Winner of the Nightlife, Bistro and MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs) Awards Gretchen Reinhagen brings her new show #iBlamePaleo back to Don’t Tell Mama for two additional performances this month, on Saturday, December 16 at 4:00 PM and Tuesday, December 19 at 7:00 PM. Following a successful opening to a packed house in November, Gretchen returns with more shenanigans in the style of her idol, Kaye Ballard, along with her team of longtime director Barry Kleinbort and music director Tracy Stark. The show, which Gretchen says “is about nothing” explores the humor in the everyday ordinary trials that plague us all; her delight in sharing her humorous woes on social media and her ability to lightheartedly re-direct the blame to something as ridiculous as her diet. The program features numbers made famous by Kaye Ballard, as well as offerings from the late Ray Jessel, the Modern Man duo of David Buskin and George Wurzbach, Richard Rodgers & Stephen Sondheim, John Kander & Fred Ebb, and originals by the aforementioned Kleinbort, Stark and Reinhagen. The show also features several stories presented in more of a stand-up fashion. Critic Bart Greenberg of Cabaret Scenes said the show is “simply a delightful display of her view of the world, a mix of cynicism and compassion…it is Reinhagen’s personality and smart approach to everyday woes that sends the material into the stratosphere.”
Gretchen has previously presented a wide variety of shows ranging from Great American Songbook standards and musical comedy to pop, rock and blues. In 2010, she received the coveted “triple crown” of cabaret awards – the Nightlife Award, Bistro Award and MAC Award – for her show Special Kaye: A Tribute to the Incomparable Kaye Ballard, also directed by Barry Kleinbort. Columnist and critic Roy Sander has said, “Gretchen Reinhagen’s shows are marked by intelligence, warmth, a lovely spirit of benevolence, and fine vocals. It is always a pleasure to spend an hour in her company.” Of her Kaye Ballard show, he also wrote, “As, I’ve often said, ‘It’s not sufficient to do a funny song; you have to be funny.’ Reinhagen is funny.” In addition to her work as a performer, Gretchen is also a voice teacher and a director, and was a recipient of the 2013 MAC Award for Director; an honor she shared with Eric Michael Gillett.
Don’t Tell Mama’s website allows online reservations at www.donttellmamanyc.com/shows
The address is 343 West 46 Street, Manhattan, or call 212-757-0788. There is a $15 cover charge and 2 drink minimum. Don’t Tell Mama is a cash-only room. For more information, visit www.gretchenreinhagen.com.
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