In these extraordinary and uncertain times of COVID-19, with venues closed and live performance at a halt, NiteLife Exchange is reaching out and covering the effect the crisis is having on performing artists.
The multi-talented Jim Caruso made his Broadway debut alongside Liza Minnelli in the Tony Award-winning Liza’s At The Palace!, singing, dancing and celebrating the music and arrangements of Kay Thompson and the Williams Brothers. He has won six MAC Awards for his nightclub appearances, performed with the New York Pops in a tribute to Kander & Ebb, with Rosemary Clooney celebrating Bing Crosby, and sang the songs of Hope and Crosby with Michael Feinstein at Carnegie Hall. Caruso was honored to sing with Barbara Cook, Lauren Bacall and a bevy of Broadway stars at President Clinton’s First State Dinner at the White House. For seventeen years, he has hosted the weekly showbiz bash Jim Caruso’s Cast Party at Birdland, Jazz at Lincoln Center and across the country. He also produces the Broadway at Birdland concert series, and performs regularly with Billy Stritch at Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle Hotel. His weekly radio segment, “A New York Minute with Jim Caruso” can be heard on Legends Radio 100.3 FM. His two cds, The Swing Set and Caruso Live and In Person are available online.
NiteLife. Exchange (NLE) asks Jim Caruso (JC) Six Questions (plus one more):
NLE: When venue closures were underway, Birdland hung in, giving artists an extended chance to keep performing (and earning). Was the decision of open versus closed a difficult one at any point?
JC: The timing of when to close Birdland was not mine to make. I think many of us were in a general haze of disbelief in terms of what was happening. Now, it’s almost quaint to think we were so uninformed, but at the time it seemed unfathomable. I did wear gloves during the last week of Cast Party, and Clorox-wiped the microphone after every singer. I greeted everyone with an elbow bump instead of a hug. It was all kind of funny, but kind of not. A few days later, things started crashing down and the reality became crystal clear. The following Monday, the city closed all restaurants and clubs, so the decision was made for us. I do know that Gianni Valenti, the owner of Birdland, was and still is heartbroken closing the room to the performers and the customers. In the three decades he has owned the club, it’s only been shuttered twice—once for a blizzard and once on 9/11.
NLE: Great idea to go online with Cast Party! How did the ideas of PAJAMA Cast Party come about?
JC: For me, the first two weeks of this pandemic were a blur. I stayed in bed and stared at all 156 episodes of “The West Wing.” I, along with everyone else on the planet, felt a deep sadness along with a fear for my health, and the health of friends and family. During that time, I watched in amazement as friends picked themselves up and created extraordinary online content. Seth Rudetsky started doing two superstar talk shows a day on Facebook. Linda Lavin and Billy Stritch (who live in the same building) started doing online concerts every week. Erich Bergen called to see if I’d help book some celebrities and write copy for the one-night-only online reboot of “The Rosie O’Donnell Show.” Doing that lifted me out of my doldrums. Then, strangely, I got on Instagram Live two Mondays ago, and just started talking. All of a sudden, people were chiming in, so I invited them to sing something for me. We ended up with thirteen performances, mostly acapella, and over 600 viewers. Cast Party was back, baby! I went to bed that night totally jazzed, remembering how fun it was to be me! Next morning, my friend Ruby Locknar called and offered to produce it for YouTube. So that was it! She quickly learned how the platform worked and I started calling talent. Our first Pajama Cast Party had some glitches, but nobody seemed to mind. So far, it’s been seen by about 2500 people. There was no question that we’d continue. This coming week we have another killer cast, and Ruby has upped our game technically. We even have a musical/animated open! It’s like having my own TV show, without the bother of money and fame.
NLE: What was your process in moving Cast Party online? What was the degree of difficulty (or ease)? Are there lessons to be learned for others who want to explore live-streaming content?
JC: I met Ruby Locknar when she was six years old! Her mom is hit songwriter Victoria Shaw, who used to bring Ruby and her little sister Ava to sing at Cast Party! I have photos of myself kneeling on the stage talking to this little peanut of a kid in a velvet dress. Ruby, herself a great singer/actress, has created a lot of YouTube content. All these years, I’ve known I was missing the boat not livestreaming Cast Party. I never made the time to look into it. Well, I certainly have time now! I’m so grateful to get this up and running! Even when we are back performing live in the clubs, I see no reason why we shouldn’t keep doing Pajama Cast Party! There are folks all over the planet who are interested, and we can’t wait to entertain them from the comfort of our homes!
NLE: Pajama Cast Party is gratis to view, with Venmo information provided for “tips.” But as more performance goes virtual, and as folks have to make a living, how should the balance of monetizing a live-stream gig play out against providing content free?
JC: I don’t know about you, but I’ve grown to enjoy a roof over my head and an occasional meal at Joe Allen. But working in the open mic empire isn’t what you’d call a financial bonanza. And it’s terrifying to lose every single job on the 2020 calendar. While I don’t want to charge a cover to watch Pajama Cast Party online, I know that we are providing some terrific entertainment, and that’s not nothin’! We’re grateful for those tips. They help pay for the online platform, some lights (coming soon) and a bit of production value. Also, I make sure to send something to The Actors Fund every week. They help anyone in the industry nationwide – ushers, writers, dancers, technicians – and their funds are being stretched to the limit. To the performers reading this, if you think your fan base will spring for a cover, charge them! If you think they’ll help out with tips, ask for tips. I have a very smart friend who taught me, “Ask for what you need.” In these times, it’s a good thing to remember.
NLE: Pajama Cast Party #1 was a huge success, with more people attending online than the capacity of Birdland allows. What conclusion(s) can you draw from this –– and about the future of virtual performance? Should more shows be simultaneously live and live-streamed, for example?
JC: Birdland seats 150. Can you imagine trying to fit 2500 people in there? How many bartenders would we need? And who would revive Gianni Valenti? I watched my friend Colleen Ballinger go from having a few thousand YouTube views for her Miranda Sings videos to having over three BILLION views. That’s billion with a ‘b.’ She literally has more online fans than the Catholic Church. Even with those numbers staring at me in the face, I never knew exactly what kind of online content to create. The answer was to just do what I do. Pajama Cast Party is Cast Party without the cab ride. It seems simple in retrospect.
NLE: What can you tell us about Dramaversity and other future plans and projects?
JC: Dramaversity, owned by my friend Scot Pankey, is a live online performing arts academy, giving students of all ages the opportunity to learn theater, voice, dance, and instruments in real time with expert teachers. I’ve been hooking him up with some extraordinary Broadway performers. It’s seen via Zoom, so you get to watch the students kvelling over Laura Osnes or Jessica Vosk discussing their careers, answering questions and singing. It’s a very heartwarming experience.
NLE: Do you have any thoughts on returning to “normal?”
JC: Who knows how long this quarantining will be necessary. And when it’s over, time will tell how long it will take for people to feel comfortable sitting in a crowded club or theater. But I know Birdland will play a big part in the comeback of New York City. And Cast Party will be there to celebrate, on stage and online.
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