Donna Kelly 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.

When Cole Porter wrote, 'Anything Goes,' he could have easily been referring to New York cabaret circa the 2000-sies. One of the joys of attending and reviewing cabaret shows in the Big Apple these days is that every performing style, show theme, cultural perspective, political point of view, race, gender, and sexual preference is represented on a stage. Some cabaret purists may not agree, but the genre seems to have no boundaries in terms of what is acceptable and what is not. And as long as a show is entertaining, who cares about boundaries and strict definitions of what works in the art form? Here are reviews of three recent shows from Barbara Malley, Robin Kradles, and Donna Hayes that reflect the delicious diversity that is cabaret.

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.

1812 Productions is thrilled to present the ninth annual production of its smash political comedy This Is The Week That Is. This Is The Week That Is is a trademark 1812 production, presenting all the news that's fit to skewer. A stylistic marriage between The Carol Burnett Show and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, This Is The Week That Is continues to keep Philadelphians up to speed on all things political by revealing the truth behind the headlines.

One single most-telling elements of multi-award-nominated cabaret chanteuse Kim Grogg, and her latest show Go Where the Love Is (which makes further appearances at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues on Tuesday, November 18th and Friday, December 5th at 7:00 PM, as well as Sunday, December 7th at 5:30 PM), is that she along with band and technical crew manage to create a seamlessly-fine line between casual presentation and sophisticated elegance; this show easily could have taken its place among the acts at the now-legendary downtown clubs Reno Sweeney and The Bottom Line in the 1970s. As if that wasn't enough, Grogg manages to spin a glorious yarn on the hazards of love and dating, and does so with absolutely top-notch song selections.

Based on the promotion of their new duo show, Revolution (a four-show run that ends at the Duplex tonight at 6:30), you might have gotten the impression that Dawn Derow and Kathleen France would be engaging in a zany bit of fluff poking fun at American military politics in a Bob Hope USO Show kinda way. But while there is definitely some frivolity and even some biting satire along the way, the women also convey a serious sense of patriotism and reverence for those who have fought and died in America's many wars. In fact, a portion of the audience cover charge is being donated to the Wounded Warrior Project (www.woundedwarriourproject.org).

It was the 1980's. The time of ray bans, head bands, and the start of cable television, where music videos on MTV would skyrocket to stardom future pop icons Madonna, Michael Jackson, and, of course, The Artist Formerly Known as . . . Prince. Celebrated early on for his sexually charged lyrics and for experimentally combining various genres of music (funk, R&B, new wave to pop and pop rock), Prince was and still is a one-man musical revolution. He has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making him one of the best selling artists of all time. For a cabaret performer to take on Prince's challenging discography is not only ambitious, it's extremely BOLD. It would require a singer to have amazing vocal flexibility and power, smoldering sensuality, and strong emotional connections to the lyrics. Rain Collazo displayed all those qualities--and more--in her performance this past Saturday night at Don't Tell Mama.

1812 Productions is thrilled to present the ninth annual production of its smash political comedy This Is The Week That Is. This Is The Week That Is is a trademark 1812 production, presenting all the news that's fit to skewer. A stylistic marriage between The Carol Burnett Show and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, This Is The Week That Is continues to keep Philadelphians up to speed on all things political by revealing the truth behind the headlines.

On October 27, 2014, the following nominees and award recipients were honored at the 2014 Barrymore Awards Ceremony at The Merriam Thater, produced by Theatre Philadelphia.

The 2014 Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre, live blogged from the Merriam Theatre!

Sexy Coloratura, MAC Award Nominee Dawn Derow, the New England song bird, serves it up again, at New York's Metropolitan Room in an Opera Cabaret entitled 'LEGIT,' tonight, September 26.

Sexy Coloratura, MAC Award Nominee Dawn Derow, the New England song bird, serves it up again, at New York's Metropolitan Room in an Opera Cabaret entitled 'LEGIT,' on September 26.

Theatre Philadelphia is thrilled to announce the nominees for the 2014 Barrymore Awards for Excellence in Theatre, including over 140 total nominations spanning 26 categories. The all-new Barrymore Awards Ceremony will be held Monday, October 27 at 7:00 p.m. at The Merriam Theater at 250 S. Broad Street, immediately followed by an After-Party in the Commonwealth Plaza at The Kimmel Center.

Concert meets immersive performance where every audience member has a backstage pass. Inspired by Russian feminist group Pussy Riot, Applied Mechanics is engaging its signature choose-your-own-adventure style to create a piece about feminism, protest art, and activism in our contemporary world.

Concert meets immersive performance where every audience member has a backstage pass. Inspired by Russian feminist group Pussy Riot, Applied Mechanics is engaging its signature choose-your-own-adventure style to create a piece about feminism, protest art, and activism in our contemporary world.

Nightlife, Bistro and MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs) Award winning artist, Gretchen Reinhagen brings her new show, 'Listen to the Music: The Songs of My 70s' to the Duplex next month. Following a successful sneak preview in December at Urban Stages, the Duplex plays host to the official 4-night opening run tonight, March 13th; Saturday, March 15th; Tuesday, March 18th (all at 7:00PM); and Sunday March 23rd at 4:30PM.

The Exonerated is a powerful and moving drama, delivered as a combination of narrative and depiction, evoking an often visceral reaction. A tale (or tales) well told.

Nightlife, Bistro and MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs) Award winning artist, Gretchen Reinhagen brings her new show, 'Listen to the Music: The Songs of My 70s' to the Duplex next month. Following a successful sneak preview in December at Urban Stages, the Duplex plays host to the official 4-night opening run on Thursday, March 13th; Saturday, March 15th; Tuesday, March 18th (all at 7:00PM); and Sunday March 23rd at 4:30PM.

At a time in Delaware where this topic could be no less poignant, Delaware Theatre Company is proud to announce the Delaware Valley Regional Premier of THE EXONERATED this February. Written by Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, and directed by David Bradley, this critically acclaimed play induces a visceral reaction to stories of people unjustly sentenced to death. Check out a first look below!