Laurie Krauz News

New York-based Cabaret producer, performer, promoter, and former reviewer (for Cabaret Scenes Magazine and BroadwayWorld.com) Stephen Hanks is in the midst of a serious love-hate relationship. He loves the art form of Cabaret and hates the dramatic rise of voter suppression and white supremacy in America during the current Republican Party rule of all three branches of the United States Government. So with the November 2018 Midterm elections on the horizon, Hanks has decided to combine the objects of his love and his hate and channel that energy into political action on behalf of the Democratic and Progressive candidates running for the US Senate, the House of Representatives, and perhaps some state governorships in November.

Urban Stages presents this year's award-winning series, WINTER RHYTHMS 2017, which begins tonight, December 12, featuring some of New York's best musical performances through Saturday, December 23, 2017 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street, just East of 8th Avenue).

Urban Stages announces the line-up for this year's award-winning series, WINTER RHYTHMS 2017, which will begin Tuesday, December 12 and will feature some of New York's best musical performances through Saturday, December 23, 2017 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street, just East of 8th Avenue).

The 2017 MAC Award winners were revealed last night at the 31st MAC Awards on Tuesday, March 28, 2017 at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill, New York City. Take a look at the full list of winners below!

The Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs (MAC) has announced the 2017 MAC Award nominees.

Joseph Macchia (Cabaret Cares) and Nora Davis (It Helps to Sing About It) present the second rendition of 'Love Trumps Hate' on February 20, 2017, at The Metropolitan Room in Chelsea, celebrating President's Day with a star-studded cast in support of the ACLU.

To Celebrate their 23rd year of artistic collaboration, MAC Award Winning Duo Sue Matsuki & Gregory Toroian and Matsuki Productions are launching a new monthly series at Don't Tell Mama called "Coming Home to Mama". Each show will feature a wonderful Special Guest and each show will have a certain theme or celebrate a monthly holiday. They will also be bringing back encore performances of a few of the shows they have performed over the years.

Stephen Hanks, the BroadwayWorld Award-Nominated producer of the recurring monthly variety show series at the Metropolitan Room, New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits, has announced that he is bringing the third installment of his newest variety series to the venerable cabaret room Don't Tell Mama (343 W 46th St, New York, NY) on January 26 at 7 pm. Stephen's Vixens will star Meg Flather, Rosemary Loar, Laurie Krauz, Barbara Porteus, Charlotte Patton, and Raissa Katona Bennett, with Daryl Kojak as Musical Director.

Cabaret Life Productions Owner Stephen Hanks has announced that NEW YORK CABARET'S GREATEST HITS, the BroadwayWorld.com Award Nominated monthly series at New York's Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street) he launched (with Associate Producer Fr. Jeffrey Hamblin, MD) in August, 2105, will present productions of eight Award-winning or critically acclaimed shows of the past during 2017. The series' new season will open on Monday, February 13 at 7 pm with Jenna Esposito's MAC Award-Nominated 2009 Connie Francis Tribute Show, Jenna Esposito Sings Connie Francis , followed by Adam Shapiro's 2013 MAC Award-Winning Guide to the Perfect Breakup on Wednesday, March 15 at 7 pm.

Nora Davis (It Helps to Sing About It) and Joseph Macchia (Cabaret Cares and Help is on the Way Today) present 'Love Trumps Hate,' a benefit to raise funds and awareness for HRC and Planned Parenthood. 

BroadwayWorld Cabaret is pleased to announce the nominees in 14 categories for the 2016 BWW New York Cabaret Awards.

Urban Stages and Stephen Hanks' Cabaret Life Productions has announced that on Saturday, December 3 at 7 pm, the 2016 Urban Stages Winter Rhythms Festival (December 1-11 at 259 West 30th Street, NYC) will present highlights from seven of the 16 shows that have been presented at Hanks' highly praised monthly series at the Metropolitan Room--New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits (Associate Producer, Fr. Jeffrey Hamblin, MD)--and two shows that will be featured in the series in 2017.  

On May 13, 2006 in the highly praised monthly series at the Metropolitan Room, New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits (Produced by Stephen Hanks; Associate Producer Fr. Jeffrey Hamblin, MD), multiple Award-winning jazz vocalist Laurie Krauz and her long-time Musical Director Daryl Kojak staged a show that was 25 years in the making. To celebrate their quarter-century collaboration, Krauz & Kojak performed a set of their favorite and most-loved numbers, not only bringing a packed room to its feet but also generating across-the-board raves from reviewers (below). By popular demand, this dynamic duo's collaboration celebration (with Sean Conly on bass and Gene Lewin on drums) will return to the Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street) on Tuesday, July 12 at 7 pm. 

We are lucky in New York City. The talent here is unbelievable. Sometimes you settle in for an intimate evening at a little local club and you get your socks blown off. On Friday the 13th (of May, to be exact), I had such an experience at the latest monthly installment of Stephen Hanks' Metropolitan Room series (Associate Producer, Fr. Jeffrey Hamblin, MD), New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits. The featured performers were Vocalist Laurie Krauz and her Musical Director Daryl Kojak celebrating their 25-year musical collaboration “It's a 'Greatest Hits' show within a Greatest Hits series!” Hanks extolled before introducing his stars for the evening.

In 1991, after having performed as a jazz vocalist in the New York nightclub scene for about five years, Laurie Krauz was searching for a new musical director-and a new musical direction. She had cast a wide net until a friend recommended Daryl Kojak and Laurie scheduled a getting-to-know-you session. 'I don't exactly recall the first song we worked on together but I felt as if I was being levitated off the floor when he played for me,' Laurie remembers. 'It was magic and it has remained magic for a 25 years.' Now Krauz and Kojak will display what Laurie calls 'A collaboration for the ages' at the Metropolitan Room on May 13 at 7 pm in the ninth show of the critically acclaimed monthly series, New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits.

I didn't catch Rosemary Loar's original 2006 presentation of 'Quando Swing,' but I can't imagine it performed with more muscular honesty than it was Wednesday night at the Metropolitan Room in the latest monthly installment of Producer Stephen Hanks' 'New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits' series. We've come to expect lucid, intriguing shows from the vocalist, but engagement level on this occasion felt almost cathartic. Energy was full tilt, lyric communication authentic.

In her latest intimate and in-depth conversation with a New York cabaret star, BWW reviewer/writer Remy Block learns more about veteran singer/performer Meg Flather, who has just won a 2016 MAC Award for Best Original Song and is currently performing a critically acclaimed show PORTRAITS at Don't Tell Mama.

Stephen Hanks' Cabaret Life Productions and Associate Producer Fr. Jeffrey Hamblin, MD, are bringing back Karen Oberlin's 2010 Frank Loesser Tribute Show (with original Musical Director Jon Weber and bass player Sean Smith) as the first 2016 installment of the 'New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits' series at the Metropolitan Room on January 13 at 7 pm. 'I entered the cabaret world as a reviewer in late 2010 so I never saw this show,' says Hanks. 'I'm thrilled Karen Oberlin agreed to bring it back so those like me who didn't experience it will get a chance now.'

On Thanksgiving Day, BroadwayWorld announced the nominees in 14 categories for the 2015 BWW New York Cabaret Awards. BroadwayWorld's cabaret editors and reviewers congratulate all the deserving nominees and everyone who performs in the great art of cabaret in New York. But today, as you munch on the leftovers from last night's dinner, it's time to actually vote for that one performer who you think is the absolute best in each category. Voting ends on December 31 and after a review of the ballots, winners will be announced officially early the week of January 4, 2016. (Note: There will not be a BWW Awards Show this year.)