Stephen Hanks - Page 8

Some people, especially some cabaret reviewers and cabaret fans, might think it's lazy or a copout or both for a performer to keep recycling previous shows. But when the Café Carlyle comes a'callin' you: A) May not have enough time to create a totally new show or B) Want to pitch the big game with your best stuff or C) All of the above. Since I only started reviewing cabaret in late 2010, I missed the Laurie Beechman Theatre debut of Jennifer Sheehan's 2009 show You Made Me Love You: Celebrating 100 Years of the Great American Songbook, and missed it again when she brought it to the Metropolitan Room in 2010. So I, for one, am not complaining that she dusted off the critically praised set again (with the new slug 'Timeless Classics and New Treasures' from said Songbook show) for her debut last Saturday night at the prestigious Café Carlyle. Sheehan may have been booked for the room's new 10:45 late night series and not the prime time slot, but at least the Carlyle is giving opportunities to exciting young cabaret performers like Sheehan (and Marissa Mulder, who will make her debut at the room on November 7). With You Made Me Love You, Sheehan made everything old new again-at least for me.

Today, October 24, the not-for-profit development group Musical Mondays Theatre Lab will launch its 14th season with a new name and a very heavy organizational heart. This summer, after years of presenting promising new musicals at the Snapple Theatre Center on Thursdays (because that was the only slot that was open in the schedule), the MMTL Board of Directors voted to change the organization's name to Manhattan Musical Theatre Lab (thereby retaining the corporate initials) with the vote and complete blessing of the group's founder and Co-Artistic Director Richard 'Bick' Goss. Less than a month later, Goss died from complications of Parkinson's disease. The director, choreographer and former Bob Fosse dancer was 75.

Two years ago I heard the relatively new “Marquee Five” perform a show at the Laurie Beechman Theatre called “8-Track Throwback,” which was a five part harmony homage to the music of the 1960s and '70s. They hadn't gotten even halfway through their set when I realized that in Marquee Five I'd heard my Manhattan Transfer for the new millennium. Marquee Five's style is less jazzy and more pop than the Transfer, and their sound is infused with the tones of a co-ed barbershop quintet, Broadway belting, and holiday season caroling. Marquee Five's new show last Saturday night at 54 Below did nothing to push me off their bandwagon. In Broadway By the Letter: Act One (a set of songs representing the first half of the alphabet), this fabulous five-some once again delivered delicious harmonies on a variety of song styles, standout individual performances, and intricate yet accessible vocal arrangements.

As a 20-year cabaret veteran and 10-time MAC Award nominee (winning three), Sue Matsuki is nothing if not ambitious and a tad pretentious. How else to explain someone with both the chutzpah and the checkbook to stage a run of four shows at the Metropolitan Room (soon to become six) in which each show covers a different musical genre with a totally different set list and employs different directors, musical directors and bands? Just writing that sentence has me clutching my checkbook for deal life.

As a prelude to playing three shows in Vermont on November 9 and 10 that will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of The Vermont Pub & Brewery (the state's first Brewpub), New York-based guitarists Sean Harkness and Brian Camelio will be joined by New Orleanian Chip Wilson for a New York show on November 5 at Stage 72. The musicians will bring a program of original, New Orleans and classic covers with elements of jazz, folk and blues to New York and Burlington, with several Vermont musicians sitting in. For the Vermont shows later in the month, the trio will be joined by Vermont's own Lucas Adler, reuniting the group that played at VP & B at its start in 1988.

On October 24, the not-for-profit development group Musical Mondays Theatre Lab will launch its 14th season with a new name and a very heavy organizational heart. This summer, after years of presenting promising new musicals at the Snapple Theatre Center on Thursdays (because that was the only slot that was open in the schedule), the MMTL Board of Directors voted to change the organization's name to Manhattan Musical Theatre Lab (thereby retaining the corporate initials) with the vote and complete blessing of the group's founder and Co-Artistic Director Richard 'Bick' Goss. Less than a month later Goss died from complications of Parkinson's disease. The director, choreographer and former Bob Fosse dancer was 75. But the shows must go on and the newly christened Manhattan Musical Theatre Lab will dedicate the entire season to Goss' memory and begin its 2013-14 season at the Snapple on October 14 at 5pm with a presentation of The Dirty Hippy Jam Band.

The Board of Manhattan Musical Theatre Lab has announced that November 3, 2013 will be the date for the memorial service for Richard 'Bick' Goss, the noted New York City-based theater director and choreographer, former Bob Fosse dancer, and the Founder and Co-Artistic Director of the non-profit musical theater development organization, Musical Mondays Theatre Lab (now called Manhattan Musical Theatre Lab). The memorial will be held at Park Avenue Christian Church on 1010 Park Avenue at 85th Street at 5:15 pm. A reception will follow.

Legendary concert artist and Kennedy Center Honoree Barbara Cook returns to New York City's Town Hall, 123 West 43rd Street (between 6th Avenue & Broadway,) on Thursday, November 14th at 8 PM with a new evening of song (and stories) as she continues to explore her newly-developed repertoire of jazz and swing, while also reprising her now-classic renditions of songs from Broadway and the Great American Songbook. Five weeks later, on December 19, 2013, Town Hall will overflow with the musical joys of the season when three extraordinary talents, Leslie Uggams, Marilyn Maye and Christine Andreas take the stage for Holiday Belles.

Attention cabaret lovers: It's time to start remembering the great shows you saw in the past year and who performed in them so you can make your nominations for the 2nd Annual BroadwayWorld.com New York Cabaret Awards. The nomination period will begin on Monday, October 28, 2013 and will end on Sunday, November 24. After the final nominations ballot is announced, voting will begin on Monday, December 2 and end on Sunday, January 5. The winners will be announced the week of January 6. This year's 2013 BroadwayWorld.com New York Cabaret Awards Show will be on Sunday, February 23 at 6:30 at Joe's Pub and BroadwayWorld.com lead New York cabaret reviewer and columnist Stephen Hanks will host a show featuring performances by many of the winners.

Over the last 20 or so years, there have been three nightclubs in New York that have been considered the venue Holy Grail for cabaret singers. Two of them--the Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel and Feinstein's at the Loews Regency--have in the past year or so sadly died a corporate death, leaving the upper east side Cafe Carlyle as the Carnegie Hall of cabaret haunts. When she first came to New York from California 24 years ago, Natalie Douglas would save her pennies to see the legendary Bobby Short perform at the Carlyle and dream that she would some day star in a show from that stage. Last Thursday and Friday night, after almost a quarter century performing in every New York venue on the cabaret map and many prestigious clubs around the world, and after winning numerous MAC, Bistro and Nightlife Awards, Douglas finally soloed at the venerable venue and the audiences who saw her shows probably wondered why it took so long.

Now that the legendary Elaine Stritch and Julie Wilson have retired from performing, the only celebrity 80-plusers who have been performing regularly on the cabaret circuit are the equally legendary Barbara Cook and Marilyn Maye. But now there's another octogenarian on the scene and while he may not be a legend, George Marcy is an 86-year-old former Broadway musical theater actor/dancer who recently staged a totally charming and entertaining show at Don't Tell Mama.

In 1962, Ray Charles made history when he brought soul music and country music together in the same album: Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music. Now, more than 50 years later, just in time for the late legend's 84th birthday, Joe's Pub and the Album of the Month Club expand the palette by adding jazz, cabaret, Broadway, folk music, and bluegrass into Brother Ray's classic mix. On Today, September 23 at 9:30 pm, Joe's Pub will present the first in a ongoing series of shows celebrating great pop and jazz albums, during which classic songs will be explored and re-examined by a rotating cast of singers and musicians in styles covering jazz, pop, Broadway, cabaret, and blues.

ScoBar Entertainment and Iridium NYC have announced that they will present a one-night-only Tribute to Ervin Drake tonight, September 17th at 8pm. The evening will celebrate the life and music of legendary 94-year-old American songwriter whose works include Great American Songbook standards such as 'It Was A Very Good Year,' which was popularized by Frank Sinatra.

Sutton Foster may be a Tony-Award winning Broadway Musical Theatre darling, but if her opening-night show this past Wednesday at Café Carlyle (which launched her current three-week run until September 28) is the best she can do, she's far from also being considered a nightclub/cabaret diva.

ScoBar Entertainment and Iridium NYC have announced that they will present a one-night-only Tribute to Ervin Drake on Tuesday, September 17th at 8pm. The evening will celebrate the life and music of legendary 94-year-old American songwriter whose works include Great American Songbook standards such as "It Was A Very Good Year," which was popularized by Frank Sinatra.

In 1962, Ray Charles made history when he brought soul music and country music together in the same album: Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music. Now, more than 50 years later, just in time for the late legend's 84th birthday, Joe's Pub and the Album of the Month Club expand the palette by adding jazz, cabaret, Broadway, folk music, and bluegrass into Brother Ray's classic mix. On Monday, September 23 at 9:30 pm, Joe's Pub will present the first in a ongoing series of shows celebrating great pop and jazz albums, during which classic songs will be explored and re-examined by a rotating cast of singers and musicians in styles covering jazz, pop, Broadway, cabaret, and blues.

On September 21, Macchia--who works full-time as a florist by day and part-time as a manager at the Metropolitan Room by night--will celebrate his 'Fierce and Fabulous' 40th birthday with the launch of Season Eight of Cabaret Cares. Over the first seven years of the variety series, now staged at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, Macchia has raised more than $80,000 to help children from infants to teenagers suffering from HIV and AIDS. During the first year, funds raised through the Cabaret Cares benefit shows helped 22 children. Now Macchia's Help Is On The Way charity-which is run out of Joseph's home and has no salaried staff--services around 650 kids, supplying everything from school backpacks to weeks at a summer camp.

One of the biggest downers perpetrated by American culture is the characterization of Labor Day weekend as the 'unofficial end of summer.' But given what has passed for cabaret entertainment-at least the shows I was able to attend--since the 'unofficial start of summer' on Memorial Day weekend, the end of summer can't come soon enough. But my dismay over the hours lost watching average shows this season was tempered a bit by the pride and joy I felt watching the June performances of three strikingly attractive and talented 30ish brunettes with powerhouse voices-- Jackie Kristel, Karen Gross and Jodi Beck, who all staged entertaining shows as spring was turning to summer.

As I read the pre-publicity and then the first reviews of the new film, Lovelace, which chronicles the disturbing story of the woman who in 1972 starred in the highest-grossing porn film of all time, it reminded me of a time in college when I really got myself in deep because of Deep Throat.

In mid-August, the news website Bloomberg.com reported that 54 Below, the popular new nightclub that opened last June in the basement of the old Studio 54, needed a major cash infusion in the six-figure range if it was going to survive. Perhaps if they just book Liz and Ann Hampton Callaway on a regular basis-either individually or together-their bottom line will start singing a happy tune. The sisterly songbirds recently sold out a five-show run at the venue with a revival of their crowd-pleasing show 'Sibling Revelry.'