Tweet this article !
Shawn Ryan, a 2007 MAC nominee in the Musical Comedy category, is currently doing a recurring gig at, East/West, a new club on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles. He has already done two shows, the first with guest star triple MAC Award winner Ray Jessel, and is scheduled for another Sunday, June 17th. He does two sets each night, at 8pm and 9:30pm and there is a $10 cover and a two drink minimum.
East/West is an upscale Gay bar, very art deco moderne, with a long bar, deep lounge seats, open booths and a VIP room upstairs with a large glass window (from which the spot follows the performer). Shawn Ryan is appearing with the Kelly Park Trio, his usual musical director for his performances, with Mike Packer on drums and Adrian Rosen on bass.
I attended the first performance Sunday, June 3rd with well-known composer, Lew Spence ("That Face", "Nice ‘n’ Easy"). When we arrived about 7:30pm, Lew expressed his opinion that he did not see how a cabaret performer could perform in such a noisy bar. I told him that Shawn was an expert at dealing with noisy crowds, and is unique among today’s performers, in his special talent for involving the audience in his act. Besides, also in the room were singers and performers from Mary Jo Munday’s “Open Mic” on Tuesdays at the Gardenia, including Mary Jo and Keri Kelsey (who was to be the special guest at Shawn’s second set). Starting at about 8:10pm, Shawn took charge with a song titled "As Long As I’m Here With You." The first line is "Life Is A Holiday," and Shawn exploded that line as only he can, and yes, the room stopped talking and started listening. Lew was astounded. Then Shawn launched into "Getting to Know You," roaming up and down the room, greeting friends by name (including us) and also new people, introducing himself to them, as he continued to sing up and down the bar. He introduced the trio, joking about their names, and making wild enthusiastic comments about certain members of the audience. One guy had just passed his MD exam and got a lot of attention!
Shawn’s third number was "My Christmas Wish" (the one about wanting to be "rich, famous and powerful") and he introduced it with a story of how, when he came to Los Angeles from Phoenix, he got a job as a bartender with a catering service and the first party he did one of his idols, Brad Pitt, asked him for a martini. Shawn replied "olive or twist,” but he was so stunned by Pitt that when he said it, it sounded like "Oliver Twist," which caused Pitt to look confused. He incorporated "Brad" and "Angelina" into the lyric of that hysterically funny song, twisting and shaking and shimmying as he delivered punchline after punchline. Then came the big ballad, Gershwin’s "Do It Again," sung slow and sexy, and with a brilliant jazzy riff by Kelly Park at the break.
Shawn then told a very funny story about going to Disneyland and looking for highball glasses. Because Disneyland is non-alcoholic all over, he and his friend went into one of the gift shops and the girl waiting on them tells them they don’t have any highball glasses, but they have toothpick holders. Shawn and his friend kept insisting they wanted highball glasses, and the girl kept insisting they wanted the toothpick holders, finally showing them to Shawn & his friend, who realized that they WERE the same as highball glasses! Then he wanted swizzle sticks, leading to another hilarious euphemism for that cocktail utensil. When he asked her what made her so energetic, she stated that she “gets Fairy dust" before she comes to work! Shawn launched into his Disney medley: "He’s A Tramp," from Lady and the Tramp, "Everybody Wants To Be A Cat," from The Aristocats, “I Want to Be Like You," and then "The Bare Necessities," as a smash finish!
Shawn’s special guest for the first set was John Vance, a singer unknown to me, who had just worked in George Clooney’s latest film. He sang a beautiful version of "Darn That Dream,” again with a wonderful riff from Kelly Park and the trio on the break, and followed it with (including the verse) the Ned Washington/Victor Young standard "My Foolish Heart."
Shawn returned and sat on the bar and sang "Beat My Dog," a raunchy blues number by Jay Leonhardt. He then rocked everyone with his special arrangement of "Wouldn’t It Be Lovely," sung in a lively tempo, giving full value to all the lyrics and melody, and then wowed the crowd with another of his signature pieces, his version of the Peter Matz arrangement of Barbra Streisand’s "Down With Love" recording! He then jumped up on the bar, and strutting like Marlene Dietrich in "The Boys in the Back Room" number in Destry Rides Again, Ryan sang a surprising "Everybody’s Boy," the sexy number introduced by Debra Monk in "Steel Pier" as "Everybody’s Girl." Bumping and grinding and moving from one end of the bar to and back, demonstrating the double entendre lyrics, Shawn had the crowd cheering and laughing, making it one of those incredible cabaret numbers that was unique and wonderful, and worth preserving forever on film.
I’ve said it before, ever since I saw him for the first time at the Mabel Mercer Cabaret Convention two years ago, Shawn Ryan is unique in today’s world of singers-performers. Someone called him "the love child of Bette Midler & Peter Allen," but he also has one of the most beautiful and powerful singing voices in cabaret today, can hit you in the guts with his ballads then turn around and have you holding your sides in laughter. He knows how to "read" a crowd, and incorporate them into his act like some of the legendary stars of the past.
This smashing act is to be repeated two more times on Sunday, June 17th. East/West is at 8851 Santa Monica Boulevard. Reservations are recommended (310)360-6186. www.shawn-ryan.com
