Bewitched, bothered and bewildered

Posted 8/21/12

I’m unsure whether I can feel all three of those things at one time, but I’m here to tell you that it is possible to experience them all in rapid succession. Of course, the reference itself is to …

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Bewitched, bothered and bewildered

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I’m unsure whether I can feel all three of those things at one time, but I’m here to tell you that it is possible to experience them all in rapid succession. Of course, the reference itself is to a famous Rogers and Hart tune written for the 1940’s Broadway musical “Pal Joey” and is still popular to this day. Everyone and their mother has recorded it, including Doris Day, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Carly Simon, Ella Fitzgerald and Mel Torme. I won’t sing it for you, but if Sinead O’Connor can do it, why shouldn’t I? Come to think of it, even Rod Stewart has rasped it out in public, so perhaps I should re-think my reticence. Meanwhile, my least favorite singer of all time is currently performing it in her nightclub act in Las Vegas, so I’m confident that her busy hands are pseudo-signing the song as she wipes away a single well-orchestrated tear designed to bring down the house. I won’t embarrass her by saying her name, but it rhymes with Celine Dion. Ooops.

But I digress. With summer in full swing, I am the proverbial headless chicken (I know—I do it to myself) as I careen from one end of the Upper Delaware River region to the other, searching for entertainment to write about, photograph and ponder. Last Friday, a performer who has been on my radar for years came to town with his one-man show, and it has bothered me that I’d yet to catch his act, so off I went. Actor/singer/weekend resident Charles Baran was in town with his show “Recipes for Disaster,” and he invited me to attend, in spite of the fact that I would likely express my humble opinion of the performance. As it turns out, I had a good time, along with the rest of the crowd that showed up in Bethel (www.catskilldistillingcompany.com) that evening. “Recipes” is (IMHO) a loving tribute to old-school cabaret with songs strung together by stories culled from Baran’s personal life, interspersed with anecdotal references to his career and how he got to where he is today. Long before he regaled the crowd with an amusing true story about stalking Bette Midler, I had made notes regarding her influence on the entertainer, which were clear. His musicians (The Dill Pickle Club Band) were kept busy as Baran presented a pastiche of clever songs, several of which I was unfamiliar with, which was refreshing—but some of his stories kind of hung in the air, leaving me slightly bewildered as to their point, other than as a lead-in for the next musical number. All in all, I was happy to have the experience and Baran was happy to see my dog, so I’ll keep an eye on him (www.charlesbaran.com) and apprise you of his next performance here in the Catskills.

Bothered by the fact that I (once again) had to choose where I would go next, I decided to eschew (look it up!) Def Leppard (www.bethelwoodscenter.org) in favor of the burlesque show (www.slipperroom.com) making a one-night-only appearance at the NACL Theatre in Highland Lake, NY. Having seen this mélange (look it up!) of comics (Mel Frye) magicians (Matthew Holtzclaw) and strippers (including the incomparable “Hazel Honeysuckle”) in past seasons at the venue, (www.nacl.org), I had a good idea of what was in store, but also to expect the unexpected, which this time around turned out to be a ventriloquist. To say I was thrilled would be an understatement, having a life-long fascination with the art and a strong desire to learn how to do it myself, which would finally give the Wonder Dog a voice. The show was spectacular, the wooden dummy was foul-mouthed, and the theatre was packed to the rafters. As always, the NACL delivers quality entertainment to the Catskills. Lucky us.

In the mood to feel bewitched, I was intrigued enough to make my way to Narrowsburg, NY for the first-ever “Spirit Quest Expo” jointly produced by local professional “intuitives” Brenda Seldin and Alissa Smith, which was thrumming with activity by the time we arrived. I perused the booths and vendors, which included crystals, tinctures, energy healers and aura photography, while the sound of Native American flutes filled the Tusten Town Hall and folks were seen having psychic readings in-between a variety of workshops being held. Even Dharma had an opportunity to spend a few minutes with Kristy Cammerota (www.sitstayzen) and experience some “acupressure for pets,” which put her in a blissed-out state that lasted for hours. “Having never seen an event of this type in the area,” Seldin told me, “we didn’t know what the outcome would be, so we were extremely gratified to see so many people come out and enjoy the day with us!” Next up? Company coming. Uh oh.

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