Exploring American Favorites [slash] Eric Michael Gillett

The popular music of decades past carries a timeless romance rarely found amongst the autotune-heavy pop hits of today. Whether on the screen, on the stage, or in the dark corners of a crowded lounge, the longing, joy, and passion of a Gershwin showstopper or Sondheim ballad still catches us, rapt, and begs us to listen. Eric Michael Gillett has championed such classics of the American Songbook in a variety of ways. As a meticulous director (and the recipient of the Leonardo da Vinci Award for Excellence from the Beaux Arts Society and winner of the prestigious MAC award from the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs), Gillett has led artists such as KT Sullivan, Karen Akers, and others to smashing success in the Cabaret world. Not one to shy away from the limelight himself, Gillett is notorious for his heart-on-sleeve showmanship in one-man shows featuring the works of Craig Carnelia, Stephen Sondheim, and Noel Coward, and in Broadway productions ofKiss Me, Kate, Sweet Smell of Success, and The Frogs. His vocal chops are solid, too, having been put to the test in New York City Opera productions of Cinderella, The Pirates of Penzance, Candide, and others.

"Gillett transformed songs into lived experience with an urgency that peels the layers of resistance of the audience away." -Time Square Chronicles

Cabaret in the Music Room, an annual one-night benefit performance each spring, has captivated Caramoor audiences for over 20 years, creating intimate musical experiences from American pop classics both familiar and uncommon. Gillett makes his Caramoor debut in May with his latest project, Careless Rhapsody: An Evening Dedicated to the Lyrics of Lorenz Hart, infusing tunes like "Blue Moon," "I Didn't Know What Time it Was," and "My Funny Valentine" with new, highly personal meaning. Listen to Gillett's delicate reworking of Hart's "Little Girl Blue." Learn about this performer-director's knack for putting on an unstintingly personal set. Experience his rhapsody.   More from this series: Meet the Folksingers (Part 1)  / Edgy. Invigorated. Chamber. / Different Strokes for Friendly Folks /  Meet the Folksingers (Part 2)