Get Haunted!

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With Halloween just around the corner, you can celebrate by getting Haunted by Marcus Simeone!  Back Stage Bistro and 4-time MAC Award winner, Marcus Simeone is releasing his first studio recording on the Miranda Music Label entitled, Haunted, which includes the 2011 MAC Award-winning title song with lyrics by Marcus and music composed by Tracy Stark.  This collaboration was such a success, that the duo has written another song together entitled "Long Time to Cry," which is another excellent song that you can hear first at their upcoming show on November 5th at 9:30pm at Metropolitan Room.

I think it's only fair to say that along with Marcus and Tracy, I am also part of the Miranda Music Label.  However, I was a fan of both of these artists long before I started thinking of doing my own cabaret show.  The first time I heard Marcus' crystal clear voice was at an earlier show of his entitled Everything Must Change.  I was so impressed with his performance, that it inspired me in writing my own show.  His vocal quality has such clarity and ease of technique, that it makes you say, "Ah!"  He has an amazingly wide range, and such soulfulness that it makes you dance in your seat.  And his new show, Haunted, is even better.  He pays tribute to song writers in this new album, and even had the good fortune to be able to record some of the songs with the actual composers.  John Bucchino actually played piano on his number entitled "If I Ever Say I'm Over You."  Marcus said he was so nervous actually singing in front of John himself, that he had to wait until he left the room to record the track!  What an honor to be able to have the opportunity to record a song with the actual person who penned it!

Tracy Stark is the music director and keyboard player, and is joined by Sean Harkness on guitar and Skip Ward on bass.  There were some excellent new arrangements of some old standards in the show.  "All of Me," by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons, was a peppy and fun number featuring Sean on ukulele.  A soulful rendition of "Make the World Go Away," written by Hank Cochran, was filled with modulations that transported me into another world.  Marcus also has guest artists joining him at particular performances.  Tanya Holt, not only the booking manager at Metropolitan Room, but also a terrific performer and standout at last year's cabaret convention, as well as Marissa Mulder, this year's MetroStar Talent Challenge winner, will join Marcus at particular performances.  On the night I attended, Tanya and Marcus performed the duet "Around the World," by Lisa Stansfield, Ian Devaney and Andy Morris, and I was secretly wishing that an enormous, sparkly mirror ball was going to drop from the ceiling.

If you know Marcus personally, you are aware of what a loving, kind-hearted person he is, always thinking of others before himself.  On this cd, he pays tribute to his parents singing "My Father's Song," by Rupert Holmes, for his dad and "Sandra," by Barry Manilow, for his mother.  My favorite songs in the show were at the moments that were stripped down, simplistic and vulnerable.  His arrangement of "If I Only Had a Heart/Nobody's Heart," by Harold Arlen/"Yip" Harburg, had an endearing quality and tender sweetness to it.  And "Hello In There," by John Prine, not only has killer lyrics, but what made it even more powerful was Marcus's connection to them, as if he were speaking directly to us.  It was not over vocalized, but simplistic and real.  I'd give Marcus the permission to haunt me anytime, as long as he's singing when he does it!

To celebrate Marcus's cd release, as well as the Halloween Holiday, Kitty Skrobela, CEO of Miranda Music, has been generous enough to offer FREE Haunted CDs TO EVERYONE who attends Marcus' performance on Saturday, November 5th at 9:30pm at Metropolitan Room.  Go to www.MetropolitanRoom.com for tickets or call (212) 206-0440.  There is a $15 cover and two-beverage minimum.  www.marcussimeone.com

Additional Haunted performances at Metropolitan Room are Friday, November 18 @ 7pm, Sunday, December 4th @ 9:30pm and Monday, December 19th @ 9:30pm.  Don't miss it!