Karen Wyman News

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will return to JOE'S PUB at The Public Theater on Sunday, January 18 at 9:30 PM to open the Winter/Spring 2015 Season. The Meeting* has been called 'delicious and delightfully droll' by The New York Post and 'hilarious and sardonic' by The Village Voice. A story for Slate.com called the evening 'so deliciously icy that it left me shivering with fear and delight.' The Fall 2014 shows sold out after a New York Times 'Arts & Leisure' piece ran in September. The January show will include a tribute to Broadway legend Ethel Merman, with special guests Klea Blackhurst, Erin Markey, Nora Mae Lyng, Molly Pope and Ben Rimalower. Tracy Stark serves as the show's Music Director.

If you've been a regular reader of this particular reviewer's musings, you know that every year there are long stretches of time where I just haven't been able to critique all the shows I've seen that deserve commentary. So I end up playing what they call in sports, 'Catch-up ball,' and post a mash up of belated reviews from past shows. It's kind of like a critic's version of the song 'Six Months Out of Every Year,' from Damn Yankees. Give or take a month or two, that's usually the time period during which I store unpublished reviews in my fevered brain and then unload them all in one seemingly endless column-like this one is going to be. If my cabaret-show reviewing days will be over (as chronicled here), I might as well go out with a bang-and relieve my procrastination guilt during holiday season. Now I can scratch one New Year's resolution off the list.

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will return to JOE'S PUB at The Public Theater on Sunday, December 7 at 9:30 PM to continue its landmark 6th season. The Meeting* has been called 'delicious and delightfully droll' by The New York Post and 'hilarious and sardonic' by The Village Voice. A story for Slate.com called the evening 'so deliciously icy that it left me shivering with fear and delight.' The season's previous shows sold out after a New York Times 'Arts & Leisure' piece ran in September. The December show marks the 5th annual Holiday Spectacular from The Meeting*, with special guests Lady Rizo, Julian Fleisher, Connie Champagne, Michael Friedman, David Drake, Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson. Tracy Stark serves as the show's Music Director.

The legendary Latin and Jazz percussionist Candido, now 103 years young, will be presented with the Duke Ellington Center's 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award, at DECFA's annual “Ring Dem Bells” holiday party and concert Monday, December 8 (5:30 to 9:30 PM) at the Landmark on the Park, 160 Central Park West (at 76th Street), it was announced by Mercedes Ellington, the noted dancer/choreographer, who is Duke Ellington's granddaughter and founder and artistic director of DECFA.

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.'

This year's "Ring Dem Bells" holiday party will take place on Monday evening, December 8, 2014, at Landmark On the Park, a popular event venue at 160 Central Park West (at 76th Street).

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will return to Joe's Pub at The Public Theater on Sunday, December 7 at 9:30 PM to continue its landmark 6th season. The December show marks the 5th annual Holiday Spectacular from The Meeting*, with special guests to be announced. Tracy Stark serves as the show's Music Director.

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will return to JOE'S PUB at The Public Theater on Sunday, November 16 at 9:30 PM to continue its landmark 6th season. The Meeting* has been called 'delicious and delightfully droll' by The New York Post and 'hilarious and sardonic' by The Village Voice.

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will return to JOE'S PUB at The Public Theater on Sunday, November 16 at 9:30 PM to continue its landmark 6th season. The Meeting* has been called 'delicious and delightfully droll' by The New York Post and 'hilarious and sardonic' by The Village Voice.

KT Sullivan has always managed in many ways to turn the world of Cabaret upside down. With her enormous gifts of wit, intelligence, voice, musicianship, creativity, and business sense she was the perfect choice to be the artistic director of the Mabel Mercer Foundation. The second evening of the Cabaret Convention and Happy Birthday to Julie Wilson was a entertainment tour de force. The sold out Rose Hall saw performances by:

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will return to THE BOOTLEG THEATER on Saturday, October 25 at 7:30 PM. After extended runs at 54 Below and Joe's Pub in New York, the show recently made its Los Angeles debut and is back for another performances. The Meeting* has been called 'delicious and delightfully droll' by The New York Post, and 'hilarious and sardonic' by The Village Voice. A story for Slate.com called the evening 'so deliciously icy that it left me shivering with fear and delight.' The recent opening of the Fall season in New York sold out after a New York Times 'Arts & Leisure' feature. Special guests for the Los Angeles show will be announced soon.

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will return to JOE'S PUB at The Public Theater on Sunday, October 19 at 9:30 PM for the continuation of its landmark 6th season. The October show will include a tribute to the Broadway and Hollywood star Julie Andrews, with special guests Katie Thompson, Gabrielle Stravelli, Kim Smith, Danielle Grabianowski, Rob Maitner, Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson. Tracy Stark serves as the show's Music Director.

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will return to JOE'S PUB at The Public Theater on Sunday, October 19 at 9:30 PM for the launch of its landmark 6th season. The October show will include a tribute to the Broadway and Hollywood star Julie Andrews, with special guests to be announced. Tracy Stark serves as the show's Music Director.

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will return to Joe's Pub at The Public Theater on Sunday, September 14 at 9:30 PM for the launch of its landmark 6th season. The September show will include a tribute to the beloved soul diva Amy Winehouse, featuring special guests Kenny Mellman, Jessica Vosk, Xavier Rice and Mark Aaron James. Tracy Stark serves as the show's Music Director.

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will return to JOE'S PUB at The Public Theater in September 2014 for the launch of its landmark 6th season. The Meeting* has been called "delicious and delightfully droll" by The New York Post, and "hilarious and sardonic" by The Village Voice. A recent story for Slate.com called the evening "so deliciously icy that it left me shivering with fear and delight." The Fall 2014 season feature tributes to the beloved soul diva Amy Winehouse (September 14), Broadway and Hollywood star Julie Andrews (October 19), Warhol Superstar Candy Darling (November 16) and the 6th annual Holiday Spectacular (December 7). All performances are Sundays at 9:30 PM. Tracy Stark serves as the show's Music Director. Special guests will be announced shortly.

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.

Since I attended more than 50 shows over the past eight months (a few more than once)--the large majority of which were reviewed on these web pages—I felt I had more than enough cabaret show inventory to present my second-annual “Mid-Year Cabaret Review” citing the “20 Best Cabaret Shows and Performances” for the first half of 2014. Since the eligibility period for 2014 BroadwayWorld New York Cabaret Award consideration begins with shows staged since last November (late October if it was the first of a run), I've included a few of those late 2013 shows in this group. And with the announcement of the BWW Award nominees just four months away, I've offered some projections on the Award categories for which these shows very well might receive consideration.

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!

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