The Duplex News

Celebrating its fifth anniversary, New York-based chamber music ensemble SHUFFLE Concert has launched its first Composition Competition to take place during its upcoming 2014 - 2015 season. Open to national and international composers ages 18 and up, the competition is for works of 5 to 7 minutes in length in one of two categories: Original Compositions and Arrangements. New York City audiences will have the opportunity to hear the winning works, which will be premiered live in concert in early 2015.

If you are even a semi-regular reader of this column of reviews, you know that about every three or four months, I post a compilation of observations of shows from the previous quarter of the year. This cabaret critiquing mash up happens for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that I admittedly see too many cabaret shows for the amount of time I have to promptly review them (and then, of course, the usual writer's procrastination sets in). So I have to prioritize the timeliness of the reviews based on the prestige of the performer, the length of a show run, the strength (or lack thereof) of the performance, etc. The quality of the shows in these compilations—which can range from a half dozen to a dozen reviews in one shot—are usually a mixed bag of outright raves, qualified positives, and constructive pans (I'm not a fan of the word “negative” in the reviewer lexicon). With that in mind here are a collection of cabaret show reviews going back to the start of a very harsh winter.

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.

A self described 'good Presbyterian woman', drag singer/songwriter Candy Samples entertains audiences each month at The Duplex Cabaret Theatre with her show, Candy on the Keys.

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.

PATTI ISSUES, the hit Off-Broadway play is set to play Miami Beach on Friday, May 9th at 8pm (presented by legendary Broadway and concert producer-director Richard Jay-Alexander in association with Edison Farrow and South Beach Cabaret) at The Cabaret South Beach (233 12th Street, Miami Beach, FL 33139).

54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents Corinna Sowers-Adler in "By Request - New York Moments" on Tuesday, May 6, 2014 at 9:30pm. In her 54 BELOW debut, Corinna continues the "By Request" series with a very special show including songs and the memories and special moments behind why that song has been inspirational or life changing, all containing the theme of New York City.

Following the success of Lyric Tramp: The Songs of Alex Rubin, Get a Room! will launch in June as a six-month project pairing Alex Rubin with some of New York's hottest composers.

54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents Corinna Sowers-Adler in 'By Request - New York Moments' tonight, May 6, 2014 at 9:30pm. In her 54 BELOW debut, Corinna continues the 'By Request' series with a very special show including songs and the memories and special moments behind why that song has been inspirational or life changing, all containing the theme of New York City.

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond:

Amidst its bustling spring calendar, Clear Space Theatre Company is set to welcome back three former members of their Acting Company for a one night only performance. Schyler Conaway, Michael Matthias, and Dana Peragallo, who all relocated from Sussex County to New York City nearly two years ago, will take to the Clear Space stage on Saturday, May 10th.

Woodie King Jr's New Federal Theatre continues its 44th season with the second play of 'The Ed Bullins Project' dedicated to the pioneer of the Black Arts Movement and one of America's most important and influential playwrights: The Fabulous Miss Marie, first produced in 1971 at the New Lafayette Theatre in Harlem began performances April 17th and continues through May 18th, with opening night set for tonight, May 1st. Woodie King Jr directs a cast that features Tony and Drama Desk Award winner Tonya Pinkins and Roscoe Orman ('Sesame Street') along with Toccarra Cash, Michael Chenevert, Ugo Chukwu, Aaliyah Habeeb, Beethovan Oden, G. Alverez Reid, Ashley C. Turner, and Brittany N. Williams.

Aaron Jackson (UCB) and Josh Sharp (UCB, Time Out NY Comic To Watch) host a gay show for all people filled with songs and laughs from comics and queers and mostly people who are both. This month featuring Sasheer Zamata (Saturday Night Live), Eliot Glazer (Billy On The Street, Best Week Ever), Justin Sayre (The Meeting) and Jason Michael Snow (Book of Mormon)!

Hilarious music duo MEL & EL are back with a brand new edition of their long- running monthly comedy show. THE MEL & EL SHOW returns to NYC at Stage 72, 158 W. 72 Street, tonight, April 25th at 7:00PM.

The Deer Players (Producers Julia Piker and Peter Staley) will present the World Premiere of THE BRINK OF US by Delaney Britt Brewer (Wolves at 59e59) today, April 25-May 17 at South Oxford Space (138 South Oxford Street between Atlantic Ave and Hanson Place, Brooklyn). The production will be directed by Kara-Lynn Vaeni (AliceGraceAnon with New Georges) and feature Daniel Cuff, Tom Kelsey, Starr Kirkland, Annelise Nielsen, Julia Piker, Peter Staley, Zachary J. Smith, and Linda Tardif. The creative team will include Set and Lighting Design by Nick Francone (Vampire Cowboys) with assistance from Rachel Schapira, and Costume Design by Ethan Berube. The production is presented with support from New Georges.

What do you get when you combine five classically trained Opera loving men with diva like aspirations and an endless supply of rousing musical theatre repertoire? Queens of the Night! (QOTN) This quintet of opera divas will return to The Duplex for one night only tonight, April 23rd at 7pm to bring you the most un-Opera diva-esque concert of musical theatre reflecting on the woes of Winter and the fever that Spring will bring. With a set list that compiles favorites from composers such as Loesser and Wildhorn to more contemporary composers the dulcet tones of this quintet will not be one to be missed.

A self described 'good Presbyterian woman', drag singer/songwriter Candy Samples entertains audiences each month at The Duplex Cabaret Theatre with her show, Candy on the Keys.

PAN ASIAN REPERTORY THEATRE will present a special limited run of NO-NO BOY by Ken Narasaki, directed by Ron Nakahara and based on the novel by John Okada, set in the aftermath of WWII as Japanese Americans return to the West Coast. Called "eloquent…elegant and searing" by LA Weekly, NO-NO BOY will run from May 14-18, 2014 at the Studio Theatre at Theatre Row (410 W. 42nd Street), with official opening on May 15 at 7:30PM.

In Episode 212, award-winning musical theatre writer Joel B. New sat down with Justin Daniel, a musical theatre, cabaret, and teaching artist.