Sean Harkness News

In October 1989, four years after he founded The Mable Mercer Foundation, cabaret publicist and promoter Donald Smith launched the first Cabaret Convention at New York's Town Hall. The now four-day event eventually moved to Lincoln Center's Rose Hall, but due to renovations this year at the more uptown revue, this year's 26th Annual Convention was back at its old West 43rd Street stomping grounds. Since Donald Smith died in March 2012, the Mercer Foundation's Artistic Director and de-facto Convention Producer has been cabaret star KT Sullivan, and for Monday night's opening show she greeted the audience, in measured tempo, with the infectious enthusiasm of Cole Porter (“Another Opening, Another Show”) and Irving Berlin (“There's No Business Like Show Business”). Sullivan provided an effective, entertaining onramp to an evening that featured experienced American and European artists from cabaret and theater and relative cabaret newbies who've recently made a mark on the scene.

Birdland Jazz Club has announced its lineup for October 26-November 1, featuring Ron Carter Nonet, "Showbiz After Hours' With Frank DiLella, Barbara Carroll, and more. Scroll down for details!

Jeff Harnar & Andrea Marcovicci hosted the second day of the Mabel Mercer Foundation's New York Cabaret Convention.  The Donald Smith Award was presented to Jeff by managing director Rick Meadows and Debbi Bush Whiting presented Celia Berk with The Margaret Whiting Award. Performing in the evenings concert were: Karen Akers, Danny Bacher, Julie Budd, Carole J. Bufford, Eric Comstock, Natalie Douglas, barbara Fasano, Jeff Harnar, Nicolas King, Karen Kohler, Andrea Mardovicci, Marissa Mulder, Todd Murray, Josephine Sanges, Jennifer Sheehan and Iris Williams.?

The Mabel Mercer  Foundation returned to The Town Hall last night for the first of 4 different concerts and BroadwayWorld will be there for all. Here are some photos from the opening night. 2015 is the twenty-sixth annual New York Cabaret Convention.

Martha will close out this busy year with three different shows at the new room, 'Cafe Noctambulo.'

At a time when bullying is a major problem in American society because social media has become a breeding ground for such behavior, concert and cabaret singer Lisa Jason will tell her poignant story of dealing with bullying--both mental and physical--through the music of the 1970s that she loved throughout her childhood. With her director Stephen Hanks, Lisa has created a new show, BULLIED TO BEAUTIFUL, which she will perform in her Metropolitan Room debut on Monday, October 26 at 7 pm. Through her delightful voice and self-deprecating humor, Lisa hopes BULLIED TO BEAUTIFUL will be a show that audiences not only will identify with, but that will also send a powerful message that bullying needs to be stopped.

Jazz singer/songwriter Abigail Rockwell, granddaughter of beloved American illustrator Norman Rockwell, will continue her New York cabaret debut on Thursday, September 3rd at 7 pm at the Metropolitan Room in "Bring In The Spring!".  Her first show was in late April and now she returns this fall with two more shows.  Ms. Rockwell will take the stage to share her songs - an eclectic mix of standards and original compositions - and her story after a long battle for truth contending with the recent fraudulent biography of her grandfather.  Sean Harkness, her musical director, will accompany her on guitar.  The show is directed by Bill Castellino.

Observing the last show of the second cycle of her year-long presentation of Songs I Feel Like Singing--four runs of four different shows with four different musical director/accompanists (Mark Janas, Sean Harkness, Ritt Henn, and Steven Ray Watkins)--one might note that 2014 Bistro Award winner Tanya Moberly presents not so much a cabaret act as an intense “recital in song,” featuring music that seemingly examines the emotional psyche of a woman coming to grips with loneliness, alienation, betrayal, addiction, love, and eventual self acceptance.

With new Sunday evening Jazz Party host Carole J. Bufford performing elsewhere last night, the Birdland Jazz Club recruited drummer Ray Marchica and his vocalist wife Nina Hennessy (right), who rounded up some of their talented friends for an evening of vocal and instrumental jazz, new compositions, and golden standards. Marchica's band featured Sean Harkness on guitar, Tom Hubbard on bass, and Bob Quaranta on piano. Special guests included vocalist Marissa Mulder and composer/pianist Ian Herman.

One of the New York nightclub and cabaret scene's most talented couple--Vocalist/Actress Nina Hennessey and Drummer Ray Marchica--have been booked by Birdland, New York's premier jazz club, for a special show on August 2 at 6 pm (doors open at 5 pm). The married musical team has put together a stellar band for this set of jazzy standards, including Sean Harkness on guitar, Tom Hubbard on bass, and Bob Quaranta on piano. The show will also feature Award-Winning vocalist Marissa Mulder as a special guest. To purchase tickets, go to: www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/919343

MUSIC AND ART FOR CITY GREENS continues Season 8 of Concerts to benefit Tudor City Greens.

MUSIC AND ART FOR CITY GREENS continues Season 8 of Concerts to benefit Tudor City Greens.

Stuart Moulton's Austin (Texas) Cabaret Theatre (may it thrive and prosper) turned 15 in tandem with his own 50th birthday. In celebration on Wednesday night, the Theatre's Artistic Director (also a performer himself) invited alumni and hopefuls to strut their stuff on the stage of 54 Below. The result was a wildly mixed bag of a show--featuring a few great vocalists and infectiously enthusiastic wannabes--which ran so exhaustively long that Moultan was able to change his clothes twice.

Joanne Tatham reunited with long-time collaborator Eli Brueggemann, composer/musical director of Saturday Night Live (making a rare club appearance.) at Cafe Noctambulo last night and BroadwayWorld was there.

He doesn't want to say 'Bye, bye' to Miss American Pie just yet. In the summer of 2013 and early 2014, BroadwayWorld New York cabaret editor/reviewer and Cabaret Scenes Magazine feature writer Stephen Hanks fulfilled his long-held fantasy to perform a cabaret show based on the songbook of 1970s pop singer/songwriter Don McLean, who wrote the classic song, 'American Pie.' Hanks' show BEYOND AMERICAN PIE: THE DON McLEAN SONGBOOK was staged four times at Manhattan's Metropolitan Room and once at Stage 72 (The Triad), and Hanks says the reaction from reviewers and audience members was surprisingly positive. Now Hanks is bringing back his Don McLean 'tribute show,' only this time as DON McLEAN: STORYTELLER, and he'll be performing it at the World Famous Don't Tell Mama 'Brick Room' today, June 20 and Monday, June 29, both shows at 7 pm.

With her new show His Aim Is True: The Singular Songs of Elvis Costello at Stage 72 (second show last night), you'll meet the new Karen Oberlin. Gone are the controlled vibrato, upper range, emotional translucence, femininity, and the playfulness of a purveyor of American Songbook/pop. Prepare for a terse, tensile, alto-voiced, punk chick (including shag hairdo) with a foot in rudderless jazz. There's nothing tentative in this raw, almost tone poem-like performance. Oberlin commits herself to her choices.

Following a recent sold out debut at Bar Thalia, Symphony Space's newest home for Jazz, acclaimed NYC vocalist-songwriter MARCUS GOLDHABER is returning to launch 'MOSTLY MARCUS,' a Sunday night Jazz Duo summer residency, backed only by a top jazz guitarist and joined each week by a different guest artist. The rotating group of jazz guitarists includes Hendrik Helmer (Wyclef Jean, Carly Simon, Duncan Sheik), John Hart (Jimmy Smith, James Moody), Ron Affif (Al Martino, Roger Williams) and Sean Harkness (Eileen Ivers, Julie Budd).

He doesn't want to say 'Bye, bye' to Miss American Pie just yet. In the summer of 2013 and early 2014, BroadwayWorld New York cabaret editor/reviewer and Cabaret Scenes Magazine feature writer Stephen Hanks fulfilled his long-held fantasy to perform a cabaret show based on the songbook of 1970s pop singer/songwriter Don McLean, who wrote the classic song, 'American Pie.' Hanks' show BEYOND AMERICAN PIE: THE DON McLEAN SONGBOOK was staged four times at Manhattan's Metropolitan Room and once at Stage 72 (The Triad), and Hanks says the reaction from reviewers and audience members was surprisingly positive. Now Hanks is bringing back his Don McLean 'tribute show,' only this time as DON McLEAN: STORYTELLER, and he'll be performing it at the World Famous Don't Tell Mama 'Brick Room' on Saturday, June 20 and Monday, June 29, both shows at 7 pm.

Stars of New York's Cabaret and theatre worlds will perform the songs of renowned composer/arranger Larry Kerchner in the fourth edition of 'Hidden Treasures: Songs of Larry Kerchner.'

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com or call (646) 476-3551.