Adam Shapiro News

Voting is now underway for Cabaret! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.

Urban Stages, in association with producer/director/lyricist Peter Napolitano have announced additions to WINTER RHYTHMS 2013 performer line-up now running throughSunday, December 15, 2013 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street). Tickets are $30 per show (unless otherwise noted).Tickets may be purchased on www.smarttix.com or 212 868-4444.

Voting is now underway for Cabaret! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.

If you're wondering whether or not 2013 was a fantastic year for the cabaret art form in New York, all you have to do is scan the amazing list of nominees for this year's BroadwayWorld New York Cabaret Awards and you'll know it was one of the best ever. So now it's time for all you cabaret performers and fans to vote for the best singers, musicians, songs, and shows of the year. Voting will continue until Sunday night January 5 and the winners will be announced later that week. We hope that all the winners will be able to perform in the Award show on Sunday night February 23 at Joe's Pub.

It may not be like getting a gift on every one of the 12 Days of Christmas, but for cabaret and musical theater lovers, the 5th Annual Urban Stages Winter Rhythms series--presented over a dozen nights at the not-for-profit Off-Broadway theatre on 259 West 30th Street--could be the closest thing to opening a daily present by the tree. From December 3-15, dozens of singers and musicians will perform in an eclectic mix of a dozen shows plus late night and matinee 'extras,' with all the proceeds from ticket sales dedicated to the Urban Stages 'On Tour Outreach Program that brings more than 200 free multicultural theater and music programs to elementary and middle school age children and their families in libraries and schools throughout NYC five boroughs. Three years ago, Urban Stages Artistic Director Frances Hill brought in MAC and Bistro award-winning director, lyricist and producer Peter Napolitano to produce the Winter Rhythms program and broaden its scope.BroadwayWorld.com Cabaret Columnist Stephen Hanks recently caught up with the Sol Hurok of Urban Stages to learn how Napolitano has helped Winter Rhythms evolve and to get some insights into this year's program.

Urban Stages (Frances Hill, Founding Artistic Director), in association with producer/director/lyricist Peter Napolitano announces a series of musical evenings entitled WINTER RHYTHMS 2013, beginning on Tuesday, December 3 and running through Sunday, December 15, 2013 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street). Tickets are $30 per show (unless otherwise noted).Tickets may be purchased on www.smarttix.com or 212 868-4444.

This summer's New York International Fringe Festival will host the new futuristic rock musical BARCODE which features book, music, and lyrics by Debbie Andrews and Mike Blaxill of the New York indie quartet Gladshot, and Hair co-author James Rado as creative consultant. Joe Barros (director of the 2011 FringeNYC hit The Legend of Julie Taymor) directs and choreographs.

This summer's New York International Fringe Festival will host the new futuristic rock musical BARCODE which features book, music, and lyrics by Debbie Andrews and Mike Blaxill of the New York indie quartet Gladshot, and Hair co-author James Rado as creative consultant. Joe Barros (director of the 2011 FringeNYC hit The Legend of Julie Taymor) directs and choreographs.

BROADWAY MEOWS, a concert for the Humane Society of New York, will be featuring the songs of Seth Bisen-Hersh and a multitude of Broadway talent tonight, July 22nd, 2013.

BROADWAY MEOWS, a concert for the Humane Society of New York, will be featuring the songs of Seth Bisen-Hersh and a multitude of Broadway talent on July 22nd, 2013.

The Major League Baseball All-Star break (the game is on Tuesday night) has always been considered the midpoint of the season and as a lifelong fan I've always enjoyed reading those analyses from writers that assess the best performances of the first half. Since July is also the middle of the calendar year, I thought it might be fun to present a cabaret equivalent of a baseball midseason report. So . . . (drum roll) . . . presenting the Best (and My Favorite) 20 New York Cabaret Shows and Performances of (the first half) of 2013.

Broadway Sings for Pride will kickoff NYC Gay Pride 2013 by celebrating with their third annual Gay Pride benefit concert. The special one-night benefit entitled ' Unite' with join forces with American Idol and Billboard recording artistic Kimberley Locke, Broadway powerhouse Eden Espinosa (star of Wicked, Rent, Brooklyn The Musical), American Idol and Rent star Anwar Robinson and over 20 members of the Broadway community. The concert will benefit the Hetrick-Martin Institute and Broadway Sings for Pride. There will also be special speakers including a message of hope from Steven Guy and James Clementi of the Tyler Clementi Foundation. The night will be hosted by award winning host from the hit show 'truTV Presents: the World's Dumbest' Scott Nevins with staging by Rachele Rommes (Minnesota Timberwolves choreographer). A live auction will happen before the show.

A few weeks before BroadwayWorld.com Cabaret Reviewer and Columnist Stephen Hanks was about to stage the opening night of his debut solo cabaret show on May 31, a number of cabaret performers asked him if he was going to write about the experience in some way, with some even encouraging him to keep a diary. 'It might be really interesting to read how your perspective about cabaret performers and performing might have changed and how it might impact your reviews now that you're doing it yourself,' commented one singer. 'It was a fascinating notion and one that I had already thought about,' Hanks admits, 'but between a full time job, attending shows, writing reviews, taking vocal lessons, rehearsing, etc., finding the time and the energy to keep even a weekly diary was not in the cards.' Hanks certainly didn't think he'd forget even the little things that have gone into making his journey what he calls 'an amazing, fantasy-fulfilling, almost surreal experience.' On the eve of his last performance of his three-show run (over three weeks) at the Metropolitan Room of Beyond American Pie: The Don McLean Songbook, BroadwayWorld.com sat down with our lead cabaret reviewer to get his insights and perspective on what's it been like to be on the performer end of things.

Broadway Sings for Pride will kickoff NYC Gay Pride 2013 by celebrating with their third annual Gay Pride benefit concert. The special one-night benefit entitled ' Unite' with join forces with American Idol and Billboard recording artistic Kimberley Locke, Broadway powerhouse Eden Espinosa (star of Wicked, Rent, Brooklyn The Musical), American Idol and Rent star Anwar Robinson and over 20 members of the Broadway community. The concert will benefit the Hetrick-Martin Institute and Broadway Sings for Pride.

Broadway Sings for Pride will kickoff NYC Gay Pride 2013 by celebrating with their third annual Gay Pride benefit concert. The special one-night benefit entitled ' Unite' with join forces with American Idol and Billboard recording artistic Kimberley Locke, Broadway powerhouse Eden Espinosa (star of Wicked, Rent, Brooklyn The Musical), American Idol and Rent star Anwar Robinson and over 20 members of the Broadway community. The concert will benefit the Hetrick-Martin Institute and Broadway Sings for Pride. There will also be special speakers including a message of hope from Steven Guy and James Clementi of the Tyler Clementi Foundation. The night will be hosted by award winning host from the hit show 'truTV Presents: the World's Dumbest' Scott Nevins with staging by Rachele Rommes (Minnesota Timberwolves choreographer). A live auction will happen before the show.

When you're a cabaret reviewer on the evening show prowl between Monday night and Saturday evening (although not every night, thank goodness), you'd like to think that the God of Cabaret would make Sunday a day of rest. No such luck, since the weekend allows clubs to book shows as early as brunch time. I learned this again early this month when I felt compelled to attend three shows starring charming female singers-Corinna Sowers-Adler at Stage 72 (the Triad), Eva Kantor at the Laurie Beechman, and Lianne Marie Dobbs at the Metropolitan Room. I didn't break my personal Sunday record of four shows in one day set in late January (yes, I should be committed), but there was a two-hour break in this mix so it still turned out to be an 8-hour cabaret extravaganza. (Thank you, oh God of Cabaret, for press comps!) While it would have been sweet for the musical marathon to have been a clean sweep of excellent shows, as Meat Loaf might croon, 'Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad.'

'By Request' with Corinna Sowers Adler comes to Stage 72 at the Triad this afternoon, April 7, 2013.