By Marilyn Lester**** On the fifth anniversary of the Tomatoes Got Talent singing contest, a few thoughts come to mind—about singing, sisterhood, talent and cabaret—and all good, very good.
The Tomatoes Got Talent contest is sponsored by thethreetomatoes.com, a bountiful online lifestyle magazine founded and published by Cheryl Benton. As Benton became a “woman of a certain age,” she realized there needed to be a resource for “women who aren’t kids.” The magazine took off and Benton, who is an advocate for the distaff sex, promotes proactivity for “women who want to live their lives fully at every age and every stage.”
The contest, hosted by co-producer, the ebullient Randie Levine-Miller (who also sourced a great deal of the excellent talent pool), proved to be a microcosm of the greater universe of women who’ve discovered their power and worth. Not only was the Triad Theater packed, but those attending were ready for action. The mood and vibe were electric and the feeling of camaraderie was wholly positive, enthusiastic and supportive. Each contestant (and they had to be over age 40 to compete) was roundly applauded and appreciated. For a few hours this little arena of happiness shone as an example of what a wider world could be when folks joyfully come together. (And by the way, there were plenty of encouraging men in the audience too.)
The naturally effervescent Levine-Miller not only knows talent, but she knows how to keep the flow of it well-paced and uplifting. She also offered a spirited “Broadway Baby” herself to kick off the vocalizing. The twelve contestants, courageous women all, share a love of singing and they do that awfully well. Each demonstrated a capacity to pursue an entertainment career had that been a focus. Their careers and “day jobs” are varied. Nicole Morris is a business development consultant; Maggie Determann is the membership director for a non-profit; Jeanine Robinson works temp jobs; Sheree Sano is a videographer and graphic artist; Lee Ann Brill is a paralegal; Janice McCune is a insurance annuity contract writer; Candace Leeds works in public relations and marketing; Barbara Malley is a retired teacher and psychologist; Roe Piccoli is a psychotherapist; Kati Neiheisel is a data collector for a non-profit; Alicia Moss is a jewelry designer; and Renee Katz is an occupational therapist.
The three judges: playwright, lyricist and actress Gretchen Cryer; producer, director and actress Jana Robbins and stage, film and TV actress Laila Robins, could not have had an easy time selecting a winner. While they were deliberating, special guest Corinna Sowers Adler, sang “Art Is Calling for Me (The Prima Donna Song),” a Victor Herbert comedy piece from well into the last century, sounding amazingly contemporary. Sowers Adler, a concert vocalist, cabaret diva and three-time Tony nominated educator, is blessed with the kind of flexible operatic voice that made Barbara Cook a well-loved icon of the theater and concert stage. Also performing in this entr’acte were previous “Tomatoes Got Talent” winners, Karen Nason, Susan Vardy and Kathleen Waters, who delivered an empowered “I Am Woman.”
At last it was announced that the Top Tomato (winning a $5,000-value prize package) was Sheree Sano, who’d sung a beautiful and emotive “Fifty Percent.” Runners up Maggie Determann, Lee Ann Brill, Barbara Malley, and Janice McCune were as loudly applauded for their efforts as much as Sano was cheered and lauded for her win. Wrapping up the festivities was an all-out confluence of girl-power on stage reveling in a successful conclusion to a remarkable evening. And through it all, music director Jimmy Horan accompanied on piano with gusto and as much delightful emotional support as musical.
There’s a subtext or two to this observation of brilliant collegial and familial espirit de corps. The first is that more than ever, this writer/reviewer has heard the term “music heals” emanate from the stage. Well, it sure does, and that’s a topic for a long essay on how and why. Suffice it to say now, that music is a saving grace, a gift and a priceless treasure, with the capacity to heal in so many ways most basic and incredibly miraculous.
Another observation concerns the cabaret community. Cabaret is an ageless environment. It’s a place where the very young (think all of the bright lights nurtured by Michael Feinstein’s Songbook Initiative and the Mabel Mercer Foundation to name two) to the very mature (think of the several octogenarians and nonagenarians we all know) cohabit with respect and in joy. Cabaret strips away the illusion of age. The “community” descriptive of Cabaret is not one to be taken lightly. In the art form of cabaret there is indeed a community, united in the love of music and in a common purpose beyond the thrill of entertaining. And that’s to keep this gift of this precious music flowing for the delight of generations and generations to come.
It’s important to realize that in times such as ours, where politics and the travails of the world loom large and often heavy, that there are so many positives around us that uplift and sustain.
All photos by Maryann Lopinto
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