On the Road with Diva and the Italian Guy

Another Great Weekend

2012-01-23T17:07:00.000-05:00

Saturday night was a grand night at the Italian American Club of Venice. Another sold-out crowd. Thank you thank you! And what a great audience. Those folks do a GREAT job of organizing, promoting, and cooking too! This is our second show there, and we have all promised to do it again next year. Grazie!

_____________

Then Sunday night we performed for the first time at Alameda Isles in Englewood. What a terrific community. Nice people, great clubhouse, and lots of fun. Of course Buddy, being SOOO Italian, always

changes names to sound like food. So all day he kept calling it "Calamari Isles". Figures.

Well, God bless you all. We'll keep you posted.

------

Another First

2012-01-21T07:56:00.001-05:00

-----

Well, Tuesday night at Visani Dinner Theater we performed our new show "The Soundtrack of Our Lives" for the first time, and all the songs that were part of our 36 years together must have struck a chord with the audience too, because hands were clapping and toes were tapping and there were smiles all around. We had a great time sharing our story and our songs with a room full of happy people. Many thanks to all who attended.

We welcomed new audience members who had never seen our show before, and we saw many familiar faces as well. And oh yes, a visit from Buddy's 'look-a-like'.

----

2012 Here We Come

2011-12-28T15:37:00.000-05:00

1976

-------

Hope you're all having a very Happy Holiday season and looking forward to 2012. I know we are.

We're having fun putting together our new theme, "The Soundtrack of Our Lives". This year marks 20 years in Florida for us, and 36 years together in show business. We met at the very end of 1975 when I auditioned for Buddy's band, Goodtime Express in Rochester, NY, and the rest, as they say, is history. Through the years and the miles we have kept on performing together, sometimes with small trios, sometimes with 7-piece bands, and everything in between. Smokey bars, hotel lounges, casinos, dinner theaters, restaurant lounges, you name it, we had gigs there. From New York, to Los Angeles, to Lake Tahoe to Boston, we kept the music going. And for twenty years now, we've hit our stride as a duo act right here in South West Florida. What a ride!

So we're looking back over our lives and putting together the "soundtrack" of songs that brought us from 1976 to now. The first song I ever sang with Buddy's band was It's Too Late by Carole King. Goodtime Express was a six piece band and I sang and played the saxophone, and Buddy (the leader, of course) played the drums. His biggest song then was I'm Goin to Kansas City with our horn section backing him up. It was matching tuxedoes for the guys and gowns for me. Great memories, great experience.

Come and see us at Visani Dinner Theater on January 17 or 18th and join us on the journey back through our years together. You'll recognize the songs that make up the soundtrack of the decades that shaped all our lives.

------

SNOW!

2011-11-02T23:48:00.001-04:00

----
So we're back from our 5-day round trip to Ohio, where we performed at Temple Beth Shalom in Columbus. Trekking up north for a one night show is not something we normally do, but the folks who arranged our performance there are old friends from our Turtles Restaurant days and we were honored to do our show for them. Many thanks to all.

We had an even rarer experience in West Virginia on the way up. We had to drive through SNOW.. Yikes! Way up there in the high elevation it was a winter wonderland. On October 29 no less. We were not happy. And it was 31 degrees. Not happy about that either. We're Floridians. We just don't do snow.
But we got through it, and as we descended back down the mountain, the snow disappeared. (I guess the folks in New England weren't so lucky.)

Anyway, the day after our show, when we headed back South, we took a different route, just in case. And that went just fine. Oh, except for one harrowing moment the second day, on route 75, going 70 miles an hour, when the cars in front of us all screeched to halt because a dog was running back and forth in the road. I also pressed the brakes really hard and ended up missing the canine by inches. I am glad to report that in my rear-view mirror afterward, I could see that the lucky pup actually managed to dodge all the oncoming traffic in all four lanes, and made it off the road. So I guess 11-1-11 was a very lucky day for the dog. I'm really glad.

Needless to say, we're very glad to be back home, and looking forward to our upcoming season.
Next public show is at Visani Dinner Theater on November 15 and 16, so maybe we'll see ya there.

Till then, we'll keep you posted.

-----

Home Again. (And we have a mascot!)

2011-10-14T11:25:00.000-04:00

------

Well we're just back from our 18-day road trip with 11 shows! We performed in North Carolina, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia. A great trip, and MANY thanks to all who came to our shows and supported us throughout our visits.

BUT FIRST THINGS FIRST...We'd like to welcome the newest member of our Florida "fan club"....our new mascot, Bella.

Mascot "Bella" with her official T-shirt. She wouldn't turn her head. Camera shy.

Our "fan club" now numbers 12, including Bella. She is "best friend" of Del and Pat. I just love it. I wish you could see her beautiful face, but she wouldn't turn her head. And once again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Del, who looks MUCH younger than she claims she is. Trust me on this.

So we have a little resting time before we leave for Columbus, Ohio at the end of the month. We're doing just one show there, then right back home again. Are we nuts??!! Yes, of course we are, but admit it, that's why you like us.

NEXT MONTH...we'll be performing at Visani Dinner Theater on November 15, with a matinee the next day on November 16. Hope to see you soon.

Till then, we'll keep you posted.

-----

Ten Years Ago 9/11

2011-09-10T16:00:00.001-04:00

----

For my generation and older, it's been said that you never forget where you were when you heard the news that President Kennedy had been shot. I was sitting on a school bus in the parking lot of my grammar school, waiting for our driver to pull out and take us home at the end of our school day. But before we drove anywhere, a teacher boarded the bus and told us the terrible news.

At least that's the way I remember it. But I was a kid, and my childhood memories are always part fact and part fill-in-the-blank. So who knows whether that's exactly how it went?

But ten years ago, on September 11, I was a grown-up, and I do remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when the news of an airplane crashing into the World Trade Center hit the airwaves. Buddy and I were taking showers, shaving, getting dressed and putting on make-up, getting ready to perform a matinee show for a group of senior citizens who were coming by bus to see us at Tillman's Village Inn in Albion, NY.

At first it seemed that the first plane may have been a horrible accident. Then it became clear: No accident. Terrorist attack. The scenes on TV, so sickeningly familiar now, were unbelievable at the time. In a daze, we just kept getting ready to do our show, because we knew that the busload of people, from a town three hours away, were already on their way to see us when it all happened. We didn't even know if they knew. They were just on a fun day trip, going to see some entertainment, have lunch, and enjoy the rural scenery.

So we went to the Village Inn, and waited for the bus to arrive. We were all dressed up, our PA equipment was turned on and ready to go. The staff, the owners, the chef, and us, all wandering around in a fog, wondering if we should go ahead with the meal and the show. Would the people even want to, once they found out? Was it the right thing to do? Put on a show and smile and sing and entertain, while this horror was unfolding in our country?

The bus pulled into the parking lot and Buddy and I went out to meet them. This time, I was the one boarding the bus with the terrible news. But it turned out they already knew. Someone had called the driver on his cell phone, and he had relayed the news to them.

So Buddy said, "Well, what do you want to do? We'll do whatever you decide. Do you want to cancel the show?"

One gentleman in the back said, "We've been through this before. We went through World War II and one thing we know is, we're not gonna let them ruin our way of life. On with the show!"

The whole busload loudly agreed, and we all went inside and carried on with the day we had planned.
We gave them a show. We sang, we entertained, and we even managed to laugh a little. But instead of ending the show with our usual "Happy Trails to You", we sang "Proud to Be An American", and "God Bless America". During that last song, as everyone stood, clasped hands with each other and raised them high above their heads, singing their hearts out, I realized that this was the tower they couldn't bring down; a shining tower of American strength, faith, and determination.

"We will never forget."

-----

Down Under

2011-09-08T15:33:00.000-04:00

-----

Well, this is a first....we just got an email from a fella named Alex from AUSTRALIA, who is coming to the
States for a vacation with his Mum and Dad and wanted to come to our show in September. I don't know
how he found us, but I guess that's why they call it the "world-wide web"! He saw that we were performing in New York, and thought we meant Manhattan, which is where he'll be visiting. So I guess he won't be traveling eight hours from NYC to Albion to see us, but it sure made us feel good!

So, Hello Alex in Australia, and thanks for visiting our web site!

----

Road Trips

2011-08-29T16:42:00.002-04:00

---------

We started a whirlwind trip on Tuesday, August 16 when we performed at Visani Dinner Theater in Port Charlotte, FL and then took off early the next morning for two shows in Jackson, New Jersey.

We want to thank our FAN CLUB once again for showing up at Visani wearing their official T-shirts and waving little Italian flags. We can't thank you enough! Just got an email from Del saying we're up to eleven members now; Pat, Del, Star, Karen, Connie, Regina, Snoopy, Roz & Chuck, and Tim & Alma. THANK YOU ALL SOOOOO MUCH. It means so much to have you there right in front.

We had a full house that night and that's really great for a Tuesday night in August in Florida.

------

Then it was off to the fabulous clubhouse at Four Seasons at Metedeconk Lakes in Jackson, NJ where we performed Friday and Saturday for the Italian American Club. We were so happy with the way it all went. Great, Great people to work with, and just a terrific and responsive crowd both nights. Sold out both nights and looking forward to doing it again. Many thanks to Larry, John, Gene, Eddie (Fast Eddie that is), Leroy and all the rest for putting it all together.

"Two Goombahs and a Donsky"
Buddy, Larry & Gene at Four Seasons at Metedeconk Lakes

Our timing was good, I guess. On our way back, we missed the earthquake in Virginia by one day, and missed hurricane Irene by less than a week. Glad all our friends up there are OK.

We'll keep you posted!

-------

Palm Aire Gangsters

2011-06-24T08:20:00.001-04:00

-----

Hey, we appreciate a crowd that REALLY gets in the spirit for one of our shows. This bunch at Palm Aire Country Club in Sarasota dressed as Italian gangsters and molls at our June 11 show there. Love it!

-----

Where the Buffalo Roam

2011-06-06T10:09:00.000-04:00

So there we were in Edinboro, Pennsylvania. Not because we had a show there, but because our van broke down there. Uh oh.

Driving merrily along route 79, three hours into our trip back to Florida from New York, the engine just stalled and died. But many miracles quickly followed.

Miracle number one: Buddy was driving, not me. I would have been driving, except Buddy had decided to drive one more hour before turning the wheel over to me. Whew. I tend to panic and hit the brakes. That would have been oh-so-wrong.

Miracle number two: Almost immediately after the engine died, I saw a sign saying Rest Area so we just glided in and pulled over under a shady tree.

Miracle number three: Well, it's not exactly a miracle, but thank God we have AAA, two cell phones, and a GPS.

So Buddy called AAA for a tow truck, checked our GPS for the nearest Chevy service center, also checked the GPS to find the nearest hotel in case we had to stay the night (which we did) and coordinated all of it with one cell phone on each ear. As he waited on hold with AAA with his cell phone, he made arrangements with the Chevy dealer with mine. Then while still on hold with AAA, he called the hotel to see if there were any rooms available just in case. I'm telling you, it was inspiring. A sight to behold. (You may be asking why he had to do everything while I was just sitting there watching. That's because I have a tendency to shriek "What do I say??!! What do I do??!! " when it comes to phone stuff.)

Long story short, we got towed to the service center by a great guy named Frank; the guys at the Chevy dealer service center were terrific and started working on the van as quickly as possible. But they couldn't finish the job till the next day, so we rented a car from them and got a really great room at the Comfort Suites (of course any hotel that has cookies in the lobby gets my vote). We went out to dinner, watched HBO, and slept well on a comfortable bed.

So about the buffalo...

Every time we drove back and forth to the dealership to check on the van, we passed a sign that said "Wooden Nickel Buffalo Ranch and Family Restaurant" with an arrow pointing down a side road. I was intrigued. The next day, after a nice complimentary breakfast at the hotel, we were driving yet again past that sign, and I said, "You think there's really a buffalo ranch down there?" Buddy said, "Let's go see."
So we followed the sign down the side road, then down a dirt road to the very end where finally ...Holy smokes, there were the buffalo!

So I took some pictures, of course. (And yes, I was afraid to leave the car. That fence looked awfully flimsy.)

Well, our van got fixed, and we got back on the road just a little over 24 hours from when we stalled out, and headed back on our way home to Florida. And here we are.

Thank you God for good people who do their jobs well, and for always being with us when we need you.
And we're so grateful for a wonderful two-week stint in Western New York, doing shows and visiting family and friends.

We'll keep you posted...

- - - -

One More Month..

2011-04-18T08:53:00.000-04:00

We've been happily busy lately and REALLY enjoying doing shows in many venues that are new to us.
From New Port Richey, to Fort Myers Beach, to Margate, to Palmetto and on and on. Thank you , thank you one and all.

Now we're looking forward to our trip to Western New York in one month. We'll be heading for my home town and doing two weeks of matinee shows and two evening shows at Tillman's Village Inn in Albion. I just talked to my Dad up there and he said they had a morning BLIZZARD yesterday (!!!) so I'm really hoping that one month from now they'll be done with all that.

Meantime, we're doing one more encore show at Visani Dinner Theater in Port Charlotte on May 10. (Details on the schedule page of our web site www.divaandtheitalianguy.com ) before we head North. We have two travel groups from the East Coast of FL coming over on motor coaches to see the show, so it should be a great crowd.

Till we see ya, stay well.
We'll keep you posted.

The Diva sings for SPARCC

2011-02-11T13:01:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm supposed to look like a bag lady!

____

Yesterday I had the honor of opening the SPARCC Second Hand Rose fashion show at the Sarasota Ritz Carlton with my very own version of the famous song, Second Hand Rose.

So picture this - and I kid you not - 600 women, all smartly dressed, who have each paid $95 a ticket, are seated in the ballroom of the Ritz Carlton, having lunch and  and watching a fashion show of.....used clothing.

Let me explain.   SPARCC stands for Safe Place and Rape Crisis Center . It's a non-profit organization in Sarasota county that, among other things, provides shelter and counseling for victims of domestic violence. They also provide rape counseling and many educational programs. According to their web site, "SPARCC’s mission is to provide services to victims of domestic and sexual violence, and to promote a violence-free community through awareness and education."

Okay, so they raise funds in a number of ways, one of them being their resale store called The Treasure Chest on Fruitville Rd in Sarasota. Now you notice I called it a "resale store". Translated, that usually means 'thrift shop'. But with the quality of the clothing donations involved in this place, you really can't think it that way. I'm talking FABULOUS clothing and jewelry, household items, etc. Thus, the full-blown, big production fashion show featuring all these fabulous clothes. At the RITZ no less!

But wait, there's more. The Treasure Chest staff brings the finest of the store's fare and sets it up for sale in the Ritz lobby for patrons to shop, before and after the fashion show.  And they do! So here are hundreds of women (who can all afford $95 a ticket) buying 'resale' fashions.   I LOVE IT!!

I can't wait to find out how much money was raised for SPARCC yesterday.

I am so proud to have been a part of it.

___

It's Good to be in Florida!

2011-02-03T17:17:00.000-05:00

As we perform our shows in beautiful, tropical locales here in Florida, we send our most sincere sympathy to all our friends and family UP NORTH IN THE SNOW. Please stay warm and safe.

Meanwhile....back in Sunny Florida,

We want to thank the members of the Captiva Island Yacht Club for their rousing response to our return engagement there last week. Great people and great fun.

River Isles, Bradenton, FL

And also many thanks to the really fun people of River Isles community in Bradenton where we did our show
this last Saturday. We hadn't been there since 2007 and had lots of new material for them to listen to and laugh with!

Of course we always have a great time and great crowd at Visani Dinner Theater where we just did two shows, Tuesday and Wednesday. Quite a busy week. And we couldn't be happier about it.

Well, I hope our Northern friends enjoyed these photos. (Am I a mean girl?)

We'll keep you posted!

Big Fun

2011-01-23T13:36:00.001-05:00

Man oh man, we had some big fun at last night's dinner show for the Italian American Club of Venice. First of all, it was a sold out crowd, with a waiting list, so we WILL be doing an encore performance sometime in the near future.

It was a great audience, with lots of friends in attendance INCLUDING our FAN CLUB!! We are humbled by the support and dedication of our friends Del and Pat and Star and the rest of the gang who show up wearing T-shirts with our photos on them. They brought two new members, also wearing the shirts, last night. God bless you. You have no idea how great it makes us feel.

It was really fun to have an audience with SO MANY ITALIANS who "got" all of Buddy's Italian dialect jokes and references. (There are still things he says that I don't understand, but I'm quite certain they're dirty in some way.)

So we want to say a big THANK YOU to all the folks at the Italian American Club of Venice who worked so hard to make it happen, and then pulled it off with penache. The place looked great, the volunteers all did a fantastic job, including the food servers decked out in Italian style scarves around their necks and nifty aprons. Just a great night.

Since I last wrote, we also have performed at Vista Del Lago in Winter Garden, where we were greeted with the same warm fuzzy friendliness and enthusiasm as the first time. Just a great audience.

And a big thank you to Harbor Cove where we performed for the first time to ANOTHER sell-out crowd, who treated us like real celebrities.

We are BLESSED and we know it.

And we'll keep doing this as long as we can still climb up onto a stage!

Thank you to all.

We'll keep you posted.

Still Groovin' After All These Years

2010-12-22T07:57:00.000-05:00

Here we are after 35 years performing together, still out there doing it and loving it. As we look back on another great year, we are eternally grateful for the gift of entertaining people.

This month we did Holiday shows at Visani Dinner Theater in Port Charlotte, Tropical Palms RV Resort in Kissimmee, and Lemon Bay Playhouse in Englewood. We had a chance to sing all our favorite Christmas and seasonal songs. Of course, Buddy can't resist "embellishing" a few of them. Like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer with antlers on his head and flashing red lights up his nose. And our own version of the famous Twelve Days of Christmas. Instead, we sing "The Twelve Meals of Christmas" reliving the time-honored Italian tradition of consuming more food than the human body was ever designed to hold. (By the end of the song I actually feel bloated.)

And once again we want to thank Del and Pat and the rest of our "FAN CLUB" (see our December 14, 2009 blog post) who came to our show on Saturday at Lemon Bay Playhouse in their official "Diva and the Italian Guy" t-shirts. God bless them all! You really make us feel loved!

Thank you to everyone who comes to our shows. Our sincere wish is that you have a few laughs, feel good, and come again!

We'll keep you posted.

In the Beginning...

2010-11-26T15:49:00.001-05:00

Just a couple of EARLY photos from the way-back machine.
.

My first gig. Mascot for the Albion volunteer Fire Dept color guard.
Marched in all the Firemen's parades summer of 1957

And now for a real "Awwww" moment... HERE'S BUDDY!....

Is he just TOO CUTE or what!

HOPE YOU HAD A GREAT THANKSGIVING.
We'll keep you posted!

Visual Arts Center

2010-11-18T08:49:00.000-05:00

"Caesar's Palace" at Visual Arts Center

We thoroughly enjoyed performing for the Visual Arts Center in Punta Gorda last Saturday. It was the final event in a month-long celebration of their 50th anniversary. The theme of the gala party was "Big Italian Wedding Reception." and a gala it was! Our show was presented in "Caesar's Palace", which was their Goff Gallery magically transformed into a really cool show room. There was dancing on the patio to the music of Sammy J., and an actual "wedding" in the other gallery where a couple renewed their vows. Kudos to the entire gang at VAC for a great evening.

Funny, I don't remember them being at the Last Supper !?

The member artists at the Visual Arts Center are amazing. Various artists' work is always on display, and you know the old saying, "I don't know art, but I know what I like!" Well, that's me. And there was a lot to like. (The gift shop is full of wonderful and unique items created by members too, incuding jewelry, novelty items and fun stuff.)

The artists' theme this month was 'Leo vs. Mike' and several member artists re-created the works of Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci, including a HUGE wall-size reproduction of "The Last Supper".

You should visit there. Click this link and find out more.

So next up...Holiday Shows at Visani Dinner Theater and Lemon Bay Playhouse in December.
See our schedule page for details.

We'll keep you posted!

Foxfire

2010-11-10T14:56:00.000-05:00

Foxfire Country Club, Naples, FL

We're on the road again, but this time a bit closer to home (Florida that is.) Last Saturday we performed our show at Foxfire Country Club in Naples, FL, and before that (on Wednesday, the 3rd) we did TWO shows at our favorite dinner theater, Visani, in Port Charlotte. We were pleased to welcome the "Sun City Center Travel Club", a group of 55 on-the-move members, to our matinee show on Wednesday, as well as many old and new friends for our evening show as well.

This Saturday (Nov. 13) we will perform two shows at the Visual Arts Center in Punta Gorda. This fabulous visual arts gallery and studio is celebrating its 50th Anniversary, and this Saturday's gala fundraiser party (called the "Big Italian Wedding Reception") is the culmination of a month-long schedule of special events. Click the Visual Arts link above to find out more.

Looking forward to a great season here in the Sunny South.
More "hysterical historical" photos coming soon.
We'll keep you posted!

Off the Road Again

2010-10-22T15:16:00.000-04:00

Friends at St. Alfio Society Show, Lawrence, MA

Well!!   What a ride!
We made it safely back to our Florida home after a few harrowing moments on the road. More on that later.
But first...
We are so grateful to all the audiences we met along the way. From Jackson, NJ to Albion, NY to Lawrence, MA, to Barnegat and Manahawkin, NJ. Just great people. As a result of our show for the St. Alfio Society in Lawrence, we've been invited to perform for the 2011 National Italian American Club Convention in Chicago. We'll let you know how that plays out.

So just a couple of heart-attack moments. Like at the end of our Lawrence show. After a terrific sold-out show, with phenomenal response and tons of old friends and family members in attendance, Buddy went to the parking lot to bring the van around front so we could load. He walked back in a couple minutes later, white in the face, and said those four dreaded words...."The van is gone." Everything went fuzzy for me for a few minutes after that. All the blood drained from my head and all I could say was, "This is when we pray." And I meant it quite sincerely. Buddy just kept repeating, "We are so screwed."

Well, long story short, it was NOT stolen, as we feared. It had been towed. To a very bad part of town.
Now you must understand, we did not park in a forbidden zone.  The Society had special permission from the parking lot owner for us to park there. But somebody didn't get the message, and called to have it towed. (We figure right about the time we were singing "That's Amore", our van was screaming its alarm off as it was being dragged away. Who knew?) ANYWAY, with the help of some good friends with influence, we got it back in short order. None the worse for the experience.

So we packed up the equipment and went back to our hotel for a short sleep before heading out to New Jersey for a show there the following night. But when we got to our hotel, there was some kind of event going on which took up every single available parking space and resulted in nefarious-looking types hanging around all the exits smoking cigarettes. Not good.

So we just packed up our clothes and checked out and took off down the road at midnight. About a five and a half hour drive to New Jersey. By now we're somewhere between tired and wired, but just had to get outta there.   Oh by the way, thank you to the Connecticut Welcome Center for providing a parking space under one of their street lamps for us to catch a few ZZZ's in the van. Ever so comfy.

Well, after a couple of minor disagreements about our route (I was NOT about to drive through the Bronx on route 95 again, not after my nervous breakdown over that last year), we crossed the Tappan Zee Bridge, (thank you very much) and headed down the Garden State Parkway.   All good.

Two more shows in two days, then back on the road headed home. Except for me almost pulling in front of a trailer truck at at a toll booth (boy, those truck horns work really well), everything went pretty smooth on the way home.

As always, THANK YOU GOD.

Glad to be back. Next up...VISANI DINNER THEATER ON WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3.

We'll keep you posted.

Thanks Tillman's!

2010-10-09T13:15:00.000-04:00

We're still on the road and looking forward to THREE more shows before we return to our home base in Florida. In fact, tonight we're performing
a benefit for the St. Alfio Society in Lawrence, MA where Buddy was born. A real homecoming. And a real thrill for us to perform in the parish hall of the church where Buddy was baptized. Wow.

But first, we want to say a big THANK YOU to everyone at Tillman's Village Inn in Albion, where we recently finished a successful run of shows. We love performing there (that's MY hometown by the way) and we thank the Tillman Family, all the staff, and of course everyone who attended our shows.
Tillman's Village Inn was established in 1824 and used to be a popular stage coach stop on Ridge Road. It's more popular now than ever and we invite you to visit their web site for all they have to offer. It's http://www.tillmansvillageinn.com/

Can't wait to see all the folks from Buddy's old neighborhood tonight. We've been enjoying the local fare of pizza, meat pies, Lawton's famous hot dogs, and some terrific Italian style home cooking by friends and family. (Weight Watchers here we come.)

We'll keep you posted.

Farmer Buddy

2010-09-21T17:45:00.001-04:00

Well, we're 'on the road again'. Currently in Western New York where we are enjoying some good friends-and-family time, and of course doing shows. Fun stuff. How lucky are we?

Thought you'd enjoy a picture of Buddy "gone country". Now that we're staying here in farm country, thought we should try to blend in a little more. Buddy, the Sicilian farmer. (Never give a Sicilian a pitch fork. And a chain saw.)

We have SOLD OUT the September 25th show at Tillman's Village Inn in Albion, and have added an additional show there on FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1. (I'm having a little trouble updating the schedule page of our web site while we're out here on the road, so bear with me that the additional date is absent.)

Love to you all. We'll keep you posted.

Our Visani Shows

2010-08-11T08:26:00.000-04:00

I'm a little behind here, but I just wanted to thank everyone who came to our two shows at Visani Dinner Theater in Port Charlotte last week. It was a great turn-out and and a fun time. (Especially for me, because my dear friend Cindy was visiting us from Delaware and she came to both shows. She's been our biggest fan and sometimes roadie since I started singing in my first band in 1974. We call each other 'Wally'. Don't even ask.)

On Tuesday night we were thrilled to see that YES, there is life in Florida in the summer. We had a roomful of happy people having a great time. They really seemed to get into our new soulful Aretha Franklin medley, and they got a big bang out of Buddy's new song feature..."Are You Bloated Tonight" by 'Elvis Parsley'. (Yes, we're sick people, but that's why you like us.)

Then the next day, on Wednesday afternoon, we had three large traveling groups who arrived by motor coach for our mid-day matinee dinner show. So we want to thank Ship & Shore Travel (Sarasota), Advantage Cruises and Tours (St. Petersburg), and the Lake Kennedy Center of Cape Coral for bringing your groups to see us. We had even MORE people for our matinee on Wednesday than the night before, and it was a blast. And it was really cool to see those three big motor coaches parked in the Visani parking lot.

We'll be doing one more encore show at Visani on Monday, August 30. In fact, ANOTHER traveling group is coming by motor coach all the way from Fort Lauderdale for this one. Should be a good time. See our web site for details. (www.divaandtheitalianguy.com)
So as always, thanks for being here.
I'm searching the archives for more "vintage" photos of Buddy and me. Or as our friend Paul says, "historical and hysterical photos".
Till then....God Bless you all.

Is That Marilyn?

2010-07-12T13:50:00.000-04:00

So, with summer here and a few lazy hazy days to enjoy, I have once again been perusing Ye Olde Photo Album. One of the fun things about that is seeing the changes in HAIRSTYLES over the years. And I do mean mine. There was the Farrah Fawcett look, the perm, the frosted look, the asymmetrical cut, the short short cut and the long locks. Below you will see one of my favorites. It was short-lived, but I briefly went through the MARILYN MONROE look. Oh boy. I was so young.

So here we are, circa 1977, with our organ trio called "American Dance Band" at a place called the Steak & Ale in Rochester, NY. And yes, there's that saxophone again. I was a real hot number in my MM hair and long white gown, blowing the saxophone! And of course, Buddy was playing drums, wearing the white tuxedo and sporting the big hair. Although not as big as it once was. ( I'll post a really 'big hair' Buddy photo later.)

Are you ready? He.....e..ere's Marilyn!

Back Home

2010-05-31T13:16:00.002-04:00

We're back in Florida after our four week tour. And we're very grateful for such a successful run of shows.
Our final show was at Four Seasons at Historic Virginia, Dumfries, VA. Oh man, it was a GREAT night. It was our first appearance there, and everyone said they want us back. And we'd love to!

On our way back home we stopped to visit my niece, as I mentioned before. Her baby, my grandnephew (?) is everything my sister said he was. Smart, happy and SO CUTE. It was a great way to end our trip.

Oh by the way, we finished the new demo video I mentioned a few weeks back. It's up on YouTube. Here's the link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er2AgARJhxY

Today is Memorial Day and we are remembering those who have served our country, and praying that God will protect those who are serving today.

Take care, and We'll keep you posted.

New Jersey, Delaware, & Virginia

2010-05-20T13:21:00.000-04:00

We're currently enjoying a relaxing in-between time at our dear friend Cindy's house in Delaware before going on to Virginia for our last show of the tour. The sun is shinging brightly, the weather is warm, and we're spending time with someone we hold so dear. What could be better?

Last week we performed two shows in NJ and had a wonderful time. At the end of Saturday's show in Barnegat, NJ, I was presented with the most beautiful bouquet of flowers. Boy, talk about feeling like a real DIVA! I could get spoiled. The show was a fundraiser for the scholarship fund sponsored by the Town of Barnget, and run by the Town Clerk's office. The ladies of the Town Clerk's office were wonderful, and we're proud to say they made a lot of money for the scholarship fund.

So tomorrow on to Dumfries, VA, where we will perform at the Four Seasons at Historic Virginia.
Then we head back to Florida and stop off in Richmond to see my neice, her husband and adorable BABY whom we've never met. Oh boy. Baby time!

Hope all is well where you are. May God bless you, and "we'll keep you posted".

Snow!

2010-05-09T09:59:00.000-04:00

Guess what?! It's SNOWING! Right now!
We're still in Albion, NY and I looked outside the window and said Holy smokes, it's snowing! Being a Floridian now, I can't remember the last time I actually saw snow. So here's a picture from our bedroom window taken just minutes ago.

Okay, it may not look that impressive to you, but you see those little white spots in the foreground? That's snow, honest!

We're in our last few days of our New York stay before heading on to New Jersey. We've had a wonderful run of shows here, and now that we're both feeling much better (after the cold that roared through both of us like a freight train) we're finally enjoying time with family. So precious.

So, hope all is well wherever you are. We'll keep you posted.

On The Road Again

2010-05-03T20:24:00.000-04:00

We're back on the road. Left Florida on Friday, April 23 and headed for Syracuse, NY where we performed a gala dinner show for the Red Hat Anniversary celebration at the Doubletree Hotel. 200 Red Hatters made for a GREAT time!

Then on to Albion, NY where we have been performing matinee dinner shows at Tillman's Village Inn for groups bus-ing in from all over New York state. Plus an evening show on Wednesday and another on Saturday. We have been BUSY and all with Buddy sick with a cold at the beginning of the week, and me sick with a cold the rest of the week. But the show must go on and we did just fine. In show business you don't call in sick!

It's been so good spending time with my Dad (who just turned 91 on Saturday by the way, and he only regretted that his motorcycle was on the fritz so he couldn't go for a birthday ride. I'm not kidding. God bless him.) Hopefully we'll both be feeling better soon and our schedule will slow down so we can visit more friends and family while we're in town. Oh, we're also working on a new demo video. Our favorite videographer, Paul Figlow from Batavia, has been videotaping our shows and we're planning on doing editing this week.

So here we are, in the middle of the worst pollen allergy season in Western NY history, but it's beautiful here with everything blooming and turning green. Glad to be here. We'll keep you posted on the next leg of our journey. Next stop...New Jersey!

Heading North

2010-04-19T15:43:00.001-04:00

Well, we're in preparation mode for our trip up North at the end of this week. We have one more show to do in Florida, at Captiva Island Yacht Club, this Wednesday, then we head out on the road again. (Hmmm sounds like a song..) We're so looking forward to seeing family and friends and performing in NY, NJ, and VA.

We had a GREAT time last weekend at Venetian Falls in Venice, and the week before that at Village Walk of Sarasota. What fantastic crowds. (Good laughers!) Many many thanks to all. This was our first time at Village Walk, and our third time at VF and it was heartwarming to see sell-out crowds at both communities.

Well, please pray for us on the road. Hoping it's completely uneventul. (Unlike last time when we found ourselves at the "Bates Motel", then driving smack through the middle of DC at 3 AM, then in the middle of morning rush hour traffic on the George Washington Bridge heading into the Bronx. I still have recurring nightmares.)

We'll keep you posted.

Memories of Tahoe

2010-04-10T14:27:00.001-04:00

Hi Ho everyone. First we want to thank everyone who came to our dinner shows at Visani Dinner Theater this week. Great fun. (And even a surprise visit from my Cousin Rit.) This was our last Visani show of the season, before our Spring tour of the North East, so thanks everyone for the great send-off. We will return to Visani for one summer appearance on August 4 & 5. Then we'll resume our monthly schedule there in November.

Tonight we look forward to entertaining the folks at Village Walk of Sarasota.

So, here's something I dug up. It's us on the cover of Tahoe Action magazine sometime around 1980. We spent a couple years in South Lake Tahoe, performing at Harrah's and also John's Tahoe Nugget. We were fortunate to make the cover of Tahoe Action magazine three times while we were there. As you can see, I was playing the saxophone in the act, and Buddy was the drummer, as well as the comedian he's always been!

Some Memories

2010-03-30T14:21:00.000-04:00

If you've seen our show, you may have heard Buddy's story about shopping with his Nana when he was nine years old in the old neighborhood. They would end up at Catalano's Market where he would finally get his 'sangwich'. Well, looking through an old photo album, we actually found a photo of Buddy's dad parked in front of Catalano's Market. Unbelievable.

And here's little Buddy ("Buster") with his Nana, & Nanu, and little sister Angel..

Next time, we'll do ME!

Great Reunion. Great Show.

2010-03-18T16:17:00.002-04:00

Last weekend was a terrific combination of high school reunion and showtime.
Saturday we performed our show to a near capacity crowd at Heritage Springs in Trinity, FL (near New Port Richey). Buddy's former classmates, the Darby's, live in that community and we want to thank them for their tireless efforts to help us schedule a date there, promote it, and then offer us their home to relax before the show.

Other former classmates joined the Darby's for the dinner show later, and we all had a lot of laughs before the performance even started! Everything went great. And that was just the beginning.

The next day on Sunday, the same bunch, plus several other classmates from the Reading Memorial High School Class of ........shall I give it away? CLASS OF '61... all got together at the home of one of their own on Siesta Key for a great afternoon of food, reminiscing, old photos, more food, and more laughs. Just a great great time. So good to see you all! (And thanks for making me an honorary alumni.)

Buddy with classmates: the Darby's & Ken

A Great Week ..3 Shows

2010-03-07T23:16:00.003-05:00

Last week we performed two shows at Visani Dinner Theater in Port Charlotte and one at Country Village in Bradenton. They were all a blast. It's getting boring talking about what great people we meet at every show, but it's the truth. That's what really makes our work such a joy. So once again, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

We dedicated the Country Village show to Ginny Erickson, who arranged for us to perform there after bringing a group to one of our matinees in Port Charlotte. We lost Ginny a few weeks ago, before she could see her efforts come to pass. She was a dear dear soul, and we know she would have loved seeing everyone have such a good time. Thank you Ginny.

A Road Trip, A Reunion & A Little Excitement

2010-02-28T13:12:00.004-05:00

What a week. Thursday we traveled to Clermont, Florida where we performed our show at Clerbrook Golf & RV Resort. Great place. I call it "camp for grown-ups". RV's, park models, club houses, pools, activities, and happy people enjoying the RV lifestyle.

We were thrilled to see some old friends of Buddy's from his early musician days in Syracuse, NY. They're staying nearby and arranged to come to our show. Very cool.

Everyone was so helpful and so friendly while we were setting up our equipment and stage set. We truly appreciate it. And later on that night, we were delighted by their laughter and applause.

Then came the "little excitement". I was singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", when I noticed some commotion at one of the tables. I looked out and saw a woman with her head back, eyes closed and people starting to swarm around her. Oh dear. Well, I won't keep you in suspense, she appeared to be okay later on....WHEN THE PARAMEDICS WHEELED HER OUT ON A GURNEY in the middle of Buddy's comedy monologue. Talk about a challenge. Now you must understand that we asked if we should keep going when things started to get dicey. 'Oh yes yes keep going she'll be all right.' Okay. But I gotta tell you, Buddy's powers of concentration were tested to new levels when the ambulance pulled up outside, whirling lights clearly visible through the window, and paramedics lumbering through the tables with a gurney.

Well, as they wheeled her out she waved and gave a thumbs up like an injured football player leaving the field. So we pray she's really okay.

Then last night we performed at Tara Golf & Country Club in Bradenton. Thank goodness, there was no "excitement" there. Just a lot of nice people and loads of laughter and smiles. Special thanks to Ray & Wilma McCray whose 50th anniversay celebration in 2008 introduced our show to Tara.

Holiday Park

2010-02-20T15:39:00.002-05:00

Last night we performed our show at

Holiday Park in North Port.

It was our first time at this very friendly community,
and it was great to see such a large turnout, and to receive
such a joyous response.

And it turns out there were a lot of people in the audience

from Massachusetts, where the Italian Guy is from,

and a very large BUFFALO contingency!

(near where I'm from)

We were ALL glad to be in Florida this winter instead!

(Even an unusually cold winter in Florida doesn't involve shoveling snow.)

Thanks to Jeanne Kissenberth, pictured with me below,

and to all the good people of Holiday Park.

Valentine Shows

2010-02-15T11:09:00.004-05:00

What a lovely weekend we had.

We performed Saturday, February 13 at Heritage Oak Park in Port Charlotte, and Sunday, February 14 at Pinebrook in Bradenton. We are continually amazed and grateful how many cool and wonderful people there are out there. We want to thank each and every member of our audience for their enthusiastic reception and warm friendly greetings.

So, being Valentine's weekend, of course we sang some sentimental songs, such as My Funny Valentine and After the Lovin. Ah, love is in the air. Then Buddy followed that with a string of Viagra jokes. How romantic.

Hey, the minute we start taking ourselves too seriously, we'll retire.

So thank you one and all.

Old Friends, New Friends, and a Moving Moment

2010-02-04T13:39:00.002-05:00

Old friends, new friends, past and current neighbors, anniversaries, birthdays, folks from back home in Massachusetts and in New York.... oh my word we had it all going on this week at Visani Dinner Theater! Plus a very moving moment that choked us both up. More on that later.

Tuesday night was a sell-out crowd. Hallelujah! The room was chock full of people we were delighted to see. There was a table full of Buddy's oldest friends from Massachusetts. A surprise visit from my friend Millie from New York. There was the table of our current neighbors. And on and on. What fun to see so many friends. Then on Wednesday, at our matinee, (another sell-out) we had two motorcoach groups, both from Bradenton, who BOTH had group leaders from Syracuse. NY, and BOTH had originally seen our show in Western NY with other groups and suggested to their Florida communities that they come to our show at Visani. The two group leaders met for the first time at our show Wednesday. Turns out they live less than four miles from each other in Syracuse. Small world or what? Another table of neighbors and lots more new friends made for a GREAT day and a fun show.

NOW FOR THE MOVING MOMENT....We ended the show with our military tribute to the Armed Forces. We sing the anthem of each branch of the service and ask anyone who has served in the military to stand when they hear their anthem. We started with the Air Force, then the Marines, the Coast Guard, Merchant Marines, Navy, and finally the Army. With each anthem men and women stood proudly around the room. When we got to the Army, that's when the most people stood. We began to sing "Over hill, over dale, we have hit the dusty trail", and people all over the room quickly got to their feet. Then we noticed the elderly man at the table right in front of us. He struggled to get out of his chair. He grasped the table, and tried to rise, his wobbly legs failing him. Then two strangers from the next table gripped his arms and helped him stand up, which he was barely able to do. Tears came to my eyes and I almost couldn't keep singing. Buddy too. This ordinary-looking man who had been smiling and laughing through our show, was suddenly a proud soldier who had served his country and would not let anything, including his own body, keep him from standing up for the Army. Then we sang "God Bless America". And he did it again.

Thank you, Sir, whoever you are. Thank you and God Bless You.

Buddy's good friends, "that old gang of mine" from Lawrence, MA

Windmill Village, Punta Gorda

2010-01-31T13:15:00.002-05:00

Thank you to all at Windmill Village for such an amazing turn-out last night.

A sold-out crowd! We are told it's the first sell-out event since the clubhouse was

rebuilt after Hurricane Charley wiped out the whole community in 2004.

Apparently, the clubhouse and all but about 20 homes were absolutely destroyed when

Charley took an unexpected turn and aimed its fury at Punta Gorda.

So, CONGRATULATIONS on rebuilding your beautiful community

and your gorgeous clubhouse. May God bless you all.

Sebastian the Italian Guy with Sue Ryan, Entertainment Committee chairperson.

Bay Lake Estates

2010-01-25T12:43:00.002-05:00

Well ain't we got fun?!

Thanks to everyone at Bay Lake Estates for making us feel so welcome last night when we

performed our show. Special thanks to Bob & Lorna Malavolti and to Ron, and all the committee members

who helped us out so much. Oh yeah, and especially for sending us home with that

DELICIOUS PASTA!

Can't wait to do it all again next year!

God Bless You All.

A GREAT Week

2010-01-16T19:05:00.001-05:00

Wednesday, January 13, we performed our show for the wonderful folks at Oak Forest in Englewood and Thursday we performed for the members of Palm Aire Country Club in Sarasota. BOTH SHOWS WERE SELL-OUTS WITH FULL CAPACITY AUDIENCES. Wow. We are so grateful. Great audiences and a really warm welcome in both clubhouses.

OAK FOREST

This is Larry and Jo Izzo, our friends from Rochester NY. They live at Oak Forest now and they've

been just wonderful to us. They were both dressed to the nines, with Larry in full tux as

Maitre d' at the front door.

Here's me with Jo. Stand up Jo! Oh, you ARE standing.

(Is she laughing?) Buddy ruined her good reputation by telling everyone

she used to be a pole dancer at Cheetah's Lounge.

Yeah, I'm so sure everyone believed THAT!

PALM AIRE COUNTRY CLUB

Barbara and Bill Walters, our life-lines during the planning process.

Many thanks for all your help.

A Fun Guy at Palm Aire Country Club. A good sport too. Buddy threw him

a few comments about his "pretty jacket" during the show, and he took it like a man!

WE HAD A GREAT TIME THIS WEEK. GOD BLESS YOU ALL!

Visani Dinner Theater

2010-01-06T19:44:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to all who came to our show at Visani Dinner Theater last night.

And we REALLY appreciate that so many people brought their families.

It was a really COLD night, but we all stayed nice and warm inside with great food, and a good time.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Mark, owner of Visani who is celebrating

one of those REALLY BIG birthdays tomorrow.

One of those birthdays that involves a ZERO. (My lips are sealed.)

Have a great day Mark!

See y'all soon. DON'T FREEZE, OKAY?

Happy New Year -Lemon Bay Isles

2010-01-01T11:59:00.001-05:00

What a time we had last night at Lemon Bay Isles in Englewood!

Everyone had a great time (especially us!) and we were amazed when several people cheered and whooped when Buddy mentioned during the show that he's from Lawrence, Massachusetts. Seems there are some Lawrence natives at Lemon Bay. They knew all the bakeries and meat markets Buddy mentioned. Pretty neat. And now that we have a feature called "Jokes From the E-Mail" where we read jokes people send us, we got about eight new jokes told to us after the show. Good ones too!

So we want to thank everyone at Lemon Bay Isles for inviting us to be part of your New Year's Eve celebration. Hope to see you all again soon.

Coming up Tuesday & Wednesday....Visani Dinner Theater.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy Holidays and Here's What's Next...

2009-12-26T04:00:00.000-05:00

Hope you had a Merry Christmas and looking forward to a Healthy Happy New Year!

Our next show that's open to the public is at Visani Dinner Theater in Port Charlotte on Tuesday, January 5 at 7:30 pm, and Wednesday, January 6 matinee (doors open 11 am and we do our show at 1 pm after the meal.)

We love doing our shows there because, well it's just ideal. The food is great, the service is wonderful, the room is perfect, the stage is just right. We perform there on the first Tuesday and Wednesday of every month through April. Check our schedule page on the web site for the reservation number.

We've been busy adding more LOUIS PRIMA songs. Angelina-Zooma Zooma, Buona Sera, and of course, Oh Marie. (Or as Louis says, "Way Marie") Louis Prima was the ultimate Vegas Italian Guy entertainer that all the other stars, including Sinatra and Dean Martin, went to see after they finished their own shows. We're having a lot of fun with these songs, and we're glad so many people asked for them. It inspired us to get busy. We're really enjoying our new segment, "Jokes from the E-mail" where we read the best jokes that people have sent us. There are some real side-splitters. (We don't bother with the groaners, and we can't include the X-rated ones!) We've got a great Connie Francis medley too. And "Mama" in Italian. Not a dry eye, including mine.

We've also returned to one of our favorite traditions. We've been ending the show with our musical Tribute to the Armed Forces.

Hope to see you soon. (They say laughter burns calories, and I don't know about you, but after all the Christmas goodies we could stand to burn a few!)

Lemon Bay Playhouse . WE HAVE A FAN CLUB!!

2009-12-14T14:39:00.001-05:00

What a weekend at Lemon Bay Playhouse in Englewood! We performed our Holiday Show there on Friday, Saturday and Sunday and had great audiences all three nights.

It's such a treat to perform on the Playhouse stage in a real theater setting. We loved every minute, but the BEST moment was on Sunday when several of our "fans" (translated; "friends") showed up in their OFFICIAL 'DIVA AND THE ITALIAN GUY' T-SHIRTS. We were absolutely overwhelmed. We couldn't believe they had gone to all the trouble of going out and buying t-shirts, downloading our photos from our web site, and somehow getting them on the shirts. Then they all showed up wearing them. What a surprise. I just can't say enough. We are absolutely humbled by the effort and devotion that went into this project. So thank you again and again to Regina (whose idea it was), Karen (who transferred the photos to the shirts), Star (who graciously traded earrings with me by the way, because hers went so nicely with the necklace I was wearing. Then the dear heart let me keep them!), Dell & Pat (who have a perfect attendance record at our LBP shows) and our upstairs neighbor, Ali. God Bless you all. You REALLY made our day, our week, and probably our whole year.

Many thanks to all at Lemon Bay Playhouse who make our experience there such a joy. To Executive Director Jim Hanushek at the helm (and he always comes up with such glowing words about us too), to his wife Ann (whose generosity never fails as she offers up SINFUL BROWNIES AND TO-DIE-FOR OATMEAL COOKIES), and of course, many thanks to Bob LaSalle, Production Manager whose help is SO appreciated during the show, and during our set-up and tear-down.

We can't wait till next time. But it can't possibly top this magical weekend.

BE SURE AND GO TO THE LEMON BAY PLAYHOUSE WEBSITE AND SEE WHAT'S COMING UP. Their theater productions are not to be missed.

http://www.lemonbayplayhouse.com/

More Fun at Visani

2009-12-04T19:03:00.001-05:00

Well, we completed our first Holiday Shows of the season. We performed at Visani Dinner Theater in Port Charlotte, FL last Tuesday night, and again on Wednesday afternoon for a matinee.

It was great to see friends Barbara and Frank Kelleher, (I forgot to take their picture....darn it!)owners of Turtles Restaurant on Little Sarasota Bay, where we entertained for 15 years! They also were the best man and matron of honor at our wedding in 1994. (Or as Frank, likes to say, "We were the 'best people' at their wedding.") They came to the Tuesday night show, along with many other friends and supporters.

Wednesday afternoon we had two motor coaches and several other groups represented, including the Park Hill Red Hats, Advantage Seniors, H2U (which means "health & happines to you"), Blake Hospital, and the Telephone Retirees. (I loved doing Ernestine the telephone operator for them.) And our very special guests, Nick and his mom Dee (with me in the photo above) who are our neighbors.

A great time was had by all, and I especially enjoyed singing a few holiday songs, like "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" (Buddy has some special props for that one....) and "White Christmas". I think the biggest hit of the show was "Nana's Twelve Meals of Christmas" (think 'twelve days of Christmas') especially when we came around to "FIVE BIG MEATBALLS!" . Ah the holiday season has begun.

Next up, we will perform Sunday for the folks at Jamaica Bay community in Fort Myers. We look forward to seeing them again. Then on December 11, 12, and 13 we will perform our show at Lemon Bay Playhouse in Englewood. This is our fourth time at the Playhouse and we hope there will be many many more. We love those people!

So, keep your blood pressure low this holiday season, and by all means remember to have a little fun every day.

Mission Valley Country Club

2009-11-21T13:28:00.000-05:00

Well, the picture above should have people in it. I meant to bring my camera to our show at Mission Valley last night so I could take pictures of all our friends and audience members. But I FORGOT. So here's a picture I lifted from their web site. Just use your imagination and put people in those empty chairs, okay?

So anyway, we had a GREAT crowd last night. Those Mission Valley folks are fun, and ready for a good time. We could tell it was Italian Night at MVCC because the minute we walked in, the smell of garlic just about knocked us back out the door. That's not a bad thing, mind you. The kitchen staff out-did themselves with the Italian feast they put on. (We never eat just before a show, so even though they generously offered us food, we gratefully declined and nourished ourselves instead with espresso flavored vodka at the bar. Hey, that's Italian too.)

The show went great, with lots of laughter, smiles, and even a few tears. I admit I was surprised when I began to introduce a Barbra Streisand song, and several people started saying "NO! No Streisand." Huh? Still not sure what that was all about, but we just said "Okay, we can do something else." And we rolled into a foot stomping Donna Summer medley instead. No problem. That's one thing about us.....we'll just roll with the punches and shift gears! We ended the show with a tribute to the armed forces, singing the anthems of the Air Force, Marines, Navy, and Army and we asked members to stand when they heard their anthem. Then we finished it with "God Bless America" when everyone stood and sang along. It felt good.

Many thanks to all the members, and especially to Denny Foley (otherwise known to all as "Doo-wop Denny", famed "oldies" music entertainer), Marion John (entertainment committee chairman), Diana Kirvin (director of marketing) for all her help in advance of the show, Jessica (dining room manager) and all her staff for a marvelous job, and to old friends Caroline, Barbara and many others who greeted us and treated us like old friends. We appreciate the warm welcome.

Looking forward to next time, and next time I'll bring my camera.

Italian American Club Show

2009-11-09T11:20:00.000-05:00

We had a ball last night performing for the Venice, Fl Italian American Club. What a great audience! It was especially gratifying because the occasion was an appreciation night for all the hard-working members who volunteer to cook and serve at their popular Friday night pasta nights. These folks show up and work their butts off every week, so we were proud and pleased to entertain them the best we know how. And they all had a great time. Buddy's stories of the old neighborhood really hit home and brought howls of laughter, and when I sang Connie Francis's "Mama" in Italian, they clapped and cheered. (I was a little nervous singing in Italian for all those Italians!)

There are plans in the works for us to return to the beautiful Italian American Club Hall later on to perform a show that will be available for the public to attend. We'll keep you posted!

Here are a couple of photos. Buddy with Teddy, (who is himself an Italian troubadour), and

two lovely ladies, Linda and Barbara.

Visani Dinner Theater FUN

2009-11-05T13:54:00.000-05:00

We just finished two fantastic shows at Visani Dinner Theater in Port Charlotte, Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon. The audiences were great at both shows. (Well, Tuesday night we did have one lady -and we use the term loosely - who was pretty sure she was funnier than us and kept yelling stuff at the stage. But it was close enough to full moon to chalk it up as full moon madness.) As usual, everybody raved about the food, which reminded me that we're about due for a dinner at Visani ourselves. It's just so good.

Wednesday we did a matinee show and entertained a fun group who came by motor coach from Country Village in Bradenton, and many others who came by car. Many thanks to all who came and blessed us with their smiles and laughter.

We love it when groups come to our show. And our matinee shows are a great way for anyone to enjoy dinner and a show without having to drive at night.

So remember, we will be appearing at Visani Dinner Theater in Port Charlotte THE FIRST TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY of every month from now through April. (Tuesday shows are 7:30 pm and Wednesday shows are matinees with doors open at 11 am and show at 1 following meal.)

Come and bring your smiles. THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING THERE!

Back in Florida!

2009-10-24T15:39:00.000-04:00

We're back home again in Florida after seventeen shows in seven weeks in five states: Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Ohio. Great trip, successful shows, lots of laughs, and lots of time with family and friends, too numerous to name.

Our trip did start out with a few STRESS moments. Like the morning we left, our car alarm screaming uncontrollably at 4:30 AM at the convenience store where we picked up coffee for the ride. Couldn't get it to stop. Then when it did stop, couldn't get it to work again. Or lock the doors. Or allow us to start the engine. Or anything. But we finally got started.

Then our first night on the road at the "Bates Motel". We checked in at 7 PM. The place was so creepy we checked back out at 11:30 PM. (By the way, here's a fun fact...did you know that every motel in North America is either owned, operated, or managed by someone named "Patel"?) So we just decided to keep driving. This put us in Washington DC at 3 AM. Due to some confusion between our Mapquest directions and our GPS, we ended up driving right smack through the MIDDLE of Washington DC. At 3 AM. And keep in mind that by now our car alarm is completely disabled. Buddy said that if the van broke down, he'd just shoot himself, and save the car jackers and drug dealers the trouble. But we made it through.

A couple hours later it was my turn to take the wheel and let Buddy sleep. Since we were heading for Massachusetts, I knew all I had to do was stay on route 95 for a really long time. How hard could that be? What I didn't know is that route 95 becomes the New Jersey Turnpike, and I hit it right at the beginning of rush hour. But no problem. Plenty of lanes. Just stay on 95. But I also didn't know that route 95 would take me right across the George Washington Bridge INTO THE BRONX. Understand that I don't do city driving. I am sometimes nervous driving in downtown Englewood during certain times of the day. So imagine my state of mind as I find myself on the top deck of the George Washington Bridge, where all the semi trailer trucks and big buses are directed to go (gee thanks GPS) during full-on New York City rush hour traffic. As the icy fingers of panic quickly close around my throat, I'm still thinking "just stay on 95". And then the sweet female voice of our GPS calmly says "Exit right." And that's how poor Buddy awoke from his peaceful slumber. Me screaming "I CAN'T! I CAN'T GET OVER!!" Who knew that after the bridge you have to EXIT to STAY on route 95??!! Didn't see that one coming.

It's kind of a blur after that. I vaguely remember making my way over to the next exit which brought us into the kind of neighborhood I've only seen on Law & Order, getting trapped in the middle of an intersection blocking traffic, driving under the "el" like a slow motion version of the French Connection, and finally finding a place to pull over and let Buddy drive, but not before slamming the right front tire up over the curb. But by the grace of God we eventually made our way through the mean streets of the Bronx, back to route 95. And it only took another hundred miles or so for both of us to finally blink our eyes once or twice and stop speaking in tongues.

More later. Just remembering is making me sweat.

GLAD TO BE BACK HOME!!