Chris Puckett, a tenor in the Metropolitan Opera chorus, steps into the solo spot in his New York City cabaret debut, Connecting Flights, 9 PM May 26 at Don't Tell Mama.
Puckett, a self-proclaimed cabaret virgin, unveiled his act May 18, singing (among other tunes) lesser-known Stephen Sondheim ("If You Can Find Me, I'm Here"), vintage Kurt Weill ("Lonely House"), songs for or about women ("Mistress of the Senator," by Michael John LaChiusa, and "She's a Woman" by Kander and Ebb), Stephen Schwartz's "Meadowlark" and two new pieces, William Finn's "I Have Found" from The Royal Family and "Now That You're in My Arms," a parenting-themed song by composer Corey Samuels and lyricist Kenneth Jones, from a musical, Expecting Catastrophe.
The throughline, Puckett said, is the singer's "flight" from North Carolina to New York City. Tammy Samuels directs and Vadim Feichtner is musical director.
Admission is $10 cover with a two-drink minimum. Don't Tell Mama is at 343 W. 46th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues. Call (212) 757-0788 for reservations.
--By Robert Simonson