| Janet Villas, a member of the New York City Opera for 16 years, sings hits from the 60's and 70 ‘s
and Broadway shows. This CD contains material from two of her New York Cabaret shows: "But Not for
Me" and I Always wanted to be a Fifth Dimension," a funny look at growing up in New Jersey with a
big voice and big dreams, (and maybe even big hair...). Janet's style is a mix of 70's rock and a
lot of opera lessons in the 80's. Her clean, crisp vocals combine with creative jazz/theatre piano licks from Mike Tornick and
folk/rock bassist Tony Soll. The music is an eclectic mix of early rock, jazz, blues and even opera. |
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REVIEWS:
"a once-in-a-lifetime thrill"
Reviewer: Mel Buttorff
HEY, LISTEN TO THIS........ a column of opinions by Mel Buttorff Every now and then a thrill comes
into life for each individual. Each person’s thrill depends on his or her own experiences and
taste. I recently had a once-in-a-lifetime thrill. Many years ago, (I won’t reveal how many, but
plenty) I made the acquaintance of a young soprano with the New York City Opera. She was spending
the summer in summer stock musicals, as was I. The first time I heard her open her mouth and
release the vocal gold buried in her I was mesmerized. We became good friends and over the years I
watched her grow into that magnificent instrument. It fits better now than it did then. I watched
her in musical theatre, on the operatic stage and as she took her first tentative steps into
cabaret performances. Janet Villas is her name and SOMETHING WONDERFUL is the name of her debut
CD. Her choice of music for this premiere performance is perfection. It is a mix of pop standards,
theatre classics, old favorites and just a little taste of operatic aria. It is the perfect mix to
demonstrate her vocal versatility in the matter of styles and range. Her hearty and full-bodied
soprano sound is never tentative or tenuous. She begins with Petula Clark’s opus DOWNTOWN and she
builds a locomotive kind of intensity as she moves on through the heart-aching MUCH MORE from the
longest running musical ever, THE FANTASTICS. Sondhiem gets her attention and loving care with her
staccato belt of EVERYBODY SAYS DON’T. She parades through many others, BEWITCHED, MY MAN,
SUMMERTIME and others equally delightful to the music-loving ear, Frequently, when offering one’s
opinions in a format such as this, there is a strong temptation to make comparisons. I feel
unequipped to do that in this case because there is no one else I can think of to compare her to.
She has phrasing of the variety that the late great Peggy Lee had. Her range is comparable to
Julie Andrews in her prime. Is she like either of these? No! She is individual and worthy of her
own place. Her rendition of MARIA, the Bernstein/Sondhiem hallmark piece from WEST SIDE STORY is
poignant and lovely. But while the reverence is still there it is not the lugubrious dirge many
have made of it. It is a song of love and beauty. Her light and bouncy rendition of FALLING IN
LOVE almost makes one want to skip. It makes you feel happy just listening to it. And if you want
to feel passion, listen to her deal with the CD’s title song SOMETHING WONDERFUL from Rodgers and
Hammerstein’s revered classic, THE KING AND I. Sports fans may recognize her voice from the many
times she has rendered our National Anthem at Madison Square Garden, Shea Stadium and other
venues. She is also a highly respected educator in New York City at a private school. As if all
that isn’t enough she is also a highly competitive athlete competing in marathons, triathlons, and
other sweat-making diversions. She is also, (and I can attest to this personally) quite an
accomplished virtuoso in the kitchen. You must add this CD to your collection so that in a few
years when she is a mega-star singer you can say you helped discover her.
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ARTIST
BIO:
Janet is a resident of Bloomfield and grew up in New Jersey, receiving a B.S. from
Rutgers University and graduate work at N.Y.U. She is a veteran chorister with the New York City
Opera and appeared as Ensign Janet MacGregor in South Pacific in their Spring musical season.
She has also appeared as Mrs. Gleaton in Susannah at State Repertory Opera, New Jersey and Suor
Angelica in Suor Angelica at New Jersey Opera Workshop. She has sung in musical theatre and
acapella jazz quartets and has sixteen solo appearances at Shea Stadium singing the National
Anthem for the N.Y.Mets. Janet has written four cabaret shows, all performed in the
New York metropolitan area.
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