Feature: CABARET SCENES AND AMERICAN SONGBOOK ASSOCIATION CELEBRATE STEVE ROSS To Play The Green Room 42

They say that cabaret is a dying art form.  Actually, they’ve been saying it for decades - it’s one of those things that people say just for the sake of saying it, maybe because they think it makes them look smart, or informed, or like they have their finger on the pulse.   The truth is that cabaret is not, now, nor has it ever been, a dying art form.  Maybe it’s had some issues as an industry, but the same can be said of all of the performing arts.  This lifelong devotee of all things show business remembers a time when movie musicals were “out” and when Broadway was “suffering” and when TV situation comedies were “in a rut.”  And, yes, there was a time (actually, there were times - plural) when the cabaret rooms of New York City weren’t as full as they had been, and, even today, there are people who hear the word cabaret and don’t know what that is.  But it doesn’t mean that the art form isn’t still there - it’s just in its room, playing by itself with its playmates.  But it’s still there.  The American Songbook Association is a big part of keeping the art form alive and keeping it in the spotlight.

The American Songbook Association has a strong history of excellence in the arts.  Founded in 2017, the organization seeks to perpetuate and advocate the legacy of the catalogue of music named The Great American Songbook.   This non-profit that is led by (mostly) members of the New York City arts community (with a particular focus on cabaret and concert)  has an educational outreach that brings music into institutions of learning in the Tri-State area.  These on-site presentations teach young people about the music that makes up The Great American Songbook, from the composers to the artists who first sang the music, to the people who carry the torch today.  In a similar vein, the ASA brings that music to the people who don’t need to be educated, only to be entertained: the senior citizens who have lived this music.  The ASA visits senior centers and retirement communities with performances by some of the industry’s best and beloved artists, and it is some of those artists who are, yearly, honored with the Darrell Henline Award.   2025 is the fourth year that the ASA and Cabaret Scenes Magazine are presenting the honor, and this year they have chosen a genuinely special person upon whom to bestow the tribute named after the man from whose imagination sprung Cabaret Scenes.

Cabaret Scenes Magazine has, since 1995, been THE magazine about the art form highlighted in its title.  Created by Darrell Henline, who served as the editor until his death in 2003, this chic and slim, glossy and classy volume was always the place to learn about the comings and goings in the industry.  Speaking personally, back in the days when I was a cabaret photographer, I always had a private thrill when I saw one of my photos in the newest issue.  I smiled a little broader, I walked a little taller, and my chest was a little broader.  Cabaret Scenes was and is a special place to find cabaret news, be it show listings, performer interviews, or write-ups and reviews.  The publication continued to operate after Henline’s passing, under the aegis of cabaret artist Frank Dain, who is the current editor of the periodical, which continues to print magazines, as well as operate a website (visit it HERE).   Came the day when Cabaret Scenes and the ASA joined together, making it the official magazine of the American Songbook Association, and, together, the two entities work tirelessly to keep cabaret in the public eye, as other outlets have closed their doors to the industry, or closed their doors entirely, rendering the work that ASA/CS do more important than ever.   And in 2022, the Darrell Henline Award was created to tribute members of the cabaret community who continue to bring excellence to the art form by bringing the art form to the people.  The first year of the award, the honoree was Eric Michael Gillett.  In 2023, the artist in the spotlight was Lillias White.  2024 saw Lina Koutrakos taking home the prize, and in 2025, the committee in charge has chosen, for their recipient, Mr. Steve Ross.

Steve Ross has been a part of the industry and community for as long as this writer can remember - indeed, when I arrived in New York in 1993, he was one of the first artists to be brought to my attention, he being one of the architects of modern-day cabaret.   The gentleman is a gentleman, whether he is at the piano or in the audience, but it is better to have him at the piano.  He has, famously, brought elegance to the stages of cabaret and concert, lauded by peers and press, even called suave by the New York Times, and “the smoothest cabaret act in the world” by the London Times.  In the world - that’s what they said - and they couldn’t have been more right with their estimation.  There is an elegance, a sophistication, to the Steve Ross aesthetic that transcends the passage of time, reminiscent of the days when Bobby Short and Barbara Carroll represented The Carlyle, when Four Girls Four played the supper clubs of America, and when The Velvet Fog, Mel Tormé, sold out The Copacabana.  We have reached an era where there is more funk in the clubs, more rock in the rooms, and (dare it be said) a lot more profanity in the scripts; nevertheless, there is always a place in cabaret for the refinement of Steve Ross, but also on the theatrical stages of New York City.   Why, only in 2020, Steve Ross and his similarly sophisticated sister in time, KT Sullivan, played New York City with LOVE, NOËL, a theater piece about Mr. Coward himself, a theater piece that was extended over and over and over again, due to popular demand.  There has never been a time when Steve Ross has not been in demand - that, alone, makes him a worthy recipient of the 2025 Darrell Henline Award, but he is special in his talent and his presentation, and that is the real reason to raise him to the light.  I wondered what Frank Dain, a close friend and colleague of Mr. Henline’s, thought might make proud the man for whom the award is named, so I scripted off a quick email to ask just that.  Mere moments later, my email made that ‘click’ noise that tells you you’ve a missive.

"Having worked with Darrell, I know that he held Steve in the highest regard. Steve represents the best of cabaret, and his dedication to preserving and promoting the Great American Songbook and cabaret aligns with the reasons Darrell established Cabaret Scenes. I'm sure Darrell would be thrilled that Steve continues his mission to bring the Songbook to audiences around the world. He is a great ambassador to represent the Songbook and those who have contributed to it."

Carolyn Montgomery, Executive Director and Director of Education and Outreach for the ASA, echoed Mr. Dain’s sentiments by saying that, "Steve Ross' career was entering its prime at a time in history when television was replacing the nightclub experience. People were choosing to stay home for entertainment rather than spend the effort and money to venture out. Also in competition with emerging genres like rock and pop, Steve had to be extraordinary to attract audiences. If it weren't for the superior skill and showmanship of artists like Steve, the American Songbook might have faded into a single page in some music history book. Steve carried the torch with charm and excellence, right into the 80s, when the songbook began to trend again. He carries it still, captivating audiences who owe him much for keeping their beloved music playing."

It is, perhaps, Miss KT Sullivan, herself, who says it best, when she comments, simply enough, that, “Steve Ross is the most generous performer I know.”

On Saturday, June 21st, when the ASA, Cabaret Scenes, and Montgomery and Dain present Steve Ross with this year’s Darrell Henline Award, they will do so during a star-studded evening of entertainment featuring a cast of performers hand-picked by Ross himself (as is the tradition with all concerts connected to the Henline Award).  The artists chosen by the Crown Prince of Cabaret are Tom Andersen, Jean Brassard, Eric Comstock, Shana Farr, Barbara Fasano, Eric Michael Gillett, Peter Mintun, Mark Nadler, Ron Spivak, KT Sullivan, Eva Swan, Hechter Ubarry, Dorothy Wiggins, and Michael Lavine musical directing from the piano.   There is always the possibility of cast changes but let us all hope Steve Ross will get up to do a number or two… since the recipients of previous years all did so, it’a pretty fair bet, and that is worth the price of admission to this event, coincidentally a fundraising event for the ASA (underwriting opporunities for the event are available HERE).  The annual Darrell Henline presentation is one of the loveliest nights of each cabaret season, built around art and community and the solidarity of continuity - all things for which Darrell Henline, himself, strived, and with Steve Ross at the center of the proceedings, it looks like it will be a grand night for singing.

Cabaret Scenes and American Songbook Association Celebrate Steve Ross will play The Green Room 42 on Saturday, June 21st at 7 pm.  For tickets to the live performance, click HERE, and to access the Live Stream, click HERE.

Visit the American Songbook Association website HERE.