Brian Lasser News

Karen Mason - the acclaimed Broadway star and concert artist - comes home with her new show "Mason at Mama's in May" at Don't Tell Mama (343 West 46th Street in Manhattan), which will be performed every Sunday and Monday in May at 7:00 PM. 

Karen Mason - the acclaimed Broadway star and concert artist - releases her new album It's About Time from Zevely Records today, March 3, 2017.

Karen Mason - the acclaimed Broadway star and concert artist - will celebrate her new album It's About Time from Zevely Records with a special concert at Birdland Jazz Club (315 West 44th Street in New York) on Monday, March 6 at 7:00 PM.

Karen Mason - the acclaimed Broadway star and concert artist - will release her new album It's About Time from Zevely Records on March 3, 2017.

Karen Mason, the acclaimed star of stage and screen, will make her Feinstein's at the Nikko debut for two performances only - Friday, May 6 (8 p.m.) and Saturday, May 7 (7 p.m.). - with her one-woman show, Mason's Makin' Music. Mason will perform songs from throughout her extensive career, including "As If We Never Said Goodbye" from Sunset Boulevard, as well as selections from her upcoming CD, including the title song, "It's About Time," written by Shelly Markham and Mason's husband, Paul Rolnick, for marriage equality! Tickets for Karen Mason range in price from $50 - $70 and are available now by calling 866.663.1063 or visiting www.ticketweb.com.

Broadway/concert star Karen Mason and recording artist/composer Louis Rosen return home to Chicago for four special performances, this week, October 20-24, 2015.

Broadway/concert star Karen Mason and recording artist/composer Louis Rosen return home to Chicago for four special performances, October 20-24, 2015.

It seemed appropriate that a cabaret show titled Confessions of a Native New Yorker would begin with the quintessential “call to all dreamers” song “Let The River Run” by native New Yorker Carly Simon. Wearing an elegant black and gold brocade dress--the very personification of class--Helen Glassman took the Don't Tell Mama stage by storm in performing her debut show on June 28. Glassman, a native New Yorker, chronicles her life in music to the beat of “the city that never sleeps.” Beginning by pointing out the ironic love/hate challenges of existing in the Big Apple, Glassman croons the wonderfully hip Portia Nelson classic “Confessions of a Native New Yorker,” showing us a delightfully flippant comic side that serves her well throughout the evening.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) recently announced its full lineup of productions, readings, and concerts for NYMF 2015. From today, July 7, to July 27, NYMF 2015 will present almost two dozen productions of new musicals, including the newly announced Passing By and Summer Valley Fair. In addition, NYMF 2015 will also feature staged readings and the debut of brand new concerts.

Karen Mason returned to the legendary theatre district cabaret nightspot Don't Tell Mama--which has been a launch pad for countless future stars in cabaret and theater since it inaugurated its cabaret rooms in November 1982- Karen returned again after a highly acclaimed run in March at Don't Tell Mama (343 West 46th Street) and BroadwayWorld was there. This is the very room that she and Nancy LaMott opened in l982. Mason at Mama's is her brand new show with great new arrangements of classics, new songs and some of the music she and her longtime composer/arranger Brian Lasser performed in those early days at Mama's. The show was directed by award winning  Barry Kleinbort, with Musical Direction and Accompaniment by Christopher Denny.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) announced today the full lineup of productions, readings, and concerts for NYMF 2015.

Don't Tell Mama will honor the Broadway and cabaret star Karen Mason on Monday March 30 at 7pm, the final performance of the legendary singer's current ten-show major engagement at the club. Mason, who, with the late great Nancy LaMott, opened the Theater District nightspot in November of 1982, also celebrates her own birthday on that night.

“March is Cabaret Month” in New York gives us the opportunity to examine where we are, and, most importantly, where we have come from with this most magical of all art forms--Cabaret. So how very fortunate we are to see and hear veteran Broadway actress and cabaret performer, Karen Mason return to her roots to lovingly take us down memory lane with her new show Mason at Mama's In March at Don't Tell Mama (which opened on March 1st).

At 7pm every Sunday and Monday during the month of March, Karen will return to the legendary cabaret Don't Tell Mama (343 West 46th Street), to the very room that she and Nancy LaMott opened in l982. Mason at Mama's in March is her brand new show with great new arrangements of classics, new songs and some of the music she and her longtime composer/arranger Brian Lasser performed in those early days at Mama's. This engagement will culminate in a special Birthday Celebration on Monday, March 30th. Mason at Mama's In March will be directed by Barry Kleinbort, with Musical Direction and Accompaniment by Christopher Denny.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. All the scoop from the amazing FWD Theatre Project gala, and 'The Last Unicorn' gets some big backers. Plus concerts by Chita Rivera, Felicia P. Fields, Sierra Boggess and Donna McKechnie, 'Sweeney Todd' on PBS and 'From Here To Eternity' on movie screens, plus the Marriott announces two casts!

Upon her return to Davenport's in Chicago, the theater & cabaret star talks about her voice and how she almost lost it.

Haul out the holly and break out the Christmas decorations! Broadway's award-winning Karen Mason, from the smash hit musicals Mamma Mia, Hairspay!, Sunset Boulevard and most recently Wonderland will make a special return appearance to her hometown with her holiday show "Christmas, Christmas, Christmas." The show will feature a mixture of holiday standards, light seasonal fare to the more traditional Christmas songs performed in Mason's distinctive style that will even put Scrooge in the holiday spirit. This marks Karen's return to her hometown, which began as a holiday tradition when she was a mainstay on the Chicago nightclub circuit in the late 1970's and early 80s with her longtime musical collaborator Brian Lasser, before heading off for stardom in New York and Broadway.

Back on April 1, when he posted his third compilation of delayed cabaret reviews from shows staged during the winter, BroadwayWorld.com's lead New York cabaret reviewer promised Number 4 would come with arrival of summer. Okay, so he missed his self-imposed deadline by a couple of weeks. but here's yet another catch-up column with critiques of a half dozen spring shows performed by Bryan Batt, Dawn Derow, Lynly Forrest, Dennis McNeil, Anastasia Barzee, and Nina Hennessey.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, UCLA theater professor Gary Gardner died of natural causes on June 15, 2013. He was 69.