by Melissa Griegel…
Photos by Melissa Griegel Photography
The Who’s Who of cabaret turned up at Don’t Tell Mama on Thursday, February 5th for Jeff Harnar’s show Blame it on My Youth, revisiting songs he performed at Don’t Tell Mama in the 1980s, alongside Alex Rybeck, his music director and pianist. The pair are celebrating 42 years of performing together. The title of the show comes from the Oscar Levant song “Blame it on My Youth”, which the duo first performed back when they were in their 20s. There are three more opportunities to catch the show: Thursdays in February on the 12th, 19th, and 26th at 7 pm. Tickets are available HERE. There is a $25 cover with a $25 minimum(must include two drinks) per person. Cash only. Don’t Tell Mama is located at 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Blame It on My Youth featured songs by Irving Berlin, Kander and Ebb, Richard Rodgers, Jerry Herman, Stephen Sondheim, Charles Aznavour, Stephen Schwartz, Carole King, and Leslie Briscue. Musical arrangements are by Alex Rybeck and Brian Lasser, one of their pivotal early collaborators. The new show’s promotional photograph was taken by Michael Ian, the same photographer who shot their Don’t Tell Mama poster that presently hangs on the wall of the storied venue. Jeff and Alex greeted their guests after the show and took photos in front of the original poster.
Harnar has won multiple MAC, Bistro, and BroadwayWorld Cabaret Awards along with other accolades such as The Noël Coward Foundation Cabaret Award, the Mabel Mercer Foundation’s Mabel Mercer Award. In 2022, Jeff released his fifth solo album, the critically acclaimed I Know Things Now: My Life in Sondheim’s Words with a twenty-piece orchestra conducted by Jon Weber (PS Classics). His latest album, A Collective Cy: Jeff Harnar Sings Cy Coleman, was released in 2023. Rybeck is an acclaimed music director, composer, arranger, and pianist. One of his most recent recordings, To Steve, With Love: Liz Callaway Celebrates Sondheim, was nominated for a 2023 Grammy Award. Like Harnar, Rybeck has received numerous awards and honors including MAC, Bistro, Nightlife, Billboard, and BroadwayWorld awards as both a music director and songwriter.
Harnar brought us back to the 1980s of his days working as a waiter, taking acting classes, debuting cabaret in 1983, and stepping on the Don’t Tell Mama stage for the first time in 1987. He sang “Just a Housewife” from Working changing it to “Just a Houseboy” with additional lyrics incorporating his journey from waiter to cabaret singer. With so many cabaret performers in the room, a lot of the audience was able to relate to the lyrics and laughed in earnest. The story included a stint of him working as an assistant for Phyliss McGuire from the famed McGuire Sisters trio.
The best cabarets are ones in which the performer curates a list of songs that are thematic and go along with the storytelling. Harnar does this beautifully so it was interesting to hear him talk about how back in the 1980s cabaret shows were utterly themeless. In a nod to the late Brian Lasser, Hanar and Rybeck incorporated two Brian Lasser songs: “Being with Me (is No Picnic)” and “What I Saw”. He said Lasser had asked them if it was okay if he could write, arrange, and direct a show for you about first experiences. “Of course, Alex and I were thrilled with the idea, so we would like to do a little set of those songs” Harnar said, “Brian envisioned this a Candide-like journey, and now more like On Golden Pond.”
One of my favorite songs of the evening was “Why Did You Have to Split?” by Alex Rybeck and Seth Friedman, an absolutely hilarious song about the famed Sybil, a woman with 16 different personalities. Harnar talked about how publicist Donald Smith came to see him at Don’t Tell Mama, the day after Harnar won his first MAC Award and had just gotten a Bistro Award as well. He showed the original flyer for his “coveted” July 4th and 5th at 11 pm for $6, two for one with the flyer. Smith did not like the jacket he wore that night, but he did love the show and helped promote Harnar’s career.
Harnar’s first Broadway show at age nine was “The Happy Time” by Kander and Ebb. After singing “I Don’t Want to Know” from Dear World by Jerry Herman, Harnar launched into “The Happy Time”. “I fell in love with that score,” he said. “I think the lyrics have stood the test of time.” He talked about the original owner of Don’t Tell Mama, Erv Raible. “One of the things Erv left as his legacy are those posters,” Harnar said. “I was so very touched when Sidney Myer put mine out there. Sidney Myer was there then, and he is here now. Sometimes you can go home again.” This led to “Home Again” by Carole King.
In addition to the usual cabaret fare of Broadway show tunes, Harnar threw in a few songs from singer-songwriters. His rendition of Paul Simon’s “Homeward Bound” was absolutely beautiful, and it was followed by Billy Joel’s “You’re My Home” and “Nowhere Man” by John Lennon. Harnar and Rybeck put on a delightful evening of songs, stories, and laughs. Get your tickets HERE to catch one of their next three shows this month.
