She definitely displays she's a serious actor No make-up! No one-liners! No eye liner! (Actually, I think she does wear eye liner in the film.) Oscar-worthy? Not sure about that.

The film is basically about the efforts the ill can make to get well and basically details a road trip from L.A. to Tijuana and back, and then some. Yeah, it rambles a bit.

Felicity Hoffman and Bill Macy are in this, so you know it's top-drawer, though it's Adriana Barazza who shines especially as Aniston's girl Friday.

Despite her sickness, Aniston gets to bed a hot guy or two. One with a British accent. I need to grab some tips!

I definitely had the sense that Cake could have used a tad more editing. Some shots run way too long. But it is basically a star vehicle. Hardly a memorable movie but carry on, JA! You can show those Pitts a thing or two.