About Us
Dedicated to the promotion of the Arts, Merciful Delusions Productions is happy to be producing Arts & Eats, a Variety Show, a celebration of arts, food, and culture in NYC. In addition, MDP has produced 'Defeat the Street' a Variety Show in aid of the homeless, short films, and a series of Tennessee Williams One-Act plays.
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ARTS & EATS
November 12, 2023
at Le Rivage
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Doors Open: 12:45 PM
Performance Begins: 1:30 PM
About The Venue
Le Rivage
Le Rivage is a family tradition with quality passed down through three generations. New Yorkers have known The Café Du Soir up on East 86 St. The truest traditions remain intact.
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The Denamiels who commanded the menu and the kitchen have moved to Restaurant Row in 1984 establishing a new place, "Le Rivage".
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Le Rivage offers you a cozy, romantic French country atmosphere where traditional French cuisine is expertly prepared for your pleasure. Fresh flowers embellish each table, daily.
On The Menu
Menu items will be a lovely assortment of French savory and sweet delicacies that will be passed "flying brunch style."
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Starters
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Leek & Potato Soup
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Quiche Lorraine
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Mini Croque-Monsieur
Charcuterie Platter
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Sliced Beef Fillet on Toast with mushroom Fricassé
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Norvegian Smoked Salmon
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Grilled Shrimp
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Moules Farçies & Couscous
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Creamy Mushroom Risotto
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Seafood Crêpe
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Vegetarian Option
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Beet Salad
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Endive Salad
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Vegetable Couscous
Desserts
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Fresh Fruits Salad
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Macaron
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Mini Chocolate Mousse Cup
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Drinks
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Red -White - Sparkling Wine
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Bloody Mary-Bellini-Mimosa
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Aperol Spritz
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Beers-Soda-Juices- Coffee & Tea
The Acts
ACT 1
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1. Michelle Oppedisano - SURABAYA SANTA from: "Songs For A New World," music & lyrics by Jason Robert Brown
2. Eric Michael Gillett - AFTER ALL by Dar Williams
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3. John Bowen - JEAX D'EAU by Maurice Ravel
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4. Pat Clune - HYMN TO LOVE by Edith Piaf
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5. Gavin McDonough - NOEL'S LAMENT from: "Ride The Cyclone," music By Brooke Maxwell, lyrics By Jacob Richmond
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6. Beth Adubato - SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME from: "Oh, Kay!" music by George Gershwin, lyrics by Ira Gershwin
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7. Nora Cole - SKYLARK by Johnny Mercer
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8. Lisa Yapp - USED TO BE YOUNG by Miley Cyrus
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9. Jamaal Williams - THE MASQUERADE IS OVER by David Porter
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10. Steven Harris - I LOVE BETSY from: "Honeymoon in Vegas," music & lyrics by Jason Robert Brown
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11. Jack Utrata-Claridad & Nathaniel Claridad - BETTER WITH A MAN from: “A Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder" music by Steven Lutvak, lyrics by Lutvak and Robert L. Freedman
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INTERMISSION [15 Minutes]
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ACT 2
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1. Jeannine Goode-Allen - LET THE LOVE FLOW by David Sharp
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2. Nicole Gut - OOH! MY FEET! from: "The Most Happy Fella," music and lyrics by Frank Loesser
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3. Elena D. Clark - I'VE FOUND A NEW BABY from: "Bullets Over Broadway," music by Marvin Hamlisch and Craig Carnelia
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4. Jack Utrata-Claridad - WHEN HE SEES ME from: "Waitress," Music & Lyrics by Sara Bareilles
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5. J.R. Carter - LAST ONE IN THE CONGA LINE from: "Triangle Cruise" by Jack Billet
6. Sandi V. Weldon - PINK FISH by Alan Menken
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7. Kristina Latour and Kenny Jacobson (Red & Silver) - WORLD I KNOW by Collective Soul
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8. Kenneth Linsely - I HAD BUT 50 CENTS by Sam Devere
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9. Johanne Kesten - SOME PEOPLE from: “Gypsy” music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
10. David Sharp - CARRY ON (Original Composition)
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11. Olusayo Adeleye - I'M HERE from: "The Color Purple," music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray
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END OF SHOW
Meet The Artists
Olusayo Adeleye is a New York City-based aspiring actress, singer, and writer. She is currently studying at HB Studio.
Beth Adubato has sung in cabaret shows—in all the usual places—across New York City. She is a soprano with the Rutgers University Chorus. From childhood, she studied the ballet curriculum of the Royal Academy of Dance. She has danced in performances across the U.S., Canada, and in Europe. Beth has appeared in films and television shows, most notably the film Kinsey and on television, Cupid, The Following, and two episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. A former television anchor, Beth is now a criminal justice professor at Saint Peter’s University and a Fulbright Scholar.
John Bowen - is a Musical Director and Keyboard Player Nationally and in the NYC area. Productions include: ‘Curtains’, ‘In My Life’, ‘Fosse', ‘The Sound of Music', 'Curtains’, ‘Hairspray' and many others.
Tours: ‘Annie’, ‘Chicago’, ‘The Who’s Tommy', ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’, ‘Carousel'. Recent Classical Recitals at Weill Recital/Carnegie Hall, Minsky Recital Hall, Maple Grove Concert Series and Scorca Hall at Opera America.
JR Carter is a trained actor, director, and set designer from Brooklyn. This is the first time that JR has worked with Merciful Delusions Productions as a singer. JR has appeared on stage in productions of Triangle Cruise (Harold), Getting Away with Murder (Dan Gerard), The Last Saint on Sugar Hill (Napoleon), Best Little Whore House in Texas (Governor). You can follow JR on Instagram @jr_phwbl.
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Nathaniel P. Claridad is an NYC-based actor & director. Numerous acting credits include Here Lies Love (Public Theater), Taylor Mac's 24 Decade History...(St. Ann's Warehouse), and numerous regional & international credits from the Kennedy Center to the Sydney Opera House. Directing credits include Weathervane Theatre, Southern Rep., Theatre WorksUSA, Imagination Stage, Out of the Box Theatrics, Drama League Resident (2019, 2016). www.npclaridad.weebly.com
Elena D. Clark is an American actress who sold her legal firm in Russia to come to the United States to entertain people. She won "The Best Female Actor" award at Manhattan Rep's Stories Film Festival in 2021 for the role in my Short Film "Manifesto" and "Best Actress" in Sweet Democracy Film Awards. She is delighted to work with Merciful Delusions and Nicole Gut again as it has been a pleasure working on projects together through all these years!
Pat Clune - ​​At age four, I saw a little girl sing "Toyland" in Macy's Department Store. "Dad, I want to do that", I pleaded and never changed my mind. I've been the dramatic lead in 70, Girls, 70 - (Ida Dodd) ; in 100 Saints You Should Know - (Coleen) ; In The Doll's House - (Nora) etc. Nothing compares with the love of the audience and the magic of theater!
Nora Cole – B’Way: Jelly’s Last Jam, On the Town, Your Arms Too Short….Caroline or Change (Royal Nat’l Theatre), And God Created Great Whales, Intimate Apparel, Fences, To Kill a Mockingbird, Doubt, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, The Colored Museum, Medea. Ray Donovan, recurring. Playwright: Katherine’s Colored Lieutenant, Olivia’s Opus, Voices of the Spirits in My Soul. TCG/Fox Foundation Resident Actor Fellow, Black Theatre Torch Bearer. noracole.net.
Eric Michael Gillett is best known for his work in the Broadway revival of Kiss Me, Kate, as well as Broadway’s The Frogs, & Sweet Smell of Success. His decisive way with a lyric, combined with his robust vocal chops, make him a natural for any venue. Eric Michael’s extensive musical theatre repertoire ranges from the likes of Harold Arlen & Lorenz Hart, to contemporary composers such as Stephen Sondheim & Craig Carnelia. His acclaimed tribute to the movies, Widescreen, enjoyed a marvelous run at both New York’s Feinstein’s & The Laurie Beechman Theatre. A mainstay on the New York club scene, his critically-acclaimed shows have garnered him six MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets) awards, as well as a slew of other honors. Eric Michael has appeared with New York City Opera in Cinderella, Pirates of Penzance and Candide, and with the New York City Ballet in Seven Deadly Sins. On television, you might have seen Eric Michael “Wu Tang,” “FBI: Most Wanted,” on “The Mysteries of Laura,” “Kevin Can Wait,” “Ed,”“The Blacklist,” “Daredevil,” “Quantico,” & multiple episodes of “Law & Order.”
Jeannine Goode-Allen - a playwright and performer, musician and teacher inspired by the use of sound, poetry and image to elevate and enlighten. Her mission is to help people reconnect to the arts in personal ways that become vehicles for transformation. Find out more about Jeannine’s work at: doctorofthesoul.com. Follow on IG @doctor_ofthesoul
Nicole M. Gut - (producer & performer) is once again happy to produce “Round 2” of Arts and Eats with Merciful Delusions Productions, LLC (MDP) alongside her favorite restaurant LE RIVAGE. MDP has produced two fundraisers raising money with their DEFEAT THE STREET as well a successful off-Broadway run of 4 one-act plays by Tennessee Williams at Theatre Row, last November. www.nicolemgut.com Follow on IG @nicolemgut
Steven J. Harris is a Swiss Singer, Actor and Writer. After falling in love with singing at a young age and studying musical theater in Germany, he made the jump over the Atlantic to write and act his way through NYC. He’s honored to get to return for Arts&Eats and wants to thank Merciful Delusions Productions, his parents and Nik. @stefdiesel
Johanne Kesten is an HB Studio trained actor/singer, voice actor, and fourth generation entertainer. Film: Guilty Conscience, Lowest Places: Lost Time. Regional: Terry Thompson Babes in Arms (Berkshire Theatre Festival), Mme de la Grande Bouche Beauty and the Beast, Mrs Sowerberry Oliver (Sharon Playhouse), Bottom Midsummer Madness, (SIFCA, Greece), Featured Soloist (Newport Music Festival). www.johannekesten.com IG: @johannekesten
Red & Silver (Kristina Latour & Kenny Jacobson) are a new musical duo who have been playing stages all over Manhattan, including Shrine, Silvana, and Rockwood Music Hall, putting their spin on familiar songs with rich vocal harmonies and a lush 12-string acoustic guitar.
Kenneth Linsley is an actor, singer, and language lover/learner. He has performed on NYC stages, and regional houses around the country. Off-Broadway: “Brunch: The Musical” (American Theatre of Actors.) Tours/Regional: Theatre by the Sea, STONC, Players Theatre, Pocono Playhouse, Bucks County Playhouse. Alumni of both The University of Texas, as well as the American Musical and Dramatic Academy.
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Gavin McDonough studied acting and voice at HB Studio where he was cast in several directors' workshops. He appeared as Rep. Elijah Cummings in an American Scoreboard reading of congressional transcripts, Preacher in a reading of Regge Allan Bruce’s Storm, Eric in Lorraine Hansberry's Les Blancs, as Melchior in excerpts from Spring Awakening, as Cash in the short play Twang, and as Nolan in 16,000 PSI. Gavin had his first foray into opera performing as Papageno in selected scenes from the Magic Flute. He returned to his love of musicals performing pieces in Peter Szep's Home School Musical, 2021’s Arts and Eats Cabaret, and the Defeat the Street charity variety show.
Michelle Oppedisano - Favorite stage roles: Off-Broadway series of Tennessee Williams plays (Theatre Row), New York Nights (Jackie - original cast), [title of show] (Susan), Assassins (Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme), Little Women (Jo), Four Old Broads (Ruby Sue), Urinetown (Ma Strong), among others. TV: The Conny Show, Homicide Hunter. Film: Deadline, My Best Friend, among others. Defeat the Streets, Arts and Eats 2021 (both Merciful Delusions); commercials. She sings at Ellen’s Stardust Diner and is a yoga instructor in her spare time. IG: michelleoppedisano and @live.well.w.michelle
Ilise Ratner - (Production Manager, Arts & Eats (and so much more.) Ilise’s background includes more than 20 years in client service and project management. Her diverse experience gives her unique insight and the demonstrated ability to implement a range of projects. From the demands of managing large-scale, multi-layered corporate relocation operations to balancing the personal and professional lives of high-profile clientele Ilise has seen and done it all. What makes her unique is her high-touch, people-focused approach which ensures regardless of scope or subject, her clients’ well-being is paramount. www.theconfianzagroup.com
David Sharp has been a Broadway and Hollywood performer and is an ordained Presbyterian minister. He is an award-winning writer who has authored four books. He currently combines his artistic and spiritual work as a teacher and guide at the Good&Sharp Studios, a home for spiritual creatives in Boulder, Colorado. For more information contact David at davidprestonsharp.com. Follow on IG @drdavidpsharp.
Jack Utrata-Claridad (MC) is an award-winning producer, writer, filmmaker, working actor, queer activist and digital marketer in NYC. He trained at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, studying both Dramatic Art and Media Production. Jack has produced content for films, web series, live-events, and social media platforms. Most notably, Jack was "Chase" in the premier national tour of Paw Patrol Live with Nickelodeon. Jack is currently developing a new comedy series called 11 Blocks To Go, with his collaborator Ashley Alexander, for which they are 2023 NoMAA Grant Award Winners, and Jack is currently writing his first play, "She Would Have Thrown You a Coming Out Party" which will make its premiere in 2024. Jack also runs Utrata by Design Productions which offers video, editing and digital marketing services nationwide. www.jackutrata.com @jackutrata
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Jamaal Williams - Jamaal is a multi-talented Actor and Singer based out of Brooklyn, NY. With a diverse career that has seen him grace prestigious stages like the Met Opera and appear in numerous TV shows and commercials, he's now preparing to launch new music in the upcoming year. Grateful for his family's unwavering support, you can follow his journey on Instagram @_jamaalw.
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Sandi V. Weldon - Moved to New York City from San Francisco where I have been performing, directing, choreographing and teaching theatre for 50 years. I am the voice over role of Nana the old yellow truck in the Netflix series Go Go Cory Carson which just won an Emmy. I have performed with Yvonne De Carlo, Sammy Davis, Jr. , Tommy Tune, and The Smothers Brothers presented me with the San Francisco Cabaret Gold Award along with Joel Grey and Ertha Kitt. I was nominated for Featured Actress by Theatre Bay Area for my role in August Osage County. I have recently performed the leading role in the musical A Good Day at The Actors Temple , A Sketch of New York at The Producers Club and I’ve been doing my cabaret show at Don't Tell Mama's. I wrote a musical adaptation of The Frogs which was produced by Stephen Sondheim on Broadway and directed by Susan Stroman. During the pandemic I created The Actors Reading Group which now has over 700 members from all over the world. I volunteer as a theatre instructor at Riker's Island
Lisa Yapp is a happy-go-lucky consumer of life! Improvisor (UCB, Magnet); Actor (NYU Tisch); Writer (WGAE); Producer (CNN, PBS, FOX5); Public Access pioneer (shows in The Paley Center for Media collection); Talent Coach (Golf Channel, CBC Toronto/Montreal). Lisa met Nicole playing singing waitresses in HB Studios production of “70 Girls 70” and are still having fun together.
Thank you for supporting the Arts!
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