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THE LEADING MEN: Movin’ Out and Movin’ Up
By Wayman Wong
01 Feb 2003
RODGERS AND HEART
Johnny Rodgers is not related to Richard Rodgers, but it’s some enchanted evening wherever he entertains. Since the 28-year-old singer-songwriter from Miami moved to Manhattan in May 2001, he has shared the stage with Sir Paul McCartney at the Waldorf-Astoria, performed with Michael Feinstein at Weill Recital Hall and provided backup vocals on Liza Minnelli’s new show, Liza’s Back.
As a musical director, Rodgers has accompanied Donna McKechnie, Jim Caruso, Sally Mayes and Lina Koutrakos, and his solo cabaret act at Arci’s Place earned him the 2002 Backstage Bistro and MAC Awards for Outstanding New York Debut.
And as a talented tunesmith, he’s no Johnny One-Note. The boyish, 5-foot-9 baritone says, "My biggest influences are Billy Joel and James Taylor, but I like all different styles. I like to write pop and jazz. I love to write a great swing number [like "Take Another Chance on Love"]. I’ll even write a Celtic tune ["Lullaby for the Sleepless Soul"]. I write whatever comes out of my heart."
Clearly, one of his most heartfelt love songs is "Sweet Georgia Smile," which was inspired by actress-singer Georgia DeFalco, his lovely girlfriend of nearly five years. In it, he adoringly croons, "I’m gonna keep you and rock you to sleep in a simple and sweet lullaby." Asked if his sweetheart did anything special to trigger this tune, he grins, "Georgia does special things every day."
For Rodgers, lyric ideas can come at any time. Take his beautiful new pop song, "Coming Home to Mendocino," which is reminiscent of early Billy Joel. "I started writing it before I’d ever been to Mendocino," he says. "I saw the name ‘Mendocino’ on a bottle of body wash while I was in the shower. It sounded very musical. The next month, we took a trip there to the California wine country and I finished the song."
This month and next, to quote a Beatles tune he covers so exquisitely, Rodgers is "Here, There and Everywhere." He’s playing Feb. 15 at the Chicago Cabaret Convention and accompanies Caruso Feb. 18-22 at the Colony Hotel in West Palm Beach, Fl. Then he’s back in New York Feb. 25-March 1 at the Bar at the Fives at the Peninsula Hotel. Rodgers then shares a double bill March 13-14 with Koutrakos at The Duplex, plays March 18 at Fez and appears March 21 with Richard Barone at Joe’s Pub.
To sample Rodgers’ songs, visit www.johnnyrodgers.com.
LETTERS FROM THE MALE BAG
Last month I listed "My 7 Favorite Amazing Musical Moments of 2002" among male theatre and cabaret artists and asked readers to rave about their faves, so here are some of them: Parker Scott’s pick of performers included Darius deHaas, John DePalma, Ricky Ian Gordon and Dathan B. Williams, and he was most shattered by Brian Stokes Mitchell’s "The Impossible Dream" in Man of La Mancha. Frank Soldo also was stoked by Mitchell’s "Impossible Dream" and applauded David Foley (The Baker’s Wife), Brian Sutherland (Guys and Dolls) and Ron Raines’ "Soliloquy" from Carousel.
Meantime, it was Patrick Wilson’s "Soliloquy" that stole the show for Amanda Graham. That and Malcolm Gets’ riotous rendition of "Way Ahead of My Time." She caught both of them at Deborah Voigt’s Nov. 11 concert at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts. Kayla Kuzbel also offered twin faves: Gavin Creel in Thoroughly Modern Millie and Matthew Morrison in Hairspray. And Tony Paradise’s peerless pick was Jeff Harnar’s reprise of The 1959 Broadway Songbook, a dream of a theme show, at The Duplex.
More than a few folks asked for my favorite male-vocalist cuts from 2002’s theatre and cabaret CD’s, so here are my picks for the record (in alphabetical order): Brent Barrett, "Headin’ for New Orleans" from "The Alan Jay Lerner Album" (Fynsworth Alley).
Matt Bogart, "Her Face" from "Simple Song" (Jay Records).
Norbert Leo Butz, "Moving Too Fast" from "The Last Five Years" (Sh-K-Boom Records).
Scott Coulter, "Maybe You Didn’t Hear Me" from "Scott Coulter" (LML Music).
Gavin Creel, "What Do I Need With Love?" from "Thoroughly Modern Millie" (RCA/Victor).
John DePalma, "It Might Be You"/"Take Care of My Heart" from "The Song Is Mine" (LML Music).
Davis Gaines, "Wandrin’ Star" from "The Broadway Musicals of 1951" (Bayview Records).
Special citation: Stephen Schwartz, "Since I Gave My Heart Away" from "Unchartered Territory" (Fynsworth Alley).
WHERE THE GUYS ARE
There’s so much to see in New York: Aaron Lazar (Oklahoma!) and Jimmy Smagula (Man of La Mancha) are among the Broadway understudies who’ll take center stage in At This Performance, a Feb. 3 concert at the Ars Nova Theatre. . . . Jazzy singer-songwriter Kenny Rankin brings his guitar and golden tones Feb. 4-15 to Feinstein’s at the Regency. . . . Lyrics & Lyricists, the long-running concert series at the 92nd Street Y, celebrates The Fifties? Fabulous! Feb. 8-10, hosted by Julius DeRosa. The main men will be Lewis Cleale (Amour), Eugene Fleming (Fosse), Bill Daugherty and Russell Nype (Call Me Madam). . . . Everything came up Rosie’s when John McDaniel was O’Donnell’s bandleader on her TV talk show, but the Grammy and Emmy-winning musical director and record producer headlines Feb. 15-16 at Joe’s Pub. . . . Howard McGillin (The Phantom of the Opera) and Justin Bohon (Oklahoma!) will star in the Broadway Musicals of 1925 concert on Feb. 17 at Town Hall. For a change, Howard won’t be wearing a disguise, so folks can ask, "Who was that unmasked man?" . . . Bryan Batt (Beauty and the Beast), who last lit up the stage as Lumiere, will host the Broadway Bears VI auction for Broadway Cares on Feb. 17 at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill. . . . And finally, the sassy Seth Rudetsky (Broadway Chatterbox) brings his hilarious one-man show, Rhapsody in Seth, Feb. 28 to the Actors' Playhouse. It’s the must-see story of a gifted guy who grew up gay and wound up on Broadway, working with stars like Betty Buckley and Jennifer Holiday. To misquote a lyric from Dreamgirls, a show Seth obsesses about (and recently produced): "And I’m telling you, you’re going!"
Got comments, questions or suggestions for this "Leading Men" column? 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 also has been a movie and theater critic for the San Francisco Examiner and a Drama-Logue Award-winning playwright.
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