Our Favorite John/Jon Night!
DAY SIX 12/10: John Forster’s The Bi-Polar Express—An Evening of Musical Meds to Get You Through the Holidays. This show was all that and a bag of chips. It also definitely delivered on the “musical meds to get you through the holidays” tag line. It was F-U-N and took us all out of our holiday and political funks, 
at least for an hour. Foster’s original songs are brilliant word-smithing, but John is a multi-award-winning songwriter who collaborates with the best. He is also SO charming on stage and a super host of the other wonderful people he invited to share the stage with him. Tom Chapin, Amy Englehardt, The Chapin Sisters: Abigail and Lily, all had their turn at bat and hit it out of the ballpark each time. Amy Englehardt’s “How Did This Thing Get in Me?” delivered as a very pregnant Mary should be a clear indication of the different “take” on this not-your-mama’s holiday show. What strikes me always when seeing John perform is how he immediately includes the audience on the ride he will be taking us on. He led us in a sing-a-long on “The Bi-Polar Express” right at the top of the show. What also strikes me every time I see John is that his energy is just pure joy. He’s like Buddy from “Elf”….a 6-foot 6 bundle of seemingly innocent joy laced with this little devilish, mischievous thang that just makes what he does all the more out there, and well, John! I loved every minute. John also wins this year’s SOLD OUT award. We had to add chairs, but don’t tell the Fire Department! Urban Stages is always grateful to John for offering his talent and heart to our event and extremely grateful for the success of this show in relation to this annual fund raiser for our Outreach
DAY SIX 12/10: An Evening with Jon Weber. Yes, we all know this extraordinary pianist from the ga-zillion shows that he plays for all the big names in our industry, but to have Jon on a stage with his savant-level talent and encyclopedic mind was not only fascinating and educational but incredibly impressive. Jon was where he belonged…behind the piano, BUT, here, the lights were on him and boy did he deliver. He would ask the audience for a number between 1-7, and then whether we wanted it in flat or sharp, and then he performed a song that someone in 
the house requested with those specifications. He would then tell us who wrote it, what it was from, and the year of the composer’s birth…what? But wait, there’s more….
THEN, as if Jon wasn’t enough (and he was) he said, “I wish I had a clarinet player for this next number” and low and behold, Davide Segarra popped up from the house and “spontaneously” came to the stage to SLAY it. Then Jon brought up his partner, a wonderful singer, Lauren Frazza, who did two numbers and slayed it. THEN he said he needed a drummer, so up popped the incredible Jordan “The Ninja” Smith, who not only made a simple snare drum sound like a full drum kit, but he sang like a 1940’s male icon. He also whistled and tapped his cymbal-ed foot. I hear he’s a master swing dancer too… what a talent. AND THEN…as if there could be any more to offer…two gals, not one but two….June Cavlan and Lucy Wayjaus, took the stage to sing several tunes just like Ella…two gals, harmonizing and singing together like Ella and then taking improvisational scat breaks that, again, were Ella-worthy…WOW…just WOW! What a show! I immediately invited them to come back next year!
AND THERE’S MORE at Urban Stages from through to Monday, December 16, with shows at 7:00 and 9:00 and at 3:00 and 7:00 on the weekends….DO NOT MISS ANOTHER SHOW!
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