By Wayman Wong
01 Nov 2005

A LATIN LOVER OF ALL KINDS OF MUSIC
A few years ago, Rubén Flores was working as a singing waiter at Ellen’s Stardust Diner, but after Caroline Rhea saw this sexy Mexican belt "La Bamba" and fire up everyone with his muy caliente charisma, she booked him on her TV talk show. Rhea called him "the next Antonio Banderas," and one of her guests, Paula Abdul, offered to choreograph him someday and urged him to pursue a recording career. David Hurst of Show Business Weekly raves, "It’s a wonder Sony or Arista hasn’t signed Flores yet, considering he sings circles around all the Latin heartthrobs today."

Flores, 36, says, "I’d love to get a record deal and be somewhere [musically] between Josh Groban and Julio Iglesias." Toward that end, this 2004 Bistro Award winner is presenting The Latin American Songbook on Nov. 5 at 9:30 PM at Joe’s Pub. Inspired by the paintings of Salvador Dali, the colorful concert will offer a portrait of his life as a performer, drawing on the pop, rock, folk and salsa music of Mexico, as well as Chile, Cuba, Peru, Puerto Rico and Spain. Directed and produced by Richard Barone, the show will include Tito Puente’s "Dejame Sonar" and José Feliciano’s "Que Sera," but don’t expect to hear "La Bamba." Flores says, "I want to present songwriters who are rarely performed in America. I have a lot of respect for Marc Anthony and Ricky Martin, but there’s more to Latin music than shaking your bon-bon. I’m singing songs that are very passionate and poetic. I want to break down stereotypes about Latinos. We’re so much more than busboys. I’ll also have a guest singer: Bianca Marroquin. She’s starred as Roxie in Chicago on Broadway, but I first knew her when we did Beauty and the Beast in Mexico City. She’s unbelievable."

Back in Mexico, Flores appeared for over three years on "Picardia Mexicana," a TV musical-comedy show, but he moved to New York in 2001 and received a scholarship to the American Musical & Dramatic Academy. He says, "I was a TV star in Mexico. Here, I was starting from zero, but I’m happy I came." So far, the actor’s most visible TV exposure has come from his Time-Warner commercial in which he plays a dad whose kids are driving him crazy because they want to record two shows at the same time. "I get recognized all the time. Some people even try to imitate me."

This summer, the 5-foot-9 performer was thrilled to make his New York theatrical debut in Two Gentlemen of Verona in Central Park. As a swing, he covered all the guys in the ensemble. "It was an honor to work with Kathleen Marshall; she made us all feel like one big family." And Flores impressed his cast, too. Norm Lewis says, "Omigod, Rubén can sing, and he’s just waiting for stardom to happen."

For more information, visit www.rubenfloresonline.com.

WHERE THE GUYS ARE
There’s so much to see in New York: Tom Andersen, who has been called "simply the finest male vocalist in town" by Time Out New York, is offering Songs Along the Way on Nov. 6, 13, 20 and 27 at 4 PM at The Encore, 266 W. 47th St. (212-221-3960). The multi-MAC Award-winning singer will celebrate pop, country and original tunes from his stellar CD, "Who Knows." Plus, he’ll do a witty little ditty by a shameless songwriting hack named Wayman Wong. For more info, visit www.tomandersen.com. . . . Also sure to be a soldout success at The Encore is Six on Nine. This magnetic male sextet will sing pop and cabaret with charming harmony on Nov. 2 and 9 at 9:30 PM. They’re directed by Lennie Watts, a marvelous MAC Award winner in his own right; his new act, "And Furthermore," kicks off there Nov. 28 at 7 PM. . . . The openly gay and good looking Farley Brothers will perform Nov. 5, 12, 19 and 26 at 9 PM at Rose’s Turn, 55 Grove St. (212-366-5438). Brian and Ted will whip up a cabaret cocktail of a show, mixing in a splash of Sondheim with a jigger of Jason Mraz.

Gavin Creel (La Cage aux Folles) will toast his debut solo CD, "Goodtimenation," on Nov. 7 and 14 at 7:30 PM at Arlene’s Grocery, 95 Stanton St. (212-995-1652). Asked to describe his music, the pop singer songwriter says, "It’s a little dirtier John Mayer. It’s like acoustic sex." . . . Stephen Pasquale is now starring in A Soldier’s Play at Second Stage, but he’s saluting his favorite folk and soul music on Nov. 7 at 9:30 PM at Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St. (212-239-6200). Also, Spencer Day will light up the night there on Nov. 19 at 7:30 PM. This 26-year-old hunk of talent sings the standards with grace and pens new tunes with sly, satirical genius. In "The American Dream," he ridicules folks from the red states: "So don’t you try to tread on me or I’ll run you down in my S.U.V."

Finally, bravo to the brilliant Euan Morton. On Oct. 23, this talented star from Taboo made his solo Town Hall debut in Scott Siegel’s Broadway Cabaret Festival. In introducing one of his songs, Morton charmingly and cheekily said: "When I was a kid, I used to sing [this] in the shower, but never in public. I thought it was a bit fruity. But now that I’m grown up and comfortable with who I am, I can sing this song." He then launched into "As Long as He Needs Me" from Oliver! and lit up this smoldering torch song like a blazing bonfire.

Got comments or questions? E-mail me at waymanwong@hotmail.com.

Until next month, let’s hear it for the "boys"!

Wayman Wong edits entertainment for The New York Daily News. He has been a movie and theater critic for The San Francisco Examiner, a writer for The Sondheim Review and a Drama-Logue Award-winning playwright.