What better place to celebrate an anniversary than the Galley at the Pier House? That's where Gary Chase and I went, to hear the remarkable Larry Smith and his Sunday Night Showcase guest, Jim Du Puis.
As we walked in Larry was singing the Beatles' "Yesterday", almost everybody's favorite tune. Larry's interpretation was slow snd emotional. His piano sounded modal and sad.
I can't say enough about Larry. I truly believe that if he and Billy Joel had not come out at the same time, Larry is the one whose name would have become a household word. That's, as they say, show biz.
Then the former showcase guests came up to sing a song. We heard everyone from the president of Zonta to Lana Germano, Mary Deasey, Mike Bunis,Shirley Murphy, Susan Butler, Jerry Hendrix, Amanda Power and more. Christine Cordone and Larry sang harmony with some, which was delicious.
An old friend, Chris Rogers stopped in to tell Larry he'd be doing the Tiger Wood golf ball trick on MTV. This guy has a handicap of . . . one!
Larry played some songs in memory of the great stars who made their transitions recently. He played the theme song,"Those Were the Days" for Carrol O'Connor, "Days Of Wine and Roses" for Jack Lemon, and "Heartbreak Hotel" for Chet Atkins. The latter was co-written by my old friend and PR mentor, Mae Axton, Hoyt's mom. Both of them are also gone. Larry's playing is phenomenal. He sometimes adds great jazz lines when you least expect them.
It is finally time for our star of the evening, the totally fabulous Jim Du Puis. The word has obviously spread. The room is packed. Jim trained for opera and has a big voice, but he doesn't let that get in the way of his flawless showmanship. There's no pretense or snobbery here.
He began with a show tune, "Getting To Know You" from "The King and I", a great showcase for his voice. He followed this with "Hello Young Lovers", which he dedicated to Chase and me. We were thrilled.
Next he sang "There Was a Time". "The Man In the Moon Is a Lady" was hilarious. Jim Du Puis does the comedic tunes better than anyone. His "Come Out, Come Out, Come Out Of the Closet" is one of the funniest you'll ever hear.
My favorite from Jim was the beautiful and poignant "If You Go Away" by Jacques Brel with lyric by Rod McKuen. This magnificent song puts Jim Du Puis in the big leagues.
Jim and Larry's beautiful wife Christine Cordone sand a tune Christine wrote, "Key West Island Nights". Their harmony was marvelous.
Jim Du Puis is a true showman. He's a singer, dancer, actor, a marvelous entertainer with a magnetic personality that makes you love him and want more. Larry chose his last guest before his vacation well. It was a real treat. Thank you, gentlemen! Stay cool.