Full Transcript for Jim Caruso Interview

in nineteen ninety-one, I met Liza and Billy Stritch, my musical director, met Liza. He ended up working with her and helping her with the mu being a musical arranger at for her Radio City show, Radio City Music Hall, which was an enormous success. And Liza came to see my vocal trio. Called Wise Guys. And one night she took me to dinner and said, Would you ever be interested in opening for me? Wow. I know. And I was like, I I'm packed. I'm literally putting my clothes, my tuxedo in a suitcase right now. And so the group opened for her for quite a while. And it was like the best show business education you could ever hope for. I would Stand off stage. We would do our thing. And then I would stand off stage and watch her every single night. And it was just a master class in how to win over an audience, how to dazzle an audience, how to sometimes if an audience isn't on your side when you first walk out, you know, to watch her craft her energy and her personality for an audience was Riveting. Anyway, she was fantastic. So cut two years later, we're still very good friends. I had lived with her in Los Angeles for a while, and she decided she wanted to celebrate her godmother, Kay Thompson, who was the vocal arranger at MGM and wrote a book called Eloise, who lived at the Plaza Hotel. It's a very well known children's book, and had a nightclub act in the 40s. She wanted to recreate that act. And I had known Kay because Kay Kay ended in her old age, lived with Liza. So sh we had become very good friends too. So here we are putting this show together, celebrating Kay Thompson and the Williams brothers, her four backup singers, including Andy Williams. We toured for two three years all over the world, including London. And she called me one day and she said, Baby, guess what? We're going to Broadway. And we sure did. We opened at the Palace Theatre. in December of nineteen years ago, whatever that was, and it was a big smash hit and it was a Grammy nominated album and a DVD and just it won a Tony. So it was certainly the highlight of my life. speaker-0: Yeah, I can imagine. So what would you say or is your biggest inspiration for you as a performer? speaker-1: When I was growing up, I was obsessed with television variety shows. Now that's something that doesn't even happen so much anymore. But there were shows like the Carol Burnett show, the Sonny and Cher show, the Donnie and Marie show, these very bright, colorful, fun, upbeat musical events that were on every week that were star studded and with incredible music and casts that were like a family. I wanted that. I was an only child. So I looked at that and the Osman brothers and things like that and or the Jacksons and be like, I want that. I want to sing with my brothers and sisters. Well, I didn't have any brothers and sisters. so when I I guess Cast Party is my version of that those variety shows. Because I'm surrounded by friends. Billy Stritch at the piano, who has been my BFF for 40 years. our band, we're all very close. friends that come in every week, our regulars. We really are like a little mini variety show. Yeah. And I think my inspiration was absolutely those shows. And it took me a while to figure that out that I had created my own. version of that, but now it's it's interesting. Once you get to where you're going, you can look back and everything seems to make sense. While when you're in the middle of it, nothing makes sense and it's all impossible. But those shows were absolutely my inspiration. speaker-0: So for anyone who hasn't actually experienced Cast Party, how would you describe the evening? speaker-1: as I said, it's a it's a variety show, it's an open mic night to a degree, it's loose, it's unscripted, it's improvisational and very much alive. We put the call out and performers sign up and it can be, you know, a performance by the most famous person in town or followed by An original tune by a Long Island housewife who just happened to write a song. it's a showbiz democracy. We never know who's gonna come in. It can be the the greatest star and literally somebody who walked in off the street who feels like they need to sing a song. Everybody is cheered the same way. It's a very positive experience, I hope, for everybody. There's no booing or, you know. Get them off the stage. There's none of that. And it's every night it's completely different. when we come to London, we get the most brilliant performers from the West End. We get wonderful jazz performers, instrumentalists, dancers, odd odd balls. Can I say that without being inappropriate? You know, people that you go, huh, when you when they perform. But that's really part of the fun. And of course everybody loves the to see the superstars, but it always ends up being the strange performances that we talk about for weeks. speaker-0: Can imagine, yeah. So how did it all actually start? where did the idea that you wanted to do this sort of thing come from? speaker-1: It's st it certainly didn't happen on purpose. I was helping a friend do public relations for a few Broadway shows. And he called me and said, you know, there's a room in town that's like a lounge and there's a piano in the corner and a sound system. Would you wanna do something with that? Meaning try to get them some press. And I said, sure. So I couldn't get any press because there was nothing going on. I was doing press releases for drink specials and so dull. And I decided to throw a Christmas party there. And all my friends showed up. And my friends are fantastically talented. And some are fancy and bold face names, and some are not, but everybody is talented. And we sang at the piano until the wee hours. And the next day the the manager of the room called me and said, That was great. I want to do it again next week. We had thrown the party on a Monday, which of course is the dark night on Broadway. So everybody showed up and it was packed and they had never had this before. So we we did it the next

week. I thought that would be the end of it. And it just kept going. And I gave it a name. I called it Cast Party. And you know, twenty f that's twenty four years ago. But luckily we moved from that room to Birdland, which is an iconic jazz club that's been in New York since the, I don't know, late forties. So Birdland itself is a star and we've been doing it ever since, every single Monday. Wow. Except during the pandemic. And that's when we did it online. And you could watch it and for free and tip the performers. And it was it was crazy. speaker-0: It's amazing that it's still going strong twenty three years later. speaker-1: It it was never my intention. I don't go to open mic nights. I don't particularly enjoy open mic nights, but I'll tell you, I would enjoy Cast Party because of the quality of the band, the musical director, the ba when I say band, we have bass and drum here in New York City. They raise everybody to another level. They're so talented. And the room is great, the service is great, the food is good, the website works. You know, it's all the things that that have made it successful. And I'm telling you, if it's a Monday, there's cast party. And that's been helpful because for out of towners, they come once and they know the next time they're in town to stay over a Monday. And they see it they see a show unlike anything else in town. speaker-0: So if you could have three guests, any era, past or present, who would be your dream guest? speaker-1: the first guest absolutely would be Carol Burnett. she's my inspiration. I love her. I know her-ish. we're we're not like bosom buddies, but I have certainly met her and kind of keep in touch with her through email every once in a while. but she's never come to cast party, which just kills me because I know she'd like it. so Carol. Second would be, I have to say, somebody that used to come in to cast party when she was 13 and 14 years old, who I don't know if you've heard of her. Her name is Ariana Grande. speaker-0: Wow. speaker-1: I know. Have you heard of her? She seems to be doing well. speaker-0: Just a bit. speaker-1: But she hasn't been in for a very long time. She would come in so adorable in these fantastic party dresses. And sing Aretha Franklin songs at age 13. And we were like, What is happening? She was so brilliant, and that enormous voice out of like she was this big. She was tiny, tiny. She's still tiny. but we need Ariana to make a return to Cast Party. It's on my bucket list to get her back. And the third, who would my third be? It needs to be okay, okay. Again, somebody that has joined us in the past, Charlie Pooth. speaker-0: wow. I don't know very well, but I recognise the name. speaker-1: He's a he was a little boy, age fifteen, that would come to cast party with his dad. He would sit at the piano and play original tunes that were odd and interesting. And he was funny and his his voice was just otherworldly. And he became a global superstar. He is a pop rock superstar doing enormous just colosseums all over the world. We're still in touch and he knows I'm desperate to have him come back, but he hasn't been in for a very, very long time. So I'd have to say Carol is my long shot and Ariana and Charlie are my I kinda know them, so maybe they'll maybe I can beg loud enough and they'll join us. speaker-0: Yeah. So you're making your return to London next week actually. Well, when this podcast goes out, it will be tomorrow. speaker-1: Yes, I can't wait for tomorrow. that means right now I'm on an airplane. 'Cause I fly in, I get there at six in the morning and do a show that night. So wow. If I fall asleep during the show, you'll understand. speaker-0: So how does it feel bringing Cast Party back to London? speaker-1: well as I said, we we, the royal we, and me and Billy Stritch love coming to London. It's you know, I I think we'd do it even if we had to do it for free. Not really, but a little bit. We that's how much we love it. we just we have so many great friends there, brilliant friends that do incredible shows. Giles Terreira and Rachel Tucker and you know, that kind of quality that I I It is just thrilling to me. so we're always excited to hang out with the talent and also to play that perfect little room at Crazy Cox. It's just a jewel for us to to walk in there. They're so nice to us. The staff is so lovely, and we get there for the sound check and they offer us a tea with a little cookie on the side. It's like, you gonna this is so this is just so British. We feel. Very well taken care of there. speaker-0: Yeah. What is it you love about the London audiences? speaker-1: gosh. Well, London audiences like New York audiences are very well traveled. They are knowledgeable about theater and music. You can't really stump them. You really have to dig to stump people o with your material. It's a very smart crowd. But I'll say this about that, that we do cast party all over this country in cities like Pittsburgh and St. Louis and certainly Las Vegas and LA, but Austin and Boston, these kinds of people find us. So I never feel like we're performing to people that really don't get it. By the time they come decide to come see us, they kind of know what's going on. And they it's hard to stump people if if you're the kind of person who wants to see Cast Party, you you know your stuff. And that's That's a wonderful thing to learn about the community and the the people who love the community. speaker-0: Yeah, do you think there's a big difference between cast party over in New York to London, like how like the audiences react to like different things? speaker-1: Well, in New York, we're here every single week. We're here every Monday. In in London, we're there once a year, maybe this year twice a year. So it's kind of a bigger event. So we feel a little bit more excitement in the house from the people who know and love Cast Party. But as far as what happens on stage, it's a great audience. They cheer. They I

mean, they're so with us. I I've never had an audience in London that's just sit back and entertain me. You know, it's not like that. And maybe it's again because by the time they buy a ticket to see us, they already know that it's it's as much about the audience as it is about the performers that are trekking to the stage. Without that fun and energy from the audience, it's nothing. We got nothing. So they they're just as much apart. And I know people always say that, but they are truly huge part of what we do. speaker-0: So you've toured caste parties all over the US, here in London. Where has been your favourite place to bring caste party? speaker-1: I would say, and it's not just because I'm talking to you, although it sounds like I'm just kissing up to London. I love coming to London. Billy loves coming to London. And we love the audiences and we certainly love the brilliant talent that shows up to hang with us. So I I mean, my top not to diss any other city, but London, Las Vegas is really fun. And Los Angeles is really fun. But they're they all end up being a blast. speaker-0: Yeah, that's great. You've already mentioned Billy Strich. Now, Cast Party wouldn't be Cast Party without Billy Stritch at the piano. How did that partnership begin? speaker-1: I met Billy in Dallas when I lived there. I was singing in clubs. He was living in Houston, Texas, singing in clubs. And I was performing in a in a venue, and the manager came over and said, There are three people here who would like to work here. Would you mind if they did a song? It was another trio. And I said, sure, those poor kids. Good for them. And it was Billy. And his two female singing partners. They were called Montgomery, Plant, and Stritch. And they got up and sang about two notes and I almost fainted. They were brilliant, a brilliant vocal trio and funny. And the girls were like so beautiful, you couldn't even believe it. And dr everybody was dressed. And I looked at my piano player and we were like, we have to follow this. so I decided I would e I either needed to have Billy knocked off or we had to become best friends. So from that point on, we started talking about variety shows. That's that was our our our in to the conversation, the Carol Burnett show and all of those things, which he's also obsessed with. And that was it. We became best friends. We moved to New York around the same time and have just we we had never worked together, but We did a few concerts together eventually. They were fun. We got along. He he plays better than almost anybody on earth. And I understand what he hears and I think he understands what I hear. He also plays around my voice beautifully. We just we both get it. We both have a shorthand. We just have to look at each other at this point and know exactly what we're thinking. And it works very well on stage when there's something strange happening on stage. I can just look at him and be like, and he knows. I don't have to say we don't even have to

talk afterwards. We know. So it's a great, great relationship that's been going on for twenty some years. He also works with some of the greatest singers in the world. He was Liza's musical director for 30 years. Tony Bennett for a one a great year. Dean Ebersol, Marilyn May, Melissa Erico, really top notch. Linda Edder. The greatest people. speaker-0: Yeah, what do you think makes your partnership with Billy work so well? speaker-1: We get along. We we get each other. speaker-0: That helps. speaker-1: It I mean it does help. Listen, I've worked with people I have not gotten along with, and it's miserable. And life is too short. And none of us are getting rich doing this. I hate to surprise everybody, but you know, it's just not worth it. I I'll go sell shoes. I'd rather not hang with people. We always say ten percent talent. Ninety percent the hang. If you're a good hang, you're in. We wanna play with you, we wanna sing with you, we wanna be with you. You know, obviously talent is key to get through the door, but you gotta be fun. And Billy and I have so much fun together. We're good travel buddies. We like to do one or two very touristy things when we're in a town, but we all I love to walk. I'm happy to walk alone. So is he. We go our separate ways. We have our own friends separately, but we also have tons of friends in common. So it's a perfect traveling relationship. speaker-0: What would you say was your most memorable performance so far? Has there been a performance that has gone absolutely wrong? speaker-1: Hmm. I think my a performance that I will never forget as long as I live, and it's, it sounds name-droppy, but sue me. Yeah, I'm name-dropping. Opening night of Liza's at the palace on Broadway at the Palace Theater. First of all, there the audience was at such a pitch because she hadn't worked in New York City for a while. it was considered yet another one of her comebacks. Which is funny because she never went anywhere. She was constantly working. But this was it was an important night and all of show business was there to check it out and to check her out and to check out this new show that she'd been doing all over the world. So there's a moment in I can specify this to the to the second. There's a moment where we perform a song called I Love a Violin, which was a Kay Thompson song. The four of us are dancing around Liza like crazy, sweating. Pouring sweat, just dying, out of breath. And at the end of the number, we're to fall on the floor like we're just the four of us boys are so worn out. And Liza stands straight in the middle of us, she has energy to go, to spare. That moment, that applause, the thunderous roar at the Palace Theater that washed over us as we were laying on the floor was it was literally palpable. I'll never forget it as long as I live. It was a roar of noise, like a jet engine. And it was one of the greatest moments of my life. And that's with so many thanks to Liza. The worst moment. That's an interest I don't

know. you know, we've had such weird moments at Cast Party because it really is improvisational. And we're working with people that we sometimes have never met in our lives. So there have been some extremely odd moments, nothing tragic or particularly disturbing, but weird. Well, we had a marionette guy. And his marionette was a stripper. Okay. And yeah. And the stripper had a a pole. It was a piece of set, you know, that he brought out that she danced around and she stripped. She somehow took off her clothes as she was stripping. And if the The puppet had seen better days. It was really grimy. The hair was kind of matted, as was his. And it was just gross and disturbing. And I hope he's not watching. You know, that's weird. We did have one comic kind of have a nervous breakdown on stage. That was a little disturbing. When somebody heckled this person, they didn't take it well. And there's usually no heckling at all. But This person was a kind of an insult comic and said that I was a loser with a dream. Well, first of all, that is hilarious. I think that's very funny. Guy in the front row thought it was mean, didn't understand this person's style, and said so. And that was the beginning of a horrible moment on stage when the comic was absolutely relentless, not in a funny way. at at just diving into this guy with just a knife and a fork and you know, just evil. Evil. Anyway, that was fun. That's a two thing to come to speaker-0: So you've talked about how a lot of cast parties improvise. Do you have a plan for the evening of how where you think it might go or is it just all let's turn up and see how it goes? speaker-1: Well, I always think I know how it's gonna go. It's gonna go brilliantly. I am wrong sometimes. Because I don't know who's coming, it's hard to plan ahead. Here in New York, we do have a bunch of regulars. So if I see Gabrielle Stravelli or Nicholas King walk in, I'm like, okay. We're we got some ringers who I know will absolutely kill the audience because they're so brilliant. By the way, those two people will both be in London. while we're at Crazy Cox. So that's thrilling. To have really good friends with us, that's cool. But it's really hard to plan ahead when you don't know who's gonna be there. Luckily we have a bunch of regulars and as I said when they come in, I'm like, but it's always good and it's always fun. speaker-0: So as you said, you never know who's gonna walk through the door at Cast Party. Has there been a moment that has genuinely surprised you as someone like a big name has walked through the door unexpectedly? speaker-1: hundred times. A door opens, pretty girl walks in. I don't really s know who it is. She's seated and one of our servers comes over. Do you know who just walked in? Nicole Scherzinger. I was like, what? You're kidding. Yeah. She was there with her boyfriend and two other friends. And I went over just to make sure and it was indeed her. This is before sunset. This is about a year before sunset.

So she hadn't had that Broadway success at that point. But I certainly knew who she was because of the pussycat dolls, the movie Annie, all those things. We had just started that night. So I went over and I said, Hi Nicole Scherzinger, I'm Jim Jim Caruso. this is an open mic variety show. Do you want to sing? And she said, no, no, I'm just here to watch. I heard it's great. Fine. And that's always cool. I'm just happy anybody's there. So we start the show and we're doing our thing and the band is playing, they're just fingers off, they're so good. And she comes over to me and says, yeah, I want to sing with that band. They're great. So I introduced her and there was such a gay gasp in that audience. It was hilarious. We have it on tape. It's like a bunch of people like, she comes to the stage, so cool, in a big it's like a big black cowboy hat and she sang her head off. Just brilliant. And So that was a wonderful survival. And then she came back, I think the next week or maybe two weeks later. That was amazing. I walked in one night and I saw the back of Martin Short sitting at the bar. And I kind of know him through LISA. So I went over and I said, Martin Short, what are you doing here? He said, there's an open mic here. And Paul Schaeffer and I have written a new song that we're gonna do on Letterman, the late show with David Letterman tomorrow night. And we wanted to try it out to see if it's any good. And I said Martin Short, it's but this I'm the host of the show you're talking about. So he got up and he's the ultimate in improv showbiz hilarity. We had a chat that was like just three or four minutes, but it was everything I said, he had a better comeback. Just brilliantly funny and scored, of course, so big. It was my mother's birthday. He told my mother, Happy birthday. These are the things you don't forget. And the next night, We watched them on Letterman and they absolutely slaughtered it. And I thought, we were a little bit a part of that. Good. There have been those those moments times a thousand that I just can't believe you're a part of. And and of course with Ariana and Charlie Pooth and Donnie Osmond and Carol Channing and Cheyenne Jackson and Stephanie J. Block and you name it you name the Broadway star. They've come in to thrill us. Ariana Dubose and Pasic and Paul, Steven Schwartz, Lauren Bacall. It was a who's who and it always knocks me out. speaker-0: As you said, Cast Party's been running for twenty three years now at Birdlands. What do you think it is about it that's just endured over these two decades? speaker-1: I think the show business community is a mix of grit and glamour and energy and inspiration. And they love to cheer each other on. They love to support each other. I'm sure there are people who don't fall into that category, but we don't talk about them and they don't come see us. With by the time they come to Cast Party, they are ready to be supportive and loving for a community that means a lot to them. So I thank them for. Giving us this incredible show week after week, city after city. It's very invigorating. And so that's the show. But as far as the audience is concerned, we have people that come back coming in from all over the world, Japan, Denmark, Mexico City, Brazil, Stockholm, because they always know they're gonna see something that feels very insider, very New York, very inside show business. Because they're rubbing elbows with these people. They're sitting next to Steven Schwartz. They're sitting next to Nicole Scherzinger. And then all of a sudden she's up and singing. And they're like, what? We didn't know that was you. I think the surprise of it all from an audience standpoint and the good energy of it is what keeps people coming back. speaker-0: So finally, when audiences leave the crazy cocks next week or tomorrow, having experienced a cast party, what do you hope that they will take away from it? speaker-1: I feel like audiences come in expecting maybe to have a good time and to see a variety show, but with the way it's set up that everybody sitting together, not only will they become fans of a few of the or maybe all of these performers, but they'll end up with friends. It's amazing how after cast party I'll be standing there watching relationships be forged, friendships being made. Because it it feels like we're all in this together. I think that's part of the improv of it. Everybody feels part of the show, including the audience. So it's a joyful, very positive night for everybody. And that sounds shticky and like that he cannot be serious. I am dead serious. And I think you end up meeting some people that you are going to be a fa a lifelong fan of and also a lifelong friend. These things happen between the performers and the audience and with me because if you get on my mailing list, you will never get off. That's it. You're stuck. speaker-0: You're stuck Jim, thank you so much for joining us today. It's been an absolute pleasure talking to you. speaker-1: You're so nice. I'm sorry Francesca was too busy. speaker-0: yeah, unfortunately Francesca, yeah, was not able to join us today. But it has been absolutely amazing speaking to you. So Jim Caruso's cast party is coming to the Crazy Cot in London for three nights only, from the fourth, fifth and the eighth of November. Tickets are available and it will be. Yeah, it'll be police. It'll be a wonderful night, I'm sure.