Feature: A Thousand (Or More) Words About Cabaret in 2019

I've been seeing Year-End wrap-ups posted online, lists of peoples' favorites, editors' top ten picks, and lots of recaps. Our own BWW cabaret team did a round-table to talk about 2019 and cabaret; and I began to wonder: if I were to pick my top ten, who would I choose? More greedy than wishy-washy, I saw no reason to make a choice. Before joining the BWW team, I had already seen some stellar works in the cabaret nightclubs of Manhattan, so in the last five months, the law of averages was going to stack up on the side of enjoyable entertainment. It is true that not everything has been good - that just isn't possible. There have been shows for which a review would benefit nobody, but those shows have been few and far between, and there have been acts that needed a gentle plea for a return to the drafting board - but even the shows that needed freshening up were created by people of talent and integrity. In this writer's book, the year has been a winner for everyone.

So, to honor the artists who have allowed me and the rest of the team to watch, to record, to report and (as of my 18th article for BWW) photograph them, to thank them, and to praise them, I would like to share here photos (almost all of which are having their debut in this story) from the shows I was able to photograph (on certain occasions, it just wasn't possible). My mission for 2020 is to continue to bring the artists of the cabaret and nightclub community to the public, and vice versa, because the world out there needs to know about the work that these fine craftspeople are doing. There is so much beauty in these rooms of these clubs.

To the nightclub performers that I didn't get to in 2019 -- I'm on my way.

So, dear readers, this is a fairly epic collection, so get a mug of coffee, a cup of tea, a glass of wine (or champagne) and settle in.

Because these are artists worth looking at.

Everyone have a great New Year. See you 'round the clubs in 2020.

Peace,

Ste

Aaron Blake (Below see Aaron with guests J'Nai Bridges and Disella Larusdottir)

Aaron Salazar

Ace Young And Diana DeGarmo

Alex Rybeck

Alex Tordi

Alexa Green and Jason Gotay

Alexis Michelle

Amy Wolk and Susie Mosher

Andrea McArdle

Andy Mientus

Anita Gillette

Anita Welch

Anthony Nunziata

Ari Axelrod

Arielle Jacobs

Arthur L. Ross

Austin Peck

Avery Sommers

Becca Kidwell

Ben Moss

Cara Feuer

Celia Berk, Ari Axelrod, Kevin Dozier, Karen Oberlin, Alex Rybeck

Patrick Andrews, Meghan Murphy, John Francisco, Nick Davio, TJ Chernick - Big Red and the Boys

Billy Shaw

Blaine Krauss

Chris Messina, Travis Nesbitt, Jesse Corbin, Bentley Black - The Boy Band Project

Brad Aspel

Brian Shaw

Brooke Beatty

Bryce Pinkham

Cali Newman, Mia Melchiorri, Kea Chan

Ann Hampton Callaway, Liz Callaway

Steven Ray Watkins, Candice Oden

Elijah Ahmad Lewis, Candice Woods, Nasia Lashawn Thomas

Cara Feuer, Gavin Cranmer, Thaddeus Cole, Zac Fadler, Lauren Robinson, Cali Newman, Mia Melchiorri, Kea Chan

Carole J. Bufford

Caroline Cohen

Jim Caruso and Billy Stritch

Cassi Mikat, Meaghan Sands, Kariana Sanchez, Christopher Brasfield, Brooke Beatty, Stephanie Lazard

Tracy Stark and Celia Berk

Steven Ray Watkins, Charles Baran

Charlie Romo

Chita Rivera and Lisa Mordente

Chris Barron

Christine de Frece

Claybourne Elder

Constantine Maroulis

Cookie Stark

Cooper Grodin

Corey Mach

Corinna Sowers Adler

Cyrille Aimee and Wayne Tucker

Daniel Dunlow

Darienne Lake

Darrel Alejandro Holnes

David Hyde Pierce

David Mills

Dawn Derow

Deborah Stone

Debra Monk

Dee Riscioli

Donna Murphy

Donny Most

Linda Purl and Donny Most

The Drinkwater Brothers, Matt and John

Eugene Ebner and Jeremy Stolle

Edmund Bagnell

Elijah Caldwell

Emily Croft

Emily Trumble

Eric Michael Gillett and Melanie Vaughan

Faith Porter

Frances Ruffelle

George Dvorsky

Gerrilyn Sohn

Gloria Reuben

Grace Benigni

Sam Gravitte and Debbie Gravitte

The Gregory Brothers

Gretchen Schneider

Haley Swindal

Sean Harkness and Marcus Simeone

Steven Ray Watkins and Heather Villaescusa

Tracy Stark, Helane Blumfield, Mary Sue Daniels

Hernando Umada

Perle Noire and The House of Noire Burlesque Company

Howard McGillin

Isabelle Georges

Jack Bartholet

Jack Noseworthy

Jack Scott

Jackie Beat

James Crichton

James Tison

Jay Rogers

Jayson Kerr and Cassi Mikat

Jeanine Bruen

Jeff Harnar

Jennifer Barnhart

Jen Fellman

Jessica Vosk

Jim Caruso

Jordan Tyson

Joseph C. Townsend

Josh Daniel

Joshua Stackhouse

Joshua J. Bennett

Judy Collins

Julie Garnye

Karen Akers

Karen Mason

Alex Rybeck and Karen Oberlin

Karen Ziemba

Mrs. Kasha Davis

Kathy Kaefer

Katie Boeck

Kea Chan

Kevin Dozier

Kevin Ferguson and Dylan Bustamante

Emily McNamara as Mariah Carey and Kevin Smith Kirkwood as Whitney Houston

Kissy Simmons

Kristen Lee Sergeant

Kristina Nicole Miller

Kyle Dacuyan

Kyle Dean Massey and Robbie Rozelle

Kyra Kennedy

Bobby Cronin and Lauren Elder

Lauren Robinson and Brittany Bennett

Laurie Krauz

Leanne Borghesi

Lena Moy-Borgen

Lennie Watts, Kim Grogg, and Matt Scharfglass

Leslie Orofino

Ben Jones and Lianne Marie Dobbs

Lillias White

Lina Bradford and Candis Cayne

Lina Koutrakos

Linda Eder

Linda Lavin

Linda Purl

Lisa Viggiano

Devin Roberts, Dionne Figgins, Julian Alvarez

Luba Mason

Lucie Arnaz

Lucille Carr-Kaffashan

Luis Palomino

Lynn Henderson

Marilyn Maye

Mark Olezsko/Lyra Vega

Steven Ray Watkins and Marnie Klar

Marta Sanders

Marti Gould Cummings

Matt Baker

Matt DeAngelis

Maureen Taylor

Meg Flather

Meghan Murphy and Grace Garland

Melissa Errico

Michael Kirk Lane

Michael Longoria

Michael Winther

Michelle Cabot

Mike Winters

Molly Pope

Monroe George

Nancy McGraw and Mark Nadler

Natalie Douglas

Nicole Henry

Norm Lewis

Klea Blackhurst

Laurie Wells

Nicolas King and Jay Leonhart

Klea Blackhurst, Nicolas King and Laurie Wells

Joseph Davidian, Klea Blackhurst, Laurie Wells, Deborah Grace Winer, Nicolas King and Jay Leonhart (behind the bass)

Patty Lohr

Perry Ojeda

Quentin Garzon

Raissa Katona Bennett

Ray Lee

Rian Keating

Richard Holbrook

Robert Montano

Robin Westle

Ron Abel

Tracy Stark, Rosemary Loar, Lucille Carr-Kaffashan

Ryan McCartan and sister, Alison McCartan

Ryan McCartan with Brittney Johnson (above) and Taylor Iman Jones (below)

Tracy Stark and Sally Darling

Sally Mayes (backed up by barely visible Bob Renino)

Sam Harris with Robbi Morgan Walberg

Sean Harkness

Shalewa Sharpe

Shani Hadjian

Billy Shaw, Ben Moss, Arthur L. Ross

The Show Broads: Marta Sanders and Leanne Borghesi

Sidney Myer

Spencer Day

Hilary Cole

Sue Matsuki

Jeff Harnar

KT Sullivan

Susan Stroman

Susie Mosher

Stritch, Billy Stritch

Taffy Jaffe

Steven Ray Watkins and Tanya Moberly

Allie Wing, Liz Erardi, Tess Jonas, Sarah Pothier, Caitlin Mesiano

Thaddeus Cole

Thomas March

THOSE GIRLS - Eve Eaton, Karen Mack, Wendy Russell, Rachel Hanser

Tom Wopat

Tovah Feldshuh

Tulis McCall

Victor Garber

Wendy Kaufman Harper

William Demyan

Steven Ray Watkins and Zach Wobensmith

Ron Abel and Zachary Bigelow

Erin Marie and Zachary Bordonaro

Walter Willison

Sachi Parker and John Schneider

Harper Lee Andrews, Emily Elizabeth Cobb, Matt Drinkwater, John Drinkwater

Karen Akers

Jill Powell

Timothy Jerome

Keith Crowningshield

Ken Jennings

The cast of Grand Hotel, A Celebration in Concert

Shoshana Bean

Sean Patrick Murtagh

Stephanie Blythe

Each and every photo in this article was made by Stephen Mosher.

Stephen Mosher's Website

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