One of our guests that winter was comedian Sandra Bernhard. She was very friendly and developed a rapport with the staff. One morning as she headed out, she mentioned to me and my co-worker about a party going on at the trendy restaurant Indochine and if we wanted to go.  It was taking place right after a Brooklyn Academy of Music concert that featured the B52’s. Of course we said ‘yes’ and she proceeded to take our names and give us the details.

I didn’t really know what to expect but the thought of seeing and even meeting celebrities was very exciting. My friend and I took a cab downtown and dropped off right in front of the restaurant. Getting out of the cab we Immediately knew it was an event not just a party. Limos, a velvet rope, security, the whole nine.

We approached the host who held the holy grail (guest list) and gave our names. It seemed like forever as she scanned the list, flipping over pages trying to find us. I was thinking Sandra probably forgot to add our names. Oh well, it was still exciting for me just to get that far. My friend then mentions Sandra’s name and The Royalton and boom, we were in.

If I remember correctly, the restaurant was long and not very wide with a downstairs dining room where the party would later convene. The bar was on the right with tables along the left wall, extending to the end of the space. My friend and I positioned ourselves at the bar and just hung out as guests arrived. The first familiar face was our boss. He didn’t notice us as he hurriedly walked past to the back of the room.

Next in, Madonna. Yup. The Material Girl. I remember vividly what she was wearing, maybe because she looked so cute. Black leather boots with a stiletto heel, skin-tight jeans, a short red leather jacket and curly blond hair. I was star-struck. So this is New York City. I like it.

Up to this point you’re probably thinking, ‘Where’s the part about Billy Joel?” As you may have guessed, in walks Billy. If Madonna made me star-struck, Billy Joel made me AWE-struck. Oh my God, one of my idols was just a few feet away from me. My knees were literally shaking. Billy, along with those in his party which included, I think, Mic Jones from Foreigner, walked past me to the back of the room. I needed more than that ginger ale to get up the nerve to introduce myself. Well, here goes…

Several minutes later, I proceeded to the back of the restaurant where Billy and a few others were standing and waited for the right time to approach. I can’t believe this. I’m going to meet Billy Joel. I saw an opportunity as he was not in conversation with anyone. I walked toward him, outwardly looking confident but inward scared as hell. I reached out my hand and said, “Hey, piano man, it’s an honor to meet you. Me and my parents are big fans.” We shook hands, He smiled, nodded, I think said ‘Thank you.’ and then quickly scanned (judged) me up and down.

His first impression was probably that I looked like a young lawyer or accountant based on what I was wearing (navy blue sport coat, gray checkered dress pants, wingtip shoes). I certainly didn’t look like a wannabe pop or rock star. The exchange was brief as I moved on as not to take up too much of his time.

Why do I regret meeting him? “Hey, piano man..” Are you freakin’ kidding me?! That’s how I greet someone who’s music was the fabric of my upbringing, with a nonchalant “Hey..”? Whose talent for songwriting was something I would aspire to and who’s advice or encouragement could have a huge impact on me? If I could go back in time, I would have said something a little more eloquent and heartfelt like:

“Mr. Joel, it’s an absolute honor to meet you. I’m a huge fan and you’re one of the reasons I moved to NYC to pursue a career as a singer. It would be an incredible honor to work with you one day. Enjoy your evening.”

I hope I get another chance to meet Billy, sorry, Mr. Joel.  I’ll pretend it’s the first time and give him the greeting he deserves.

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As I searched through my CD collection trying to find the right artist and song, my choice would ultimately have to be unexpected.  Johnny Mathis was a strong contender. He was my dad’s favorite singer and I grew up listening to his incredible voice. I considered rearranging one of his hits with an up-tempo, jazzy rendition. That would have been nice but the more I thought about it, the more I wanted something powerful.

The Eyes of Laura Mars, released in 1978, starring Faye Dunaway and Tommy Lee Jones was a thriller/mystery about a fashion photographer (Dunaway), a police lieutenant (Jones) and the dark backdrop of obsessive love. Dunaway’s role was first offered to Barbra Streisand who was dating the movie’s producer at the time. She declined but thought the love theme would be a strong power ballad to record.

I pulled Barbra Streisand’s Greatest Hits Vol. 2 CD from the shelf and scanned the track listing. There it was. ‘Prisoner’. I remembered what it sounded like and without listening to it again, decided it was the one. It was perfect. Well, it was perfect for her. Now, with help from co-producer Frank Verderosa, I had to make it my own.

The first consideration was the song’s key. Most male vocalists lower the key when singing a song of their female counterpart. However, in my opinion, the power of this song would have suffered if the key was dropped. Since I had a high voice, I figured ‘go for it’. It certainly was challenging.

Next was the arrangement. If I mirrored the original recording, well, that’s not being very creative. If I stray too far, I risk losing the impact and soul of the song. I had to find that delicate balance of making it my own while honoring the original. I wanted to push the dynamic boundaries of ‘Prisoner’ and create a mysterious, dark musical landscape that echoed the sentiment of the obsessive theme. This proved more difficult than singing it.

I chose to begin the song a full octave lower than the original, complimented by sparse instrumentation. The second verse rises to the original key and the lyrical delivery becomes intense. The chorus to follow maintains this energy and is haunted by Stacey Williams’ masterful backing vocals.

Missing from Streisand’s version is the guitar solo that I felt was needed to breathe life into my rendition. Marcus Wolf’s performance is moody, emotional and truly enhances the new arrangement.  Rather than keep the song’s energy at this high level to the end, a short musical passage follows and for a brief moment, love is hopeful. The underlying theme is masked by a ‘happy’ note and tinkling of the ivories.

Another element not included in the original version is the added bridge that quickly erases this hope and returns to the pure obsession felt by one of the main characters. I hadn’t seen the movie before but needed to get better understanding and perspective before putting pen to paper to complete this bridge section. After viewing it, the additional lyrics, “I can’t see beyond the pain. Darkness surrounds me now.” were born.

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The sea draws us closer to its calm or rage, equally as humbling and inspiring. A walk through a park provides quiet solace, surrounded by natural beauty. Our favorite music and the open road might be just what we need.

This place isn’t always a destination or the pursuit of solitude. Often, it’s the gathering of family and friends that comfort us with laughter, spirited conversation and common ground for us to tread.

Occasionally, I revisit pop culture from younger days to serve as a distraction from the remains of a challenging day. Lately, that diversion has been Cheers. Each episode begins with a short scene to set up the storyline then transitions to the theme song which includes a Skip Intro button. As you might have guessed, I let it play. I have to hear it.

“Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got…”

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The email was sent from a producer associated with the venue. He was inquiring if I would be interested in performing as part of a tribute to Queen’s theatre production, WE WILL ROCK YOU which ran on the West End (London’s equivalent of Broadway) for 12 years and was a huge hit.

When I came to, I reread the email and thought this must be a mistake. Feinstein’s 54 Below (the room underneath the famed Studio 54) was an upscale, intimate venue that catered to Broadway patrons and featured incredible talent from productions past and present. Why would someone want to work with a ‘hack’ when a community of established or young, up-and-coming, professionally trained talent was at their beckon (cattle) call? Imposter syndrome immediately occupied my head space, but I escaped long enough to accept the offer. Shortly after, I was told that I would be OPENING the show with a snippet from Queen’s song ‘Innuendo’. Great. That’s just great.

I soon met with the producer and musical director at a rehearsal studio located in the theatre district. They were kind and made me feel welcome as I was clearly out of my element. I asked the producer how he discovered me and he said he came across my site when searching for a Queen/Freddie type vocalist. I guess some SEO paid off! We ran through my song a few times with just piano and vocal. Both producer and musical director were pleased and expressed excitement as this was going to be a powerful way to start the show. I enjoyed the sentiment for a nanosecond, then once again faced the imposter.

Dress rehearsals were the next step in production and very exciting for me. I sat back and thoroughly enjoyed one great vocalist after another nail their performance. Of course, the band and ensemble were equally as impressive. My 90 seconds or so went ok. The only thing missing for me that day was the comradery among my peers. Don’t get me wrong, everyone was very nice, but few engagements went beyond ‘hi’ that I initiated. Everyone either worked together or at the very least, knew of each other. I was an outsider and my AARP status made me the elder among the youthful cast. I was practically invisible, although there were a few shades of gray whose shadows I stood in.

On April 8^th, I was certainly nervous but also very excited for the two shows scheduled that evening. The first sold out and the second reached near capacity. The cast was bustling about a few floors up in the green room: touching up makeup, addressing wardrobe, rehearsing lines/songs, and taking photos. Occasionally, a production assistant would interrupt the activities and announce how many minutes until we were to head downstairs and take our places. I quietly kept to myself during this time (shocking) but did engage with a girl who was also performing at 54 for the first time. It was a deep, lengthy conversation that lasted two, maybe three sentences.

It was time. Ready, Freddie.

The band and MC descended to the showroom and took their place on stage. They quickly tuned, tested, and tinkered with their instruments, arranged their sheet music and took a ready position. Next, the ensemble singers made their way downstairs and flanked both sides of the stage. Soon after, featured vocalists occupied the empty lobby area, a hallway behind the showroom and the kitchen which is where I stood. BTW, I just got nervous writing and reliving that.

Moments before the downbeat of ‘Innuendo’ which was my cue, someone handed me the mic and I thought to myself, “I don’t belong here.” Upon the dramatic chord and instrumentation that launched this Queen tribute, I clenched my fist, looked out over the audience, crossed a threshold, and approached the stage. Suddenly, I felt powerful and the room was mine.

This experience represents the most extreme, conflicting emotions I have ever felt before a performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeAMG8EWb8Q&list=PLyZq9dJ06FlbbTgvEUSi7WMZK1zsJIXgO&index=3

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