Jeff Harnar News

1959 was a very good year for Jeff Harnar. It was the year the future cabaret star was born, but he couldn't know then that 1959 would also provide him with the material for what would eventually become one of his greatest cabaret performances. In 1991, for his second major engagement as a cabaret artist, Harnar made his debut at the famed Oak Room at the Algonquin with a show called THE 1959 BROADWAY SONGBOOK, featuring tunes from 21 musicals (including West Side Story, Gypsy, Fiorello, The Music Man, My Fair Lady, Li'l Abner, and Flower Drum Song), that either opened or were still running that year. Directed by Sara Louise Lazarus with musical direction from pianist Alex Rybeck, Harnar's show strung together iconic Broadway songs into an imaginary musical with commentaries on love, marriage and politics, complete with an overture, entr'acte, intermission, and curtain call. The show and Harnar's performance (which would be filmed for a PBS special in 1993) drew raves from the New York entertainment press.

We are lucky in New York City. The talent here is unbelievable. Sometimes you settle in for an intimate evening at a little local club and you get your socks blown off. On Friday the 13th (of May, to be exact), I had such an experience at the latest monthly installment of Stephen Hanks' Metropolitan Room series (Associate Producer, Fr. Jeffrey Hamblin, MD), New York Cabaret's Greatest Hits. The featured performers were Vocalist Laurie Krauz and her Musical Director Daryl Kojak celebrating their 25-year musical collaboration “It's a 'Greatest Hits' show within a Greatest Hits series!” Hanks extolled before introducing his stars for the evening.

On May 15, Feinstein's/54 Below hosted an exploration of Kleban songs that range from hilariously funny to heart tugging to outrageous, all models of his impeccable craft. Check out photos below!

Responding to the heightened mood of this election year, SUNY's Empire State College (ESC) Metropolitan Center and The Yip Harburg Foundation (YHF) aim to inspire existing and prospective students with the power of songs of conscience as part of their educational/entertainment partnership. 

?Roger Everingham, Vice President & General Manager of The Colony Hotel, today announced MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC: A Unique Palm Beach Weekend package for South Florida residents.

Next week, FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com/Feinsteins or call (646) 476-3551.

The Broadway at Birdland concert series presented singer Iris Williams, who returned to the historic stage with "An Encore Evening with Iris Williams" on Monday, May 2.  The concert celebrated the Great American Songbook, concentrating on songs performed by Edith Piaf, and written by Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Duke Ellington, Henry Mancini and the Gershwins.

This May, Feinstein's/54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. Scroll down for the full lineup!

The Colony Hotel - which The Palm Beach Post has hailed as 'probably the best place for cabaret on the planet' - has just launched a new Young Stars Summer Residency Program that will present many of Manhattan's hottest rising cabaret stars every weekend until Labor Day, all of which have been audience favorites during previous Royal Room engagements.

It has been 10 years since MAC and Bistro Award-winning producer, Joseph Macchia, founded of the 501c3 non-profit, Help Is On The Way Today.

Stephen Schwartz and Friends will air on THE AMERICAN SONGBOOK AT NJPAC on Sunday, 4/17 at 1pm on THIRTEEN; and 3:30pm on WLIW21.

Drury Lane Theatre opens its 2016-2017 season with the World Premiere musical comedy Hazel, A Musical Maid in America, based on the character from the Saturday Evening Post cartoon by Ted Key and the 1960s TV comedy series starring Shirley Booth. Hazel features a book by Lissa Levin, music by Ron Abel, and lyrics by Chuck Steffan. This new musical is directed and choreographed by Tony nominee and Emmy Award winner Joshua Bergasse with musical direction by Roberta Duchak. Hazel through May 29, 2016 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane in Oakbrook Terrace. BroadwayWorld was on hand for opening night - check out photos below!

Raising the bar ever higher, Celia Berk (who in the past year has won “Best Debut” Awards from BroadwayWorld and MAC and received a Bistro Award) celebrated the release of her new CD Manhattan Serenade with the first of four shows at The Metropolitan Room on Sunday night (others are April 10, 17, and 24). Her dream band, helmed by MD/arranger/pianist Alex Rybeck, featured Jered Egan on bass, Dan Gross on percussion, and Dan Willis with his invaluable woodwinds.

The Colony Hotel - which The Palm Beach Post has hailed as "probably the best place for cabaret on the planet" - is doing something completely different this year. For the first time in the 15-year history of the Royal Room, the world famous cabaret will not close at the end of "season" but will continue offering extraordinary entertainers straight-through the summer months with dinner shows every Friday and Saturday night.

At a ceremony held last night in New York, the Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs announced the winners of the 2016 MAC Awards. A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Amanda McBroom.  Also honored with a Board of Directors award was Maryann Lopinto.  Jamie deRoy received the Ruth Kurtzman Benefit Award on behalf of her work with The Actors Fund: Jamie deRoy & Friends Cabaret Initiative.  Sally Darling received the Hanson Award. The show was produced by Julie Miller and directed by Lennie Watts, with musical direction by Matt Baker.

The award-winning composer and special guests perform selections from his catalog of stage and screen favorites like 'Magic to Do' from Pippin; 'When You Believe' from the DreamWorks' animated feature, The Prince of Egypt; 'Day By Day' from Godspell and several selections from the Broadway hit Wicked, including 'Defying Gravity.'

The Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs presents the 30th Annual MAC Awards tonight, March 29, 2016, at 7:30pm, at BB King Blues Club & Grill on 42nd Street in New York City.

Legendary jazz singer and lyricist Jon Hendricks, dubbed 'The Poet Laureate of Jazz,' celebrated jazz vocalist and actress Annie Ross, and acclaimed jazz singer Janis Siegel are among the artists who will be honored at the 31st Annual Bistro Awards gala tonight, March 8 at 6:30 pm at the Gotham Comedy Club, 208 W. 23rd St. As is the Bistro Awards tradition, the evening will feature performances by the winners.

Acclaimed Broadway, film and television star, Tovah Feldshuh - nominated six times for the Tony and Emmy Awards-returns to Feinstein's at the Nikko on Friday, April 29 (8 p.m.) and Saturday, April 30 (7 p.m.) with her one-woman show, Tovah: Aging is Optional.

On Monday, April 18, New York's beloved cabaret team of KT Sullivan and Jeff Harnar bring their acclaimed Sondheim revue Another Hundred People to intimate Guild Hall for a beautiful evening benefiting the charitable programs of The Episcopal Actors' Guild.