From BBs to Shelter
The Broadway Boys debuted at Coco Cabaret on Monday, and if you missed them, run to get tickets for their show tomorrow at 5 pm. These four tremendous singers have all been in Broadway shows and share some of their stories with the audience. This quartet is part of the Broadway Boys collective (30 of them!) that travels with showtunes remastered, if you will, often with tempo changes melded with harmonies so complex and perfectly executed they sound like an enormous choir. If you are looking for old-fashioned entertainment (think barbershop quartets from the late 50s, but with great style!) without any glitz, no dancers, just brilliant singing, then Broadway Boys await.
After chatting briefly with the gorgeous Broadway Boys, the four of us walked up Constitución to Il Pesce’s new location for a splendid dinner. Derek Carkner was there just finishing up his dinner with a friend and teased me that the restaurant was out of mushrooms – I always have the fettuccini with funghi. Ack! Not true, but he really should go to Sanctuary PV every Monday at 8 pm and put his funniness onstage.
Word is getting out there about Valerie Branch’s open mic/drop-in comedy show, and we arrived just a bit past 8 and had to be literally and happily squeezed in with ”My Puerto Vallarta Daily” creator.
Jordan Parker was back; he has become a regular. In anticipation of her one-woman show at Arte Vallarta in late February, I wanted to hear from Susan Jeremy. She was funny! I will go back and hope she does too.
The fundraiser for Casa Esperanza, Vallarta’s only Women’s Shelter, was sold out at Casa Karma. The weather cleared about an hour before showtime, for which the organizers and everyone who attended were grateful. Emcee Amy Armstrong introduced Ada Vox, whose powerful vocals chased away the remaining rain clouds and ushered in an extraordinary sunset. Saucy Sargento, followed, singing songs from his hit one-man show ”Mentiras,” returning in February at Nacho Daddy. Gouda Gabor, getting leaner by the month and looking fab, gave us a taste of her variety show ”Charcuterie Broad” also at Nacho Daddy, with guest stars and Mark Hartman as Musical Director.
While Sharon Bergos and I were lined up at the bar, Andy, from Black Dog Artisans, gifted me a beautiful hand-crafted pen he made in his woodworking shop. It is exquisite! Writing with it feels like I am touching history – mil gracias, Andy, for your craftsmanship and lovely words.
Amy closed the show with Al ‘Mimi’ Ramirez on guitar. Volunteers scrambled to collect money for the winners of the silent auction items, which numbered in the dozens.
The first ticket of five raffle prizes was announced. Woo-hoo! I won a very roomy cooler that contained umbrellas, sunglasses, a bottle of Stoli and Clamato juice, a book about Vallarta written by my old Tribune editor, Madeline Milne, and more!
And then fireworks and cake up top. A perfect ending to a flawless afternoon. Thanks go to David, the founder of Casa Esperanza, ten years ago, and organizer Joanne Jacobs for your huge heart and massive amount of courage, From Here.
