Urban Stages to Present 15th Annual WINTER RHYTHMS Featuring 22 Shows and Over 100 Performers

Urban Stages will present its 15th annual awarding-winning cabaret series, Winter Rhythms, performing from December 6th through December 17th, the celebrated series will benefit Urban Stages' Outreach, Arts in Education programs.  

This year's Winter Rhythms will present 22 shows over the course of 11 days, with over 100 New York's best performers. The shows will offer something for everyone from Cabaret, Musical Theatre, Jazz, Classical, Accordion, Disney, Pop, and more!. A highlight of this year's Winter Rhythms is a very special tribute to the historic Algonquin's legendary Oak Room in an evening called “Nights at the Algonquin,” celebrating the many artists who have played there!

All shows are $35 (Except for the Algonquin Gala and Retrospective), and tickets for shows are on sale at urbanstages.org. *Artists, programming, and schedules are subject to change.

Performance Schedule: 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6

7:00pm  |  Champagne and Wine 
7:30pm  |  Michael Colby Presents “Nights at the Algonquin” (Part 1 of the Algonquin Retrospective) Hors D'oeuvres and Drinks after the show! - $60.00

An historic evening spotlighting stars of the legendary Oak Room Supper Club: Karen Akers, Natalie Douglas, Jeff Harnar, Mark Nadler, Karen Oberlin, Steve Ross, KT Sullivan, and hosted by Michael Colby ("The Algonquin Kid").

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7

7:00pm | Rosemary Loar in "STING*chronicity.

9:00pm | And the Winner Is.... Josephine Sanges, Danny Bolero & Ann Talman – This year's Bistro and MAC Award Winners!

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8

7:00pm | Multi-award-winning singer, Celia Berk sings: "A Dream and a Song: The Musical Stories of Elizabeth Sullivan”.

9:00pm | Sara Louise Lazarus Presents the 2023 class of Circle in the Square in "Circle Sings".

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9

3:00pm | Signasium presents “Blame it on the Mouse! Celebrating 100 Years of Disney Magic” featuring: Natalie Ault, Jenn Bornstein, Bianca Kroening, Justin Dylan Nastro, Julie Salzano, Misako Yamagishi and Deborah Zecher.

7:00pm | Patti Bottino-Bravo in “ACT 3!” with the Gregory Toroian Trio

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10

1:00pm | “Gals Who Squeeze” Starring Mary Spencer Knapp – Making the Accordion cool!

3:00pm | Michael Colby Presents "Created at the Algonquin" (Part 2 of Algonquin Retrospective) featuring: Major Attaway, Craig Bierko, Nat Chandler, David Edwards, Shana Farr, Jenn Gambatese, Anita Gillette, Leah Hocking, Michael McCoy, Rita Neidich, Jon Peterson, Steve Ross, Megan Styrna, Marianne Tatum and hosted by: Michael Colby. - $40.00

7:00pm | Tom Toce Presents "The Songs of Taylor Swift" featuring: Meg Flather, Hannah Jane, Jillian Mustillo, Megan Styrna, Kira Berman, Serena Feniger and Lara Yellin.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 11

7:00pm | Multi-award-winning songwriter, John Forster Presents "Too Clever by 20%"

9:00pm | "Diva LaMarr sings: "Feel Alright - The Music & Lyrics of Darnell White" with Musical Director: Darnel White.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13

7:00pm | Bruce Clough Presents "From Out of the Blues" with the Tracy Stark Trio.

9:00pm | Hannah Jane in “Holly Jolly with Hannah Jane"

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14

7:00pm | Michael Kirk Lane with William TN Hall in “Merry Almost Christmas”

9:00pm | Elizabeth Hayden-Passero in “Swingin' the Blues Away!”

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15

7:00pm | Matsuki Productions Presents "Legends that 'Muse' Me - Part 1" featuring Maria Corsaro (Carmen McRae), Lionel Shockness (Stephen Sondheim), Eva Steinberg (Peggy Lee) and Leslee Warren (Duke Ellington). Musical Director: Gregory Toroian.

9:00pm | Matsuki Productions Presents "Legends that 'Muse' Me - Part 2" featuring Fred Aiese (Stevie Wonder), Jacqueline Draper (Michel Legrand), Kati Neiheisel (Julie London) and Deborah Stone (Joni Mitchell / Joan Baez). Musical Director: Gregory Toroian.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16

3:00pm | Shana Farr in “Bernstein to Sondheim: The Barbara Cook Songbook”

7:00pm | Marcus Simeone & Tracy Stark in "Up, Up & Away: The Songs of Jimmy Webb"

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17

3:00pm | Grammy-award-winning guitarist Kenny Passerelli & Amy Loper in "Forever is Now: A Story of Love, Music & Transformation."

7:00pm | Tom Toce Presents the 6th Annual "Songs of Hope VI"

Tom Toce joins forces with Winter Rhythms' veterans (and award-winning songwriters) Beth Falcone and Ritt Henn to produce a program of optimistic tunes.

All shows $35 (Except for the Algonquin Gala and Retrospective)

Buy two shows on the same night for $60.00! A student code for a $20.00 ticket is available upon request with proof of ID at the door.

Urban Stages - 259 W. 30th St. - 212-421-1380

Tickets:  https://www.urbanstages.org/winterrhythms2023

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URBAN STAGES is an award-winning, not-for-profit, Off-Broadway Theatre Company founded in 1984 by current Artistic Director Frances Hill. The comedy, The Making of a Great Moment (2023), by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb recently closed to high acclaim. Eleanor and Alice, Conversations between Two Remarkable Roosevelts (2022) by Ellen Abrams received excellent reviews and in December (2022), Urban Stages presented the World Premiere of acclaimed playwright Zhu Yi's A Deal. For over 30 years, Urban Stages has produced dozens of World, American and NYC premieres including Pulitzer Prize Finalist Bulrusher (2007) by Eisa Davis. They have been honored with awards, nominations and recognition from the Drama Desk, Obie Awards, Audelco, Outer Critics Circle and much more. Their world premiere of the musical Langston In Harlemby Walter Marks (music and book) and Kent Gash (book and direction) garnered a Drama Desk Nomination, a Joe A. Calloway award and 4 Audelco awards including Best Musical Production of 2010. Trezana Beverly's Mabel Madness (2016) was nominated for an Audelco Award for Outstanding Solo Performance,  Unseamlyby Oren Safdie (2015) was a NY Times Critics Pick, Jim Brochu Character Man (2014) was nominated for a Drama Desk and an Outer Critics Circle award for Best Solo performance and Honky (2013) by Greg Kalleres saw a regional run at San Diego Rep and was televised nationally on PBS in late 2015.  After production, most plays move on to larger venues. Men On The Verge Of A Hispanic Breakdown by Guillermo Reyes and Minor Demons by Bruce Graham both moved to commercial theatres. Chili Queen, a play by newscaster Jim Lehrer, transferred to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. (1989). My Occasion Of Sin (2012) by Monica Bauer won critical acclaim when it moved to Detroit Rep. Bill Bowers has toured the United States and the world with his two Urban Stages premieres blending mime and theatre – Beyond Words (2012) and Under A Montana Moon (2002)! Some Urban Stages premieres have even been developed into film and television projects such as Scar by Murray Mednick, Conversations With The Goddesses by Agapi Stassinopoulos, and Cotton Maryby Alexandra Viets. In addition to plays and musicals, they hold an annual music festival - Winter Rhythms - that features famous and up-and-coming Cabaret, musical theater, songwriters, lyricists and other music artists. In 2016, Winter Rhythms was honored with the Bistro Award for Outstanding Series, and in 2015, it received the Ruth Kurtzman Benefit Series MAC Award from the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs.

Sue Matsuki (Producer Winter Rhythms) This 15th year of Winter Rhythms marks Sue's 10th year as a participant and the 5th year as the Assistant Producer and now the Producer of this Festival. Sue is an award-winning singer and songwriter, producer, host, educator, columnist and the co-author of So You Want to Sing Cabaret. She is a Bistro Award winner for Outstanding Collaboration with her Musical Director, Gregory Toroian; she is the very first recipient of the Julie Wilson Award given by the Mabel Mercer Foundation; and she is a multi-award-winning MAC Award recipient for Jazz Vocalist, Jazz Duo and Songwriter. Matsuki is a Cabaret/Jazz singing veteran who has played every NYC Cabaret room including: Feinstein's at the Regency, Feinstein's 54 Below, Town Hall, The Algonquin, Jan Wallman's, 88's, Don't Tell Mama and several of the major Jazz Clubs including the legendary Village Gate, Birdland, The Iridium and Sweet Rhythm. She's even played Carnegie Hall and appeared in five seasons as a Diva Double at the Metropolitan Opera. As an educator she has taught Cabaret and performance business classes at: Mac-to-School, Cabaret Hotspot! Cabaret U, The Ridgefield Theater Barn, UCONN's Osher's Lifelong Learning Institute, the Vancouver School of Performing Arts and at Fordham University .For more information please visit: www.suematsuki.com

Frances Hill (Founding Artistic Director) began her theatrical career in California as an actress. Since 1983, Ms. Hill has overseen more than 600 staged readings/workshops and 90 productions of new works for the stage. She has directed over 30 workshops and productions. Her favorite directing credits include: Gino DiIorio's Apostasy, Roma Greth's Our Summer Days, Jim Lehrer's Chili Queen, (directed at Urban Stages and Kennedy Center), John Picardi's Seven Rabbits on a Pole and The Sweepers (directed at Urban Stages and Capital Rep); Comfort Women by Chugmi Kim (Urban Stages 2004), 27 Rue De Fleurs and My Occasion of Sin. She directed the Urban Stages World Premiere of Mabel Madness (2016), written by and starring Trezana Beverley. Two of her plays have been produced, Our Bench and Life Lines. Under the guidance of Ms. Hill, Playwrights' Preview Productions/Urban Stages have moved two plays into commercial Off-Broadway successes. Minor Demons opened the new Century Center Theater and Men on the Verge of His-Panic Breakdown won an Outer Critic's Circle Award while playing to capacity audiences at the 47th Street Theater. Urban Stages' African American Poets as Playwrights won eight Audelco Nominations and Coyote On a Fencereceived two Drama Desk nominations and a Pilgrim's Project Award. Eisa Davis's Bulrusher was one of three nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. 2010 production of Langston in Harlem won several drama desk nominations, a John Calloway award, and several Audelco nominations including a win for best music production of the year (2010), along with several other awards.

Frances looks froward to continuing to produce and director at Urban Stages.