I Was Smacked by Eartha Kitt!
Eartha Kitt will be showing who's boss at the Cafe Carlyle
until October 27.
Photo: The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel
I was minding my own business at Manhattan's Cafe Carlyle bar last night when the lights dimmed and I heard a deep purrrrrrrrrr behind me. Ms. Eartha Kitt was warming up her vocal chords inches from my ear. What do you say to the sexiest 80-year-old on the planet when she throws off her shawl and declares the room chilly?
"You'll heat it up right away," I said, of course. She let out a shriek, thumped me on the chest, and strode to the stage. Excuse me as I go frame the shirt I was wearing.
Eartha Kitt has just kicked off the fall season at the Carlyle Hotel's legendary cabaret on the Upper East Side.
Here's how you can get smacked by Ms. Kitt in New York's hottest show:
Ms. Kitt will be showing her gams and seducing crowds with classics like C'est Si Bon and Uska Dara until October 27, with one show Tuesdays through Thursdays and two on Fridays and Saturdays.
Most floor seating costs $80, but if you're itching to be brought into Ms. Kitt's repartee, try to get one of the handful of premium front-row tables at $125. You might very well get smacked, verbally for sure if not physically like me (don't worry, for all her vamping, Ms. Kitt giggles often over her stage charades). "She's exhilarating and magnetic and really connects with the audience," a gentleman told me after the din of the standing ovation died down last night. For her own take on the Carlyle show, listen to her talk with NPR's Scott Simon.
But don't fret if you don't get there early--there are only 90 seats in the house and the sight lines are excellent throughout. Didn't make reservations? Bartender Pedro Caballero recommends arriving right when the doors open at 6:30 for the 8:45 show to snag one of the bar's nine plush stools. You can dine comfortably there and the view is fine too. It's no guarantee, but with an early arrival you have the best chance of avoiding the column that blocks a few chairs. After the show, cross the foyer into the equally famous Bemelmans Bar for a nightcap (here's a schedule of the Bemelmans piano bar performances).
The Cafe Carlyle has gone through a major renovation that includes improved acoustics, recessed LED lighting, and a freshening up of Marcel Vertes' iconic ballerina and harlequin murals. A recent New York Times video shows the restoration in progress. When you arrive at the cafe in person, be sure to look on the left by the entrance for an added homage to the late performer Bobby Short.
Woody Allen is currently playing the Carlyle Cafe on Monday nights and Elaine Stritch starts a three week stretch on January 1st, followed by Judy Collins. (Carlyle Hotel, 35 East 76th Street, New York; reservations, 212-744-1600; entrees, $38-$50)
Strike up the band: Detail of the Carlyle's newly restored Marcel Vertes murals.
Photo: The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel
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