In her new show, “I Love Being Here With You,” MAC Award-winner Natalie Arneson and music director Matt Baker take songs from Peggy Lee’s catalogue of original music as well as some of her arrangements and pay homage to the time in which they were written while also bringing them into the sound of the present day. With classics such as “Fever” and “He’s a Tramp” alongside her arrangements of “Lover” and “My Man” next to lesser known gems like “New York City Blues”, Arneson and Baker guarantee an eclectic evening sure to delight Peggy’s truest fans as well as those new to her music.
Peggy Lee is remembered for her singular cool persona and subdued, come hither vocals. But it was her career as a songwriter that really set her apart from her contemporaries. Over her 60 year career she penned some 200 songs, both alone and with collaborators ranging from Dave Barbour, Cy Coleman, Quincy Jones, and Duke Ellington. As pop music evolved, she didn’t simply follow the trends – she set them; simultaneously staying true to her own style while embracing the ever-changing musical fads. She also excelled at taking classic songs of her time and planting them firmly into the modern sound of her era.
Natalie won the 2016 MAC Award for Best Female Debut for her critically acclaimed show “Mama Drama.” She is a regularly featured singer in the award winning “Sondheim Unplugged” series at 54 Below. She created the role of Shelley Cooper in Phil Geoffrey Bond’s “Small Town Confessions” which debuted at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. In NYC she has appeared with Playlight Theater Company, Playhouse Creatures, the New York New Works Theater Festival, and MCC.
“I Love Being Here With You” will play Don’t Tell Mama on Wednesday, November 23, Friday, December 2 and Sunday, December 4. All shows at 7:15 pm each night. Don’t Tell Mama is located at 343 West 46th St. Tickets are $20 and can be reserved at www.donttellmama.com.
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