Gerry Geddes

Gerry Geddes, critic for BistroAwards.com, is an award-winning director, writer, teacher, performer, lyricist, and a contributor to the podcast Troubadours and Raconteurs. He conceived and directed the acclaimed musical revues Monday in the Dark with George (Bistro and MAC Award winner), Put on Your Saturday Suit—Words & Music by Jimmy Webb, and Gerry Geddes & Company (in its five-year residency at Pangea). He has directed singers André De Shields, Darius de Haas, Helen Baldassare, and Lisa Viggiano. He has been active in the cabaret world for over five decades and has produced numerous CDs; his lyrics have been performed and recorded here and in Europe. Gerry’s workshop, The Art of Vocal Performance, is regularly offered to singers of all levels. His memoir of life in NYC, Didn’t I Ever Tell You This?, was recently published and is available at barnesandnoble.com. He is currently at work on his first novel.

Mamie Parris: “Surrender—An Andrew Lloyd Webber Thrill Ride”

Gerry Geddes
First: a word of warning to anyone who knows me. Sit down and take a deep breath.  You are about to hear me praise a show that celebrates the music of Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber.  The cause for this “aberration”?— Surrender—An Andrew Lloyd Webber Thrill Ride, which debuted recently at The Green Room 42. To...

Gilbert Sanchez: “Cats II—The Other Cats Musical”

Gerry Geddes
Cats II—The Other Cats Musical was a hellzapoppin’, high-flying, low-aiming variety show that easily held its own against its more prestigious predecessor. While Andrew Lloyd Webber limited his inspiration to T.S. Eliot, this show’s creator, host and featured performer, Gilbert Sanchez, in the guise of his starry stage persona, Ms. Zilbert, took limitless inspiration from...

Mark G. Meadows

Gerry Geddes
Sometimes the gods of luck just smile down on you. I was at Chelsea Table + Stage a few weeks ago to review George Krissa; I had received a press release for the late show that same night - a jazz singer/songwriter/pianist presenting an evening of originals, Stevie Wonder songs and other material. I decided to stay...

Michael Conley in “The Fabulist Fox Sister”

Gerry Geddes
Kate Fox, the woman who invented séances in New York in 1892, is a fascinating subject for a musical for many reasons, not the least of which is the grift and theatrical duplicity that surrounded her “supernatural” performances and the “religious” devotion of her followers, which ring a bell very directly correlated to the MAGA...

Katie McGrath and Chuck Flowers: “Playing Favorites”

Gerry Geddes
The worlds of cabaret and R&B cover songs met in Playing Favorites, the new show by Bistro Award winner Katie McGrath and St. Louis based singer Chuck Flowers. I am sorry to say that it was more a collision than a blend of styles.  A few years ago, McGrath presented one of the most accomplished...

Ava Nicole Frances: “Here’s Looking at You Kid”

Gerry Geddes
Ava Nicole Frances has a big voice, a Broadway diva voice, a shake-the-rafters voice.  It has served her well in appearances at open mics and variety shows around town, fast becoming a favorite despite her young years.  She is now 19 and studying at NYU but she has been performing in these venues for years....

George Krissa: “Love Notes”

Gerry Geddes
Webster’s defines "charm" as the following—noun: “a trait that fascinates, allures or delights”; verb: “to please, soothe, or delight by compelling attraction." If the dictionary should ever need an image to illustrate the definition, they could always post a photograph of Canadian singer/actor George Krissa, who could not have been more charming or captivating in...

“Julie Gold: Closing the Distance”

Gerry Geddes
The mission statement of the annual Village Trip Festival is “To uplift, to entertain, and to celebrate the arts for all New Yorkers, their families, and all people from around the world who come to visit Downtown Manhattan’s special oases, Greenwich Village and the East Village.” It covers music, theatre, fine arts, politics, written word,...

Trevor Ashley: “Queen of the Moment”

Gerry Geddes
At the risk of being asked to turn in my “gay card,” I must confess that I do not follow Drag Race or any of its offspring. I occasionally catch a random episode of one or another, or I’ll see a clip on Facebook or YouTube but that’s the extent of my involvement. So I...

Jason Henderson: “Getting to Noël You”

Gerry Geddes
One of the deprivations of growing up in New Hampshire was that I was never exposed to more sophisticated entertainments in general, and Sir Noël Coward in particular. It was not until I got to Columbia University here in NY that I discovered the wit, the panache, the lyrics and melodies, plays, and stories of...