Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Proust The Musical Part II - Starring Jim Caruso



As we mentioned in our previous post we are devoted fans of Jim Caruso. Jim is a performer, producer, writer, and all round entertainment mogul. When he's not traveling the globe to perform with Liza Minnelli he can be found every Monday night running the show at Birdland's Jim Caruso's Cast Party. In addition to his many other accomplishments he is the award winning creator and producer of the Broadway at Birdland series. In an effort to discover more about the man of many chapeaus that is Jim we decided to give him our Musical Questionnaire....


The Questionnaire
Starring Jim Caruso


What is your current State of Mind?
Pleasantly confused

What was the first song you ever performed in public?
Three Little Fishies on The Ricky & Copper Show, WTAE-TV, Pittsburgh, PA

What was the first musical act you ever saw in person?
My parents took me to The Holiday House in Pittsburgh to see Ben Vereen's nightclub act. It changed my life. He wore a brown jumpsuit with puffy white sleeves, sang and danced “Magic To Do.” I almost wet my pants. I also remember going to The Americana Hotel in NYC to see Phyllis Newman, and I got her autograph.

What is your idea of perfect musical happiness?
James Taylor singing Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight

What do you regard as the lowest depth of musical misery?
German Oom-pah Band/Autoharp

Name three composers you wish would write a song for you?
Jimmy Webb, Adam Guettel, Maltby & Shire

What virtue do you consider essential for every musician?
Senses of swing and humor

What Profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Architect. It just sounds cool, and you get to wear interesting eyeglasses.

What profession would you not like to attempt?
Proctologist

What is your greatest extravagance?
Ralph Lauren

Who are your heroes in real life?
Tom Viola for his tireless work at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Robert Kennedy, Jr. for his environmental crusade
Kay Thompson for coaching every performer I love and jazzing up the sound of the movies

Thank you Jim for taking a minute to answer our questions, and we give you our solemn vow not to bring our autoharps to Cast Party. For the complete info on Jim you can visit his website at http://www.jim-caruso.com/. It's a great site and has more photos like the one above from our favorite photog Bill Westmoreland.

Post your own answers to the questionnaire in our comments section and you could win a free ticket to see Laurel Masse' at Birdland on September 15th. If you aren't in the NYC area don't that stop you we'll send you a CD if your entry is chosen. All answers need to reach us by September 10th.








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