Three sexy, savvy New York Women invite a wide-eyed newcomer into their circle and a remarkable friendship springs up among them. FRIENDS LIKE THESE an old-fashioned book musical celebration of a new look at female independence, solidarity and sexual freedom. FRIENDS LIKE THESE has been a part of the York Theatre Developmental Reading Series. We presented our second reading on June 21, 2006. The cast was Joanna Glushak, Kelly Howe, Karen Mason, and Deborah Tranelli. Kelly Briggs directed and Henry Aronson was musical director. for more info: http://www.friendslikethese.biz

"That's My New York!" Taking the City By Song! An all new Original Musical Revue about the Greatest City in The World! Winning the 2002 Manhattan Association of Cabarets Award for songwriting, the team of John McMahon and Jay Jeffries mix up a heady cocktail of music and comedy that will leave you shaken AND stirred! Jay Jeffries and I met in the world of cabarets and piano bars that glitter NYC nightlife. A revue of songs about drinking was being produced at Judy’s Chelsea called “Bottoms Up!” I was conducting and asked the director if he wanted an original opening song; I asked Jay to write the lyric and i would write the melody. The song “Bottoms Up!” was our first collaboration. After “Bottoms Up,” John and I realized that we had a penchant for writing edgy, comic songs about the quirks and eccentricities of our friends and acquaintances and their often dysfunctional lives. The distinct New York flavor of the material led us to quickly expand the project to a jaundiced look at our fellow Manhattanites. I turned out about 45 lyrics in less than six months and we managed to narrow that down to 20, attempting to keep the show to under an hour and a half. The concept was further defined by our choice to use two couples, one twenty-something and the other thirty-something. We very much wanted to work with Kimlee Hicks who had been such a hit in our first show. John had heard Maurice Villa-Lobos sing in the Broadway revival of “Cabaret” and asked him to audition for us. We knew he was right for the show. Serendipitously, Traci Reynolds had just returned from a European tour and we added her to the cast. John then asked his friend, Kelly Briggs, to recommend of a director. Kelly’s response was, “Let me do it!” His insightful take on our idiosyncratic New York added another layer to the project. Still short one male lead, we auditioned the show for Andy Praskai who immediately offered to produce “That’s My New York” and enabled us to make it really happen. The day we scheduled a photo shoot for publicity stills, Marcus Kettles arrived at Judy’s to audition for us and joined our growing family. At this point I knew we had our very talented and sexy cast. We rehearsed daily for over two months, slowly putting the show together, constantly re-ordering the sequence of musical numbers until we arrived at the ideal running order. Marla Green came on board as our helping angel to drill lyrics into everyone’s head. Michael Barbieri oversaw our complicated light and sound schedule, and Rex Benincasa on drums and Jered Egan on bass worked tirelessly to help give the show it’s sophisicated “trio” sound. As we watched “That’s My New York” take shape, we kept cutting away extraneous lyrics until we arrived at a happy medium. As the cast began to breathe life into the multitude of characters they were playing, they made invaluable suggestions that were incorporated into the final product. By opening night, word was out that we had a hit and Judy’s was packed. We decided to extend the run of the show until the end of July and we broke the house record two times. In 2002, the Manhattan Association of Cabarets, awarded the song “Where’s Shirley?” the MAC Award for “Special Material.” If any one of you recognize yourselves or your friends in this collection of songs, it’s pure intentional. Writing them gave me great joy. Seeing them brought to life by such a talented company was one of the happiest experiences of my life. Sharing them with an audience will always be a thrill. “That’s My New York” was a labor of love, a load of laughs and our martini toast to the Greatest Piece of Real Estate in the World! Wayman Wong for Theatermania.com writes: New York, New York's a helluva town, so it deserves a helluva revue. Right now, there are three contenders: ''I Heart New York'' at Don't Tell Mama; ''The Newyorkers'' at the Manhattan Theatre Club, and ''That's My New York'' at Judy's Chelsea. Having seen all three of them, I'd say the best of the bunch is ''That's My New York.'' It's as bright and shiny as the Big Apple it takes a bite out of, and it stars the sexy and terrifically talented cast of Kimlee Hicks, Marcus Kettles, Traci Reynolds and Maurice Villa-Lobos. But at the core of this Big Apple appreciation are the toe-tapping tunes of John McMahon and the wonderfully witty lyrics of Jay Jeffries.Though the opening number promises a show about the idiosyncrasies of New York, it's really a musical portrait of urban life. Directed by Kelly Briggs, it focuses on the ups and downs of modern relationships: straight, gay and bi; solo, in pairs or in threes. The most fun and inventive ensemble number is called ''Swing,'' in which the show's guys and gals wonder about a hunk and ''which way does he swing.'' Sung and swung with pizzazz and playful Manhattan Transfer-type harmonies, they ponder: ''Is he into fashion or computers? Does he go to Splash or Hooters? ... I need to know if the guy's-a fan of Springsteen or of Liza.'' McMahon's music is infectious, and Jeffries' rhymes are fresh and first-rate.In ''You Could Do Worse,'' Reynolds and Kettles pingpong musical insults in a comic patter song about each other's shallow dating pool of possibilities. And in ''Where's Shirley,'' Reynolds and Hicks riotously recall how the ashes of their dear departed pet dog was mistakenly snorted by a druggie: ''(Shirley) belongs in a vase, but got sniffed up some schnozz.''Clearly, Jeffries is having the rhyme of his life. When he pairs ''dissertaish'' and ''sensaish'' (coined from ''dissertation'' and ''sensational''), he's saluting the lyrical legacy of Ira Gershwin, E.Y. Harburg and Cole Porter. Many of Jeffries' best rhymes are unexpected and funny, like ''genitalia'' and ''impale ya''' and ''ficus'' and ''like us.'' Musically, McMahon has played for Liliane Montevecchi, Lea DeLaria and Joanne Worley, so he certainly knows his way around parodies and pastiches (i.e., ''The Lonesomest Cowboy'' is a Western tune). However, I'm most impressed by his dramatic work and Jeffries' on the show's 11 o'clock number, ''Big Apple Pie.'' In it, Villa-Lobos plays a handsome young hustler who sets out to seduce, but then slips into a reverie about his roots and rotten childhood. Unlike anything else in the show, it's really a tour de force of writing, and Villa-Lobos gives it the rich and rewarding performance it deserves. Bravo! ''That's My New York'' plays Mondays through April at 8:30 p.m. at Judy's Chelsea, 169 Eighth Avenue and I wouldn't be surprised if it extends or moves to Off-Broadway. But until then, that's my revue ... and my review. John Hoglund of Backstage Magazine wrote: Some satires needle, some slice, and others merely nick. 'That's My New York' tackles topical matter like a threshing machine, and no subject is so sacrosanct that it will survive the onslaught, especially in matters of chasing, finding, and losing romance. The cast of cabaret favorites -- Kimlee Hicks, Marcus Kettles, Traci Reynolds, and Maurice Villa-Lobos -- give the musical riposte to anything irreverent in a melange of funny vignettes that had the audience holding their sides laughing. Particularly witty -- and practically libelous -- is a skit that involves the cast heartlessly mocking a drug-laden dame named 'Alice,' slumped over the piano. 'We'll just Betty Ford her.' Showing a darker side of life, Villa-Lobos offers sexual favors in exchange for money, singing a dramatic 'Big Apple Pie' with innuendos and body language that might violate every propriety of good taste if it weren't so well acted and sung. 'Dysfunctional You and Enabling Me' has Hicks and Kettles bemoaning their deteriorating, ongoing, bipolar, psychotic relatinship. Kettles shines on a campy 'Me!' about over-the-top vanity. And Reynolds recalls Judy Holliday bellowing 'I Trusted Him' -- 'It's not the egg roll, Harry, it's the whole seven years!' Deftly directed by Kelly Briggs with excellent music by John McMahon and sharp lyrics by Jay Jeffries, the songs don't just hit the target, they skewer it. Briggs skillfully directs the show at a breathless pace (which is how comedy should be done). Despite the fact that some of the material is geared for hip New Yorkers and some of the chic humor is very 'in' (or gay), the show has definite commercial appeal to a wider audience and might well find its way to a theatrical setting. The zealous cast performs with an acid-tongued campiness that makes the show's ironic and twisted moments a delight. Playing to sell-out audiences at Judy's every Monday at 8:30pm through April (2001), you better reserve soon." Stu Hamstra of Cabaret Hotline Online wrote: So many exciting things are happening at JUDY'S CHELSEA lately, I don't know where to start! Mondays at 8:30 pm, you can catch "That’s My New York," an original musical revue by lyricist Jay Jeffries and composer John McMahon, about relationships in all their quirky glory. The show will run every Monday through April 30th. The cast of four includes Kimlee Hicks and Traci Reynolds, well known for their celebrated solo shows at clubs such as ROSE’S TURN and DON’T TELL MAMA; Marcus Kettles, a veteran of many Off Broadway productions; and Maurice Villa-Lobos, whose most recent credit is The Roundabout Theatre Company’s long-running production of CABARET. Kelly Briggs is the director. My friends, I saw this show on opening night, and I want to tell you that there is no better revue than this one currently running in this town! It is bawdy, bold and brassy, and has a cast of clever, talented and totally sexy performers who will have you rolling on the floor with laughter. Mr. Jeffries lyrics are in a class with Ogden Nash, Noel Coward and Cole Porter! If you are a performer, you are going to find at least two songs in this show that you will want to include in your own next cabaret show. It is non-stop, bigger-than-life excitement and fun from start to finish! I shall return at least twice more - and I don't even live in the neighborhood!

artwork on this page by alan rowland

"Satan's School for Girls" The Rock'n'Roll Musical Comedy from HELL!!! What happens when poor nerdy Bernice makes a pact with the devil to become one of the "In" crowd? Only Love, Cheerleading, and and a Bloody Virgin Sacrifice! With book and lyrics by Harry Ewan, this riotous show has been performed in Chicago and Minneapolis to rave reviews and soldout houses. In April 1990, writer Harry Ewan showed pianist John McMahon a concept script for a new one-act musical entitled "Satan's School for Girls." By the end of May 1990, they had a complete two-act musical written and scored, and on Memorial Day 1990, a private "cold' reading was held at 'Eighty-Eights' cabaret in New York City, with the author and composer singing through the majority of the score themselves. Out of the positive response from that one small reading arose three months of recording a demo of the show, and the first of the submission process. In 1991, with little response from submissions, Mssrs. Ewan and McMahon assembled a cast and produced a public reading of "Satan's School...," again at 'Eighty-Eights.' A week prior to performance, the authors received an offer from Dudley Riggs of Minneapolis to produce the show fully in one of his theatres. So even as the set of self-produced readings was gaining attention in New York, "Satan's School..." was already in pre-production at Dudley Riggs' ETC Theatre in Minneapolis, where it opened in May 1991 to largely positive response ("Good, giddy musical farce; A winning evening!" ---MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE; "Wicked, wild comedy!" ---MINNESOTA DAILY,) and ran through July 1991. After extensive re-writes on the script and lyrics, and cutting and replacing over half the songs of the second act, Mssrs. Ewan and McMahon, in conjunction with 'Don't Tell Mama' of New York City, produced a limited run staged reading of "Satan's School..." in May 1993. Although well-received in the realm of New York City's cabarets ('Wonderful! A must-see!" --- Stuart Hamstra, Cabaret Hotline "Jubilant!" --- CAB Magazine,) the authors felt it still needed work. The 'Don't Tell Mama' production did garner the writing team an agent: Ron Gwiazda of the prestigious Rosenstone/Wender firm in New York City. And once again, the submission process began. After three years, more re-writes, and at least two out-of-town contracts fallen through, Harry and John were pleased to let Circle Theatre produce their show. The authors would like to thank the many people who have contributed their time and talents to the development of 'Satan's School for Girls:' "Hairspray's Laura Bell Bundy and 1996 MAC award (Manhattan Association of Cabarets) winner Virginia McMath in the role of Bernice, and New York City 1997 Drama Desk Nominee, Jay Rogers, who created the role of Sister Grace; and all those Broadway, Off-Broadway an cabaret luminaries who have developed roles, including our 'Pams,' 'Veronicas and back-up girls: Amber Rhodes, Justynne Daniels, Deb Rabbai, Robin Baxter, Allison Briner, Leslie Fogelsong, Jennifer Heaney, Carol McAnn, Heidi Mollenhauer, Amy Ryder and Kelly Wohlford; our 'Johnnys': David Meadows and Andrew Watts; and our 'Buzzlebees': Lea Delaria, Patrick DeGennarro and Mark Harmon; Dudley Riggs and our Minneapolis cast: Ana Brandvik, Michelle Cassiopi, Dorian Chalmers, Tom Gibis, Crystal Muirhead, Fred Wagner, Christopher Whiting and Liz Wiley; recording technicians Matt Berman and David Hopkins; 'The Place' recording studio, N.Y.C.; Karen Miller, Rochelle Seldin and Erv Raible of 'Eighty-Eights'; Sidney Meyer and the owners of 'Don't Tell Mama;' Ron Gwiazda and Rosenstone/Wender, Inc. a review from the Chicago Reader SATAN'S SCHOOL FOR GIRLS Circle Theatre With a seemingly inexhaustible supply of innuendo and over-the-top sacrilege, Satan's School for Girls has a lot in common with its raunchy off-Loop counterparts. But thankfully Harry Ewan and John McMahon's well-tweaked musical is more campy than mean spirited, combining a rapid-fire succession of rock 'n' roll song-and-dance routines with a liberal dose of fire and brimstone. Social outcast Bernice desperately wants to fit in at her new school. But Bernice's perfect SAT scores can't compare with her bleached-blond classmates' favorite extracurricular activity, devil worship. When Satan appears at this Catholic girls' school in New Jersey ("the closest place to hell," as one number suggests) disguised as substitute music teacher Dr. Buzzlebee, it's up to Bernice and the pelvis-swinging Officer Johnny to ward off the minions of hell. The plot is predictably thin, but director Greg Kolack keeps things brisk with tight scene changes and blocking, and the energetic cast compensates for the few weak moments with a round of sidesplitting performances. Although Ewan's script is saturated with intelligence-insulting puns, it also features a wicked, precise satire of Catholicism and some subtle cultural references to everything from Cool Hand Luke to O. Henry. With a nunchaku-wielding nun and a devil less sinister than Ben Vereen, Satan's School for Girls can't take itself too seriously, and when the dust finally settles, it's pretty endearing in its ridiculousness.