Billy Stritch News

Pianist/bassist/singer STEVE DOYLE will perform two sets as part of the new "Landmark Wednesdays" series of concerts at the historic SideWalk Cafe in the East Village on Wednesday, December 3. Doyle, along with his band, will perform sets at 8 and 10pm.

Voting is now underway for the Inaugural Cabaret Awards and continues until December 31, 2012. Winners will be announced in early January. Check out the standings here!

Award winning actress and singer Linda Lavin has recently donated her personal art collection to Cameron Art Museum (3201 South 17th Street, Wilmington, North Carolina).

Feinstein's (540 Park Avenue, 61 Street) has announced the swift return to New York of London's fast- rising West End and cabaret singer Joanna Strand, in "Fly Transatlantic". This is her beautifully crafted musical journey through songs with roots both sides of the Atlantic. The performance is Wednesday 5 December at 10.30p.m.

After receiving more than 3,000 nominations once BroadwayWorld.com announced it's first-ever New York Cabaret Awards in early October, BWW is now pleased to announce it's final nominations ballot in 20 categories. Now it's time for all you cabaret performers and fans to vote for the best singers, musicians and shows of the year. Voting will continue until December 31 and winners will be announced in early January.

Jim Caruso & Billy Stritch returned to Bemelmans at The Carlyle Hotel with their evening of swinging standards. The two performers, who have performed extensively on their own, gained national exposure together as the host and musical director of the wildly popular open mic, Cast Party, which celebrates talent every Monday at Birdland in NYC, and tours nationally. During their June debut run at Bemelmans, the duo received critical acclaim, and made news when showbiz heavy-hitters like Liza Minnelli and Michael Feinstein joined them in impromptu performances. Check out coverage of the duo in action below!

Composer/lyricist Neil Bartram and book writer Brian Hill, Drama Desk Nominated authors of Broadway's The Story of My Life, will workshop their newest musical Something Wicked This Way Comes, adapted from the novel by Ray Bradbury, with the Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theatre at the University of Oklahoma in October 2012.

92nd Street Y announces casting for the 2013 season of Lyrics & Lyricists™. Jason Danieley, Rebecca Luker, Barbara Carroll and James Naughton are among the performers from the worlds of Broadway, jazz and cabaret presenting a panoramic journey through the American Songbook via New York, London, Hollywood, and Stratford-on-Avon. L&L's shows this season explore Shakespeare on Broadway, iconic singer/lyricist Peggy Lee, a fresh take on Jerome Kern, and our look at Vernon Duke's and W. S. Gilbert's influence on Broadway. The season is curated by series artistic director Deborah Grace Winer (also returning as artistic director for one of the shows), and a line-up of guest artistic directors - Rob Fisher (with host Sheldon Harnick), Billy Stritch, David Loud and Mark Lamos.

There may have been 40 cabaret performers strutting their stuff this past week at the 23rd New York Cabaret Convention at the Rose Theater at Lincoln Center, but the true star of the three-night extravaganza (October 17-19) was the late Donald Smith, the cabaret impresario and guru to the genre's luminaries, who died this past March at 79. Sponsored by the Mabel Mercer Foundation, which Smith founded in 1985, this year's Convention featured numerous homages to Smith from the performers, many of whom had their career's supported and advanced with the help of the colorful and beloved cabaret producer and promoter. Early in Wednesday's Gala Opening Night show, the 'first lady of the American keyboard' Barbara Carroll called her friend Donald Smith 'the quintessential New Yorker,' and when Mark Nadler closed night one with George and Ira Gershwin's 'Our Love Is Here to Stay,' he said, 'Everybody who cares about the myths of these songs are in this room tonight.' Well, it was clear that anyone who cared about Donald Smith was at the Rose Theater for at least one of the three shows.

The annual New York City Cabaret Convention -- conceived, launched, and brilliantly sustained for the past 23 seasons by The Mabel Mercer Foundation --has honored many specific people and events across the past two decades. Legendary performers, composers, lyricists, and their anniversaries have all had their day and their due as the Convention grew in visibility, stature, and acclaim.

Jim Caruso & Billy Stritch return to Bemelmans at The Carlyle Hotel with their evening of swinging standards on Sunday, October 28, and running every Sunday in November, from 9pm - 12 midnight.

The New York premiere of Owen Dunne's new play POSITIONS is presented Off-Broadway this fall through October 21 at Roy Arias Studio Theatre (300 W. 43 St.) in Manhattan. POSITIONS is presented by Steve Bakunas, Linda Lavin and The Red Barn Studio Theatre, where POSITIONS received its world-premiere this spring. Check out photos from opening night below!

Stamford Center for the Arts continues its stellar 2012-2013 Season celebrating the 85th Anniversary of the Palace Theatre with a concert featuring living legend Marilyn Maye with Billy Stritch on Friday, October 5th at 8 PM, sponsored by Courtyard by Marriott. Marilyn Maye will also be presenting a master class titled The Art of Performance today, October 3rd from 4:30 PM to 9:30 PM.

Feinstein's at Loews Regency presented the New York debut duet engagement of two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy-nominated entertainer Michael Feinstein, and acclaimed Grammy-nominated vocalist Marilyn Maye, through last night, September 22. The two powerhouse entertainers shared the nightclub stage for the first time in an evening of dynamic entertainment including pop standards, boogie woogie classics and audience favorites. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you photos of the duo performing on their last night together!