Jeff Harnar News

THE METROPOLITAN ROOM presents Kevin Dozier in 'A NEW YORK ROMANCE' on March 17, 2015, April 8 2015, and May 13, 2015.

Brought back by popular demand, 2015 Bistro Award winner CELIA BERK returned to the Metropolitan Room with her warmly received first solo New York engagement. Directed by Jeff Harnar, with Musical Direction by Alex Rybeck, it featured songs from her debut album YOU CAN'T RUSH SPRING and what Celia calls her 'hidden gems: lesser-known songs from great songwriters.' Rex Reed has called Celia "one of the best singers I've heard in a long time".

At Birdland every Monday night at 9:30pm, Jim Caruso's Cast Party celebrates talent from every corner of the entertainment scene. Broadway, jazz, cabaret, pop, folk, country…over the past twelve years, the Cast Party crowds have been entertained by most every genre of music! This past week, the talent was off-the-charts. Rachel Tucker, the recent star of The Last Ship on Broadway, gained a slew of new fans with two Kander & Ebb anthems that had the crowd standing, stomping and cheering for more!

The Crazy Coqs has announced is February 2015 program at the Brasserie Zedel, Piccadilly, London W1, featuring: Purdy (February 3,4 & 5); Phil Ryan (February 6 & 7); Jeff Harnar & KT Sullivan (February 10-14); Anne Reid & Stefan Bednarczyk (February 17-21); and Liliane Montevecchi (February 24-28).

The 2014 BWW New York Cabaret Awards will celebrate the best cabaret performers and shows of last year as voted on by 7,500 fans in December after a one-month preliminary ballot process. Produced, directed, and hosted for the third straight year by BWW Cabaret Editor Stephen Hanks, the BWW Awards show will feature performances by many of the winners, many of whom are among the cream of the crop in the art of cabaret. Joining a star-studded cast (see below) will be two-time 2014 BWW Cabaret Award nominee and Broadway Musical star Len Cariou, who will perform a special tribute to the late songwriter Ervin Drake.

This February and March 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. For a detailed schedule of upcoming performances at 54 Below and to purchase tickets, visit www.54Below.com.

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.

Last night, January 14, KT Sullivan and Jeff Harnar performed the songs of Sondheim like you've never heard before at 54 Below. Check out photos from the event below!

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com or call (646) 476-3551.

The four-night Mabel Mercer Foundation's annual Cabaret Convention at Lincoln's Center's Rose Hall in late October has become arguably the most important cabaret event of the year. For the most part, it is a star-studded affair featuring celebrated veteran performers and exciting young newcomers. Night four of this year's 25th Convention featured a 'Songs of Irving Berlin' theme hosted by the popular Klea Blackhurst, and starring acclaimed cabaret entertainers such as Anita Gillette, Karen Mason, Sidney Myer, Karen Oberlin, and Stacy Sullivan. Also in the lineup was a relatively unknown vocalist named Celia Berk.

Frances Albert (Frank) Sinatra (1915-1998) was arguably one of the most important vocalists of 20th century. The Hoboken, New Jersey native began as a boy singer with big band leaders Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, became a heartthrob to bobbysoxers, a headliner in nightclubs during their heyday, and was one of the best selling recording artists of all time. Sinatra's illusively relaxed phrasing was as unique as the quality of swing he made popular. This centennial year of his birth will be filled with tributes. 'You beat the rush,' Producer/Writer/Host Scott Siegel quipped from a podium last night during the variety tribute show The Sinatra Century at 54 Below.

The Crazy Coqs has announced is February 2015 program at the Brasserie Zedel, Piccadilly, London W1, featuring: Purdy (February 3,4 & 5); Phil Ryan (February 6 & 7); Jeff Harnar & KT Sullivan (February 10-14); Anne Reid & Stefan Bednarczyk (February 17-21); and Liliane Montevecchi (February 24-28).

BroadwayWorld has called Ann Hampton Callaway the current “Queen of Cabaret” and apparently much of the cabaret audience agrees. The votes for the 2014 BroadwayWorld New York Cabaret Awards are official and Callaway is the “Performer of the Year,” having garnered 2,194 votes (the most of any nominee) out of the 66,179 votes cast by approximately 7,500 voters for 148 nominees in 17 categories. Here are your 2014 BWW New York Cabaret Award Winners.

For 60 continuous hours, from 7pm on Thursday January 1 to 7am on Sunday January 4, New York's Metropolitan Room is staging what it is billing as "The Longest Variety Show Ever." Featuring approximately 160 performers and 15 emcees, the entertainment will span music, burlesque, comedy, drag, theatre/opera, magic and puppetry.

If you've been a regular reader of this particular reviewer's musings, you know that every year there are long stretches of time where I just haven't been able to critique all the shows I've seen that deserve commentary. So I end up playing what they call in sports, 'Catch-up ball,' and post a mash up of belated reviews from past shows. It's kind of like a critic's version of the song 'Six Months Out of Every Year,' from Damn Yankees. Give or take a month or two, that's usually the time period during which I store unpublished reviews in my fevered brain and then unload them all in one seemingly endless column-like this one is going to be. If my cabaret-show reviewing days will be over (as chronicled here), I might as well go out with a bang-and relieve my procrastination guilt during holiday season. Now I can scratch one New Year's resolution off the list.

It's your last week to vote for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Cabaret Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 26th. Voting closes at the end of the year, in under one week!

On January 8th at 9:30 PM,a star-studded cast honor's the Chairman of the Board with the world's first Frank Sinatra Centennial Celebration!

With the end of the voting period for the 2014 BroadwayWorld New York Cabaret Awards just eight days away (voting will close at Noon on December 31, 2014), BroadwayWorld.com is pleased to announce that the 3rd Annual BWW NY Cabaret Awards Show will take place for the second successive year at Joe's Pub (The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street, NYC) at 6:30 pm. Once again, this Award presenting extravaganza will feature performances by the Award winners (whose schedules make them available), and BWW's New York Cabaret Editor Stephen Hanks will once again host the festivities.

This 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 54thStreet. For a detailed schedule of upcoming performances at 54 Below and to purchase tickets, visit www.54Below.com.

Time is ticking on your last chance to vote for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Cabaret Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 19th. Voting closes at the end of the year!