Morgan Bassichis: In Concert with Amy Winehouse, presented in partnership with Under the Radar - utrfest.org
Joe's Pub425 Lafayette Street, New York 10003
Morgan Bassichis brings In Concert with Amy Winehouse to Joe’s Pub in partnership with Under the Radar. The evening is a concert-style recreation of Winehouse’s 2007 Joe’s Pub set, with Bassichis accompanied by a powerhouse ensemble led by musical director and pianist Matt Ray. Joel Mateo plays percussion, Derek Nievergelt bass, and Ethan Philbrick cello. Bassichis describes themself as a slightly above-average singer, and Joe’s Pub calls the project the first gay-person tribute show for a woman singer.
Bassichis is a comedian, writer, and performer whose Obie Award-winning Can I Be Frank? introduced audiences to queer comedian Frank Maya. Their earlier work also includes Klezmer for Beginners and The Faggots & Their Friends Between Revolutions: The Musical. Sam Pinkleton, who directed Can I Be Frank?, directs this production. The New Yorker has called Bassichis “fiercely hilarious”; Bassichis’s father offers another assessment: “I think they’re an actor but they haven’t been in anything you’ve seen.”
The stage is set in a converted library space with a striped bar and photos of legends like Leonard Cohen and Amy Winehouse lining the walls. You'll find yourself seated on velvet couches or at candle-lit tables, close enough to hear every note from the back. The sound, engineered by technicians who've worked with John Legend and The Notorious B.I.G., is consistently ranked among the best in New York. Three shows a day, dinner and drinks served throughout, and a menu ranging from Italian small plates to craft cocktails; it's a place where music and conversation flow together, and where both rising stars and legends have made their U.S. debuts.