Barbara Porteus

What are you Thankful for this year? These members of the cabaret and club community are particularly thankful for their animal babies.

Stephen Hanks, the BroadwayWorld Award-Nominated producer of the recurring monthly variety show series at the Metropolitan Room, New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits, has announced that he is bringing the third installment of his newest variety series to the venerable cabaret room Don't Tell Mama (343 W 46th St, New York, NY) on January 26 at 7 pm. Stephen's Vixens will star Meg Flather, Rosemary Loar, Laurie Krauz, Barbara Porteus, Charlotte Patton, and Raissa Katona Bennett, with Daryl Kojak as Musical Director.

Urban Stages and Stephen Hanks' Cabaret Life Productions has announced that on Saturday, December 3 at 7 pm, the 2016 Urban Stages Winter Rhythms Festival (December 1-11 at 259 West 30th Street, NYC) will present highlights from seven of the 16 shows that have been presented at Hanks' highly praised monthly series at the Metropolitan Room--New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits (Associate Producer, Fr. Jeffrey Hamblin, MD)--and two shows that will be featured in the series in 2017.  

Urban Stages has announced the line-up for this year's Award Winning series, WINTER RHYTHMS 2016, which will begin Thursday, December 1 and will feature some of New York's best musical performances through Sunday, December 11, 2016 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street, just East of 8th Avenue).

We are lucky in New York City. The talent here is unbelievable. Sometimes you settle in for an intimate evening at a little local club and you get your socks blown off. On Friday the 13th (of May, to be exact), I had such an experience at the latest monthly installment of Stephen Hanks' Metropolitan Room series (Associate Producer, Fr. Jeffrey Hamblin, MD), New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits. The featured performers were Vocalist Laurie Krauz and her Musical Director Daryl Kojak celebrating their 25-year musical collaboration “It's a 'Greatest Hits' show within a Greatest Hits series!” Hanks extolled before introducing his stars for the evening.

Back in early 2013, veteran cabaret performer and actress Barbara Porteus presented a show at Don't Tell Mama called Up On The Roof, a celebratory recollection of her youth through adulthood, while spanning 40 years of pop music including Carol King and Joni Mitchell to John Mayer and Adelle. Three years later, Porteus is bringing back Up On The Roof to the Metropolitan Room as the June 2016 installment of Producer Stephen Hanks' monthly series, New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits (Associate Producer, Fr. Jeffrey Hamblin, MD). Porteus' all-strings band features Award-winning Jack Cavari as Musical Director, arranger, and lead guitarist, with Larry Saltzman on guitar and Zev Katz on bass.

I didn't catch Rosemary Loar's original 2006 presentation of 'Quando Swing,' but I can't imagine it performed with more muscular honesty than it was Wednesday night at the Metropolitan Room in the latest monthly installment of Producer Stephen Hanks' 'New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits' series. We've come to expect lucid, intriguing shows from the vocalist, but engagement level on this occasion felt almost cathartic. Energy was full tilt, lyric communication authentic.

Stephen Hanks' Cabaret Life Productions and Associate Producer Fr. Jeffrey Hamblin, MD, are bringing back Karen Oberlin's 2010 Frank Loesser Tribute Show (with original Musical Director Jon Weber and bass player Sean Smith) as the first 2016 installment of the 'New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits' series at the Metropolitan Room on January 13 at 7 pm. 'I entered the cabaret world as a reviewer in late 2010 so I never saw this show,' says Hanks. 'I'm thrilled Karen Oberlin agreed to bring it back so those like me who didn't experience it will get a chance now.'

Over the past few years, there's not a concert performer or cabaret singer in the country who has paid greater tribute to pop/rock icon Linda Ronstadt-and to rave reviews--than Los Angeles-based vocalist Robyn Spangler. Once again, Robyn Spangler brings her very personal Linda Ronstadt tribute show to the Metropolitan Room for a one-night only show today, September 25 at 7 pm. Featuring acclaimed Musical Director Jon Weber on piano (and cabaret stars Meg Flather, Barbara Porteus, and Craig Pomranz provided stellar backup vocals), Spangler explores the greatest hits of Ronstadt's songbook, from the award-winning pop songs to the big band tunes, from twangy country to a dash of spicy Mexicali. Robyn's show is a young woman's musical journal revealing how her emotional experiences growing up mirrored those depicted in Ronstadt's songs. This is a highly evocative show accessible and identifiable for audiences of all ages.

Over the past few years, there's not a concert performer or cabaret singer in the country who has paid greater tribute to pop/rock icon Linda Ronstadt-and to rave reviews--than Los Angeles-based vocalist Robyn Spangler. Once again, Robyn Spangler brings her very personal Linda Ronstadt tribute show to the Metropolitan Room for a one-night only show on Friday, September 25 at 7 pm. Featuring acclaimed Musical Director Jon Weber on piano (and cabaret stars Meg Flather, Barbara Porteus, and Craig Pomranz provided stellar backup vocals), Spangler explores the greatest hits of Ronstadt's songbook, from the award-winning pop songs to the big band tunes, from twangy country to a dash of spicy Mexicali. Robyn's show is a young woman's musical journal revealing how her emotional experiences growing up mirrored those depicted in Ronstadt's songs. This is a highly evocative show accessible and identifiable for audiences of all ages.

MUSIC AND ART FOR CITY GREENS concludes Season 8 of Concerts to benefit Tudor City Greens with Carole Demas, Bernard Dotson, Forte, Lorinda Lisitza, Sarah Rice, Jay Rogers, Amy Wolk, Barbara Porteus and more.

Back in January, BroadwayWorld's lead cabaret reviewer Stephen Hanks announced he was giving up critiquing shows to start his own company, Cabaret Life Productions, through which he would publicize, promote, and help book cabaret performers, and also produce cabaret shows. Hanks' first major production out of the box is a monthly series at the Metropolitan Room called New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits, that features talented artists recreating award-winning or highly-praised shows we wish we'd seen--a really good idea. Hanks' series launched Wednesday night with Mark Nadler's award-winning 2003 show Tschaikowsky (And Other Russians). The Metropolitan Room was filled to the gills and abuzz with anticipation, as most of the audience was only familiar with the show's second-hand praise and/or the CD version of Nadler's performance.

For diehard cabaret fans and lovers of live music, there's nothing like experiencing a classic show once again or seeing an award winning 'blast from the past' for the first time. That's how cabaret show producer and publicist Stephen Hanks felt and so through his new company, Cabaret Life Productions, he's launching a new monthly series at New York's Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street) titled New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits. Hanks wanted the cream of the New York cabaret crop to open the series and tapped veteran cabaret star Mark Nadler, who the New York Times critic Stephen Holden has called 'Mr. Show Business' and 'an immensely talented latter-day Al Jolson.' On August 26 (7-8:30 pm), Nadler will perform his critically acclaimed show Tschaikowsky (And Other Russians), which won a 2003 Bistro Award for 'Raising Standards of Cabaret Performance,' and received MAC and Nightlife Award Nominations for 'Outstanding Performance in a Major Engagement.'

MUSIC AND ART FOR CITY GREENS concludes Season 8 of Concerts to benefit Tudor City Greens with Carole Demas, Bernard Dotson, Forte, Lorinda Lisitza, Sarah Rice, Jay Rogers, Amy Wolk, Barbara Porteus and more.

For the first time in 15 years, cabaret star Julie Reyburn brings back her award-winning show, Fate Is Kind, to a New York nightclub stage when she performs the classic at the Metropolitan Room on Monday, September 14 at 7 pm as part of the new monthly series, New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits, produced by Stephen Hanks' Cabaret Life Productions with cabaret supporter Fr. Jeffrey Hamblin, MD as Associate Producer. [Reyburn's show will follow the Series launch on August 26 at 7 pm with Mark Nadler's critically acclaimed Tschaikowsky (And Other Russians), which won a 2003 Bistro Award.] Reyburn and her celebrated Musical Director Mark Janas (Producer of the Award-Winning Open-Mic show Salon) introduced Fate Is Kind in February 2000 at The Singer's Forum as a benefit cabaret for their scholarship program. It then moved to Judy's Chelsea in March 2000 for its official cabaret debut, and the show ran off and on there for most of the year. Fate Is Kind world earn Reyburn MAC and Bistro Awards in 2001 for "Outstanding Female Cabaret Debut."

Elton John. Carole King. Joni Mitchell. Carly Simon. Paul Simon. Stevie Wonder. They were six superstar singer/songwriters in a constellation of such stars during the early 1970s; musicians who could definitely be considered the composers of the 'New Great American Songbook.' On July 23 at 7 pm, the Rosen Performing Arts Center of the Wayne, New Jersey YMCA (as part of their 2015 Summer Concert Series) will present the star-studded revue Salute to Singer/Songwriters of the Seventies, which celebrates the great talents of the 'Golden Age of the Pop Singer/Songwriter.'

For diehard cabaret fans and lovers of live music, there's nothing like experiencing a classic show once again or seeing an award winning 'blast from the past' for the first time. That's how cabaret show producer and publicist Stephen Hanks felt and so through his new company, Cabaret Life Productions, he's launching a new monthly series at New York's Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street) titled New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits. Hanks wanted the cream of the New York cabaret crop to open the series and tapped veteran cabaret star Mark Nadler, who the New York Times critic Stephen Holden has called 'Mr. Show Business' and 'an immensely talented latter-day Al Jolson.' On August 26 (7-8:30 pm), Nadler will perform his critically acclaimed show Tschaikowsky (And Other Russians), which won a 2003 Bistro Award for 'Raising Standards of Cabaret Performance,' and received MAC and Nightlife Award Nominations for 'Outstanding Performance in a Major Engagement.'

Elton John. Carole King. Joni Mitchell. Carly Simon. Paul Simon. Stevie Wonder. They were six superstar singer/songwriters in a constellation of such stars during the early 1970s; musicians who could definitely be considered the composers of the 'New Great American Songbook.' On July 23 at 7 pm, the Rosen Performing Arts Center of the Wayne, New Jersey YMCA (as part of their 2015 Summer Concert Series) will present the star-studded revue Salute to Singer/Songwriters of the Seventies, which celebrates the great talents of the 'Golden Age of the Pop Singer/Songwriter.'

When BroadwayWorld.com Cabaret Reviewer Billie Roe was invited to the CabaretFest 2015 Provincetown scheduled for June 4-7, it was to attend as a performer, not necessarily as a reviewer. But we couldn't resist the opportunity to have Billie at least report on some aspects of the long, event-filled weekend and record some of her impressions in something akin to a diary. Based on Billie's descriptive account here, this year's Cabaret Festival in Provincetown, MA, sounds like one of the cabaret highlights of the year.