Mark Janas News

In response to the recent events in the United States and all the anger, hostility, and fear that has accompanied them, over 40 performers from the New York Theatre and Cabaret communities came together this weekend and created a video of 'Let the Sunshine In' from the 1968 musical HAIR as a message of hope and love for all peoples everywhere. Click below to watch the performance!

Urban Stages has announced the line-up for this year's Award Winning series, WINTER RHYTHMS 2016, which will begin Thursday, December 1 and will feature some of New York's best musical performances through Sunday, December 11, 2016 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street, just East of 8th Avenue).

MUSIC AND ART FOR CITY GREENS concludes their 9th Season of Concerts to benefit Tudor City Greens, on September 14th (rain date the very next day, 9/15) at Tudor City Greens at 6:30 pm.

It was quite a reunion last evening at BROADWAY AND THE BARD when 'Mrs. Lovett,' Angela Lansbury, greeted 'Sweeney Todd,' Len Cariou backstage after the show. Check out the photos below!

'Broadway and the Bard' is playing through Sunday at the Lion Theatre. TOM SELLECK was a surprise audience member who came to see his fellow 'Blue Bloods' castmate Len Cariou perform, marking the first visit he'd made to a theatre since Blue Bloods began. Check out the photos below!

The actor combines his talents as a star of both Shakespeare classics and musical theatre.

Amas Musical Theatre in association with Alan Siegel Entertainment presents Tony Award-winning actor Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Applause, Teddy & Alice,) in the World Premiere of BROADWAY AND THE BARD, an evening of Shakespeare & song, conceived by Mr. Cariou, Barry Kleinbort and Mark Janas.

Amas Musical Theatre in association with Alan Siegel Entertainment presents Tony Award-winning actor Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Applause, Teddy & Alice) in the World Premiere of BROADWAY AND THE BARD, an evening of Shakespeare & song, conceived by Mr. Cariou, Barry Kleinbort and Mark Janas. Kathleen Turner and her daughter, singer Rachel Weiss, just stopped by the production and you can check out backstage photos below!

Amas Musical Theatre in association with Alan Siegel Entertainment presents Tony Award-winning actor Len Cariou(Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Applause, Teddy & Alice) in the World Premiere of BROADWAY AND THE BARD, an evening of Shakespeare & song, conceived by Mr. Cariou, Barry Kleinbort and Mark Janas. Check out a first look below!

Amas Musical Theatre in association with Alan Siegel Entertainment presents Tony Award-winning actor Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Applause, Teddy & Alice) in the World Premiere of BROADWAY AND THE BARD, an evening of Shakespeare & song, conceived by Mr. Cariou, Barry Kleinbort and Mark Janas. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at Cariou and company in rehearsal below!

Amas Musical Theatre in association with Alan Siegel Entertainment presents Tony Award-winning actor Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Applause, Teddy & Alice) in the World Premiere of BROADWAY AND THE BARD, an evening of Shakespeare & song, conceived by Mr. Cariou, Barry Kleinbort and Mark Janas. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at Cariou and company in rehearsal below!

Amas Musical Theatre in association with Alan Siegel Entertainment presents Tony®Award-winning actor Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, Applause, Teddy & Alice,) in the World Premiere of Broadway and the Bard, an evening of Shakespeare & song, conceived by Mr. Cariou, Barry Kleinbort and Mark Janas.

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.)

Happy Thanksgiving Day, Cabaret Fans! Here's some breaking news you can discuss and debate in between courses at tonight's dinner: It's the final nominees for the 2015 BroadwayWorld New York Cabaret Awards. This year, the cabaret editors and writers at BWW have cited 116 nominees (including duos and variety show/recurring series producers) in 14 categories. In addition, this year six performers or musicians have been cited for special “Editor's Choice Awards,” led by veteran New York cabaret stars Karen Mason and Mark Nadler who have been named “Performers of the Year.”

British actress Liz Robertson is making her Manhattan cabaret debut at Feinstein's/54 Below tonight, November 18th at 9:30pm. Her show is called SONGS FROM MY TRUNK, which she brought over after performing it at London's Crazy Coqs. She will be accompanied by Mark Janas. A special treat will be a guest appearance by Broadway legend Len Cariou who not only co-starrred with her in DANCE A LITTLE CLOSER, but was also the original 'Sweeney Todd' on Broadway.

British actress Liz Robertson is making her Manhattan cabaret debut at Feinstein's/54 Below on Wednesday, November 18th at 9:30pm. Her show is called SONGS FROM MY TRUNK, which she brought over after performing it at London's Crazy Coqs. She will be accompanied by Mark Janas. A special treat will be a guest appearance by Broadway legend Len Cariou who not only co-starrred with her in DANCE A LITTLE CLOSER, but was also the original 'Sweeney Todd' on Broadway.

Urban Stages (Frances Hill, Founding Artistic Director, Peter Napolitano, Producer/Director of Musical Programming) today announced the line-up for this year's Award-Winning Musical event WINTER RHYTHMS 2015, which will begin Wednesday, December 2 and will feature some of New York's best musical performances through December 13, 2015 at Urban Stages Theatre. WINTER RHYTHMS 2015 marks the seventh year that Urban Stages has brought noted musical artists to its stage during the holiday period. The mission of Winter Rhythms is to bring the talents of known and unknown singers, musicians, lyricists and composers to the attention of the New York theater community while performing at Urban Stages Theater. Winner of the 2015 Ruth Kurtzman Benefit Series MAC Award, WINTER RHYTHMS benefits Urban Stages' acclaimed Outreach Program, which brings more than 200 free "arts in education" presentations to libraries and schools throughout the five boroughs. This year's event features 20 shows and more than 100 artists.

Urban Stages announces the line-up for this year's Award Winning Musical event WINTER RHYTHMS 2015, which will begin Wednesday, December 2and will feature some of New York's best musical performances through December 13, 2015 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30thStreet, just East of 8th Avenue). Tickets are $25 per show and may be purchased by visiting urbanstages.org or by calling (866) 811-4111. For complete schedule information, visit urbanstages.org.

I first saw Julie Reyburn in her 2011 cabaret show Winter Songs, where she wonderfully explored in music the beauty of winter from its cool, autumnal evenings to the somber tranquility of a snow fallen night. It was a terrific act. So I was excited when Reyburn announced she would reprise her 2000 cabaret debut show, Fate Is Kind, which pretty much put her on the New York cabaret map and earned her MAC and Bistro Awards in 2001 for "Best Female Cabaret Debut." On September 14, Reyburn's show was the second in Stephen Hanks' monthly New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits Series (produced by his own Cabaret Life Productions) at The Metropolitan Room. The big questions with a series like this are: Do these shows and performances withstand the test of time? Are they really worth bringing back? In Reyburn's case, 15 years after debuting the show the answer is a resounding-YES!

Back in January, BroadwayWorld's lead cabaret reviewer Stephen Hanks announced he was giving up critiquing shows to start his own company, Cabaret Life Productions, through which he would publicize, promote, and help book cabaret performers, and also produce cabaret shows. Hanks' first major production out of the box is a monthly series at the Metropolitan Room called New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits, that features talented artists recreating award-winning or highly-praised shows we wish we'd seen--a really good idea. Hanks' series launched Wednesday night with Mark Nadler's award-winning 2003 show Tschaikowsky (And Other Russians). The Metropolitan Room was filled to the gills and abuzz with anticipation, as most of the audience was only familiar with the show's second-hand praise and/or the CD version of Nadler's performance.