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Bobby Peaco is a multi-award winning (many MAC and Bistro awards) singer, pianist and music director who has showcased his musical skills nationally and internationally, and in most of New York’s clubs and piano bars. He has musical directed and collaborated with artists such as Julie Wilson, Jerry Herman, Jackie Hoffman and others. He played in the European tours of Chicago and Ain’t Misbehavin’, and as a writer and composer, created Erik and the Snow Maidens and Indigo Rat.
The pair reprise their cabaret show Me and Bobby Peaco on Tuesday, August 2 and Wednesday August 3 both at 7 PM at Don’t Tell Mama.
NiteExchange (NLE) asks Helane Blumfield (HB) and Bobby Peaco (BP) Six Questions:
NLE: What’s the best thing about working with each other? Are there any “not best things?”
HB: She says: Without a doubt, the joy. When we started working together, I remember the feeling I had after leaving our rehearsals with an overwhelming sense of happiness. Years later, it’s as strong as ever, only now; after I leave rehearsal, it’s usually on a plane heading back to NY. Sitting next to me on the plane must be pretty annoying as I hum out loud with a big smile on my face. The smile is evident even through the mask.
BP: He says: The best thing is we have so much fun! And really, if you’re not having fun, why do it in the first place?
NLE: How did you initially meet? What was the chief factor in deciding to work together?
HB: She says: I don’t want to give too much away since we talk about it in the show, but the first time we worked together was in 2013 in Italy. During that trip, Helen Baldassare, my director then, told me she thought we were perfect for each other, and she was right.
BP: He says: We met in Italy, what, about 10 years ago? Something like that. There’s a wonderful small company called Il Chiostro (ilchiostro.com) that runs all manner of artistic workshops in Italy, and once a year there is a cabaret performance workshop taught by Helen Baldassare that I play piano for. The first year Helane came to the workshop, we hit it off and have been working together ever since. The chief factor in deciding to work together? She pays me.
NLE: What is the most important facet of your personalities that you bring to your musical partnership?
HB: She says: My intense need to over-rehearse and over-organize. LOL
BP: He says: My sense of humor.
NLE: Your show features “unexpected duets;” well… what can we expect with such an enticing statement? Are there other aspects of Me and Bobby Peaco that are unexpected?
HB: She says: I have never been one for picking traditional cabaret song choices. I find musical inspiration everywhere, and Bobby is usually game when I bring my ideas in…. Except for “Tiny Dancer,”… don’t ever bring him “Tiny Dancer.” I think our partnership on stage is what people find unexpected. This is our third show together, and our relationship resonated with the audience during the first two shows. Still, the transition between musical director and singer to singing partners is very different. This relationship is what I think is most unexpected.
BP: He says: Three years ago I moved to Florida, and then Covid 19 happened, so the fact that we’re even doing this show is unexpected.
NLE: How do you arrive at music choices and the arrangements that will interpret them?
HB: She says: I would prefer to leave this “in the room where it happens.”
BP: He says: Throw a thousand ideas against the wall and see what sticks.
NLE: Bobby: you’re most noted for your work as a piano bar artist who has now taken up residence in Florida. What’s the scene like there? Helane: have you considered performing with Bobby in the Sunshine State?
HB: She says: Absolutely. I would consider performing with Bobby anywhere!
BP: He says: There’s no real piano bar scene to speak of, which is fine with me since I did it for over 35 years and I’ve had enough. I have hooked up with singers down here and worked and performed with them in various venues. I’ve started doing more musical theater, which was my goal a hundred years ago when I moved to NYC before I got sidelined into cabaret and piano bar. There’s quite a large theater scene here in south Florida. I just music directed Guys & Dolls and coming up I’ll be doing Cinderella, Disenchanted and a couple of other musicals T.B.A.
Of course Helane should come perform in the Sunshine State. If she pays me.
