Carole J. Bufford News

n this space back in mid-July, BroadwayWorld.com New York cabaret reviewer Stephen Hanks offered up his list of the Best New York Cabaret Performances for the first half of 2013. Now, here is his list of the performers he feels were the best and most exciting in cabaret this year.

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond, including Jennifer Holliday, Chita Rivera, Jeff Daniels, Steve Kazee, After Midnight Swings the Holiday and more. Details below!

Urban Stages, in association with producer/director/lyricist Peter Napolitano have announced additions to WINTER RHYTHMS 2013 performer line-up now running throughSunday, December 15, 2013 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street). Tickets are $30 per show (unless otherwise noted).Tickets may be purchased on www.smarttix.com or 212 868-4444.

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.

2014 sees some new names and some returns to The Crazy Coqs. January starts with the London debut of the sizzling cabaret performer Carole J .Bufford and her show Body and Soul (January 7 - 11) followed by the popular Broadway star Brent Barrett and his show Night Songs (January 14 -18) and then actress and singer Linda Purl with her show Midnight Caravan: Celebrating the Great Ladies of the Glamorous Nightclub Era of the 40s & 50s (January 21 - 25).

It may not be like getting a gift on every one of the 12 Days of Christmas, but for cabaret and musical theater lovers, the 5th Annual Urban Stages Winter Rhythms series--presented over a dozen nights at the not-for-profit Off-Broadway theatre on 259 West 30th Street--could be the closest thing to opening a daily present by the tree. From December 3-15, dozens of singers and musicians will perform in an eclectic mix of a dozen shows plus late night and matinee 'extras,' with all the proceeds from ticket sales dedicated to the Urban Stages 'On Tour Outreach Program that brings more than 200 free multicultural theater and music programs to elementary and middle school age children and their families in libraries and schools throughout NYC five boroughs. Three years ago, Urban Stages Artistic Director Frances Hill brought in MAC and Bistro award-winning director, lyricist and producer Peter Napolitano to produce the Winter Rhythms program and broaden its scope.BroadwayWorld.com Cabaret Columnist Stephen Hanks recently caught up with the Sol Hurok of Urban Stages to learn how Napolitano has helped Winter Rhythms evolve and to get some insights into this year's program.

This December, January and February, 54 BELOW presents an exciting lineup of the brightest talent from Broadway and beyond. Located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street.

Urban Stages (Frances Hill, Founding Artistic Director), in association with producer/director/lyricist Peter Napolitano announces a series of musical evenings entitled WINTER RHYTHMS 2013, beginning on Tuesday, December 3 and running through Sunday, December 15, 2013 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street). Tickets are $30 per show (unless otherwise noted).Tickets may be purchased on www.smarttix.com or 212 868-4444.

The Broadway Ballyhoo, now in its fourth month at The Laurie Beechman Theater, will celebrate the Cabaret Convention by featuring, among its stars, nightlife Icon SIDNEY MYER and the legendary STEVE ROSS. Also joining the bill, Central Park Guitar Man DAVID IPPOLITO who is currently starring in his own show downtown, Possibility Junkie. More stars will soon be announced, as well. They will all appear in the next performance of this popular weekly musical revue on Wednesday, October 9th at 10:45 PM.

Ten years ago, as a reaction to over-amplification of musicals, Scott Siegel had the crazy idea that there might be an audience for a concert of Broadway show tunes performed the way they used to be sung: without microphones. And Scott had the perfect place to try out his theory, the acoustically wonderful Town Hall on West 43rd St. With no money, but the support of a great many singers who wanted, literally, to be heard in a way that was no longer possible on Broadway, he launched the first Broadway Unplugged, boasting 'Sound Design by God.' BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the special concert below!

Ten years ago, as a reaction to over-amplification of musicals, Scott Siegel had the crazy idea that there might be an audience for a concert of Broadway show tunes performed the way they used to be sung: without microphones. And Scott had the perfect place to try out his theory, the acoustically wonderful Town Hall on West 43rd St. With no money, but the support of a great many singers who wanted, literally, to be heard in a way that was no longer possible on Broadway, he launched the first Broadway Unplugged, boasting 'Sound Design by God.'

A special Broadway Ballyhoo, celebrating the 99th birthday of the show's producer/host, Scott Siegel ('Because that's how old I feel') will be a star-studded affair at the show's new home at The Laurie Beechman Theater.

BARITONES UNBOUND, featuring MARC KUDISCH, BEN DAVIS & JEFF MATTSEY have joined the 10th Annual Concert at Town Hall lineup on Monday, Sept. 30th at 8 PM.

A special Broadway Ballyhoo, celebrating the 99th birthday of the show's producer/host, Scott Siegel ('Because that's how old I feel') will be a star-studded affair at the show's new home at The Laurie Beechman Theater.

In cabaret, there are variety shows and there are VARIETY shows. Going on close to three years as a reviewer and attending a myriad of these affairs that can range in feel from Ed Sullivan to the Gong Show, I no longer have much patience for the lower case version. But every once in a while there's a multi-performer extravaganza that screams capital letters. It turns out that MAC-Award winning singer Lauren Fox has acquired the knack for staging 'Big V' variety shows because they are all about the themes, the stories, and the music, and not about the performers. And wouldn't you know it? With the egos being upstaged by everyone's joy and passion for the project, everybody wins . . . especially the audience. That was the case last night at 54 Below with the Fox produced 'One Night of Peace & Music: A Tribute to Woodstock.'

Nightlife Award winner Carole J. Bufford, Tony Bennett's favorite singer Allan Harris, musical theater comet Jillian Louis (winning performance citations the last two years in a row at NYMF), cabaret star Frank Dain and Broadway Rising star Michelle Cameron will star in the next edition of Scott Siegel's BROADWAY BALLYHOO! tonight, August 14 at 10:30 p.m. at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.

Nightlife Award winner Carole J. Bufford, Tony Bennett's favorite singer Allan Harris, musical theater comet Jillian Louis (winning performance citations the last two years in a row at NYMF), cabaret star Frank Dain and Broadway Rising star Michelle Cameron will star in the next edition of Scott Siegel's BROADWAY BALLYHOO! on Wednesday, August 14 at 10:30 p.m. at the Laurie Beechman Theatre.

Ten years ago, as a reaction to over-amplification of musicals, Scott Siegel had the crazy idea that there might be an audience for a concert of Broadway show tunes performed the way they used to be sung: without microphones. And Scott had the perfect place to try out his theory, the acoustically wonderful Town Hall on West 43rd St. With no money, but the support of a great many singers who wanted, literally, to be heard in a way that was no longer possible on Broadway, he launched the first Broadway Unplugged, boasting 'Sound Design by God.'

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.

A few weeks before BroadwayWorld.com Cabaret Reviewer and Columnist Stephen Hanks was about to stage the opening night of his debut solo cabaret show on May 31, a number of cabaret performers asked him if he was going to write about the experience in some way, with some even encouraging him to keep a diary. 'It might be really interesting to read how your perspective about cabaret performers and performing might have changed and how it might impact your reviews now that you're doing it yourself,' commented one singer. 'It was a fascinating notion and one that I had already thought about,' Hanks admits, 'but between a full time job, attending shows, writing reviews, taking vocal lessons, rehearsing, etc., finding the time and the energy to keep even a weekly diary was not in the cards.' Hanks certainly didn't think he'd forget even the little things that have gone into making his journey what he calls 'an amazing, fantasy-fulfilling, almost surreal experience.' On the eve of his last performance of his three-show run (over three weeks) at the Metropolitan Room of Beyond American Pie: The Don McLean Songbook, BroadwayWorld.com sat down with our lead cabaret reviewer to get his insights and perspective on what's it been like to be on the performer end of things.