Photos: SPEAK LOW: THE MUSIC OF KURT WEILL at Rose Theater Opens Cabaret Convention

Last night at the Rose Theater The Mabel Mercer Foundation kicked off the 34th Annual Cabaret Convention with a program titled SPEAK LOW.  This yearly event featuring some of the best artists of the cabaret and concert industry (always with some making their convention debut) plays for three nights, with each evening focusing on a particular theme or composer, the material and artists all curated by the evening's hosts, invited to their emcee duties by Mercer Foundation leader, KT Sullivan.

For the opening night of this year's series, the composer in the spotlight was Kurt Weill and the twosome Mistress and Master of Cermonies were frequent comrades Andrea Marcovicci and Jeff Harnar.  Together, the cabaret proficients gathered around them some of the most respected and beloved artists from the industry, both newcomers and long haulers.

Broadway World Cabaret correspondent Rob Lester will be reporting on the week's happenings later, while resident photographic artist Conor Weiss will be sharing daily photo essays of the previous evening's activities.  Enjoy Conor's photo flash below and visit the Mabel Mercer Foundation HERE for more information on the Cabaret Convention and their important work preserving and presenting The Great American Songbook and the art form of cabaret.

Tonight the Cabaret Convention will present SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY: A TRIBUTE TO Doris Day hosted by Rex Reed with Tedd Firth Musical Directing from the piano.

Tomorrow night's offering from the Cabaret Convention is AS TIME GOES BY: TIMELESS CLASSICS with Mabel Mercer's own KT Sullivan acting as Mistress of Ceremonies

Ari Axelrod "Lost In The Stars"

Jeff Harnar and Andrea Marcovicci "One Life To Live" and "There'll Be Life, Love, and Laughter"

Clint Holmes "I'm a Stranger Here Myself"

Beckie Menzie and Tom Michael "Johnny's Song" and "Sing Me Not a Ballad" and "That's How Much I Love You"

Dawn Derow "My Ship"

Tovah Feldshuh "Mr. Right"

Therese Lee "This Is New"

Madalynn Mathews "Stay Weill"

Celia Berk "What Good Would The Moon Be"

Marieann Meringolo "Love Song"

Ute Lemper "Pirate Jenny"

Danny Bacher and Minda Larsen "Mack The Knife"

Ute Lemper "Speak Low"

Those Girls (left to right: Wendy Russell, Rachel Hanser, Karen Mack, Eve Eaton)

Maude Maggart "The River Is So Blue"

Karen Kohler "Bilbao Song"

Natalie Douglas "Lonely House"

Sidney Myer "That's Him"

Karen Akers "Surabaya Johnny"

Jeff Harnar "Tschaikowsky"

Andrea Marcovicci "It Never Was You"

Marta Sanders "September Song"

MOIPEI "Here I'll Stay"

  About Conor Weiss

Conor Weiss is a NY-based actor/director and occasional stage manager who has been around the Cabaret scene since 1994 - 2003 when he first joined the staff as a technical director at Judy's' and at Danny's Skylight room. During these years and the years after the closing of Judy's and Danny's, he subbed in at many other clubs at one time or another. He has always had a deep love for the American Songbook and for cabaret. Between his time in the booth and time in the audience has probably been present for a few thousand cabaret shows over the last 30 years and looks forward to more!

Find Conor Weiss on Facebook HERE.

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