Ariana Savalas

Last updated

Ariana Savalas
Ariana Savalas Performs in USA.jpg
Background information
Born (1987-01-09) January 9, 1987 (age 37) [1]
Los Angeles, California, U.S. [1]
GenresAlternative, rock, burlesque, cabaret
Occupation(s)singer, songwriter, burlesque performer
Instrument(s)Vocals, Piano
Website arianasavalas.com

Ariana Savalas is an American singer, songwriter, and burlesque performer. She has performed in burlesque cabarets worldwide, including as the emcee and singer for Dita Von Teese and at the Crazy Horse cabaret in Paris.

Contents

She was one of the original members of Postmodern Jukebox [2] alongside Haley Reinhart, Casey Abrams, Robyn Adele Anderson, and Morgan James. Savalas tours with the band and has appeared in a number of the group's YouTube videos, two of her videos in the top five most popular videos in the group's history. [3] [4] [5] [6]

Fusing her original music with elements of traditional vaudeville and burlesque, [7] Savalas was described by Las Vegas Magazine as "the musical burlesque queen" and "the mistress of the modern Moulin Rouge". [8]

She is the daughter of Greek-American actor Telly Savalas.

Early life

Savalas was born in Los Angeles, California, but was raised in Minnesota following the death of her father Telly Savalas in 1994. [1] She attended an all-girls Catholic convent school in her teenage years before graduating early and moving to London to pursue a career in performance. She studied Shakespeare and acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and was a member of Playhouse West, a repertory theater directed by Jeff Goldblum. [9] She eventually graduated from Harvard University years later.

Before turning to burlesque, Savalas toured and recorded in Europe as a pop singer in her teens with European producer Jack White. [10] She made a guest appearance as Bobby Lainsford on the CBS hit drama Criminal Minds in 2010. Savalas began her music career in Los Angeles as a singer/songwriter playing venues on the Sunset Strip, [11] such as the Whisky a Go Go and Hard Rock Cafe.

Career

Debut singles and EP

Ariana Savalas with Dave Koz Ariana Savalas with Dave Koz.jpg
Ariana Savalas with Dave Koz

Savalas' first jazz EP, Sophisticated Lady, was a combination of her original compositions as well as two standards from the Great American Songbook, including the song "Sophisticated Lady" by Duke Ellington, Mitchell Parish, and Irving Mills which she named the record after. [12] Savalas was widely known in the cabaret world headlining in venues such as the New York Friars' Club and Michael Feinstein's late New York cabaret Feinstein's. [13] She was the opening act for saxophone legend Kenny G [14] and has toured the world with 14 time Grammy nominee Dave Koz. [15]

Postmodern Jukebox

Ariana Savalas with Postmodern Jukebox ArinaCabaret.jpg
Ariana Savalas with Postmodern Jukebox

Savalas was introduced to Scott Bradlee in 2015 and began collaborating on online videos and touring with the band soon after. They have performed at venues such as Radio City Music Hall, The Greek Theater, and the O2 Academy in London. [16] Savalas was their first female emcee, and hosted the first-ever PMJ PBS special "Postmodern Jukebox: The New Classics". Savalas has garnered praise for her singing and also for her skill at jazz whistling. [17]

Burlesque

Ariana Savalas at Faena Theater Ariana Savalas at Faena Theater.jpg
Ariana Savalas at Faena Theater

Savalas began incorporating her own music into live shows, drawing influences from the Weimar Republic era of German Cabaret and the Moulin Rouge. Her 2019 live album, "The Ménage a Tour! Live from Las Vegas" was a showcase of music, songwriting, dance, comedy, and burlesque. [18] Savalas released a single and music video for her original song "Legendary Lover" in early 2020.

The Dead Dance

Savalas released her debut full studio record, The Dead Dance, in early 2020. The album was released exclusively under Cargo Records in Germany and digitally worldwide.[ citation needed ] The first single, "Memory", features trumpet player Brian Newman. [19]

Discography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shoshana Bean</span> American actress and singer-songwriter (born 1977)

Shoshana E. Bean is an American singer, songwriter, and stage actress. She has released three records and has appeared on many theater cast recordings and film soundtracks. In 2022, Bean received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her performance as Susan Young in Mr. Saturday Night.

Kathryn L. "Kate" Davis is an American singer, songwriter, and bassist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joey Cook</span> American singer-songwriter

Joey DeAnn Cook is an American singer-songwriter from Woodbridge, Virginia who finished seventh place on the fourteenth season of American Idol. She toured with indie rock band Mammoth Indigo in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haley Reinhart</span> American singer

Haley Elizabeth Reinhart is an American singer, songwriter and actress from Wheeling, Illinois. She first rose to prominence after placing third in the tenth season of American Idol. In July 2011, Reinhart signed a recording deal with Interscope Records. Her debut album Listen Up! was released on May 22, 2012, to critical acclaim, and she subsequently became the first American Idol alumna to perform at Lollapalooza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thia Megia</span> Singer

Thialorei Lising Megia is a Filipino-American singer and television actress. She is known for being a contestant on the tenth season of American Idol and for starring as Haley Chen on Days of Our Lives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sara Niemietz</span> American singer-songwriter and actress

Sara Anne Niemietz is an American singer-songwriter and actress based in Los Angeles, California. She has performed on Broadway, at Radio City Music Hall, and the Grand Ole Opry. A substantial portion of her YouTube offerings are live performance music-videos and her channel has surpassed 25 million views. Her regular co-writer and long-time accompanist is W. G. Snuffy Walden, and she has also co-written with Melissa Manchester. Niemietz is a regular cast-member with Postmodern Jukebox, appearing on a dozen albums, a PBS television special, and an MTV music video. She is a featured artist on Richard Marx's A Night Out with Friends (2012) (PBS), Christmas Spirit (2012), and B. J. Thomas's The Living Room Sessions (2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sara Niemietz discography</span>

Sara Niemietz is a vocalist, actress, musician, and composer with Broadway theatrical, soundtrack and live performance experience. She has co-produced music videos and albums with W. G. Snuffy Walden in his Taylor Made Studios since 2010. Niemietz became a featured cast member with Postmodern Jukebox in 2015. Musical influences include gospel, children's and family, stage musical, pop, rock, blues and jazz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morgan James</span> American singer, songwriter, and actress (born 1981)

Morgan James is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She has appeared in numerous Broadway shows, including Motown: The Musical, Godspell, and The Addams Family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Bradlee</span> American musician

Scott Bradlee is an American musician, pianist, and arranger. He is best known for his viral videos on YouTube, including his work under the moniker Postmodern Jukebox (PMJ) — an ever-evolving, revolving collective of performers playing popular music in period styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gunhild Carling</span> Swedish jazz musician

Gunhild Carling is a Swedish jazz musician and multi-instrumentalist. She is well known for playing the trombone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puddles Pity Party</span> American singer and entertainer

Michael Geier, better known by his stage name Puddles Pity Party, is an American singer and entertainer based in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Geier garnered international fame in the 2010s through his most critically acclaimed act: a Pagliacci-type clown alter ego named Puddles Pity Party. As Puddles, Geier has toured North America, Europe, and Australia; and has released content under the Puddles moniker since 2013. Geier is well known in the Atlanta entertainment circuit, having garnered a reputation for himself through his Elvis Presley-themed Christmas shows and charity events, and he has also collaborated with musical acts like Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox. Geier now performs almost exclusively as Puddles, and he also refers to Puddles in third person when speaking about the character.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Postmodern Jukebox</span> American retro music collective

Postmodern Jukebox (PMJ), also known as Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox, is a rotating musical collective founded by New York based pianist Scott Bradlee in 2011. Postmodern Jukebox is known for reworking popular modern music into different vintage genres, especially early 20th century forms such as swing and jazz. They have toured North America, Europe, and Australia; often simultaneously due to the extensive discography and the numerous artists and performers involved in the project. Postmodern Jukebox has amassed over 1.9 billion YouTube views and 5.8 million YouTube subscribers since its introduction in 2011.

Pattenburg is an unincorporated community located within Union Township in Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gimme Chocolate!!</span> 2015 single by Babymetal

"Gimme Chocolate!!" is a song by the Japanese kawaii metal band Babymetal from their self-titled debut album. Though it was not released as a single in Japan, the song became an international success, with its music video gaining over 180 million views on YouTube. Later, it was released via earMusic in the United Kingdom on May 31, 2015 as a digital single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robyn Adele Anderson</span> American singer

Robyn Adele Anderson is an American singer and stage actress based in New York City. She is a cast member and featured artist for Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox with over 250 million YouTube views on her music videos. She is credited with the band's breakthrough covers of "Thrift Shop" and "We Can't Stop" in 2013. Anderson also performed lead vocals for performances on Good Morning America (ABC) in 2013, and TEDx in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aubrey Logan</span> American singer-songwriter

Aubrey Michelle Logan is an American pop and jazz singer and trombone soloist. Logan won the Audience's Choice Award and the Jury's First Place Award at the 2009 Shure-Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. She was also an American Idol in 2009, but was eliminated in the early rounds. She is a featured artist for Postmodern Jukebox, and the Dave Koz band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chloe Feoranzo</span> American jazz musician

Chloe Feoranzo is an American clarinetist, saxophonist, and vocalist who has been performing professionally since the age of 15. Born in Rhode Island, she grew up in San Diego, where she played in youth orchestras and pit bands, along with swing and dixieland bands and playing as a guest artist at numerous festivals across Southern California. She made her debut at the Mission Valley music fete in 2005. As a teenage musician she studied with jazz sax legend Charles McPherson and attended the annual UC San Diego Jazz Camp. In 2007, she became the San Diego Jazz Fest & Swing Extravaganza's first youth guest artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martina DaSilva</span> American jazz vocalist and composer

Martina DaSilva is a jazz vocalist, composer and arranger. In addition to being a leading member of the band The Ladybugs, DaSilva has worked with Jon Batiste, Postmodern Jukebox, Gunhild Carling and Bria Skonberg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Ladybugs</span> American jazz band

The Ladybugs are an American traditional jazz band based in New York City. Initially founded by vocalist Martina DaSilva, the group eventually integrated additional vocals by Kate Davis and later Vanessa Perea. The band is known for its unique instrumentation—the vocalists double on snare drum and ukulele and are supported by dual trombones, bass and guitar. The group's musical repertoire is largely determined by DaSilva and Perea and draws upon songs from early jazz and the american songbook as well as more contemporary pieces arranged for a traditional jazz aesthetic.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Streeter, Leslie Gray (August 26, 2011). "Singer Ariana Savalas is proud of her dad Telly, but is making a name for herself". pbpulse.com. Archived from the original on December 18, 2011. Retrieved December 26, 2011.
  2. ↑ Sarah Barness (March 3, 2017). "Live Review: Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox". Varsity . Retrieved March 3, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Fiona Apple's "Criminal" Sounds Pretty Incredible as a Vintage Torch Song". Slate magazine . Archived from the original on April 11, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2016. The main reason this works, though, is singer Ariana Savalas, who matches Apple's pained, pirouetting vocals and adds her own jazzy grace notes to boot.
  4. ↑ Sarah Barness (June 10, 2014). "We Like The Way Postmodern Jukebox Covers Blackstreet's 'No Diggity,' All Vintage-y". The Huffington Post . Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  5. ↑ Simon Collins (September 14, 2015). "Jukebox crew just the bee's knees". Yahoo! News. The West Australian. Archived from the original on April 11, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  6. ↑ Weingarten, Rachel (May 15, 2015). "Postmodern Jukebox: Behind the Retro-Pop YouTube Sensation". Parade Magazine. New York: Athlon Media Group. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  7. ↑ BWW Team (January 30, 2015). "Postmodern Jukebox entertains in their O.C. debut concert". Broadway World . Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  8. ↑ BWW Team. "Postmodern Jukebox entertains in their O.C. debut concert".
  9. ↑ BWW News Desk (March 1, 2010). "Ariana Savalas Comes To The Metropolitan Room 3/19". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved April 11, 2016. After touring Europe, Ariana was accepted by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London to study Shakespeare and acting. Following her RADA training, she moved to Los Angeles to work with Robert Carnegie at the prestigious Playhouse West Theater, planning to return to London in the fall of that year. After just one month in Los Angeles, with no previous professional acting experience, she auditioned for and won the title role of Miriam Shafer in the feature film?Miriam,?a true story of a Lithuanian Holocaust survivor. The part required the 18-year-old Ariana to play a grueling range of emotions while portraying Miriam from age 15 through 50 years old. Her most recent film is Akrasia by Polish director Xavier Tatarkiewicz.?
  10. ↑ Heather Phares. "Ariana Savalas: Biography". AllMusic . Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  11. ↑ Army Archerd (April 16, 2007). "Showbiz Second Generation". Variety magazine. Archived from the original on April 11, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  12. ↑ admin (December 28, 2012). "Herb Alpert's Vibrato, Grill, Jazz, Etc. Presents Ariana Savalas – "Sophisticated Lady"". Arcadia Weekly. Archived from the original on April 11, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2016. Following in her father's footsteps, she also had a guest appearance on one of television's top cop shows CBS' "Criminal Minds." Ariana also appears on famed jazz harp player/pianist (and wife of Mike Stoller of renowned songwriting team Leiber & Stoller) Corky Hale's latest CD release, "Corky Hale…And Friends – I'm Glad There Is You," singing her rendition of the song, "I See Your Face."
  13. ↑ Mavis Manus. "Adriana Savalas embraces her musical roots" (PDF). No. March 2011. Hellenic Journal. pp. 4, 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 11, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  14. ↑ Jim Dail (August 27, 2015). "Ariana Savalas owns the stage through jazz and cabaret". PE Temecula. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
  15. ↑ Dave Koz. "Artist Lineup" . Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  16. ↑ Radio City. "Ariana Savalas: Biography". RadioCity . Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  17. ↑ Guzman, Ivan (May 29, 2015). "Postmodern Jukebox Flips the Idea of a Cover Band On Its Ear". Houston Press . Retrieved April 2, 2023.
  18. ↑ Patrick Carone. "Ariana Savalas: Biography". Maxim . Retrieved April 11, 2017.
  19. ↑ "Ariana Savalas - "Memory" feat. Brian Newman (Official Music Video)". February 14, 2020. Archived from the original on December 14, 2021. Retrieved April 6, 2020– via YouTube.
  20. ↑ "THE DEAD DANCE: Ariana Savalas' 1st Major Album – NEO Magazine". neomagazine.com. April 29, 2020. Archived from the original on April 29, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  21. ↑ Sjostrom, Jan (September 3, 2016). "Ariana Savalas' show at Royal Room returns to cabaret's theatrical roots". Palm Beach Daily News. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  22. ↑ "TEMECULA: Ariana Savalas owns the stage through jazz and cabaret – Press Enterprise". pe.com. December 3, 2020. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved December 3, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  23. 1 2 Ariana Savalas (June 14, 2014). No Diggity - Vintage Jessica Rabbit- Style Blackstreet Cover ft. Ariana Savalas. Postmodern Jukebox. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  24. ↑ Ariana Savalas (July 23, 2015). Criminal - Vintage Torch Song Fiona Apple Cover ft. Ariana Savalas. Postmodern Jukebox. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  25. ↑ Ariana Savalas (September 17, 2015). Single Ladies - Vintage "Chicago" / Fosse - Style Beyonce Cover ft. Ariana Savalas. Postmodern Jukebox. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  26. 1 2 Ariana Savalas (December 16, 2014). Blank Space - Vintage Cabaret - Style Taylor Swift Cover ft. Ariana Savalas. Postmodern Jukebox. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  27. ↑ "Announcing PMJ's First-Ever Live Album, The New Classics!". Postmodern Jukebox. October 23, 2017. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  28. ↑ Ariana Savalas & Sarah Reich (April 15, 2015). Bad Romance - Vintage 1920's Gatsby Style Lady Gaga Cover ft. Ariana Savalas & Sarah Reich. Postmodern Jukebox. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  29. ↑ Ariana Savalas (May 12, 2016). Pony - Vintage Jazz Ginuwine Cover ft. Ariana Savalas. Postmodern Jukebox. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  30. ↑ Ariana Savalas (April 20, 2017). Thong Song - Postmodern Jukebox 1930s Jazz Version ft. Ariana Savalas. Postmodern Jukebox. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  31. ↑ Ariana Savalas (June 22, 2017). It Wasn't Me - '60s Tom Jones Style Shaggy Cover ft. Ariana Savalas - Postmodern Jukebox. Postmodern Jukebox. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  32. ↑ Ariana Savalas (June 7, 2019). Bad Guy - Billie Eilish (Tango Style Cover) ft. Ariana Savalas. Postmodern Jukebox. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  33. ↑ Haley Reinhart, Morgan James, and Ariana Savalas (March 17, 2015). All About That Bass - Postmodern Jukebox European Tour Version. Postmodern Jukebox. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  34. ↑ Aubrey Logan, Sara Niemietz, Ariana Savalas (January 19, 2017). Bye Bye Bye - 2016 North American Postmodern Jukebox Tour Cast Version. Postmodern Jukebox. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.