Photos: Backstage At The Conclusion of The Cabaret Convention

The ambience in the backstage area and dressing rooms of the Rose Theater during the Cabaret Convention is in some ways the same as in a locker room or dugout before a team takes the field.  Players (in this case performers) giving each other encouragement before their turn at bat, and then the congratulations from your teammates after scoring a hit.  The affection, support, and respect these cabaret artists who performed in the Mabel Mercer Foundation’s Cabaret Convention have for each other was wonderful to witness. The theme of last night's October 24th show, hosted by KT Sullivan, was "Everything Old IS New Again." As I’ve said before:

This season, The Mabel Mercer Foundation and Jazz At Lincoln Center presented the 35th year of The New York Cabaret Convention from October 22 to 24. Full of pride, history, music and legendary performances, there is something magnetic that draws me and thousands of others to music venues and concert spaces in order to be transported. For me, it has always been to witness and observe “how the magic happens.”  Backstage, rehearsals, sound checks, invited dress rehearsals, active dressing rooms and hallways … all of it! Those are the activities that excite me. It probably started when my piano teacher, David Roberts, who was a staff musician at CBS & NBC had me, his 13 year old student, tag along to watch some TV musical show rehearsals during the ‘50s. At 16, I got a summer job at ABC delivering teletype messages to the executives, which also allowed me to sneak into, and witness, some rehearsals. Being a musician in the Borscht Belt during summers of the ‘60’s, found me living in a room “backstage”.  The touring entertainers usually asked if they could use my small quarters to get dressed in. There were no fancy dressing rooms in these hotels back then.  Conversations with major stars of the day while they dressed and prepared to take the stage, supplied young me with endless excitement. Billy Eckstine even borrowed my tie!   So, when Donald F. Smith, founder of The Mabel Mercer Foundation, years ago, asked me if I could take backstage photos at the Cabaret Convention, I happily gave up my seat out front to photograph and chat with the artists as they prepared to go onstage at the legendary annual gathering.  Prior to this time, I had no camera and reflect on all the photos I missed capturing during those formative years in the presence of all those greats. But today, and many cameras later, I am thrilled and proud to be able to share with you some photos of this year's magic being made.

KT Sullivan

Amra-Faye Wright

Melissa Errico & Ali Harper

Nicolas King & Eric Yves Garcia

Diva LaMarr

Stephen Sorokoff & Mark Nadler

Aisha de Haas & Jim Caruso

Melissa Errico

Jonathan Arons

Jonathan Arons

Rose Theater

Natalie Douglas

Natalie Douglas

KT Sullivan

KT Sullivan & Rick Meadows

Rose Theater

Mark Nadler & Billy Stritch

Nicole Venessa Ortiz

Julia Parasram, Ali Harper, Marnie Klar

Klea Blackhurst

Melissa Errico

Carole J. Bufford

Marni Klar

Diva LaMarr

Robert Cuccioli

Rosemary Loar

Julia Parasram

Nathan Phan

Deborah Stone

Bryan Eng

T. Oliver Reid & Eric Yves Garcia

Alex Leonard

Diva LaMarr & Darnell White

Boys In The Band & Sidney Myer

Arbender Robinson, KT Sullivan, Alex Leonard

Ali Harper & KT Sullivan

Celia Berk & KT Sullivan

Ali Harper

KT Sullivan

The girls &

Jazz at Lincoln Center