Billie Roe News

The star-studded list of Broadway stars and A-list cabaret performers keeps growing for the 2013 BroadwayWorld New York Cabaret Awards Show, to be staged at Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street near Astor Place in Manhattan) on February 23 from 6:30-8:40 pm. Added to a stellar group that includes Ann Hampton Callaway, Liz Callaway, Terri White, Jane Monheit and Jason Robert Brown, are Tony Award Winner (now also a cabaret performer) Alice Ripley (photo left), who will perform representing Sondheim Unplugged at 54 Below, which won the BWW Cabaret Award for Best Variety Show or Recurring Series. Broadway favorite Jackie Hoffman (Hairspray, Xanadu, Adams Family) will appear to perform and accept her BWW Award for Best Musical Comedy Performance for her show at 54 Below.

The Tony Award-winning actor-singer-dancer Ben Vereen, who has appeared in numerous shows on Broadway and in his own one-man shows around the country, will be honored, along with 17 others, at the 29th Annual Bistro Awards gala, which recognizes outstanding achievement in New York cabaret, jazz, and comedy. The celebration will take place on Tuesday, March 4 at Gotham Comedy Club, 208 W. 23rd St. (between 7th & 8th avenues).

Laura Benanti, Terri White, Jane Monheit, Jason Robert Brown, and the Callaway Sisters Among First Wave of Performers Slated for BroadwayWorld Awards NY Cabaret Show, 2/23

It's finally official. After more than a month of voting--following a month-long nomination process--approximately 7,000 voters have selected the winners of the BroadwayWorld.com New York Cabaret Awards for 2013. Self-proclaimed cabaret “Diva” Ann Hampton Callaway and her Broadway baby sister Liz Callaway are either the principals or connected to four awards out of this year's 18 categories, including “Best Duo or Group Show” for the return after 18 years of their critically-acclaimed sister act Sibling Revelry, and “Best Tribute Show” to Ann for her exciting homage to Sarah Vaughan, From Sassy to Divine. Ann's musicians for her Sarah Vaughan show at Dizzy's Jazz Club at Lincoln Center took the Award for “Best Band or Orchestra,” and Alex Rybeck received the most votes as “Best Musical Director” for Sibling Revelry, which was staged in August at 54 Below.

Voting is now underway for Cabaret! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.

Last December, after I posted my list of the Best Cabaret Performers of 2012, I followed up my original 'listmania' with a column that served as a way to include some 'honorable mentions,' basically a recognition of other memorable shows and performances of songs that were striking, unique, and/or original that year. The column received a positive response so I thought I'd wheel it out again this year. So as the hours tick away on 2013 and we anticipate the coming of a new year, here is an addendum to the 2013 New York Cabaret Performers of the Year--a totally random list of 30 Honorable Mentions of the 'Best' and 'Most' in Cabaret for 2013 . . . mainly because I can and it's fun. Enjoy and Happy New Year!

Voting is now underway for Cabaret! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.

Voting is now underway for Boston! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.

Voting is now underway for Cabaret! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.

Voting is now underway for Cabaret! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.

If you're wondering whether or not 2013 was a fantastic year for the cabaret art form in New York, all you have to do is scan the amazing list of nominees for this year's BroadwayWorld New York Cabaret Awards and you'll know it was one of the best ever. So now it's time for all you cabaret performers and fans to vote for the best singers, musicians, songs, and shows of the year. Voting will continue until Sunday night January 5 and the winners will be announced later that week. We hope that all the winners will be able to perform in the Award show on Sunday night February 23 at Joe's Pub.

The 6th Season of The Concerts for City Greens, free outdoor concert series, concludes tonight, September 11th at 6:30 pm (Rain date: Thursday, September 12th at 6:30pm.) at Tudor City Greens, with a very special tribute concert: 'I HEAR AMERICA SINGING - Songs of Hope, Joy & Inspiration,' and will feature professional performers from Broadway and the New York City cabaret, and jazz scene.

The 6th Season of The Concerts for City Greens, free outdoor concert series, concludes on Wednesday, September 11th at 6:30 pm (Rain date: Thursday, September 12th at 6:30pm.) at Tudor City Greens, with a very special tribute concert: 'I HEAR AMERICA SINGING - Songs of Hope, Joy & Inspiration,' and will feature professional performers from Broadway and the New York City cabaret, and jazz scene.

The actress Lauren Stanford pulled off a dramatic win last night, as she became the 2013 MetroStar at the Metropolitan Room in New York. A Kansas City native with musical theatre credits, Stanford edged out her four co-finalists in tight scoring that belied how strong and evenly matched this year's MetroStar Talent Challenge Top 5 had become.

After a highly competitive semi-final round of the 'MetroStar Talent Challenge' at The Metropolitan Room last night, five finalists were picked to move forward in the 7-week singers' competition. The five finalists, who will go head to head next Monday, August 19, are Stephen Mitchell Brown, Venessa Diaz, Jason Morris, Tony Ponella and Lauren Stanford.

The Major League Baseball All-Star break (the game is on Tuesday night) has always been considered the midpoint of the season and as a lifelong fan I've always enjoyed reading those analyses from writers that assess the best performances of the first half. Since July is also the middle of the calendar year, I thought it might be fun to present a cabaret equivalent of a baseball midseason report. So . . . (drum roll) . . . presenting the Best (and My Favorite) 20 New York Cabaret Shows and Performances of (the first half) of 2013.

Beginning tonight, 75 solo singers are competing in the sixth annual MetroStar Talent Challenge at The Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd Street. Hosted by the comic actor-singer Jay Rogers, the seven-week, jury-and audience-voted competition kicks off with three weeks of trials (July 8, 15, 22), after which the Top 18 contestants will advance to the next round.

Something funny's happening to the 'MetroStar Talent Challenge' this year. Singer-restaurateur Carolyn Montgomery-Forant joins the permanent jury, and the comic actor Jay Rogers hosts the 6th annual edition of the singers contest at the Metropolitan Room. The exciting competition has launched the careers of a number of standouts in cabaret, pop and jazz. The 2013 'MetroStar Talent Challenge' runs for seven consecutive Mondays, from tonight, July 8 through August 19.