Iconic New York sing-along piano bar comes to Sydney
Image: New York musician Kenney Green. Photo: Supplied
PEOPLE getting together for a singalong has always been a popular past time, just look at the success of James Corden’s Emmy award winning Carpool Karaoke segment on the The Late Late Show.
Sydneysiders will have a chance to gather around a piano to belt out well loved show tunes with a renowned artist who is flying in especially from New York City to host a unique sing-along this Saturday night.
Kenney Green a regular pianist at Marie’s Crisis – the world’s only sing-along show tune acoustic piano bar and popular gay spot in New York’s West Village – will jet into Sydney to bring this amazing experience to Oxford St.
‘Sing out, Louise’ has been put together by sing-along show tune aficionado Gary Nunn who wanted to bring the experience down under.
“There’s only one bar in the world that currently does it (Marie’s Crisis),” he said.
“I went to New York for the first time in 2008 and ended up going back to Marie’s Crisis four of five times.”
Nunn loved the intimacy of people gathering around the piano to sing songs alongside a the pianist who performs without a microphone.
“There’s no microphone and there’s no stage and there’s this solidarity standing around the piano,” he said.
“It builds a sense of community and solidarity… and people who don’t know the words can stand back and have a cocktail.”
Describing Green as more than just a pianist, Nunn said the talented musician can help lift the energy of the room and will help people along with the lyrics if they are struggling to remember a line or two.
“He’s got a gregarious personality and can hold court without needing a microphone,” Nunn said.
“He will sing the first few bars and he keeps the audience going… he does call and response and reminds us when we’re going off track.”
‘Sing out, Louise’ will be an entirely free event, but in the tradition of piano bars a tip jar will be left on top of the piano for the pianist.
Nunn said he wanted to run the night to not only bring the magic of Marie’s Crisis to Australia but to also offer up a different social option for Sydney’s LGBTI community and people who are a bit shy will not feel pressured to sing along, but will be a place of no judgement if they want to let out their inner diva.
“If you’re gay and going out the scene is catered to young people and men,” he said.
“There’s something of a musical theatre renaissance in Sydney and I wanted to reflect that by putting on an alternative, unique, special Saturday night on Oxford St – instead of Kylie and Madonna, it’ll be Patti LuPone and Bernadette Peters. It’s a place where musical lovers can have a good sing together around the piano with a New York firecracker.
“People won’t be put on the spot, they’ll be stood around the piano with like minded people, you just have to want to sing, you can be tone deaf pretty much.”
‘One More Day’ from Les Miserables always brings the house down and Nunn guarantees it will be played at least three times on Saturday night.
If the event is successful, Nunn will put it on every three months and will source local talent to perform.
Sing It Louise
Where: Polo Lounge, upstairs at the Oxford Hotel on Oxford Street
When: Saturday October 22
