Gina Gershon acted in her first professional show, Faces on the Wall, when she was a teenager. The musical about adolescent struggle started as a high school production and had been so successful, it got picked up and had a commercial run. (Well, Faces on the Wall was written and directed Gershon’s pal and fellow high schooler Tina Landau. One of the theater’s great visionaries Landau would go on to direct SpongeBob SquarePants.)
The show and Gershon’s performance was so well-received agents approached her. “They were saying, 'Let’s put you on a TV show right away. Let’s do this. Let’s do that.''' Which is very seductive if you want to act,” says Gershon.
While the offers were very flattering, Gershon was conflicted. “I secretly wanted to go to college, learn other things and grow into my acting,” she explains. “I wasn’t there yet in my mind.”
Not sure which path to take, Gershon turned to her teacher, acting legend Martin Landau. “He said, 'There are two roads to get to where you want to go. You could take the freeway, which will get you there a lot faster. Or you can take the country road. It might take you a little bit longer. But it is probably a more beautiful route and more interesting,'” recalls Gershon. “That was really incredible life advice.” She opted for college. In fact, Landau even wrote her recommendation.
Throughout her career Gershon has chosen the more scenic route. This month from June 5th to 16th, the singer, actress and writer makes her debut at the glamorous and iconic supper club Café Carlyle with her show Wild Women Don’t Get the Blues. Gershon who starred on Broadway in Cabaret and Bye Bye Birdie and also had her own rock band, Girls Against Boys, is an accomplished singer. She is also a master Jew's Harp player. Gershon has recorded with several artists including Rufus Wainwright, Christian McBride, Leroy Powell, The Scissor Sisters and has performed on Herbie Hancock's Grammy-nominated 'Possibilities." Her musical roots run deep.
Gershon’s late uncle, Jack Elliott, was a great jazz musician, composer, arranger and conductor. She grew up going to his rehearsals and hearing jazz singers and musicians. “When I was around six, a lady sit down next to me and she was barefoot. I said to my uncle, 'Oh wow, she’s a really good singer. I like her voice.' He said, 'Well yeah, that’s Sarah Vaughn,'” recalls Gershon. “My uncle has been gone for 13 years and I feel a connection to him when I do this music and I feel happy.”
Accompanying Gershon at Café Carlyle is a dream team band which includes Steven Bernstein (trumpet), Saturday Night Live’s Musical Director Eli Brueggemann (piano), Brad Jones (bass), and Jerome Jennings (drums). Coming full circle Gershon’s Uncle Jack was actually Bruegemann’s mentor. “It was like my uncle was tapping me on the shoulder going, 'That kid, Eli Brueggemann. That’s the guy you get as your piano player,” says Gershon. “I could do nothing and people would be entertained by them.”
Ever the renaissance artist, Gershon shared more about her career choices.
Jeryl Brunner: What inspired you to do your cabaret show at Café Carlyle?
Gina Gershon: I was out with a friend at a cabaret. I turned and said, 'I haven’t sang in so long. I used to really love it.' When I was writing a book and then a miniseries, for some reason I stopped doing music. My brain just switched over and I was writing prose instead of lyrics. I said to my friend, 'I need to go back to this.'
Then literally, the next day, Café Carlyle called, out of the blue asking if I would be interested in doing a residency. I was pleasantly surprised. Also, I had never just sang bluesy, jazzy music with this kind of band. It has always been my dream. Nothing feels better than singing in front of an audience with a full band and cool song.
Brunner: Speaking of singing, how did you get your start on Broadway?
Gershon: It all sort of happened the same way as my cabaret show, sort of out of the blue. I had just moved into a place where a singer used to live. I was out with a friend of mine and said, 'I used to be a song and dance girl and do musicals. Why don’t I do that now?' That night when I got home {director} Sam Mendes was on my answering machine, which we had back then. He just called out of the blue saying, 'I know this is random but I think you’d be terrific as Sally Bowles.' I was completely flabbergasted because I thought the production of Cabaret was so brilliant.
When I was growing up you had to almost choose between singing and acting. You couldn’t really do both if you wanted to be a serious actress. And that has certainly changed in the last 10 years.
Brunner: You thrive in so different mediums.
Gershon: I like a lot of different things. I don’t understand why we have to limit ourselves to just one thing. With writing it not like I ever said, 'Ooh, I am going to be a writer.' But things kept coming up. My brother had a really good idea. I kept saying, 'Make that into a book. I’ll turn it into a movie.' He wouldn’t write it unless I did it with him. And then lo and behold we did it and then it was sold. I got offered my In Search of Cleo book after people saw my show. They asked if I could make it into a book. And they gave me an offer. And I said, Yes, I can.'
