David Hajdu News

KAREN OBERLIN and TEDD FIRTH, frequent performing companions, joined forces in the Berkshires at The Barn at The Egremont Village Inn last night and Broadwayworld was there. Karen and Tedd performed songs that span the ages... from Jerome Kern to Elvis Costello, from Johnny Mercer to Joni Mitchell, and everything in-between. Oberlin has been the recipient of the New York Nightlife Award for Jazz Vocalist of the Year and every major cabaret award, including the Mabel Mercer Foundation's Donald F. Smith Award (presented to her at Jazz at Lincoln Center) and an Honorary Doctorate in Music for her performance work. She is a recording artist with four CD's, including her latest which has becoming a regular play for the legendary radio host Jonathan Schwartz. She has been hailed by the New York Times as one of the premier interpreters of the Great American Songbook and has headlined at such legendary New York venues as the Oak Room at the Algonquin, Birdland, Feinstein's/54 Below, and the Cafe Carlyle along with concert halls such as Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, The Town Hall, among many others, and has toured worldwide, including annual engagements in London and Paris, from which she recently returned.

Birdland Jazz Club has announced its lineup for December 14 - 20, featuring Catherine Russell Sextet, Apollo Link, Birdland Big Band, and more. Scroll down for details!

Stacy Sullivan brought her new show, "Since You've Asked' to The Metropolitan Room last night for a series of performances and BroadwayWorld was there to capture pictures from the evening. Check them out below!

Stacy Sullivan will bring her new show It's A Good Day, A Tribute to Miss Peggy Lee for a series of performances at the Metropolitan Room, beginning Sept. 11. In honor of her return, BroadwayWorld brings you a look back at her last show, 'Since You've Asked,' from last April. Check out photos below!

Stacy Sullivan brought her new show, "Since You've Asked' to The Metropolitan Room last night and broadwayworld was there. Whether you're a fan of The Great American Songbook or VH1, you'll find something to love within this eclectic evening of music and story. With musical director Troy Fannin on guitar, Matthew Watanabe on piano, and Jaime Mohamdein on bass, Sullivan has created her most personal, thought-provoking evening to date. With music by Randy Newman, Nina Simone, Ray LaMontagne, Hoagy Carmichael, Judy Collins, Ed Sheeran, Woodie Guthrie, Stevie Nicks, Cole Porter, George Harrison, Noel Coward, David Hajdu, Fred Hersch, Jonsi, Stephen Schwartz...and others.

Most playwrights would be happy to have one script of theirs produced in New York in a year. "Theater Boys"--which opens tomorrow, September 21st at the 13th Street Repertory Theater--is the third show by ASCAP award-winning writer/director Chip Deffaa to open this year.

Cabaret performers thinking about launching duo shows could certainly take a lesson in chemistry from watching and listening to singer Karen Oberlin and guitarist Sean Harkness in their current show, A Wish, which is based on their superb recently released CD of the same title, launched with two shows at Kitano on February 1 (to celebrate the CD release), and has taken up a once a month residency until late August at the Metropolitan Room (the next show is on June 25 at 9:30 pm). While theirs is not a romantic off-stage chemistry (both are happily quite happily married, thank you), on stage and in the recording studio Oberlin and Harkness have concocted a delicious musical interaction that conjures up romance to the nth degree.

Karen Oberlin and Steve Ross brought CHEEK TO CHEEK: THE SONGS OF ASTAIRE AND ROGERS, which will return on July 17, to 54 Below.

It turns out that when it came to Tanya Moberly cabaret shows and this reviewer, the third time was the charm. After being blown away by Moberly's powerful voice and stage presence when I first caught her one-song performances at the Sunday Salon Open Mics three years ago, I wasn't crazy about either of her full-blown cabaret shows the past two years (Tanya Moberly Sings Di Franco/Tanya Moberly Sings Jonatha Brooke in 2011 and Tanya Lorraine Moberly Sings Barbra Joan Streisand in 2012—in spite of her receiving MAC and BroadwayWorld.com Best Female Vocalist nominations for the latter). But her new show that opened this past Friday and Saturday nights at Don't Tell Mama, I Love New York Songwriters, pressed many of my cabaret buttons—in a good way. While there were still some minor flaws—owing to a certain stubbornness in her approach to a cabaret show—this eclectic set of original songs written by some of the city's best “unknown” composers was consistently entertaining. In this particular show, Ms. Moberly was Tanya Terrific.

The 24th New York Cabaret Convention ended its week with a special afternoon event at 54 Below! The event, produced by the Mabel Mercer Foundation, began with The New York Times's Stephen Holden interviewing jazz legend and original female be-bop pianist Barbara Carroll.

For four magical nights in October, the Mabel Mercer Foundation present a sparkling array of America's leading cabaret stars. Among the 60 outstanding artists who will take the stage at the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Last night was Before The Parade Passes By, hosted by KLea Blackhurst and starring Corinna SowersAdler, Raissa Katona Bennett, William Blake, Kevin Dozier, Liam Forde, John Forster, Gregory Generet,Tanya Holt,Eva Kantor, Stearns Matthews, Sally Mayes, Colleen McHugh, Marissa Mulder, Sidney Myer, Mark Nadler, Georga Osborne, and Nick Ziobro.

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond:

Last night was Falling In Love With Love: The songs of Rodgers & Hart, hosted by Andrea Marcovicci andJeff Harnar; performances by the cohosts plus, Karen Akers, Christine Andreas, Joyce Breach, Anna Bergman, Liz Callaway, Lauren Fox, Eric Michael Gillett, Clint Holmes, Todd Murray, Steve Ross, and Iris Williams. Check out photos below!

For four magical nights in October, the Mabel Mercer Foundation present a sparkling array of America's leading cabaret stars. Among the 60 outstanding artists who will take the stage at the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center from October 7th through 10th are multiple Grammy Award winner Jack Jones, Marilyn Maye, Steve Ross, Karen Akers, Nellie McKay, and Barbara Carroll. Jones was just honoerd during the festivities and you can check out photos below!

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond:

For four magical nights this week, the Mabel Mercer Foundation will present a sparkling array of America's leading cabaret stars. Among the 60 outstanding artists who will take the stage at the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center from today, October 7th through 10th are multiple Grammy Award winner Jack Jones, Marilyn Maye, Steve Ross, Karen Akers, Nellie McKay, and Barbara Carroll.

For four magical nights in October, the Mabel Mercer Foundation will present a sparkling array of America's leading cabaret stars. Among the 60 outstanding artists who will take the stage at the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center from October 7th through 10th are multiple Grammy Award winner Jack Jones, Marilyn Maye, Steve Ross, Karen Akers, Nellie McKay, and Barbara Carroll.

Theatre Aspen is presenting a staged reading of the new musical Cross That River today, July 28th, at the Hurst Theatre in Aspen, Colorado. The musical is subtitled 'a new musical about the black west' with a book by Allan & Pat Harris and music and lyrics by Allan Harris (based on an original story by Allan & Pat Harris). Regge Life is the director.

Theatre Aspen is presenting a staged reading of the new musical Cross That River on Sunday, July 28th, at the Hurst Theatre in Aspen, Colorado. The musical is subtitled 'a new musical about the black west' with a book by Allan & Pat Harris and music and lyrics by Allan Harris (based on an original story by Allan & Pat Harris). Regge Life is the director.

Beginning tonight, 75 solo singers are competing in the sixth annual MetroStar Talent Challenge at The Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd Street. Hosted by the comic actor-singer Jay Rogers, the seven-week, jury-and audience-voted competition kicks off with three weeks of trials (July 8, 15, 22), after which the Top 18 contestants will advance to the next round.