VANGARI: NYC's favorite mother/daughter duo
'MOON TUNES & MAD THINGS'
Don’t Tell Mama welcomes back VANGARI, NYC’s favorite mother/daughter cabaret duo: Evangeline Johns and Ariana Johns, with Musical Director Darryl Curry. Their show, MOON TUNES & MAD THINGS, is filled with delightful lunacy – including songs penned by Kander & Ebb, Langston Hughes, Tom Lehrer, Bob Dylan & an original from the award-winning songwriting team of Ariana & Darryl. From Broadway to the Blues, tales of obsession and betrayal, both wistful and wild. Direction & Choreography by Max McGuire, Christopher G Carver, and Mark Mindek. See our reviews to the right "Plenty of charm and joy...perfect harmonies...a show full of passion, depth, and fun"
- Marilyn Lester, Night Life Exchange 
Nominated for Three 2023 Broadway World awards: Best Musical Comedy, Best Musical Director, Best Director!
Check out our YouTube channel HERE
'Evangeline and Ariana have gifted us with talent, variety and class--they are the real deal!' --Sondra Lee "A duo of certifiable charm and talent" - Marilyn Lester, Nite Life Exchange 'The selection of music, the arrangements, the performances, the harmonies, the choreography all were wonderful, so funny and moving and Ariana and Vangie hit it out of the park'. - Debra Vogel 'I had a wonderful time and also got a kick out of the choreography...all in all ,a fun and loving performance!' - Randi Levine-Miller ''With top-notch arrangements by Curry, Evangeline brought her deep strong voice and daughter Ariana’s higher pitch and emotive expression...Flawless vocal harmonies...had the audience screaming with laughter" - Deb Miller, DC Theatre Arts 'Two legendary Theatrical Goddesses using their unique interpretive skills to set Don't Tell Mama ablaze with nostalgia, humor and a whole lotta' heart. To see (and hear) the world through their eyes is to remember what a beautiful woman, some serious talent, and a microphone can bring to our world'--Daniel McDonald, The View From the Trailer Park 'A fabulous show! If you're in New York, drop by Don't Tell Mama, and see two delightfully talented ladies entertain you and bring the house down! It's a HIT!!! It should run FOREVER!!!' --Michael Citriniti Previous Shows:
VANGARI's new show, FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK, features some of their most requested songs, along with a sprinkling of new tunes & an original from the songwriting team of Ariana & Darryl. From Broadway to the Blues, tales of voodoo and enchanted earrings, lost love and cautionary tales. Musical Director: Darryl Curry; Directed by Christopher G Carver; Choreography by Max McGuire and Mark Mindek.
VANGARI: Cautionary Tales
THE mother/daughter cabaret: Evangeline Johns and Ariana Johns with Darryl Curry on piano returned to Don’t Tell Mama for an Encore performance! Nominated for 2 Broadway World awards, the show featured songs ranging from The Beatles to Bessie Smith, Johnny Mercer to The Cure, tales from the raucous to the sublime. Choreography by Max McGuire & Mark Mindek; Musical direction by Darryl Curry, this show brought their unique chemistry (well, they share a whole lotta DNA) back to delight audiences once again. |
VANGARI IN THE NEWS:
From Nite Life Exchange: 10/25/2023 by Marilyn Lester "A Trio of Recent, Noteworthy Cabaret Shows" Moon Tunes & Mad Things! Vangari is the portmanteau of the delightful mother-daughter act of Evangeline Johns and Ariana Johns, who can be counted on for a well-paced and curated cabaret of songs known and unknown, clever, and “wistful and wild.” Aside from the talent required to pen and mount such a cabaret, what’s a wonderful bonus here is the dynamic between the two performers: mother love shines through to daughter and daughter love shines right back. At the keys, the duo’s longtime creative partner, music director Darrl Curry, was on hand to add vocals and zest. Read full review HERE From DC Theatre Arts 6/5/2023: "Fun and harmony in Vangari’s ‘Moon Tunes & Mad Things’ at NYC’s Don’t Tell Mama Accompanied on piano and vocals by their multi-talented long-time musical director Darryl Curry, the tight-knit duo, directed by Max McGuire, with assistant direction by Mark Mindek and Christopher Carver, brought all the emotions inherent in love and relationships, the laughs of over-the-top reactions to romance and the world, and the beautiful harmony of both their unbreakable bond and their vocal duets to the hour-long concert..." Read the full review HERE From Nite Life Exchange 9/21/2022 by Marilyn Lester: Vangari's 'Funny You Should Ask' exuded plenty of charm and joy at Don't Tell Mama. Not only do Evangeline Johns and Ariana Johns share a surname, by virtue of DNA they are also mother and daughter—as well as a duo of certifiable charm and talent. How delightful that they’ve been putting their excellent relationship into cabaret shows such as this latest edition, VANGARI: Funny You Should Ask! in which all who are mothers or daughters (or others!) can especially admire and enjoy. Full review HERE From Deb Miller at DC Theatre Arts 10/1/22: "Lots of love, laughs, and fan favorites in VANGARI: Funny You Should Ask...What could be more universally relatable in an intimate cabaret act than an underlying theme of human relationships?... Full review HERE From DC Metro Theatre Arts 3/30/2022 by Deb Miller: No matter what your taste in music and entertainment, NYC’s legendary nightclubs have it, as proven by three selections that kicked off the week at don’t tell mama, Birdland and Joe's Pub. VIEW ARTICLE HERE Interviews: From DC Metro Theatre Arts 3/8/2022: I spoke with Ariana during rehearsals to give our readers an idea of what to expect in this upcoming one-date-only performance of Cautionary Tales and what it means to her. VIEW ARTICLE HERE From Nite Life Exchange 9.25.2018: NiteLife Exchange celebrates Evangeline and Ariana with Six Questions: VIEW ARTICLE HERE 
A bit about Vangie:
Evangeline began performing in the Copacabana chorus line--then came summer stock and regional theatre, followed by experimental theatre with Laurie Carlos, Suzan-Lori Parks and many others. She performed Off-Broadway in the solo show LATE NIGHT CATECHISM, and in 2017, she joined lyricist Ariana Johns and composer Darryl Curry in the premiere of the new musical, 'BUZZ, SON OF A BEE…AN ACTOR'S LIFE FOR ME'. She has performed 2 solo cabaret shows, RADIO SONGS and TORCHING THE BLUES at Don't Tell Mama, and was a finalist in TOMATOES GOT TALENT at The Triad. A bit about Ari: Ariana has performed with Darryl Curry in her cabaret series, THE DREAMER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY (also at DTM), and they are currently in development for their new musical, GLAMOUR AND GRIT. She began in comedy/improv with Chicago City Limits, and she's performed her solo show, VAMPINGO…A COMEDY WITH BITE on both coasts. Musical performances include new works at The National Opera Center, The Metropolitan Room, and Musical Theatre Factory.' |