Photos: The Broadway World Cabaret Studio Portraits

I had retired.  In 2017 I made a very public exit from photography after thirty-six years.  Everything went into storage, there was no trace of a photographer's life in my home, except for a few photo albums and two copies of THE SWEATER BOOK.  And I was happy.   I was really very happy.  But in 2019 Rob Diamond asked me to be a reviewer for Broadway World Cabaret, and, after about eight reviews, I realized that I needed art for my articles; I needed to give our readers a complete idea of the art that was being created in the cabarets and clubs of New York City.  So I got my camera out of mothballs, I got permission from the venues, and I started taking photos in the clubs.   In January of 2020, I wanted to do a series of interviews that included studio portraits of the subjects, so I had to get my lighting equipment out of storage and I had to replace some things I had given away (I gave away a lot), but before you could say Milton Greene, I was making portraits again.  I continued to do in-person interviews that included a photo shoot until I reached the point where, if someone asked for an interview, the first question out of my mouth was, "When are you available to do the photos?"  It was fun being back in the studio - indeed, I had forgotten how much I loved the craft that was my original artistic love.  Making those photos for my Broadway World Cabaret articles was an unexpected happy byproduct of the job to which I had said yes.

These are my favorites from the Broadway World Cabaret Studio Sessions.

Ace Young

Alexandra Silber and Alec Silver

Anita Gillette

Ari Axelrod

Arielle Jacobs and JJ Caruncho

Ben Moss

Benny Benack III

Blaine Alden Krauss

The Boy Band Project

Carole J. Bufford

Catherine Porter and Elizabeth Ward Land

Chita Rivera and Richard Ridge

Christine Andreas and Martin Silvestri

Don Kelly

Dorian Woodruff

The Drinkwater Brothers

Frances Ruffelle

Garrett Clayton

James Jackson Jr. and John-Andrew Morrison

Jean Louisa Kelly

Jess LeProtto

Jessica Hendy

Joanna Gleason

Julie Halston

Kevin Feguson

Khalifa White

Lauren Marcus

Lorna Dallas

Marc Tumminelli

Maria Wirries and Matt SanGiovanni

Marissa Licata

Matt Baker

Melissa Errico

Natalie Douglas

Nicolas King

Nicole Henry

Orfeh and Andy Karl

Penny Fuller

Robbie Rozelle

Sidney Myer

Susie Mosher

The Show Broads - Marta Sanders and Leanne Borghesi

Tony Yazbeck

Yasuhiko Fukuoka

This is not a studio shot, it was done on location (which I rarely do) for an article about the 54 Below disco series TURN THE BEAT AROUND, which our Broadway World Team loved and believed in, so I did a feature story that included photos of the cast made on location.  It is my favorite photo I have made in the last four years.

This is not a studio shot, it was done in the dressing room at Carnegie Hall minutes before the Debbie Wileman Judy Garland show, which I was on hand to photograph for Broadway World Cabaret.  I don't often go backstage before a show, but there are certain occasions that are special.  This was one of those times.