Aaron Weinstein News

Voting has now opened for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Cabaret Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 4th.

The day is finally here! After one month of voting on preliminary nominees in 17 categories, the results of more than 5,000 ballots were considered along with the selections of BroadwayWorld's cabaret section editors to determine the final nominees for the 2014 BroadwayWorld.com New York Cabaret Awards. Joining cabaret icon Marilyn Maye with four nominations is budding star Carole J. Bufford, who made the final ballot for two different shows during 2014 and as 'Best Female Vocalist' and 'Performer of the Year.' Among Maye's nominations were 'Performer of the Year,' two shows in the 'Best Celebrity Show' category, and a 'Best Director' nomination for her work with jazz singer Gabrielle Stravelli (who received two nominations). In addition to her usual nod for 'Best Jazz Vocalist,' jazz star Jane Monheit received two other nominations as 'Performer of the Year,' and as 'Best Host' for her new variety show at Birdland, Jane Monheit's Jazz Party (Monheit also co-starred with Clint Holmes in another nominated show, Frank Wildhorn and Friends in the 'Best Revue' category.) Eric Michael Gillett also earned three nominations for 'Best Show, Male,' 'Best Male Vocalist,' and 'Best Director.'

The 25th New York Cabaret Convention first night titled 'I Love A Piano' was held at Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center last night and BroadwayWorld was there backstage and out front!

South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) has announced its 2014-15 performance schedule through February 2015.

South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) has announced its 2014-15 performance schedule through February 2015.

After more than two decades of exciting contribution to the New York musical scene, The Mabel Mercer Foundation hits a new high this autumn by producing its 25th annual New York Cabaret Convention for four evenings, October 20th-23rd. All performances begin at 6 o'clock at the Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Frederick P. Rose Hall at Broadway and 60th Street.

Linda Lavin had a triumphant return engagement at Helsinki on Broadway last night. With her music director Billy Stritch, Linda played to a sold out Helsinki Hudson crowd. Joining Linda was husband Steve Bakunas on drums, Tom Hubbard on bass, Ron Afif on guitar and special guest, Jazz violinist Aaron Weinstein. Jim Caruso was Linda's special surprise for the Hudson audience. BroadwayWorld was there for this special one night only concert.

Check out a look back at Lavin's concert at Birdland, featuring appearances by Hunter Ryan Herdlicka, BroadwayWorld's own Richard Ridge, and more, below!

The fourth annual 'Night Of A Thousand Judys' -- presented by The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre -- welcomed stars including Sierra Boggess (The Phantom of the Opera), Austin Scarlett ('Project Runway'), Karen Wyman (celebrated 60s pop singer), Alison Fraser (two-time Tony Award nominee), Jackie Hoffman (Hairspray) and Aaron Weinstein (acclaimed jazz violinist), as well as Jane Monheit (Grammy Award nominated jazz star), Sarah Dash (R&B/Disco legend of LaBelle), Rory O'Malley (Tony Award nominee, The Book of Mormon,) Julia Murney (Wicked, The Wild Party), Erin McKeown (folk-rock singer/songwriter) and Gabrielle Stravelli (Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra). Scroll down for photos from the event!

Next Show: THE (pre) FOURTH OF JULY SPECIAL - CLASSIC AMERICANA

After a sold-out engagement last September, two-time Tony Award winner Christine Ebersole (Grey Gardens, 42nd Street) returns to Feinstein's at the Nikko with her newest concert, 'Strings Attached," for two performances only - Today, June 14 (7 p.m.) and Sunday, June 15 (7 p.m.). Joined by The Aaron Weinstein Trio, Ebersole will celebrate the release of her recent CD, 'Strings Attached.' The evening will include classic standards from the '20s, '30s and '40s, featuring songs by such legends as Fats Waller ("Jitterbug Waltz"), Cole Porter ("Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye"), Johnny Mercer ("This Time the Dream's on Me") and George Gershwin ("Shall We Dance") to name a few. Tickets for Christine Ebersole range in price from $60 - $85 and are on-sale now and available by calling 866.663.1063 or visiting www.ticketweb.com.

The fourth annual 'Night Of A Thousand Judys' - presented by The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre - has announced a new round of stars, including Sierra Boggess (The Phantom of the Opera), Austin Scarlett ('Project Runway'), Karen Wyman (celebrated 60s pop singer), Alison Fraser (two-time Tony Award nominee), Jackie Hoffman (Hairspray) and Aaron Weinstein (acclaimed jazz violinist).

After a sold-out engagement last September, two-time Tony Award winner Christine Ebersole (Grey Gardens, 42nd Street) returns to Feinstein's at the Nikko with her newest concert, 'Strings Attached," for two performances only - Saturday, June 14 (7 p.m.) and Sunday, June 15 (7 p.m.). Joined by The Aaron Weinstein Trio, Ebersole will celebrate the release of her recent CD, 'Strings Attached.' The evening will include classic standards from the '20s, '30s and '40s, featuring songs by such legends as Fats Waller ("Jitterbug Waltz"), Cole Porter ("Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye"), Johnny Mercer ("This Time the Dream's on Me") and George Gershwin ("Shall We Dance") to name a few. Tickets for Christine Ebersole range in price from $60 - $85 and are on-sale now and available by calling 866.663.1063 or visiting www.ticketweb.com.

I was just a little more than a year into my new side career as a cabaret show reviewer when I first saw a Karen Oberlin show. It was Valentine's Day night 2012 and Oberlin—with guitarist Sean Harkness and guest violinist Aaron Weinstein—would be performing her romance-laced set, Stringing Along With Love, at the Metropolitan Room. At the time, all I knew about Oberlin was that she was considered among New York's best female cabaret singers, and I hadn't researched her performing history pre-show. About a third of the way into her set I leaned over to my wife (it was Valentine's Day after all) and whispered, “You know, she has a real Doris Day quality in her voice and in the way she delivers some lyrics.” This immediately ratcheted up my appreciation for Oberlin since there are four passions I inherited from my Dad—baseball, reading the morning papers, sports writing and Doris Day (well, also Sophia Loren, but that's for another column). Since Dad had grown up during the prime of the Big Band Era of the 1940s, I heard the sultry sounds of a young Doris Day singing songs like “Sentimental Journey” on the family stereo more than a few times. Once I saw Day's strikingly adorable blondness on a record cover and her rocking body in one of her films, I knew what Dad was talking about. As popular, famous, and near iconic as Doris Day became, in my book, as a singer and screen beauty she's always been vastly underrated. Little did I know that Karen Oberlin had been doing a Doris Day tribute show so since 2001 at places like Firebird, Iridium, and the late Danny's Skylight Room, and produced a CD, Secret Love: The Music of Doris Day, in 2002. Karen Oberlin had instantly become my secret love.

Symphony Space's free signature event, Wall to Wall, took up the theme with Wall to Wall Cabaret on Saturday, May 3. The lineup of nearly 50 performers was a veritable roll call of cabaret icons and rising stars, including Kate Baldwin,Klea Blackhurst, Barbara Carroll, Bill Charlap + Sandy Stewart, Barbara Cook, Judy Gold, Julie Halston, Ute Lemper, Lypsinka, Taylor Mac, Andrea Marcovicci, Marilyn Maye,Andrea McArdle, Jane Monheit, Steve Ross, Billy Stritch, and many more. James Naughton served as the evening's Master of Ceremonies. The distinguished house band for the evening was Russ Kassoff on piano, John Arbo on bass, and John Redsecker on drums.

Symphony Space's annual Spring Festival has become one of the season's most keenly awaited events. This year's installment, Sleeping Around: The Cultural Lives of New York's Hotels, may be the most provocative yet. Running from April 26 to May 21, the monthlong festival celebrates New York's landmark hotels, their occupants, and the lengendary boites that nurtured and sustained the evergreen songs and performers of cabaret. Sleeping Around also credits New York's hotels as incubators for film, classical music, and literature, with programs devoted to Andy Warhol, Virgil Thomson, and Dorothy Parker.

Symphony Space's annual Spring Festival has become one of the season's most keenly awaited events. This year's installment, Sleeping Around: The Cultural Lives of New York's Hotels, may be the most provocative yet. Running from April 26 to May 21, the monthlong festival celebrates New York's landmark hotels, their occupants, and the lengendary boites that nurtured and sustained the evergreen songs and performers of cabaret. Sleeping Around also credits New York's hotels as incubators for film, classical music, and literature, with programs devoted to Andy Warhol, Virgil Thomson, and Dorothy Parker.

January and February have seen sell-out performances at the Crazy Coqs and March and April look set to continue the trend.