Eric Michael Gillett News

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.

Three-time MAC-Award nominated songwriter Patrick Dwyer returns to the Duplex with his critically-acclaimed one-man show THIRTYWHATEVER on Tuesday, December 16, 2014 at 7pm.

The day is finally here! After one month of voting on preliminary nominees in 17 categories, the results of more than 5,000 ballots were considered along with the selections of BroadwayWorld's cabaret section editors to determine the final nominees for the 2014 BroadwayWorld.com New York Cabaret Awards. Joining cabaret icon Marilyn Maye with four nominations is budding star Carole J. Bufford, who made the final ballot for two different shows during 2014 and as 'Best Female Vocalist' and 'Performer of the Year.' Among Maye's nominations were 'Performer of the Year,' two shows in the 'Best Celebrity Show' category, and a 'Best Director' nomination for her work with jazz singer Gabrielle Stravelli (who received two nominations). In addition to her usual nod for 'Best Jazz Vocalist,' jazz star Jane Monheit received two other nominations as 'Performer of the Year,' and as 'Best Host' for her new variety show at Birdland, Jane Monheit's Jazz Party (Monheit also co-starred with Clint Holmes in another nominated show, Frank Wildhorn and Friends in the 'Best Revue' category.) Eric Michael Gillett also earned three nominations for 'Best Show, Male,' 'Best Male Vocalist,' and 'Best Director.'

The expression “Man About Town”--commonly defined as a socially active, sophisticated man devoted to the pursuit of pleasure by frequenting fashionable nightclubs, theaters, and restaurants--might perfectly describe the persona of Sir Noel Coward. Known for his acerbic wit, flamboyance, and savoir-faire, Sir Noel is an icon in theatrical history as a celebrated playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer. Could there be a better subject to explore during an evening of cabaret? In his recent run of five shows at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, Man About Town: The Wit and Wisdom of Noel Coward, veteran singer/actor/director Eric Michael Gillett proved he was more than up to the task of paying tribute to the legendary Coward.

As a young veteran of the New York cabaret scene and someone who rests comfortably in that performer's purgatory between celebrity and what the folks at the Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC) calls “Major Artist,” Marieann Meringolo certainly doesn't need validation from a Stevie-come-lately reviewer like me. But nobody bats 1.000—in baseball, life, or cabaret—and, frankly, I didn't cheer in print for her slightly pretentious 2013 show Orchestrated, which seemed to feature a band big enough to bust through the far wall of the Metropolitan Room and arrangements that were more than a tad overblown. But in 2011, I loved her annual holiday show, In The Spirit, and had heard nothing but great things about her 2012 tribute to the music of Michael Legrand, so I was willing to consider Orchestrated a mere hiccup—depending on what she came up with next. Well, next arrived on the afternoon of Saturday, April 5 afternoon with Meringolo's new show, Crazy Love, at the Metropolitan Room.

Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC), dedicated to advancing the art and business of live entertainment, has announced the nominees for the 2014 MAC Awards. Winners in twenty-five categories will be voted by the MAC membership by anonymous ballot and announced at the MAC Awards Gala on March 27th at BB King's Blue Club in Times Square at: 237 W. 42 St between 7th and 8th Avenues. Tickets start at $50.00. For additional information on MAC, to become a member, or to order tickets to the event, visit: http://macnyc.com.

Our intrepid cabaret columnist/reviewer Stephen Hanks catches up on some reviews of fall 2013 shows, including Mary Foster Conklin's BroadwayWorld.com Award nominated tribute to Fran Landesman, solo shows from Bernard Dotson, Gary Crawford, and Lauren Glazer, and a duo show from Alison Nusbaum and Jackie Kristel.

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.

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.

New York's hotspot offers some of Broadway's biggest stars in August and September 2013, including Paulo Szot, Brian d'Arcy James, Duncan Sheik, Emily Skinner, Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp, Laura Benanti, Telly Leung, John Tartaglia, Morgan James, Liz and Ann Hampton Callaway, Alice Ripley, Eric Michael Gillett, Sierra Boggess, Ahrens & Flaherty, Frances Ruffelle, David Yazbeck, The Meeting, The Skivvies, Melanie Field: Goodbye for Now, Sondheim Unplugged, Ute Lemper, Moment by Moment: Songs by Alexander Sage Olyen, Lindsey Mendez, Submissions Only, Alexis Fishman, Broadway Swings, Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf featuring Jessica Molaskey and Mary Beth Peil, A Tribute to Woodstock, Tales of Joni: 54 Sings Mitchell, Donna Vivino and Not at This Performance, plus 54 Below's late night series and jazz series.

As a big fan of cabaret shows that incorporate horn sections (as does Terese Genecco's monthly 'Little Big Band' efforts at Iridium or Carole J. Bufford's 2012 show, speakeasy., which featured Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks), I was more than a little jazzed to hear that compelling Streisand sound-alike Marieann Meringolo would be doing a package of her 'greatest cabaret hits' from past shows, but supported by a 7-piece band (including three horns--Richie Vitale on trumpet, Jonathan Kantor on tenor sax, and Danny Hall on trombone) for a gig spanning three weekend nights (May 31-June 2) that she and her director Eric Michael Gillett called 'Orchestrated.' In this case, 'orchestrated' unfortunately came across more like 'engineered' or 'manufactured.'

Unless the host is particularly warm, funny, and charismatic (think Dana Lorge and her new monthly vehicle at the Metropolitan Room) or the show is a way to champion a good cause (like Joseph Macchia's Cabaret Cares events), for the most part cabaret variety shows are clunky affairs which can be too long, too rambling, give too much time to average talent or not enough of a showcase to outstanding talent. I ran into one of the rare exceptions last month (April 23) in the form of the The Concerts for City Greens' First Annual Gala & 2012 Songwriting Contest Finale, a variety show at the Laurie Beechman Theatre that served as a fund raiser for the launch of a new non-profit called Music and Art for Green which will incorporate Concerts for City Greens within its umbrella.

When you're a cabaret reviewer on the evening show prowl between Monday night and Saturday evening (although not every night, thank goodness), you'd like to think that the God of Cabaret would make Sunday a day of rest. No such luck, since the weekend allows clubs to book shows as early as brunch time. I learned this again early this month when I felt compelled to attend three shows starring charming female singers-Corinna Sowers-Adler at Stage 72 (the Triad), Eva Kantor at the Laurie Beechman, and Lianne Marie Dobbs at the Metropolitan Room. I didn't break my personal Sunday record of four shows in one day set in late January (yes, I should be committed), but there was a two-hour break in this mix so it still turned out to be an 8-hour cabaret extravaganza. (Thank you, oh God of Cabaret, for press comps!) While it would have been sweet for the musical marathon to have been a clean sweep of excellent shows, as Meat Loaf might croon, 'Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad.'

The Amanda McBroom Project: 1 Great Songwriter, 4 Magical Nights, 30 Incredible Women! played the Laurie Beechman Theatre on March 8, 9 and 15, and continues tonight, March 16 at 7pm. BroadwayWorld was there for the concert and brings you photos below!

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 two-time Tony nominee Tom Wopat, Broadway star Elizabeth Stanley, BACKSTAGE award-winning vocalist, director and Broadway actor Eric Michael Gillett, singer/songwriter Tony Desare, singing sensation Hilary Kole, and multiple award-winner Sarah Rice.

At last year's Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC) Awards, two of the big winners were T. Oliver Reid (photo left) for Male Debut and Eric Michael Gillett for Major Artist, Male (and both could very likely be MAC nominees again this year). Almost a year later, two of New York cabaret's leading men performed new shows one night apart at 54 Below; Reid on February 6 with Drop Me Off in Harlem, and Gillett the next night with Careless Rhapsody: An Evening Dedicated to the Lyrics of Lorenz Hart. Ironically, what the shows had in common--besides being a fairly good fit of material to singer--was that the majority of their sets featured songs written in the 1930s but in very different styles. With Reid it was the jazz, swing and blues of Harlem; with Gillette it was the romantic Broadway musical sensibility of Hart's lyrics (paired with the timeless melodies of Richard Rodgers). While neither Reid's 'Harlem,' nor Gillett's 'Hart' were stirring or spectacular shows, they were both solid and entertaining enough that both could be nominated for BroadwayWorld.com Awards in 2013.

Eric Michael Gillett's Careless Rhapsody: An Evening Dedicated to the Lyrics of Lorenz Hart, will play 54 Below, tonight, February 4 at 7pm, February 7 at 9:30pm and February 26 & 27 at 7pm.

Eric Michael Gillett's Careless Rhapsody: An Evening Dedicated to the Lyrics of Lorenz Hart, will play 54 Below, February 4 at 7pm, February 7 at 9:30pm and February 26 & 27 at 7pm.

The 2012 MAC Award winner for Outstanding Major Artist (Male) for his solo show Cast of Thousands, last week launched a new effort, cheekily titled I Won't Sing a Sondheim Song . . . Or Will I?, and everyone's first thought (at least those who didn't see him perform some of it at last season's Cabaret Cares benefits) was that Eric Michael Gillett's show would feature an eclectic mix of songs with a smattering of Sondheim. Instead, the show at the Laurie Beechman (sort of the home-away-from-home for anything Sondheim) turned out to be a diverse collection of the master's songs, minus the "Send in the Clowns" of the world.

Feinstein's At Loews Regency will continue its Winter/Spring 2012 season with the debut joint engagement of director and vocalist Eric Michael Gillet and jazz singer La Tanya Hall.