Gretchen Reinhagen

I don’t use this word often or casually, but Gretchen Reinhagen’s show about Kaye Ballard is a triumph. It’s everything a tribute show should be: loving, illuminating, informed and informative, with the icon’s style captured to result in appreciation of the tributer and tributee. A longtime Kaye admirer myself, I knew the rare “special material” songs but laughed again because Gretchen “gets” it and gives it: the delicious daffiness in reactions and attitude, fully committed. There’s the momentary look of horror, delight or outrage in a line. Spot on! She even got a Kaye colleague, director-writer Barry Kleinbort, to direct her (superbly) and update two songs he’d written for the star. Another smart choice was giving us songs Kaye would have introduced if show biz plans had gone as planned. The Ballard ballads and Ballard belters provide balance so it wasn’t all yuk-yuk or bombast. Versatile Gretchen can pull back her own brashness and displayed lovely tones. From “Lazy Afternoon” to the de rigeur performer’s thanks cheekily sung in “I Told Ya That I Love You, Now Get Out,” it’s a grand slam. The trio led by David Gaines was tops, like everything in this dazzling dynamic display. Such alignment rarely happens so expertly…and so entertainingly.
- Rob Lester, Cabaret Scenes - Cabaret Scenes

Over the years, there have been many shows extolling the careers & musical stylings of well-known singers; Johnny Mathis, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Carol Channing, to name a few. In Special Kaye: A Tribute to the Incomparable Kaye Ballard , Gretchen Reinhagen gives us a taste of the career & music of one of my personal favorites: Kaye Ballard.

In the matter of full disclosure, I must confess that I have known Ms. Ballard since 1983, when I was the PR rep for the musical Tallulah! starring Helen Gallagher, with music written by my dear friend, the late Arthur Siegel. I have also seen most of her shows, including her turn in Nunsense at the Cocoanut Grove Playhouse in Florida. Therefore, I was especially interested in what Special Kaye had to offer. And what it offers is a great evening of laughter, theatre dish, special material and a whole lotta fun.

Best known to audiences for her TV show “The Mothers-in-Law” with Eve Arden, Ballard introduced many songs during her Broadway and cabaret career. Reinhagen begins the show with one of those tunes, “I'm Here,” written for Ballard by their shared director, Barry Kleinbort. Another of his songs, sung later in the show, is “When,” from Kaye Ballard…Working 42 nd Street, At Last. Like those two, most of the songs were just part of Ballard's various shows, from “Stepsister's Lament” from Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella, in which she played one of the infamous ugly stepsisters alongside the late Alice Ghostly, to the pairing of “Love Makes the World Go Round” from Carnival with “Lazy Afternoon” from Golden Apple, in which Ballard first made her mark. A Broadway Tryouts Medley, including “Broadway Baby,” “Be With Me,” “Take Off the Coat” and “If,” focused on Ballard's Broadway aspirations, some successful, and others, not.

There was a lovely segment about her work with long-time accompanist Arthur Siegel, the composer of many of the songs from New Faces of 1952, in which she recounts their love of the comic strip “Peanuts,” which led into “I Wanna Be Yours,” complete with flute. It made me think about Kaye finally playing Carnegie Hall and talking about proud her mother would have been to see that. She then knocked over the music stand and, with papers flying all around, just stood there to the uproarious laughter of the audience.

Admittedly, there were things I didn't know about Ballard and songs I didn't identify with her, such as the ode to “Sara Lee,” which was her idea and was written for her by Kander & Ebb, as was “My Coloring Book,” which I first remember on The Second Barbra Streisand Album , and which Reinhagen mentioned was a big hit for Sandy Stewart.I also hadn't realized that Ballard also wrote some of her material, such as the hilarious “Teeny Tiny,” written with Marshall Barer ( Once Upon A Mattress, New Faces of 1956).

Reinhagen gives us, not so much a biographical show about Kaye Ballard, but rather a tribute to the music she performed and the material written for her, that fit her to a tee. Blessed with amazing chops, Reinhagen sings with a sincerity and honesty that Ballard also possesses, making Special Kaye a hit from the first number to the last.
- Penny Landau, NiteLifeExchange.com - NiteLifeExchange.com

Gretchen Reinhagen's tribute to Kaye Ballard is the kind of gift you remember after you've opened all the presents around the Christmas tree.

“Special Kaye: A Tribute to the Incomparable Kaye Ballard” gives Gretchen a national act and Kaye a gift that will keep on revealing her role as a musical chronicler of an era from the 1940s to today.

Gretchen, who premiered this two-hour show Friday at the Annenberg Theater in front of an impressed Kaye, has already honed the writing, pacing and interpretation of the carefully selected material into a polished cabaret show. She milks every ounce of drama out of Fanny Brice's “My Man” and sings songs Kaye introduced just exquisitely.

While Frank Sinatra sang “In Other Words (Fly Me to the Moon)” with bravado, Gretchen sings it as Kaye first put it on record, as a love song with a sense of wonder. She mixes ballads and specialty material like a master chef and generates big laughs with Kaye's comedic tunes. She even updates the material to reference David Letterman's recent sex scandal and the phenomenon of texting and tweeting from theater seats.

This is the best kind of cabaret because it informs people of Kaye's historical importance while showing how timeless the entertainment is.

Gretchen will take “Special Kaye” to the Metropolitan Room in New York in December. I hope she'll bring it back here in the near future.
- Bruce Fessier, The Desert Sun - The Desert Sun

When one entertainer performs an onstage tribute to another performer, it’s always challenging to be entertaining as well as honest about the person. But when the honoree is not only a show business legend, but is sitting in the third row watching, well that can make for rapid heart-beats and a sweaty palms experience in a lesser entertainer, but not Gretchen Reinhagen.

Reinhagen is a professional cabaret performer and actor who now lives in New York, but grew up in Southern California amidst a show business family. Desert residents are very familiar with the Reinhagen “clan”: Bob, the patriarch, an award winning actor, director, and musician Ann, the mom, a performer, an award winning writer and director and Rob, the son, a professional Ballet dancer who has danced with the Pittsburg Ballet Company among others, and most recently with the acclaimed Alvin Ailey Dance Company. There’s no doubt about it. Gretchen Reinhagen definitely has a performing gene in her DNA.

It also helps to know the person you are paying tribute to onstage. Kaye Ballard the subject of Reinhagen’s show “Special Kaye” has been very generous with her time in providing personal information and anecdotes about her long career in show business.

Having the information, however, is one thing; knowing what to do with it and how to do it is another.

There is no reason for concern here. Miss Reinhagen is a performer of many talents and gifts. It’s apparent from the moment she takes the stage and begins to weave the Kaye Ballard story through songs and anecdotes, that here is a performer who knows how to deliver a lyric and a poignant onstage moment with the grace and style of a trained actor. It’s such a pleasure to see and hear a singer who knows how to express the many nuanced layers of emotion and feeling of the songwriter or composer. Lyrics are the dialogue of songs and actors thrive on dialogue. She is an actor who knows how to sing, in addition to being the possessor of a quick wit and a smooth delivery. Those qualities make for a winning combination in a cabaret or concert performer. Her tribute performance to Kaye Ballard was a “tour de force evening.”

Singers, however, need good musicians to ensure the audience lives the “moments” along with them. Reinhagen’s group is first rate. Her accompanist David Gaines has a long-time association with her and knows her style and delivery and makes her shine with every song. Jeff Stover on Bass and Andy Fraga, Jr on drums, are two of the Valley’s best musicians and they compliment her show.

When entertainers do a one-person show we sometimes miss the input of the production’s director. Following the performance, I asked her about the collaboration of star performer and director. How much of what the audience experienced was solely Gretchen Reinhagen and how heavy was director Barry Kleinbort’s carbon-footprint? She smiled sweetly, replying, “I would like to think it’s a combination of both”. Also spoken like the true professional she is. I inquired if she had any plans to return to the desert to perform. “I would love to come home again, perform here in the desert and spend time with my family. Yes, that would be great.” It would also be great for desert audiences as well.
- Jack Lyons, Palm Springs Guides - Palm Springs Guides

Some ideas seem so obvious and so right, that one is astonished to discover that no one had previously thought of them. A cabaret homage to Kaye Ballard is a perfect example. Considering how illustrious Ballard's career has been and how distinctive her style and remarkable her talent, it is difficult to believe that Gretchen Reinhagen is the first singer to assay it (at least to the best of my knowledge). Perhaps it's fortunate that we've had to wait for Reinhagen, for she is a natural to undertake the assignment. For one thing, she bears a facial resemblance to Ballard. More significantly, she projects a generosity of spirit and sense of life similar to Ballard's, and she shares Ballard's complete commitment to everything she does. Most significantly, she's got the brains and talent to do Ballard justice.

Reinhagen's "Special Kaye: A Tribute to the Incomparable Kaye Ballard"—clearly the result of a lot of research and fruitful consultation with her director, Barry Kleinbort, who's directed many of Ballard's theatre and cabaret offerings—has everything one could wish for. The songs have all been sung or recorded by Ballard or taken from shows that Ballard was in, and what a marvelous body of work they comprise. (Reinhagen tells us there's actually one exception; however, if you hung me by the thumbs, I couldn't tell you which it is—though by process of elimination I might hazard a guess.)

Reinhagen opens with "I'm Here," a specially good piece of special material Kleinbort wrote for Ballard, and right off the bat we know we're in good hands. Most people associate Ballard with comedy, and humor is very well represented here. Among the laugh-out-loud selections are Kleinbort's so-true "When," Dale Gonyea's now near-classic "Name Dropping" (you know, the one with lines like "Is Helen Reddy now?"), and Kander & Ebb's "Sara Lee." One factor that makes this last number work so well is Reinhagen's delivery. As I've often said, "It's not sufficient to do a funny song; you have to be funny." Reinhagen is funny.

Not all of the humor is hilarious. For example, "Teeny Tiny" (Marshall Barer, Kaye Ballard) is adorable, Johnny Mercer's "I Fought Every Step of the Way" is appealing and grin-worthy, and Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Stepsisters' Lament," sung winningly with musical director David Gaines, is very merry. And not all of the hilarity is musical: Gaines and Reinhagen's spoken recreation of a Peanuts cartoon is at once very funny and very charming.

It may surprise some people to see how much "serious" material Ballard has been associated with. Reinhagen's rendition of "Lazy Afternoon" (John Latouche, Jerome Moross) is languorous and inviting, "Be With Me" (Marc Blitzstein) is very pretty, and "Fly Me to the Moon" (Bart Howard) is beautiful, and with "Maybe This Time," Reinhagen shows that she sure can sell a power ballad. Whether delicately accompanying a tender song or providing more hearty support for an up-number, Gaines on piano, Louis Tucci on bass, and Donna Kelly on drums couldn't possibly be better.

The patter is unfailingly engaging and informative. I've been careful not to divulge any of the interesting facts Reinhagen discloses lest I spoil for you the pleasure of discovery. But I will say that all of the dialogue is engrossing and smartly integrated into the show. Even the way the acknowledgments are woven into the final number is clever and delightful.

In its current form, "Special Kaye" is about 70 minutes long. I, for one, would be happy if it ran 90 or 100 minutes. I've no doubt the combination of Reinhagen's consistently on-the-money performance and the strength and variety of the material could sustain a longer version.
- Roy Sander, BistroAwards.com - BistroAwards.com

February 4 marked the final performance in the Metropolitan Room run of Gretchen Reinhagen's "Special Kaye-A Tribute to the Incomparable Kaye Ballard."

For now. This tour de force is an amazing collection of music and stories that celebrate one of the giants of comedy, now in her seventh decade of performance, and Kaye is celebrated by someone who is becoming a giant in her genre as well.

Nightlife 2010 Award winning Gretchen Reinhagen has long been a fan of Ballard. Growing up, Reinhagen's first performance was covering The Carpenters "Sing" for her father's band at The Farm, a Cape Cod nightclub. From then on she was hooked!

Reinhagen has had several career incarnations already-she has been a music teacher, growing programs in music-starved areas in California where no programs existed. An actress as well, her roots were pulled up from sunny California when she decided to move east and make art happen in New York City. Since 2004, then, cabaret has been her game.

Musical director David Gaines and Ms. Reinhagen have the chemistry so necessary for music to touch the heart. The show, directed by Barry Kleinbort, who was also in the audience, was further supported by Louis Tucci on upright bass and Donna Kelly on drums. The program was synchronous, well orchestrated and well performed-they played us like violins. Tucci, occasionally bowing, was feeling and watchful and Kelly's percussive backgrounds and augmentations were grace notes in themselves. The Metropolitan Room's intimate space is a treat for singers and musicians who come to watch and learn from others-every aspect of technique is visible and the balance is superb.

The program kicked off with a specially written song, "I'm Here," by Kleinbort. This was a musical history that really set the stage for these songs that were written for, introduced by or inspired by Ms. Ballard. Next we had a touching rendition of "Young At Heart," followed by the extremely unsentimental "What's a Nice Girl Like Me Doing Working in a Joint Like This," and we were off in a slingshot. The comedy continued with "I've Still Got My Health," a catalog of all the things that could go wrong, but let's stick to the bright side, and then "Teeny Tiny," an alle-Gorey of a dark tale of how small people can be. I remember hearing this song as a child when Kaye was guest-hosting the Mike Douglas show in the 1970s and hearing it again with Reinhagen's dramatic delivery was pure delight.

When Dale Gonyea's "Name Dropping" came up, I considered how you had to have a certain level of experience to appreciate the puns. Not everyone knows who the people are that are being sent up-but then too few people know cabaret. The Broadway Tryouts medley included (of course) "Broadway Baby," sung with tender toughness, Marc Blitzstein's "Be With Me," the introspective and sexy "Take Off The Coat," and the sassy rapid-fire "If (you hadn't but you did)," which highlighted Reinhagen's crystal clear delivery and speed.

Next, we had a taste of New York with Johnny Mercer's "I Fought Every Step of the Way," and I marveled at how there was such distinction in the selection of each song to make it stand out from the program itself. A light and gentle treatment of "Love Makes the World Go Round," followed by the more visceral and sexy "Lazy Afternoon," spurred Valentine's thoughts of my own true love. The seduction in contemplation, evoking summer afternoons and daylight thoughts of love transported us all from winter in New York.

Cleansing the palate with a bit of comedy was an adorable duet with Gaines taking the Alice Ghostley part and dueting with Reinhagen in the "Stepsister's Lament" from the all-star "Cinderella," written by Rodgers and Hammerstein especially for television. This was followed by a Kander and Ebb mini-set of songs written for Kaye-though someone else may have ended up making them more public-including the incomparable "Sara Lee," performed with relish and angst, and "My Coloring Book" and "Maybe This Time," both of which were done with such deft emotion they linger in the memory.

There was a brief Charlie Brown and Lucy van Pelt interchange between Gaines and Reinhagen, which set a sparkling mood for their duet, "I Wanna Be Yours." Followed by "When," a brief reprise of "Young at Heart," which heralded the cadence of the show to the heartfelt "Go in the Best of Health" we had a well-rounded all too brief history of Ms. Ballard's career and Ms. Reinhagen's magic.

The thunderous applause brought Reinhagen back to the stage for a brief encore of Bart Howard's "In Other Words," written especially for Kaye, though we know it better as "Fly Me to the Moon." Mr. Gaines included a tintinnabulous music box quote of "Love Makes the World Go Round" that was delightful. Finally what survey of Ballard would be complete without a final kick in the pants out the door? Reinhagen's final song of the evening was "I Told Ya I Love Ya (now get out)," so we did.

C - [Q]onStage

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

New York, NY – September 20, 2010 – Nightlife, Bistro and MAC Award winning artist Gretchen Reinhagen and her all-girl band, led by Musical Director Tracy Stark, return to Don’t Tell Mama (www.donttellmamanyc.com) in October with “Gretchen Sings Janis Joplin’s Pearl.” Performances are scheduled for Sunday, October 24th at 6:00PM; Tuesday, October 26th at 7:00PM; and Thursday, November 4th at 7:00PM. Barry Kleinbort directs.

“Gretchen Sings Janis Joplin’s Pearl” was originally created as part of the award winning “Under the Covers” series this past March, produced by Lennie Watts. Artists in the series were asked to choose their favorite album and cover it, start to finish. In choosing Pearl, Gretchen recreates the iconic final album of legendary blues rocker Janis Joplin, exploring not only the rock side of the album with songs like “Move Over” and “Half Moon,” but also the quieter moments with songs like “A Woman Left Lonely” and “Trust Me.” In addition, she explores moments from Janis Joplin’s life; the last of which were spent recording this album. Joplin did not live to see Pearl released in early 1971, which became the biggest selling album of her career, and produced her only #1 hit, “Me and Bobby McGee.” Joining Gretchen will be Musical Director Tracy Stark at the piano, Lisa Brigantino on bass and guitar, and drummer Donna Kelly.

Gretchen Reinhagen received the coveted “triple crown” of cabaret awards by winning the 2010 Nightlife Award, Bistro Award and MAC Award for her show “Special Kaye: A Tribute to the Incomparable Kaye Ballard” also directed by Barry Kleinbort. Her cabaret work has covered a broad range of material including a show of Great American Songbook classics entitled “Back to Basics”; a blues/rock show, “Almost Blue”, which featured an all female five piece band; and a comic turn in “How ‘Bout Them Apples”. Columnist and critic Roy Sander said “Gretchen Reinhagen’s shows are marked by intelligence, warmth, a lovely spirit of benevolence, and fine vocals. It is always a pleasure to spend an hour in her company.”

“Gretchen Sings Janis Joplin’s Pearl” runs at Don’t tell Mama (www.donttellmamanyc.com; 343 West 46th Street, New York, NY 10036; 212-757-0788) Sunday, October 24th at 6:00PM; Tuesday, October 26th at 7:00PM; and Thursday, November 4th at 7:00PM. There is a $20 cover charge and 2 drink minimum ($5 discount on the cover charge for members of MAC or Cabaret Hotline Online). CASH ONLY. For more information, visit www.gretchenreinhagen.com.

### - Official Press Release

This woman is a story teller who can SING! - Michael Tester, broadwayclubhouse.com

Gretchen Reinhagen's shows are marked by intelligence, warmth, a lovely spirit of benevolence, and fine vocals. It is always a pleasure to spend an hour in her company.
- Roy Sander, columnist and critic

She is true to Joplin 's character and does a terrific job in embodying her spirit…

V.R. Cann, Portland Press Herald


Gretchen Reinhagen who was enchantingly delightful as the evil, lovable Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie,' has a song set that is a show highlight…

Joseph Mauro, York County Coast Star


Reinhagen embodies the very essence of Joplin …

Maureen E. King, Journal Tribune - Multiple

The just-concluded weekend production of "Annie" proved that the chance to act with a Reinhagen is another big plus. Gretchen Reinhagen, who returned from New York to play Miss Hannigan in the musical, was a fine example to the dozens of kids on stage on why it's important to perfect all of the little things in a performance. She's a talented, disciplined singer-actress.

Bruce Fessier, The Desert Sun


The evil orphanage director, Miss Hannigan, played by Gretchen Reinhagen, has some spectacular moves too and becomes the focus of every scene she's in…

Christopher Hyde, Portland Press Herald


Gretchen Reinhagen plays Miss Hannigan, the orphanage mistress, in a performance that is virtuoso comedy…

Joseph Mauro, York County Coast Star - Multiple

‘Patsy Cline' unleashes two formidable talents… Tara Johnston as Patsy Cline and Gretchen Reinhagen as Louise Segar give knockout performances. You just may be witnessing the birth of two future stars. …Reinhagen, as the sassy Segar, serves as the narrator and adds a dynamic liveliness to the show that helps keep it from being soppy and sentimental. She has great comedic timing and an inherent ability to get the audience on the same page as she is in a heartbeat. In addition, she skillfully stretches the humorously earthy elements of her character to maximum effect without going over the top.

V.R. Cann, Portland Press Herald
- Portland Press Herald

Two years ago, Gretchen Reinhagen presented "Undefinable ." Since then , she's clearly continued to ponder life and her place in it, perhaps everyone's place in it, culminating in her recent show, Redefined . Whether the show at Don't Tell Mama was autobiographical or only partly so, Reinhagen's approach to her material was introspective – an attempt, as she put it, at ‘rebirth, renewal, redefinition.' Although many of the songs were familiar, Reinhagen presented them as special material accompanying a one-woman theater piece. Some became patter songs, some serious. It worked. In turn funny, observant and reflective, she was an unusually animated performer, ready willing and able to torch a number, parody it or belt it. Her opener laid out the territory well, with ‘ The World Goes ‘Round .' ‘ A Sin to Tell a Lie' was delivered with an implicit wink and a nod, ‘ What Was I Thinking?' reprised often as a musical exclamation point.

Peter Leavy, Cabaret Scenes - Cabaret Scenes

...glorious show...Gretchen's show was a carefully developed yet naturally executed performance. She chose to sing all "standards" - this is a dangerous course to take since the songs are so familiar, you have no margin for error and your performance is bound to be compared to others who have done the same song. But Gretchen carried it off like a pro - which in fact this young lady has become in a very short time...you must see this show for the amazing vocals. Ms. Reinhagen can at times sound as brassy as Merman and other times as heavenly as Whitfield. This is another show you must try to get to see.

Stu Hamstra, Cabaret Hotline Online
- Cabaret Hotline Online

Gretchen must possess one of the most appealing personalities in cabaret, her winning smile establishing a bond with her audience that draws them into an intimacy based on humor and good will rather than intense emotions. Not that she cannot sing warm and moving songs with her lovely voice, such as What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life. She can also belt out jazz arrangements and switch into a blues mode... what she does, she does very well. Her show is fun.

Barbara Leavy, Cabaret Scenes - Cabaret Scenes

Performing with all the confidence and humor of a young Kaye Ballard, [Reinhagen] explained she was about to present "a show of many moments." Something about that modesty appealed to me, and the appeal only increased as she itemized in songs and patter the small things that get on her nerves in life. The entertaining ground she covered with a wry blend of concern and offhandedness included people's taking no notice of their questionable behavior, as in Bob Dorough's "Not Responsible for Shrink" dissembling, as in the Dave and Samantha Frishberg "Blizzard of Lies" and survival against odds, as in the yuk-worthy Betty Comden-Adolph Green-Jule Styne "You Mustn't Be Discouraged." The latter song was introduced in Fade Out Fade In by Carol Burnett and prompted favorable comparison for Reinhagen. The funny girl also took on airplane travel in a medley that started mildly enough with Bart Howard's "Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)" and eventually moved on to the hilarious Stephen Sondheim-Richard Rodgers "What Do We Do? We Fly!" from Do I Hear a Waltz?. ... she led up to an extremely well-acted rendition of Wardell Gray and Annie Ross' "Twisted." She followed it with a sweet "What a Wonderful World".... She knew what she was about.

David Finkle, Back Stage
- Back Stage

Gretchen Reinhagen is an impish performer—half Nancy Walker, half Imogene Coca—with, of course, a large helping of her muse, Kaye Ballard. Her newest show begins with a very funny and very pointless video. Then, she quickly announces her program is about… nothing. Actually, the evening is simply a delightful display of her view of the world, a mix of cynicism and compassion. ...it is Reinhagen’s personality and smart approach to everyday woes that sends the material into the stratosphere. - Cabaret Scenes

When a cabaret show begins with the song “Life Sucks and Then You Die” (Ray Jessel) you might be forgiven for thinking you’re in for yet another “poor me” sob story without benefit of even a minimally redeeming happy ending. But in the case of Gretchen Reinhagen’s recent, entirely enjoyable set at Don’t Tell Mama, you’d have been—you should excuse the expression—dead wrong. In her opening narrative following that number, she claimed that this new act of hers was “essentially about nothing.” She amended this assertion by admitting that she has “kind of a soft spot for anything ridiculous,” then proceeded to prove it with such elements as bookending video clips, the first showing her awkwardly vacuuming an apartment, the closer depicting Reinhagen staring down a completely unconcerned cat, with the pair of them wearing matching goldenrod-colored babushkas. “Ridiculousness is something we need right now,” she added, perhaps unnecessarily. Her eclectic-plus set (directed by Barry Kleinbort, with musical direction by Tracy Stark) required a title, so Reinhagen dubbed it #iBlame Paleo, after a current fad diet. Why not? - Bistro Awards