On July 26, singer Olivia Renteria (“Mean Girls” on Broadway) and magician Emma Olson (“Penn & Teller: Fool Us”) performed at Joanna Trattoria in New York City.
Olivia Renteria
Renteria kicked off her set with a soaring rendition of Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie.” She introduced herself to the audience at Joanne Trattoria, and asked how every was doing.
The songstress noted that it’s a “fun crowd” and she subsequently gave a history on Cabaret.
“Cabaret originated in France in the 1880s as a small club show,” Renteria explained, and immediately broke into the harking ballad “Crazy” by Patsy Cline.
Renteria stated that “Luck Be a Lady” was a song written by Frank Loesser back in 1950, and it was first performed by Robert Alda. It was made famous by Frank Sinatra and featured in the musical “Guys and Dolls.” Renteria delivered her own distinct upbeat version of the classic tune.
“Thank you, guys,” Renteria reiterated. “What a lovely crowd,” she exclaimed.
Renteria tipped her hat to both Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong with the jazz standard “It Don’t Mean a Thing,” and continued with “Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words).” She maintained solid control over her voice throughout her musical sets.
For musical theatre fans, she threw in Karen’s song “Sexy” from the Broadway musical “Mean Girls,” and showcased her deep, blues-soaked vocals on Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey.”
She also performed “Popular” from “Wicked” in honor of the “good witch” Glinda (who is known for being played by Kristin Chenoweth). “What a fun day this was,” Renteria exclaimed. “You guys are amazing.”
Renteria concluded her set on a fitting note with Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York,” where she displayed her incredible vocal range towards the end. “Thank you so much for spending the night with us,” she said, effusively.
To learn more about Olivia Renteria, follow her on Instagram.
Magician Emma Olson
Magician Emma Olson took the Joanne Trattoria stage and showcased her prowess in close-up magic. She is known for appearing on the reality magic competition “Penn & Teller: Fool Us.”
Olson entertained the Upper West Side audience with her tricks that involved card decks, coins, dollar bills, balloons, and a Rubik’s Cube.
One of the most impressive moments was when she performed mentalism with the audience members, thus being able to read their minds.
Magic is all about being able to move people on an emotional and spiritual level, and Olson did that tonight at Joanne Trattoria. It is evident that her future in the contemporary magic scene should be bright and promising.
Her magic show over the course of the evening was entertaining, engaging, and a great deal of fun to the point where she even made the skeptics question: “how did she do it?” as they were left in disbelief by her raw and natural talent.
Emma Olson’s set at Joanne Trattoria garnered two giant thumbs up; moreover, the restaurant was the quintessential setting for an intimate show of this caliber. Well done.
To learn more about magician Emma Olson, follow her on Instagram.
