"Broadway Hootenanny"

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Imagine you've been invited to a lovely, luxurious home in Manhattan for a happy party. After everyone's had a drink or two, a convivial, and talented, fellow slips over to the baby grand to play a few tunes. He's joined by some of the guests, the attractive couple celebrating a night out away from the child, the stunning brunette, who with a penchant for torch songs and the great cheerful fellow with the big voice, and personality to match. Oh, and a charming young couple from out of town who just happen to have glorious voices. And your host is happy to introduce everyone and knows an amazing amount about American music.

That was the feeling, and the charm, of last Thursday evening at Feinsteins at Loew's Regency at 11pm, when the seemingly inexhaustible Scott Siegel offered up his newest series, Broadway Hootenanny. Each Thursday (excepting the first of each month), Siegel will offer up a new program of great songs from Broadway, both standards and rarities, presented by a mix of guest stars and a rotating stock company, plus some surprises and discoveries along the way.

The mood is relaxed, with off the cuff patter, befitting the hour and atmosphere, the song list varied, the cast top notch, and, as many know from his various hosting duties, Siegel's narration is witty and well-informed, without being professorial.

The inaugural evening featured the husband and wife team of Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell, obviously enjoying performing together and being out late. Campbell offered several ballads, including "Love Sneaks In" from Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, introducing it as another gigolo song, referring to his Tony-nominated role in Sunset Boulevard, as well as a dandy doo-wop version of "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes." Kennedy offered up a medley from South Pacific (in which she starred in London) and a wonderfully torchy "The Music that Makes Me Dance." Together, they contributed a slightly campy "You Ought to Be Here With Me" (Big River), adding an appropriate country flavor to the evening, considering the series overall brand, as well   as a touching "For Good."

The surprise of the evening was a young couple who Siegel discovered at an open mike and invited in. They are currently going for graduate degrees in Texas, but we'll be hearing more about Amy and Shea Owens when they return to the city, graced as they are with power house voices, good looks and top performance skills as they offered up the hilarious "Song That Goes Like This."

Bill Daugherty offered up his reliable powerful tenor, twice off-mic, for a nice range of songs from sentimental "The Only Home I Know" (Shenandoah) to rueful and angry in "Brother Can You Spare a Dime," to sheer razzle dazzle show biz in a "Sit Down, You're Rockin' the Boat," that made it clear why Jo Sullivan Loesser described the performer as her "dream Nicely-Nicely."

Last, and certainly not least, is the exciting new face, Carole J. Bufford. She apologized upon realizing that all three of her solos found her stationary at a mic stand. No caveat was necessary. All three songs were sung by characters of questionable social status: a convict, "Folsom Prison Blues" (a Broadway song by dint of its inclusion in Million Dollar Quartet – a   questionable justification but I wouldn't have discounted Bufford's rendition for anything), a streetwalker, the hysterical "Torch" (Face the Music) and a fallen woman, a version of "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man of Mine," that had much of the audience wanting to rush out and finance a revival of Showboat to be built around her.

Throughout the evening, excellent support was provided at the piano by musical director Jesse Kissel, who was able to seamlessly adjust to the various singers and styles being offer during the hour long program.

I, for one, can't wait to see what Siegel and company come up with for the next  

(Feinstein's at Loews Regency is located at 540 Park Avenue (at 61st Street) in New York City. Broadway Hootenanny takes place every Thursday night at 11pm (except for the first Thursday of each month). Cover is $25/$15 with a one drink minimum. For tickets, call (212)339-4095 or visit   www.FeinsteinsatLoewsRegency.com, www.Ticketweb.com.