Bobbie Horowitz News

At a ceremony held last night in New York, the Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs announced the winners of the 2015 MAC Awards. The show was hosted by Karen Mason, with musical direction by Barry Levitt, and was produced by Julie Miller and directed by Lennie Watts.

The Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs will present the 29th Annual MAC Awards on Thursday, March 26st, at 7:30pm, at B.B King Blues Club & Grill in New York City.

As the days dwindled down to a precious few in 2014, a few cabaret goers and performers in what is affectionately but also self-mockingly called the “cabaret community” would sidle up and ask if I was planning my annual end-of-the year “Best Of” column, similar to the “Top 20 Bests and Favorites” piece over the first half of the year I posted back in early July. I would respond in the negative with very reasonable and believable excuses, but the truth is I didn't want to reveal my “Bests” of the year until the voting for the 2014 BroadwayWorld New York Cabaret Awards had ended. There's enough baggage and backstage whispering that comes with administering the BWW Awards, so I wasn't about to publish any opinions that might influence the vote while it was in process. I may be crazy but I'm not masochistic. But now all bets are off. You want lists? I'll give you lists.

I'm sure there has never been more talent in anyone's camera lens on 22nd Street in front of the Metropolitan Room than is represented in this photo. So for now, I hold that record as we approach 7PM on Jan 1st when hopefully the Guinness World record for Longest Variety Show will begin.

Bobbie Horowitz has been at the top of the cabaret game for nearly 30 years--as composer, producer, performer and fan--and the recent variety show tribute to her at the Metropolitan Room proved why and was richly deserved.

If you are even a semi-regular reader of this column of reviews, you know that about every three or four months, I post a compilation of observations of shows from the previous quarter of the year. This cabaret critiquing mash up happens for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that I admittedly see too many cabaret shows for the amount of time I have to promptly review them (and then, of course, the usual writer's procrastination sets in). So I have to prioritize the timeliness of the reviews based on the prestige of the performer, the length of a show run, the strength (or lack thereof) of the performance, etc. The quality of the shows in these compilations—which can range from a half dozen to a dozen reviews in one shot—are usually a mixed bag of outright raves, qualified positives, and constructive pans (I'm not a fan of the word “negative” in the reviewer lexicon). With that in mind here are a collection of cabaret show reviews going back to the start of a very harsh winter.

NiCori Studios and Productions presents Shows Ta Go Ya! & Other Songs of Bobbie Horowitz will be at Stage 72 at the Triad on Sunday, March 30 and April 13 at 4pm.

The Metropolitan Room has announced an exciting lineup of artists and entertainment for the month of March.

Winners of the 12th Annual Nightlife Awards and Special Guest Stars joined together to celebrate New York Nightlife on Monday, January 27th at 7 PM at The Town Hall. Special Guest Stars included Stephanie J. Block. Tony Award Winner Bill Irwin, Tony Nominee Jason Robert Brown, Recording and Concert Artist Nellie McKay, and the show's Three-Time Emmy Award-winning host, Bruce Vilanch. Check out a look behind the scenes below!

It turns out that when it came to Tanya Moberly cabaret shows and this reviewer, the third time was the charm. After being blown away by Moberly's powerful voice and stage presence when I first caught her one-song performances at the Sunday Salon Open Mics three years ago, I wasn't crazy about either of her full-blown cabaret shows the past two years (Tanya Moberly Sings Di Franco/Tanya Moberly Sings Jonatha Brooke in 2011 and Tanya Lorraine Moberly Sings Barbra Joan Streisand in 2012—in spite of her receiving MAC and BroadwayWorld.com Best Female Vocalist nominations for the latter). But her new show that opened this past Friday and Saturday nights at Don't Tell Mama, I Love New York Songwriters, pressed many of my cabaret buttons—in a good way. While there were still some minor flaws—owing to a certain stubbornness in her approach to a cabaret show—this eclectic set of original songs written by some of the city's best “unknown” composers was consistently entertaining. In this particular show, Ms. Moberly was Tanya Terrific.

When Dana Lorge's run as a Variety Show hosted ended at the Iguana Restaurant last July-and after winning two 2012 MAC Awards for 'Best Variety Show' and 'Best Variety Show Host'-who knew she'd be reduced to being a cabaret audience member searching for a new showcase? But a Metropolitan Room Mentch has come to the rescue in the form of Bernie Furshpan (the Met Room's General Partner and Manager), who has provided Dana with a monthly forum for her unique brand of cabaret shtick beginning Friday, April 5 at 7-8:15 pm. While the new show won't be the two-hour plus extravaganza of yore featuring more than a dozen performers, Dana's new 'Variety Show' promises to feature a solid group of experienced and well-known cabaret and musical theater pros. For the April 5 opener, the Lorge Lineup features Richard Skipper, her former Award-winning Co-host from the Iguana days; film and stage actor Jim Brochu (of Zero Mostel One-Man Show fame), singers LaTanya Hall (from the CBS show 'Blue Bloods) and Peggy Herman Klat, Rick Crom (Creator of Newsical the Musical), and Mr. Furshpan, who will show off his stand-up comedy chops. But the real star of the show will always be the hilarious, unpredictable, darling Dana, who will both crack you up with her infectious humor and surprise you with her engaging singing performances.

NiCori Studios and Productions presents Shows Ta Go Ya! & Other Songs of Bobbie Horowitz at Stage 72 at the Triad today, March 3 at 3pm.

NiCori Studios and Productions presents Shows Ta Go Ya! & Other Songs of Bobbie Horowitz at Stage 72 at the Triad on Sunday, March 3 at 3pm.

By the last August, I had fallen so far behind on writing reviews of cabaret shows from the spring and early summer (I guess it's a positive when there are more performers and shows in New York than days in the week) that I decided to play catch up by combining a bunch of critiques into one big column. I hadn't planned on doing that again, but this fall there were so many shows that once again I couldn't keep up. but at least I've beaten my self-imposed deadline New Year's Eve deadline of posting these reviews of 12 shows, all staged between September-December by lovely, attractive women (okay, so one is a gender-bender) of varying talents and levels on the cabaret depth chart, from established stars to MAC and Bistro Award-winners to comeback 'kids' to interesting beginners and occasional performers who are in the game to follow their bliss. Whether their performances were rave-worthy, earning of qualified praise, or not quite up to snuff, they all deserve kudos for taking the plunge.

'Sandy Jordan's World of Jazz and Cabaret' is a kind of companion film to 'The Zen of Bennett,' a documentary about Tony Bennett by Unjoo Moon. Sandy Jordan -- a star of New York night clubs and cabaret for over three decades -- has focused her incredible experience and energy on a star-studded hour-long documentary film called 'Sandy Jordan's World of Jazz and Cabaret.' The world premiere is today, November 18 at 8 PM at Tribeca Cinemas. It is directed by David Capurso.

'Sandy Jordan's World of Jazz and Cabaret' is a kind of companion film to 'The Zen of Bennett,' a documentary about Tony Bennett by Unjoo Moon. Sandy Jordan -- a star of New York night clubs and cabaret for over three decades -- has focused her incredible experience and energy on a star-studded hour-long documentary film called 'Sandy Jordan's World of Jazz and Cabaret.' The world premiere is November 18 at 8 PM at Tribeca Cinemas. It is directed by David Capurso.

If any New York cabaret performers staging shows last Wednesday evening (July 11) found their audiences a bit sparse, it's probably Dana Lorge's fault. The endearing and ditzy entertainment diva's final weekly talent showcase at Iguana NYC Restaurant on West 54th Street (just east of the new 54 Below) didn't bring out every cabaret connected person in the city, but it sure seemed that way. And if MAC had a vote for 'Variety Show of the Year,' Lorge's last Iguana presentation would win in a landslide.

Concerts for City Greens, the free outdoor concert series that brings the sounds of music to the heart of Midtown, will add flashes of comedy as several quick-silvered wits join the musical mix on Wednesday June 20 at 6:30pm at Tudor City Greens.

The Theatre Museum Awards for Excellence were held Monday night, April 30, at The Players Club. Helen Guditis, President of The Theatre Museum, five time Tony winner Stewart F. Lane, Chairman of the Board of The Theatre Museum and 2011 Honoree for Distinguished Service to the Theatre, Bonnie Comley hosted a celebration to honor excellence in the theatre. See photos of the honorees and attendees below!