Whether ensnared or single, seeking or contently solo, Cornelia Street Cafe invites you to spend Valentine’s Day basking in our collective love. The kitchen has prepared a special menu brimming with delicious and stands ready to accommodate you from 6pm to 11pm. Meanwhile our downstairs offerings are no less notable.
At 6pm, Lisa Faith Phillips appears with pianist Ellen Mandel to bring you the inimitable How To Be A Bad Girl: Mistress Edition. Charismatic comedian and former stripper, Phillips brings her new show to Cornelia Street Downstairs following a sold-out tour of her popular parody musical 7 ½ Habits of Highly Successful Mistresses in Dublin, Ireland, New York and at the Capital Fringe Festival in Washington D.C.. She has subsequently been sued for trademark infringement by the FranklinCovey Corporation, owners of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People trademark. Now she’s back, accompanied by the gifted Mistress Ethel on piano. Lisa gives the “411 on romance, love and security in this entertaining off-the-wall performance” (Time-Out New York). Updating with the latest current events and highlighting the 7 1/2 secrets with a riding crop, maracas and witty original songs, such as “How To Be A Bad Girl” and “The Fellatio Tango”, this hilarious seminar “is fun for wives, for husbands, for everybody” (Pagina 12). Drawing on her colorful experiences, working as a stripper to pay her way through graduate school at the London School of Economics, and her background in stand-up comedy and music, Lisa Faith Phillips weaves topical humor and songs into a clever, thought-provoking and ultimately touching show. Part comedy, part cabaret, part one-woman theater piece, it all adds up to an evening of sophisticated, fun entertainment.
Then at 8pm and 10pm, we are joined by the Jo Lawry & Fred Hersch Duo. Pianist and composer Fred Hersch has been called a “one of the small handful of brilliant musicians of his generation” by Downbeat and has earned a place among the foremost jazz artists in the world today. From the late 70’s onward as a sideman to jazz legends including Joe Henderson, Art Farmer and Stan Getz, he has solidified a reputation as a versatile master of jazz piano, as well as a relentlessly probing composer and conceptualist. Australian vocalist Jo Lawry at once tests the limits of technical facility and explores the furthest reaches of musical expression. Her debut album “I Want to Be Happy” earned 4.5 stars in Downbeat Magazine, and recently made the publication’s “Best CDs of the 2000s” list.Jo’s involvement with Fred Hersch began with the development of his quartet, the Fred Hersch Pocket Orchestra, also featuring Richie Barshay (drums) and Ralph Alessi (trumpet). Wall Street Journal named the band’s debut album, “Live At Jazz Standard” (Sunnyside) among 2009’s best new releases. For this unique duo performance at Cornelia Street, Fred and Jo will perform repertoire from the Pocket Orchestra book, as well as exploring some jazz standards and their own originals.
Cover is $15 + $15 food/drink minimum.Our Special Valentine’s Day Dinner $55 upstairs/$65 downstairs including show
UPDATE: Check out the article from the Times Magazine about Fred Hersch here.
