Maureen Taylor News

Stephen Mosher looks back at the cabaret scene, as captured by his camera in 2019

Popular soprano Maureen Taylor has returned to the cabaret stage with a very personal tribute to lyricist Michael Colby, and COSMIC CONNECTIONS bonds her to her audience in the process.

The crooner and staple of the cabaret community returns with one of his favorites - his Christmas show, and there's not an empty seat in the hose.

New York based singer-actress, Maureen Taylor, brings an unusual cabaret to Don't Tell Mama this holiday season based on the lyrics of Michael Colby. Cosmic Connections: Six Degrees of Michael Colby will bow at Don't Tell Mama on Dec. 21st and is scheduled for four total performances on Dec. 21st, 27th and 28th at 7pm, and Dec. 29th at 2pm.

Attention fans of NY nostalgia and the legendary Algonquin Hotel! On October 24th, award-winning writer Michael Colby will host a staged version of his popular book The Algonquin Kid. Michael's grandparents Ben and Mary Bodine owned the hotel from 1946 to 1987, and Michael virtually grew up there as a real-life counterpart to Eloise of the Plaza.

Michael Colby and Paul Katz, the creative team behind Tales of Tinseltown, have another Hollywood musical in the offing. On Saturday, November 2nd at 7 pm, The Green Room 42 presents Slay It With Music In Concert a?" to benefit International Rescue Committee. The original musical, acclaimed in both London and off-Broadway, is an ode to Grande Dame Guignol, the genre of 1960s horror movies in which stars like Bette Davis and Joan Crawford made screen comebacks, in the tradition of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, Sunset Boulevard, and Psycho. It's a sharp way to cap off Halloween weekend, promising laughs, thrills and chills. The Green Room 42 is on the 4th Floor of YOTEL at 42nd Street and 10th Avenue. The concert version features an all-star cast, directed by Charles Repole with musical direction by Phil Reno. Tickets range between $22.50 and $62.50, and are available now online at: https://tinyurl.com/yyyo4vhn. There is no minimum required at GR42.

Urban Stages has confirmed the line-up for this year's award-winning series, WINTER RHYTHMS 2016, which will begin tomorrow, 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).

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.  

Lyricist/librettist, Michael Colby, author of the memoir,  'The Algonquin Kid-Adventures Growing Up at New York's Legendary Hotel," celebrated his 65th Birthday on Sunday, Oct. 30th with a fundraiser/musical event for Child Find of America. 'Quel Fromage II'  featured performers from Broadway and cabaret, including members of TADA! Youth Theater, who gave a 90 minute concert at TRIAD on the upper west side, singing songs from Colby's musicals. Scroll down for photos from the event!

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).

Hold your hats and hallelujah. After an electrifying opening night, the Mabel Mercer Foundation's 27th Annual Cabaret Convention continued Wednesday night in a packed Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Hosted by Jeff Harnar and Andrea Marcovicci, the cabaret community gathered to salute the music of Stephen Sondheim, the EGOT-winning composer/lyricist whose oeuvre has been simultaneously catapulting and tripping up artists for decades. Despite 30 performances on the evening, you'd be hard-pressed to find a weak spot in Wednesday night's lineup, hosting what is arguably the best rotation of the four nights, featuring cabaret giants, up-and-comers, expert arrangers (plus the talents of Jered Egan on bass and Dan Gross on drums), and Sondheim role originators.

The second night of the 27th New York Cabaret Convention at Rose Hall was hosted by long time cabaret artist favorites, Jeff Harnar & Andrea Marcovicci. The evening including performances by: Sally Mayes, Aaron Morishito, Julie Reyburn, Maureen Taylor, Raissa Katona Bennett, Will Nunziata, Anthony Nunziata, Jennifer Sheehan, Kevin Dozier, Sarah Rice, Donna McKechnie, Jon Weber, Marissa Mulder, Eric Michael Gillett, Celia Berk, Josephine Sanges, Steve Ross, Karen Akers, Sidney Meyer, Iris Williams, and Marta Sanders. Tonights evening will be hosted by Rex Reed and the Conventions closing night honoring Charles Strouse will be hosted by Klea Blackhurst

the 2016 Cabaret Convention returns to the Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall, from Tuesday, October 18th through Friday, October 21st  to present four different music programs. More than seventy singers are scheduled to appear, and the productions include specific tributes to the songs of Stephen Sondheim, the lyrics of Sheldon Harnick, the melodies of Charles Strouse, and the repertoire of legendary jazz artist Sylvia Syms.

The Triad will be the setting for librettist/lyricist Michael Colby's 65th Birthday bash on Sunday, October 30th at 7pm, presented by his colleague and pal, Sandi Durell, publisher and editor of entertainment site, TheaterPizzazz.com.

In her A-line black and white polka dot dress with petticoats, a lively (and lithe!) Maureen Taylor delivered an entertaining tribute to lyricist Bob Merrill at the Metropolitan Room (on July 13). Originally directed by Peter Napolitano when the show debuted in 2008-09, Taylor Made is the latest installment of Producer/Promoter Stephen Hanks' outstanding New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits, which almost always lives up to its name.

In 2009 and 2010, opera singer turned cabaret performer Maureen Taylor staged a cabaret show tribute to Bob Merrill's music at the Metropolitan Room in New York and critics raved. Six years later, on July 13 at 7 pm, Maureen Taylor will reprise her highly praised show, Taylor Made: Bob Merrill, at the Metropolitan Room in cabaret's hottest monthly series, New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits, produced by Stephen Hanks (with Fr. Jeffrey Hamblin, MD, Associate Producer). Taylor's Musical Director is Matt Castle on piano, with Joe Brent on guitar, mandolin, and violin. Her special guest performer is two-time MAC Award winner Rev. Yolanda (Roger Anthony Yolanda Mapes).

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.

Cole Mining: The Songs of Stephen Cole will be presented as part of Urban Stages' Winter Rhythms tomorrow, December 3, 2014 at 7pm at Urban Stages 259 W. 30th Street.

A bevy of Broadway's best honored Broadway legend Len Cariou on the occasion of his 75th birthday , including appearances from James Earl Jones, Nathan Lane, Betty Buckley, Liz &Ann Hampton Callaway, Liz Robertson, Veanne Cox, Lee Roy Reams, Sarah Rice & many more! From his Tony award-winning role in Sweeney Todd to his creation of roles in A Little Night Music, Applause & Dance a Little Closer among many others, Broadway has been in love with Len for nearly 50 years. Check out photos from the special celebration below!

Betsy Wolfe, Andrew Samonsky, John Ellison Conlee, Ann Harada and more join Laura Osnes, Santino Fontana and more in Transport Group's concert presentation of THE MUSIC MAN. Hosted by Joe Iconis,the evening will include 58 actors, and the original orchestration featuring 20 instruments, conducted by Joey Chancey, original choreography by Jeffry Denman, to The Irene Diamond Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center tonight, August 11th, 2014. The evening will be directed by five-time Drama Desk nominee, Jack Cummings III.