Cool Songs For A Summer Night on August 4th

SING! SING! SING!’s
“Cool Songs For A Summer Evening”
Counters Soaring Temperatures with Soaring Voices


New York City’s ongoing Upper West Side institution – SING! SING! SING! – heats up AND cools down at its next sing-in, Cool Songs For A Summer Evening on Wednesday, August 4th at 7 p.m. at The Triad, 158 West 72nd Street.

“Cool” not only refers to temperatures but also to wise, hip, funny and moving lyrics and melodies – making the evening “jump” with songs from In the Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening to Too Darn Hot.

At SING! SING! SING! events, co-hosts Anne Phillips and Michael Shepley provide piano and anecdotal accompaniment, respectively, and the audience takes over. Lyric sheets are provided to keep everyone happily in sync.

In the list of over 20 songs to be sung together are such additional gems as Summer Wind, Sunny, We’re Having A Heat Wave, Here Comes the Sun, I’ve Got the Sun in the Morning, Midnight Sun, Moonglow, Old Devil Moon, Steam Heat, Tenderly, and Those Lazy Hazy Crazy Days of Summer, among many others.

Previous SING! events have included tributes to Oscar Hammerstein II, MGM musicals, Nat King Cole, and different themes like singing, dancing, and travel. After each evening, the audience “sings” the praises of the songs and the SING! SING! SING! concept. “I always leave the SING SING SING events feeling 100% better about life than when I walked in,” wrote Kathy W. “What an exceptional treat!” wrote Dale R. And Lynne M. said, “I can’t tell you how much your event helped my mood!”

Phillips and Shepley frequently cite the book, “The Hidden Messages of Water” by Japanese scientist Masaru Emoto (Beyond Words Publishing) which contains color photographs of water molecules exposed to harmonic and happy music (detailed, balanced white crystals) and music that is harsh and dissonant (brown and shapeless).

“Since human beings are over 70 percent water,” say the co-hosts, “we seek to alter the chemistry of all who join us. The result? Uplifted spirits. And we always tip the hat to the great songwriters of the past whose artistry is responsible for changing the way we think and feel.”

$10 cover; 2-drink minimum (cash only, please). No reservations are required. General seating; doors open at 6:30 p.m. The Triad is located at 158 West 72nd Street between Broadway and Columbus Avenue. Subway: 1, 2, 3 to 72nd Street. Questions: Call 212-786-9064.

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SING! SING! SING! in Jersey this Sunday 7/18!

MY FAVORITE THINGS

Presented at Waterford Towers in Edgewater

Sunday, July 18 from 2 to 4 p.m.

Sponsored by the Edgewater Arts Council


Edgewater, NJ -- A popular New York musical institution that has families, friends and neighbors singing great American songs together, is coming to Edgewater, New Jersey.

My Favorite Things – A SING! SING! SING! Tribute to the Songs of Oscar Hammerstein II will be held at Waterford Towers in Edgewater on Sunday, July 18 at 2 p.m. The 2-hour program is sponsored by the Edgewater Arts Council.

Singing co-hosts Anne Phillips and Michael Shepley provide piano and anecdotal accompaniment, respectively, and the audience takes over in a sing-a-long. Lyric sheets are provided to keep everyone happily in sync. Phillips and Shepley have been holding the “sing-in’s for over a year, with a variety of tributes and subjects, including songs about songs, dancing, travel, and gems from MGM musicals. The event is perfect for families who want to expose their children to great songs from the American, Broadway and Hollywood songbooks.

A special added treat is the participation of Amy Asch, editor of the acclaimed book, "The Complete Lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein II" (Knopf). Amy will share some special insights into Hammerstein as well as some of his unpublished lyrics.

Songs to be sung together will include hits from Hammerstein’s legendary collaborations with composer Richard Rodgers – including “Oklahoma!,” “Carousel,” the film “State Fair,” “South Pacific,” “The King and I,” “Flower Drum Song,” and “The Sound of Music” – plus others from his work with Jerome Kern, Rudolf Friml and Sigmund Romberg.

“My Favorite Things” is presented by the Edgewater Arts Council which provides art experiences to Edgewater and the surrounding communities. It will host the 19th annual Edgewater Arts and Music Festival on Sunday, September 19 in the Shadyside section of Edgewater.

Tickets are $20 for adults. Children under 12 are free. Reservations will be accepted, and tickets may be purchased at the door.

For more information, contact The Edgewater Arts Council:

Lynne Grasz 201-886-9532

Arnold Friedman 201-840-7413

Next SING! Salutes MGM Musicals June 23!

New York City’s popular Upper West Side institution – SING! SING! SING! – tips the hat to the fabulous musicals of MGM at its next sing-in, I Like New York in June – How About You? on Wednesday, June 23 at 7 p.m. at The Triad, 158 West 72nd Street.

The title theme is inspired by the month and the wonderful song “How About You?,” written by Ralph Freed and Burton Lane for 1941’s “Babes on Broadway,” starring Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney, directed by the legendary Busby Berkeley.

As chronicled in the three popular “That’s Entertainment!” compilations of musical excerpts – showcasing MGM’s amazing studio output from 1929’s “Broadway Melody” to 1958’s “Gigi” – MGM is noted for its lavish original musicals as well as its screen adaptations of some of Broadway’s biggest hits.

In a list of over 20 songs to be sung together are such gems as The Trolley Song, Singin’ in the Rain, Too Late Now, I’ll Build A Stairway to Paradise, Taking A Chance on Love, Steppin’ Out With My Baby, I Guess I’ll Have To Change My Plan, A Shine on Your Shoes and many others.

At SING! SING! SING! events, co-hosts Anne Phillips and Michael Shepley provide piano and anecdotal accompaniment, respectively, and the audience takes over. Lyric sheets are provided to keep everyone happily in sync.

The previous SING! event, held in April, was a tribute to Oscar Hammerstein II, and had the audience “singing” the praises of the songs and the SING! SING! SING! concept.

“We just want everyone to put their troubles in perspective by leaving them behind for a couple of hours, and walking out feeling better than when they walked in,” said the co-hosts. “That’s the power of wonderful songs, and the communal experience of singing and sharing them together.”

$10 cover; 2-drink minimum (cash only, please). The Triad is located at 158 West 72nd Street between Broadway and Columbus Avenue. Subway: 1, 2, 3 to 72nd Street. Info at www.singsingsing-east.blogspot.com. Questions: Call 212-786-9064.

Hammerstein Tribute Was a Joy! Next SING is June 23.

Our Oscar Hammerstein tribute was packed with fans who couldn't wait to sing wonderful and beloved lyrics set to melodies by Richard Rodgers, Jerome Kern, Sigmund Romberg and Rudolf Friml. It was a joyous evening. And Amy Asch, editor of The Complete Lyrics of Oscar Hammerstein II (a project 7 years in the making; lyrics to 850 songs; photos; credits; anecdotes -- a MUST for musical theatre fans) entertained us by reciting some unpublished lyrics to "June is Bustin' Out All Over" and "My Favorite Things."

This was our best SING ever!

We were also delighted to receive nice plugs in the West Side Spirit newspaper and TimeOut magazine, plus postings on BroadwayWorld.com, TheaterMania.com, and websites for the New York Daily News, WNBC New York, and New York 1 News.

Watch this space for details of our next sing-in -- the date (mark your calendars now) is Wednesday, June 23rd at 7 p.m. at The Triad, our cozy and hospitable home on West 72nd Street (158 West 72nd Street, to be exact). Anne and Michael will be sorting through the various ideas for the next event and as soon as we know, we'll post the info here.

We are also happy to share that a major organization in the city will be selling SING! tickets to its members as a fund-raising event. You can sell blocks of seats to our ongoing events, or we can come to you. We do birthdays, anniversaries and special events ... all we need is a piano and a couple of microphones, and we're set up for "a grand night for singing." (Thanks, Oscar, for that one!)

See you soon!

We Pay Tribute to Oscar Hammerstein II on April 30

SING! SING! SING!, the Upper West Side sing-in (we all join together in song, but you knew that), says It Might As Well Be Spring (we're ready and grateful!) with a tribute to lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, one of America's greatest songwriters.

With composer Richard Rodgers, Hammerstein wrote the scores for "Oklahoma!," "South Pacific," "The King and I," "Flower Drum Song," and "The Sound of Music," plus the score for the film "State Fair," from which our theme is derived. With Jerome Kern, Hammerstein wrote the landmark musical, "Show Boat," and with Rudolf Friml, “Rose Marie,” and with Sigmund Romberg, “The Desert Song.”

Join Anne Phillips (piano) and Michael Shepley (background on the songs) for some hearty fun -- belting such tunes (final rundown to be determined) as "Can't Help Lovin' That Man," "Climb Every Mountain," "Edelweiss," "The Folks Who Live on the Hill," "The Gentleman is A Dope," "Getting to Know You," "Hello Young Lovers," "Honey Bun," "A Hundred Million Miracles," "I Enjoy Being A Girl," "I Whistle A Happy Tune," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair," "It's A Grand Night for Singing," "June is Bustin' Out All Over," "The Lonely Goatherd," "Make Believe," "My Favorite Things," "Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin'," "Oklahoma," "People Will Say We're In Love," "Sixteen Going On Seventeen," "Some Enchanted Evening," "The Sound of Music," "Stouthearted Men," "There Is Nothin' Like A Dame," and "Younger Than Springtime," among many others.

$10 cover; 2 drink minimum. Cash only, please. Reservations not necessary. Questions? Call Michael at 212-786-9064. Join our Facebook page for SING! SING! SING!

Happy Birthday, Nat King Cole!

Serenade Nat With His Own Hits at
SING! SING! SING! on Friday, March 12

The late pop balladeer Nat King Cole is serenaded by his audience of fans at SING! SING! SING!’s latest sing-in, Happy Birthday, Nat King Cole! on Friday, March 12 at 6:30 p.m. at The Triad on New York’s Upper West Side.

Co-hosts Anne Phillips and Michael Shepley will provide piano and anecdotal accompaniment, respectively, and the audience takes over. Lyric sheets are provided to keep everyone happily in sync.

Songs to be sung together will include “When I Take My Sugar to Tea,” “Straighten Up and Fly Right,” “Sweet Lorraine,” “Nature Boy,” “Ballerina,” “Pretend,” “Mona Lisa,” “Walking My Baby Back Home,” “Too Young,” “Route 66” and “Unforgettable,” among others. Cole’s birthday is March 17; his birth year has been reported as 1917 and 1919.

$10 cover; 2-drink minimum (cash only, please). The Triad is located at 158 West 72nd Street between Broadway and Columbus Avenue. Subway: 1, 2, 3 to 72nd Street. Info and reservations at www.thetriadnyc.com. Questions: Call 212-786-9064.

Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles was born on March 17, 1919 in Montgomery, Alabama (some sources give 1917 as his year of birth). He formed the King Cole Trio in 1939, and wrote the Trio’s first big hit in 1942, “Straighten Up and Fly Right.” With an exceptional voice and phrasing, he had three #1 hits: “I Love You (For Sentimental Reasons)” (1946), “Nature Boy” (1948) and “Mona Lisa” (1950). The Trio broke up in 1951, but Cole’s career soared, with 78 hit singles on the Billboard charts from 1944 to 1964, including “Too Young,” “Unforgettable,” “Pretend,” “Answer Me, My Love,” “Ballerina,” and “Send for Me.” Composer Hoagy Carmichael said Cole’s complete version of “Stardust” (released in 1957) was his favorite. He continued to record until his death from cancer in February of 1965.

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Celebrating the New Year with Songs of Joy and Optimism!

SING! SING! SING! ushers in 2010 with an evening titled "Hallelujah! Songs of Joy and Optimism." After all that's happened in 2009, let's sow the seeds for a great year with some great songs. Anne Phillips plays, Michael Shepley sets up the songs, and we all sing together ... and you get the lyric sheets to make it a pleasure to sing along.

Please note that our January date is rescheduled for FRIDAY, JAN. 29 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. We hope that our first-ever Friday night gathering will be a great opportunity for even more folks to participate in the joys of singing together.

Once again, we'll be at The Triad, 158 West 72nd Street, between Broadway and Columbus (it's located above the Turkish restaurant, one flight up). Cover is $10 with a 2-drink minimum (cash only, please).

On the bill for the upcoming evening are such great tunes as Accentuate the Positive, Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep, It's a Lovely Day Today, Pick Yourself Up, Pennies from Heaven, and Put On A Happy Face -- 20 in all! So warm up those vocal chords for a lovely evening of feeling good!

Questions? Call Michael Shepley (212-786-9064, or email shepleypr@aol.com) or Anne Phillips (212-580-2349, or email annep14@gmail.com).

SING! SING! SING! is on the East Coast after 15 years of monthly sing-a-longs at Ruth Price's Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles, founded and produced by singer Judy Wolman.