FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

SONYA LEDANSKI HONORS ONE OF BROADWAY AND HOLLYWOOD'S PREMIERE LYRICISTS IN:

SMART GIRLS SING DOROTHY FIELDS

 April 12, 2005 New York, NY - Cabaret vocalist Sonya Ledanski celebrates 
the centenary of one of Broadway and Hollywood's smartest and sassiest 
lyricists in SMART GIRLS SING DOROTHY FIELDS.  She'll be joined on stage 
by musical director Sheldon Forrest with stage direction provided by Michael 
Dale. Performances are 7:00 PM on May 8 and May 20, and 9:30 PM on May 
25 at The Encore, (266 West 47th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue) 
$15 cover charge + $15 food & drink. ($5 cover charge for MAC and Cabaret 
Hotline Members) Reservations: (212) 221-3960.

With a career spanning over 50 years writing the words for a diverse group 
of composers such as Jimmy McHugh, Jerome Kern, Sigmond Romberg and 
Cy Coleman, Dorothy Fields, with her talents for making poetry out of street slang 
and for creating strong female characters for the Broadway stage, is a major 
contributor to the American Songbook.  Her first hit song was "I Can't Give You 
Anything But Love" and her last was, appropriately, "It's Not Where You Start 
(It's Where You Finish)".  In between came standards like "On the Sunny Side of 
the Street", "The Way You Look Tonight", "I'm in the Mood for Love" and "If My 
Friends Could See Me Now".  SMART GIRLS SING DOROTHY FIELDS will 
include many of her classics, plus some lesser known treats such as songs cut 
from the scores of "Sweet Charity" and "Seesaw" and a novelty number written 
by a 19-year-old Richard Rodgers.

Her previous New York Cabaret outings, tributes to Peggy Lee and Nina Simone,
 played to enthusiastic houses at Helen's, Danny’s Skylight Room, The Duplex, 
Don’t Tell Mama and Mama Rose’s.

As with her other performances, musical direction will be provided by Sheldon 
Forrest, the popular piano bar entertainer whose cabaret credits include 
performances with Maude Maggart, The Kitchenettes (Lua Hadar & Linda 
Kosut), and Jan Corey (widow of Tiny Tim).

The show is written and directed by Michael Dale, Chief Theatre Critic of 
BroadwayWorld.com and author of the popular dry2olives.com theatre web site.

For more information on Sonya Ledanski in SMART GIRLS SING DOROTHY FIELDS 
visit sonyaledanski.com.

Photo by Dawn Shurmaitis  

AUTUMN IN NEW YORK

Back Stage Magazine, September 20, 2004

By John Hoglund

Early on in her engaging cabaret tribute to Cole Porter, “Tales of Scampi and 

Other Pretty Things:  The Lesser-Known Cole Porter,” at Helen’s Hideaway, 

Sonya Ledanski remarks, “You can take any of the lesser-known songs and 

place them next to the more familiar ones and they would stand alone.”  With 

exceptional arrangements by musical director Sheldon Forrest, she then croons 

a potent Red, Hot and Blue” from the 1936 show of the same name.  A lot of 

high-spirited, tongue-in-cheek wordplay permeates the work of this icon of 

American song.  That and a rapturous engagement with American slang define 

much of Porter’s musical personality.  And in this outing, Ledanski gives him 

his due by resurrecting songs and anecdotes most people are not familiar with.  

For instance, “The Scampi,” a party song from the 1920s, was later revised as 

“The Tale of the Oyster” for 1929s “Fifty Million Frenchmen,” and frequently 

pops up in cabaret acts today.  

Other interesting highlights included “When the Summer Moon Comes ‘Long,” 

the oldest song in the show.  Written in 1910, when Porter was a freshman at Yale, 

this old-fashioned love ditty is dreamy and sweet, and Ledanski captured the era 

with ease.  In fact, her campy acting and musical-comedy skills earn the show a 

gold star.  Too, Porter’s exuberance brings out the spunkier side of a singer who’s 

aura of ingénue meets “broad” suggests a young Michele Lee.

Naturally, she threw in some familiar tunes like “Let’s Do It” and “You’re the Top,” 

used as part of a whimsical medley.  While she never let on if the material had any 

personal connection to her, Ledanski worked hard, and with Michael Dale’s skillful 

direction and structure, the show has legs outside cabaret.  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                 		CONTACT:  Michael Dale
						EMAIL: michaeldale@dry2olives.com

SONYA LEDANSKI SINGS THE LESSER KNOWN COLE PORTER IN
TALES OF SCAMPI AND OTHER PRETTY THINGS

August 8, 2004 New York, NY - Cabaret vocalist Sonya Ledanski brings back her celebration the Cole Porter 
we don't hear often enough in TALES OF SCAMPI AND OTHER PRETTY THINGS, the Lesser Known Cole 
Porter.  She'll be joined on stage by musical director Sheldon Forrest with stage direction provided by Michael
Dale.  Performances are 11:00PM on August 27, September 3, and September 10 at The Hideaway Room at
 Helen’s, (169 8th Ave, between 18th & 19th Streets) $15 cover charge + $15 food & drink. ($10 cover for MAC 
and Cabaret Hotline Members) Reservations: 212-206-0609.

 Although Cole Porter has contributed numerous standards to the American Songbook, many of his lesser known
 songs contain all the wit and infectious melody of his most beloved classics.  Along with "The Scampi" (which 
was the original lyric to the popular "The Tale of the Oyster"), "I Like Pretty Things" and “Make a Date With a 
Great Psychoanalyst,” the evening will feature beautiful ballads such as "You Don't Know Paree" and "When 
The Summer Moon Comes 'Long" (the earliest surviving Cole Porter song) and the sassy title song from "Red, 
Hot and Blue". And if you think you know popular hits like "Anything Goes" and "You're the Top", you may be 
surprised by some of the rarely-heard lyrics he wrote for encores and reprises.

With a background covering both vocal jazz and musical theatre, Sonya Ledanski fuses the two in an evening 
that combines sharp, syncopated arrangements with attention to character and Porter's lyrical humor.  Tales of 
Scampi enjoyed a successful run at Mama Rose’s earlier this summer.  Her two previous New York Cabaret 
outings, tributes to Peggy Lee and Nina Simone, played to enthusiastic houses at Danny’s Skylight Room, The 
Duplex, Don’t Tell Mama and Mama Rose’s.

As with her other performances, musical direction will be provided by Sheldon Forrest, the popular piano bar 
entertainer whose cabaret credits include performances with Maude Maggart, The Kitchenettes (Lua Hadar & 
Linda Kosut), and Jan Corey (widow of Tiny Tim).

The show was conceived and directed by Michael Dale, the popular theatre columnist also known as dry2olives,
 whose Broadway humor and reviews can be read at Broadwayworld.com.

For more information on Sonya Ledanski in TALES OF SCAMPI AND OTHER PRETTY THINGS, the Lesser 
Known Cole Porter, visit sonyaledanski.com.