Friday & Saturday, March 3rd, 9th, 15th, 16th at 7 pm – THE AMANDA MCBROOM PROJECT!! a very exciting evening of the music of one of my favorite composers – again, at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. N Join me on all 4 nights along with a rotating roster of 30 of the best women in NYC nightlife, many CFCG Alumni!  Hosted and created by Eric Michael Gillett.

The Amanda McBroom Project

Finally, I was honored to be nominated in 4 Categories for the Broadway World Cabaret Awards.  You can click on this link to see the list of nominees and now, winners – most of them CFCG Alumni, I’m proud to say!

My newest CD, ANOTHER KIND OF LIGHT is  available on iTunes, Amazon, and LML Music.  If you have it, or are planning to,  please go to iTunes and Amazon and write a review!

The most exciting thing we have done, is list the CFCG Alumni List complete with links to their websites,  and to roll out of  the  ”Raissa Recommends Event Calendar” on a new, drop down menu tab, on this page.  There, you have “one stop shopping” for the best that NYC Nightlife has to offer.  As we took the time to create this list, we were incredibly proud to see that in only 5 season, we have featured over 150 different performers!  All of our Concerts for City Greens Alumni who have shows in the Tri-State Area, have been invited to post their information on our Facebook Alumni Page.  When they do so, we will cross post it on my fan page and the Concerts for City Greens Fan Page, as well as in our events calendar, so you can keep up with their performances!  This way, when time permits me from posting  my recommendations for the week or month, you can be sure to find a great show to see, by visiting this page: Recommended Events.  Once you click on the event, a box with graphics and information will pop up.  Go check out the events now, and see all the fabulous shows that are coming up in the next few weeks.  I’ll be doing my best to tweet them as well, as a reminder, so follow me on twitter and check the Fan Pages regularly.

Love and Light,

Raissa

Sunday, Jan. 27th – 3 pm – “Cookie’s Corner” – The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 W. 42nd St. at 9th – reservations:  212.695.6909 - The inimitable Cookie Stark debuts her new salon series and I just may pop in and do a “surprise” duet with Eric Michael Gillett….and you definitely get to see my gal pal, the luminous Shana Farr as Cookie’s special spotlight guest.  BTW, all involved are CFCG alumni….

Finally, I was honored to be nominated in 4 Categories for the Broadway World Cabaret Awards.  You can click on this link to see the list of nominees and now, winners – most of them CFCG Alumni, I’m proud to say!

My newest CD, ANOTHER KIND OF LIGHT is  available on iTunes, Amazon, and LML Music.  If you have it, or are planning to,  please go to iTunes and Amazon and write a review!

Location: Etcetera, Etcetera – 352 West 44th St, NYC 10036
Date: 1/13/13
Time: 7pm to 10:30 pm

Sunday, January 6, 2013:
Salon 7-10:30pm (sign up begins at 6:15)
Etcetera, Etcetera – 352 West 44th St, NYC 10036

Theme: Taking Flight

Co-Host: T, Oliver Reid

www.markjanasthesalon.com

Location: Etcetera, Etcetera – 352 West 44th St, NYC 10036
Date: 1/6/13
Time: 7pm to 10:30 pm

Sunday, January 6, 2013:
Salon 7-10:30pm (sign up begins at 6:15)
Etcetera, Etcetera – 352 West 44th St, NYC 10036

Theme: Songs That Raised Me

Co-Host: Stephanie D’Abruzzo

www.markjanasthesalon.com

Thurs. 11/29 – Kenneth Gartman accompanies and sings a duet with me as I do a 15 minute set: Cabaret at the Players to benefit the Mabel Mercer Foundation – GREAT line up of people with KT Sullivan Hosting. http://www.mabelmercer.org/events/ - $20 suggested donation – beautiful club. – 212-980-3026 to RSVP – space is limited – beautiful room, cash bar, no minimum.

Sunday 12/2 – Broadway at the Met Room to Benefit the Group Theatre Too – 7 pm at The Metropolitan Room – 212-206-0440 – $30 cover, 2 drink minimum. Singing one song but with a bunch of big stars, so pretty cool. This benefits my friend Justin Bocitto’s company. http://cabaret.broadwayworld.com/article/Broadways-Richard-Kline-Hosts-BROADWAY-AT-THE-MET-ROOM-Benefit-122-20121105 – this previous link has a nice article on it – you’ll recognize many names.

Thurs. 12/6 – DRIVE! – 6:30 pm – At the Jerry Orbach Theater, Snapple Theater Center, Thursday, December 6, 6:30PM. 210 West 50th, Just West of Broadway – Single Admission: $18.00 – 212-989-6706.

I’m very, very excited to be doing the lead role of “Bitsy” in Andy Monroe’s new musical. This is a staged reading – I’ve been working on this show with Andy for a few years now and he’s coming down the home stretch with it – and fyi, the week after we present it at the Snapple, we present it in a BMI Masterclass for, uh, Stephen Sondheim!!! – here’s some info:

Musical Mondays Theatre Lab announces the next workshop of a book musical for MMTL’s 2012-2013 season is DRIVE, Book, Music, and Lyrics by Andy Monroe, Outer Critics Circle Award Winner for “The Kid.” Set entirely in the front seat of a car, DRIVE is a new musical featuring an unconventional romance that suddenly forces several lives into the fast lane.

Thurs. 12/13 – THE GOOD GIRL in concert – I play Meg, a self centered glamourous real estate agent and sister (1 of 3 – 1 of whom is Julie Reyburn!) – I love this project and have also been working on it for a few years. By CFCG alum and good friend Mary Liz McNamara, who also stars along with Ritt Henn as God or The Devil, depending on your perception! – 7 pm at Urban Stages – part of their Winter Rhythm Series of 24 shows in 12 days – do check out this link as many good, talented friends and CFCG Alumni are performing among them, Julie Reyburn, Miles Phlilips, Mary Foster Conklin, etc, etc. - https://smarttix.com/show.aspx?EID=&showCode=WIN23&BundleCode=&PackageCode=&GUID=

Sat. 12/15 – Urban Stages Closing Concert – 5 pm – https://smarttix.com/show.aspx?EID=&showCode=WIN23&BundleCode=&PackageCode=&GUID= – singing a lovely new standard written for me by Mark Janas and Peter Napolitano.

Finally, I’m honored to be nominated in 4 Categories for the Broadway World Cabaret Awards.  You can click on this link to see the list of nominees and then click on this link to vote for me or any of my talented friends and colleagues you’ll see there.  My new CD, ANOTHER KIND OF LIGHT, is one of the nominations – it’s available on iTunes, Amazon, and LML Music.  If you have it, or are planning to,  please go to iTunes and Amazon and write a review!

Raissa joins a stellar cast in:

Hidden Treasures: The Songs of Larry Kerchner to benefit Michael Feinstein’s GreatAmerican Songbook Initiative and The Mabel Mercer Foundation.

When:  November 5^th at 7 pm

Where: The York Theatre (at St. Peter’s), Lexington Avenue at 54^th Street

The Songs of Larry Kerchner

The songs of Larry Kerchner (“Somewhere in Time”) will be performed by some of today’s most formidable singers: Ann Hampton Callaway, Hilary Kole, Laurel Massé, Kevin Spirtas, Stacy Sullivan, Jeff Harnar, Eric Comstock & Barbara Fasano, Karen Oberlin, La Tanya Hall, Sidney Myer, Raissa Katona Bennett, Jill O’Hara, Eric Rudy, Dennis Chiccino, Erica Scanlon Harr, Caitlin Kerchner, Randie Levine-Miller, Sandi Durell, Tom Vaughn and other surprises.

Musical Director: Tex Arnold             Event Producer: Sandi Durell

The evening benefit’s two charities that support singers: Michael Feinstein’s Great American Songbook Initiative, and The Mabel Mercer Foundation.

The Feinstein Initiative brings the music of the Great American Songbook to young people today, to preserve it for future generations by creating vocal competitions nationwide -  winners attending the Songbook Vocal Academy are given an opportunity to receive scholarships and also appear with Michael on one of his shows.

The Mabel Mercer Foundation serves to both perpetuate the memory and spirit of its legendary namesake while stimulating and promoting public interest in the world of cabaret and the Great American Songbook.

“For me, the music of Larry Kerchner is an oasis of joy in a world where most music comes and goes very quickly. His songs embody the essence of the classic writers in a contemporary fashion. It is lovely to be associated with him” . . . Michael Feinstein

Tickets are $50 and $75. Reservations available at:

www.yorktheatre.org/hidden-treasures.html  or by calling 212 935-5820

www.feinsteininitiative.org          www.mabelmercer.org       www.larrykerchner.com

]]> http://www.raissakatonabennett.com/2012/10/29/hidden-treasures/feed/ 0 http://www.raissakatonabennett.com/2012/10/06/showstoppers/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=showstoppers http://www.raissakatonabennett.com/2012/10/06/showstoppers/#comments Sat, 06 Oct 2012 22:13:46 +0000 rosslacy http://www.raissakatonabennett.com/?p=977

Feinsteins will donate their service charge from the 8/22 & 8/23 performances of
“Another Kind of Light” to the Concerts for City Greens. Please use code “GREEN” when ordering tickets for Raissa’s show.

JUNE 24th – Soloist – Unity Center for Practical Spirituality (see below)**

JULY 17, 18, 24, and 26 at 6:45 pm, and on Sunday, July 29 at 5:00 pm,  I’ll be creating a new role in “SPOOLIE GIRL ” in the Midtown International Theatre Festival’s 2012 Season.  June Havoc Theatre, 312 W. 36th Street, 1st floor,  NYC.  Tickets are $18-15 and are available at www.midtownfestival.org or by phone at 866-811-4111.  A fractured rock fairy tale,  Spoolie Girl was discovered by festival artistic co-director Gerald vanHeerden at a reading of the piece produced by the Musical Mondays Theatre Lab; he has called it, “Wildly inventive…like The Drowsy Chaperone.”  Directed by Drama Desk Award winner Karen Carpenter, this ensemble piece is a quirky, unpredictable romp that highlights the values of family, natural beauty and personal integrity that seem so often undervalued in our frenetic, success-driven culture.

July 27th – 8:30 pm – CT Preview Performance of ANOTHER KIND OF LIGHT at Unity of Greater Hartford, Performance Cafe – click here for more info.

August 5th – 6:30 pm – I’ll be the special guest of the REV. YOLANDA OLD TIME GOSPEL HOUR starring my good friend, Roger Mapes, with Kenneth Gartman at the piano at the Duplex, 61 Christopher Street, NYC.  The Gospel Hour is a delightful, feel good, gender bending celebration of old fashioned gospel and country gospel music, plus original music by Rev. Yolanda written in the old fashion style. I’ll be doing a small set as well as singing with Kenneth and Rev. Roger Yolanda!

August 12th – 7 to 10:30 pm – I’m co-hosting THE SALON with guest host KENNETH GARTMAN and the Salon Spotlight that night are talented pals, Sue Matsuki and Edd Clark!  Our theme is but any material on or off theme is always welcome.

AUGUST 20th through AUGUST 25th – I return for a special week-long engagement at FEINSTEINS when I’ll be releasing  of my brand new CD – ANOTHER KIND OF LIGHT.   Tickets are $30 & $50 (plus service fees)  and each reservation includes a copy of the CD.   The officical release date is 8/14, but you can go to LML Musicand buy a CD now! (digital downloads – itunes/amazon, etc., not available until 8/14)

Backed by a quartet comprised of some of New York’s most distinguished sidemen, I’ll be performing a mix of jazz, pop, and theatre songs, and put a pop-contemporary spin on several well-known standards – songs that intelligently explore the human condition. The CD and show include a number of never-before-recorded songs by prominent songwriters, including two songs written for Raissa by Michael John LaChiusa, and one by David Caldwell.

My quartet, all of whom are featured on the CD, include music director David Caldwell on piano; Ritt Henn on bass; Sean Harkness on guitar, and Ray Marchica on percussion. The award-winning producer Ron Abel produced the album for the LML Music.

*The CONCERTS FOR CITY GREENS series that I produce and host has a full schedule listing on this site – just click here to see it.  Our mission is to support the “greening” of New York and other cities, by linking with a range of community groups, organizations and individuals to increase and diversify the audiences for live music  while encouraging public and private stewardship of green spaces within our cities.  You can “like” the Concerts for City Greens fan page on Facebook by clicking here.

**I am regularly performing “Platform” and Chaplain duties at our UNITY CENTER FOR PRACTICAL SPIRITUALITY - I’ll be there 7/1, 7/22, 8/5 and June 24th,  I will also be singing a trio with Christina Connors and Scott Coulter.  I will have all future dates listed here on my website . 10:30 a.m., 3 West Main Street, Norwalk, CT.  For those of you wondering what “Platform” is, another term for it is “Pulpit Assistants” – our roles compliment the role of the Minister.  We act as Scripture or inspirational readers, meditation leaders and prayer partners. I hope you’ll join me some Sunday morning – Unity Center, where all are welcome, is a spiritually community founded and based on a concept of always pointing the way toward a more positive way of living – a philosopy that helps people discover and live their highest potential and purpose.