NIGHTLIGHT: Mover and Shaker Jenna Esposito Once Again Proves that Anything Boys Can Do, Girls Can Do Better, Although her Nephew Charlie Gives Her a Run for Her Money!

On Tuesday, July 13th Jenna Esposito headlined the Swinging Italiano show at Patsy's, and she brought down the house!  You should note that hers is the only show we've reviewed twice so far, and this is because she is the best around.  Singing to a sold out crowd, Esposito again impressed us with her outstanding range and unmatched ability to hold notes.  Of course Peachy is going to say anything boys can do girls can do better, but Jenna actually does it!  Belting out Dean Martin and Tony Bennett effortlessly, Jenna will show you in person why she is a Mover and Shaker if you go to her show.  If you weren't there, you missed out and should absolutely make the next one.  She'll probably be the first show we've reviewed three times too.
See her Mover and Shaker piece:http://www.whomyouknow.com/2010/05/movers-and-shakers-jenna-esposito.html


Jenna sang "Unforgettable" in a duet piece with perfection, and was joined by many other performers although it was clear who was the star of the show.  "Where the Boys Are" was a crowd favorite, as always, and you will remember we recommended her Connie Francis cd:
http://www.whomyouknow.com/2010/06/new-york-notes-to-connielove-jenna.html
And her first cd too:
http://www.whomyouknow.com/2010/05/new-york-notes-13-menand-me-by-mover.html
You should buy them both.


Jenna chatted with Peachy Deegan after the show.

Peachy Deegan: You are the only show we have reviewed twice.  What has led to your success and top billing?

Jenna Esposito: Well, I pour my heart and soul into every show I do.  I really work hard to make sure every show is as well-constructed and as polished as possible, and to this day, I continue to take voice lessons to keep my instrument in the best shape I can.  Additionally, I really, really love what I do, and I've been told by a lot of people that my joy in singing is evident when I perform.  I think that if a performer is having a great time, the audience has a great time, too.  So, for a more succinct answer to the question, I think it's my true love for what I do backed up by a LOT of work!

Where would you like to perform in Manhattan that you have not yet?

Radio City Music Hall - gotta dream big!  From the first time I went there in elementary school, I've always wanted to perform there.  It's true "New York" and a gorgeous venue.  To me, if you play Radio City, you've "made it."

Now, if you want to extend the question to include the other boroughs, my answer would have to be Yankee Stadium.  Singing the national anthem there would be a dream come true!

In a show that includes so many performers, how do you decide what songs to highlight to make the program fluid?

For this show, it helped that we had a theme - "Swingin' Italiano."  So for starters, we pretty much limited our song choices to Italian songs or songs made famous by Italian-American singers.  Beyond that, we just had some thoughful discussions about repetoire, and what we thought would make the best overall program.  Since George and I sing a lot of the same songs, we each came up with a "top 10" list of songs we really wanted to do - and luckily, there were no conflicts!

We are so impressed with your ability to hold notes.  What is your record for the longest note held?  Is it easier to hold long notes in a certain range?

Thanks!  I've actually never timed myself...although, I would have to say the "must I forever beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee a beggar" in "Rags to Riches" probably would come close, if not set the record for me!  I think most notes are fairly easy to hold out, provided I'm using the proper breath control when I sing, although those notes that fall towards the top of my belting range are probably the easiest - in order to hit them in the first place, I've got to be breathing and supporting correctly!

We loved both of your dresses.  Who designed them and can you tell us the details?  You have great style.

I'm happy you liked them!  The first one (the purple one) is Zum Zum by Niki Livas.  I'm always drawn to anything sparkly, and I fell in love with the combination of playfulness and sophistication of the dress.  The sparkles on the bodice and the fluffy, crinkly skirt give it a fun flare, but because it's strapless and has the lace-up, coreset-like back, it also has a certain elegance to it.

I was attracted to the second dress (a Betsey Johnson!)  for pretty much the same reasons!  The sequins kept it youthful and flirty, but because it was black, strapless, and fitted, it emanated "classy nightclub singer" to me.  So, I guess you could say that my style toes the line between playful and sophisticated...which suits my personality quite well, I think!

When is your nephew Charlie coming out with his first cd?  He nearly upstaged you.

Haha!  I know!  He'll be three next month, and he LOVES music!  He went to his first show (my CD release show for my debut CD) when he wasn't even 2 months old.  He is growing up surrounded by music, and can't wait to get in on the act.  At home, he has a drumset, 3 toy guitars, one real guitar, two harmonicas, a keyboard, a couple of microphones, an accordion...I keep saying, he's going to outshine the rest of the family by far!  

What goes on behind the scenes that we may not know?  Does Patsy's ask for your input when designing the menu?  Do you ask them for their input when choosing the songs?

Behind the scenes is a lot of rehearsal and maybe more fun than it should be legal to have!  We rehearsed the show for well over a month, and after every rehearsal, we would go to Patsy's for dinner.  Once we came up with the title of the show and the date/time, Chef Sal at Patsy's did his thing with planning the menu and George, my dad, and I did our thing with planning the program.  With everyone involved, there is a mutual respect and trust that everyone is going to do their part in the best way they can.  And by rehearsing so much and then stopping in at Patsy's, we kept each other up to date on how things were going, and built even stronger friendships with each other.  By the time we got to the show, I think I can safely say that we all felt like one big family - and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Peachy Deegan was seated with the Rat Pack from Connecticut, including Don Peluso, who did great Sinatra renditions including "Under My Skin," and Earl B. Benedetto.