Ray Watkins News

Singer/ actor Joshua Dixon follows his acclaimed cabaret debut with a return engagement of FLY UP! at The Duplex on Thursday, November 20th at 7:00PM and Thursday, December 18th at 7:00PM. Using an eclectic mix of songs from Broadway, The Great American Songbook and contemporary music, FLY UP! will give us a glimpse into Joshua's life so far - from his Mormon childhood to his college years to becoming a man in music and theater. Stephen Sondheim, Jimmy Webb, Andrew Lippa, Jerry Herman, Scott Evan Davis, Cole Porter, and Bastille, among others, provide a backdrop to his fascinating, funny and freeing tale of growing up and letting go.

It was the 1980's. The time of ray bans, head bands, and the start of cable television, where music videos on MTV would skyrocket to stardom future pop icons Madonna, Michael Jackson, and, of course, The Artist Formerly Known as . . . Prince. Celebrated early on for his sexually charged lyrics and for experimentally combining various genres of music (funk, R&B, new wave to pop and pop rock), Prince was and still is a one-man musical revolution. He has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best selling artists of all time. For a cabaret performer to take on Prince's challenging discography is not only ambitious, it's extremely BOLD. It would require a singer to have amazing vocal flexibility and power, smoldering sensuality, and strong emotional connections to the lyrics. Rain Collazo displayed all those qualities--and more--in her performance this past Saturday night at Don't Tell Mama.

Feinstein's at the Nikko is proud to announce the upcoming lineup for November 2014. Performers include Tony Award winning actress and singer Betty Buckley; Tony Award winner Laura Benanti; jazz legend Freddy Cole; acclaimed performance artist Jeffrey Johnson; star of stage and screen Telly Leung; Award-winning cabaret singer -- and Bay Area native -- Carly Ozard. Additional performers for November 2014 will be announced at a later date.

MAC nominee Jim Speake brings back his acclaimed show celebrating the music of Broadway composer Cy Coleman for two more performances. 'I'm A Brass Band, Jim Speake Sings Cy Coleman at the Duplex' will play tonight 11 October at 4:30pm and Sunday 19 October at 4:30pm. The show is in the Cabaret Room of The Duplex, 61 Christopher Street at 7th Ave. NY, NY 10014.

Feinstein's at the Nikko is proud to announce the upcoming lineup for November 2014. Performers include Tony Award winning actress and singer Betty Buckley; Tony Award winner Laura Benanti; jazz legend Freddy Cole; acclaimed performance artist Jeffrey Johnson; star of stage and screen Telly Leung; Award-winning cabaret singer -- and Bay Area native -- Carly Ozard. Additional performers for November 2014 will be announced at a later date.

MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs) nominee Jim Speake, the loveable actor-singer who hails from Alabama, has a certain charm that has his audiences wanting to see him more than they already do! And they will very soon, when Jim brings back the acclaimed show "I'm a Brass Band, Jim Speake Sings Cy Coleman at the Duplex" for two more performances.

Bistro and MAC Award winning popular cabaret artist and comedienne Georga Osborne returns to the stage after a 10-year hiatus in a brand new one-woman show, 'back' at Don't Tell Mama, September 19-October 10. Featuring an eclectic mix of music from Aretha to Winwood and Ahrens & Flaherty to Rodgers & Hammerstein, 'back' is about being back on the cabaret stage, looking back, realizing we can't go back, and 'Oh! My back!'

Bistro and MAC Award winning popular cabaret artist and comedienne Georga Osborne returns to the stage after a 10-year hiatus in a brand new one-woman show, 'back' at Don't Tell Mama, September 19-October 10. Featuring an eclectic mix of music from Aretha to Winwood and Ahrens & Flaherty to Rodgers & Hammerstein, 'back' is about being back on the cabaret stage, looking back, realizing we can't go back, and 'Oh! My back!'

The 7th Season of The Parks Concert Series, (formerly The Concerts for City Greens), a free outdoor concert series, continues tonight, August 13th at 6:30 pm (Rain date: Thursday, August 14th at 6:30pm.) at Tudor City Greens, and will feature professional performers from Broadway and the New York City cabaret, jazz, classical and opera scene. All performers donate their time and talent for these concerts. The concert will be hosted by Tudor City resident, Broadway and cabaret veteran Raissa Katona Bennett.

The 7th Season of The Parks Concert Series, (formerly The Concerts for City Greens), a free outdoor concert series, continues on Wednesday, August 13th at 6:30 pm (Rain date: Thursday, August 14th at 6:30pm.) at Tudor City Greens, and will feature professional performers from Broadway and the New York City cabaret, jazz, classical and opera scene. All performers donate their time and talent for these concerts. The concert will be hosted by Tudor City resident, Broadway and cabaret veteran Raissa Katona Bennett.

MAC nominee Jim Speake brings back his acclaimed show celebrating the music of Broadway composer Cy Coleman for two more performances. 'I'm A Brass Band, Jim Speake Sings Cy Coleman at the Duplex' will play Saturday 11 October at 4:30pm and Sunday 19 October at 4:30pm. The show is in the Cabaret Room of The Duplex, 61 Christopher Street at 7th Ave. NY, NY 10014.

Black, Blind and Beautiful, Peggy Easton's robust and gorgeous style will enthrall everyone who hears her. Once again, she is directed by ten-time MAC winner Lennie Watts -- and after two successful outings on June 9th and June 15th, Peggy is back again tonight, July 23rd.

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.

Black, Blind and Beautiful, Peggy Easton's robust and gorgeous style will enthrall everyone who hears her. Once again, she is directed by ten-time MAC winner Lennie Watts -- and after two successful outings on June 9th and June 15th, Peggy is back again on July 23rd.

The biggest challenge in personalizing a tribute show is when the set list is structured to tell a story about the performer's life. Those songs better be good, that life better be interesting, and that storytelling patter better be clever, humorous, and self-deprecating or an audience (let alone a reviewer) will tune you out quicker than a liberal accidentally hitting FOX News on the remote. I recently saw two different shows at The Duplex from enchanting young women performers—Carly Ozard and Nikki MacCallum--who deftly managed to weave their love of a singer (Bette Midler for Ozard) or a songbook (Kander & Ebb for MacCallum) into a tale of life journey and personal growth to produce charming and entertaining shows.

Peggy Eason is one of those characters who seem to have been made for the New York cabaret scene. She's a bodacious woman who is ubiquitous at the local clubs, possesses a passion for singing, and bills herself as the 'Chocolate Diva,' although on stage she's more like a Red Hot Mama. Eason opened her third solo cabaret show, I'll Show Them All, at Don't Tell Mama on Monday night (she's appearing again at the club on Sunday at 7pm) with the decidedly politically incorrect titled song written especially for her by David Conforte, 'Black, Blind and Beautiful' (Hey, 'African American, Visually Challenged and Beautiful' doesn't have the same ring to it.). But there was little that was incorrect about her fast-paced and entertaining show that was often poignant and funny at the same time.

Singer/ actor Joshua Dixon follows his acclaimed cabaret debut with a return engagement of FLY UP! at The Duplex on Sunday, June 22nd at 7:00PM and Monday, June 30th at 9:30PM. Using an eclectic mix of songs from Broadway, The Great American Songbook and contemporary music, FLY UP! will give us a glimpse into Joshua's life so far - from his Mormon childhood to his college years to becoming a man in music and theater. Stephen Sondheim, Jimmy Webb, Andrew Lippa, Jerry Herman, Scott Evan Davis, Cole Porter, andBastille, among others, provide a backdrop to his fascinating, funny and freeing tale of growing up and letting go.

Current cast members of Broadway's long-running Stephen Schwartz musical Wicked, Tiffany Haas (standby: Glinda) and Michael McCorry Rose (understudy: Fiyero) are preparing for a second performance of their concert CHEEK TO CHEEK: A BROADWAY ROMANCE which debuted in February at 54 Below. Directed by Stephen Sposito with musical direction by Steven Ray Watkins, CHEEK TO CHEEK will be performed this Monday, May 19th at 7pm at Birdland. (For tickets, click here.)

MAC nominee, Jim Speake brings back his acclaimed show celebrating the music of Broadway composer, Cy Coleman: 'I'm A Brass Band, Jim Speake Sings Cy Coleman at the Duplex'. The show is directed by Lennie Watts with musical direction by Steven Ray Watkins, featuring the SRW band.

MAC nominee, Jim Speake brings back his acclaimed show celebrating the music of Broadway composer, Cy Coleman: 'I'm A Brass Band, Jim Speake Sings Cy Coleman at the Duplex.' The show is directed by Lennie Watts with musical direction by Steven Ray Watkins, featuring the SRW band.