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 Give or take a month or two, that's usually the time period during which I store unpublished reviews in my fevered brain and then unload them all in one seemingly endless column-like this one is going to be.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.
Miller Theatre at Columbia University School of the Arts continues its 2014-15 Jazz series with the RENEE ROSNES QUARTET featuring Renee Rosnes, piano, Steve Nelson, vibraphonist, Peter Washington, bass, and Bill Stewart, drums. On Saturday, January 24, 2015, 8:00 p.m. at the Miller Theatre at Columbia University (2960 Broadway at 116th Street) Tickets: $20-$30 • Students with valid ID: $12-$18
Elton John. Carole King. Joni Mitchell. Carly Simon. Paul Simon. Stevie Wonder. They were six superstar singer/songwriters in a constellation of such stars during the early 1970s, who could be considered the composers of the 'New Great American Songbook. Tonight, December 13 at 7 pm, as part of its annual 12-day 'Winter Rhythms' Festival, Urban Stages will present a star-studded variety show celebrating these great talents of the Golden Age of the Pop Singer/Songwriter.
Elton John. Carole King. Joni Mitchell. Carly Simon. Paul Simon. Stevie Wonder. They were six superstar singer/songwriters in a constellation of such stars during the early 1970s, who could be considered the composers of the 'New Great American Songbook. On Saturday, December 13 at 7 pm, as part of its annual 12-day 'Winter Rhythms' Festival, Urban Stages will present a star-studded variety show celebrating these great talents of the Golden Age of the Pop Singer/Songwriter.
t may not be like getting a gift on each of the 12 Days of Christmas, but for cabaret and musical theater lovers, the 6th 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 2-14 (no shows on Dec. 9), more than 100 singers, musicians, and songwriters will perform in an eclectic mix of 20 shows including one-night-only group shows, excerpts from new musicals, solo shows, open mics, late night spotlights, and family matinees, 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.
Stacy Sullivan tells the audience she became interested in Marian McPartland when she was asked to sing at her memorial in 2013. With her show last Saturday night at Don't Tell Mama, On The Air: Songs for Marian McPartland (which enjoyed a late September run of four shows at the York Theatre), the multi MAC-award winning Sullivan has created a beautifully crafted, biographically-driven show featuring the original music, the history, and the life of a jazz icon, who was best known for hosting Piano Jazz on National Public Radio from 1978-2011. Now Stacy Sullivan has made us all interested in the amazing Marian McPartland.
The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director; Andrew Levine, Executive Director), dedicated to the development of new musicals and preserving musical gems from the past, presents a special event On the Air: Songs for Marian McPartland, a musical tribute honoring the legendary radio host, starring vocalist and radio personality Stacy Sullivan, with Jon Weber, on piano. Four performances only, Friday, September 26, 2014 through Sunday, September 28, 2014 at The York Theatre Company's home at Saint Peters (Citicorp Building, entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue).
The York Theatre Company, dedicated to the development of new musicals and preserving musical gems from the past, launches its 45th anniversary season with a series of Special Events that offer something for every musical theatre lover's enjoyment.
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.
Continuing it's highly successful cabaret season, Barrington Stages, Mr. Finn's Cabaret presented KT Sullivan this weekend. The cabaret which bears Tony Award winning Mr. Finn's name has been experiencing sold out performances for this summers Cabaret Series. William Finn is the Artistic Producer of BSC's Musical Theatre Lab.
Musical Director and pianist extraordinaire Jon Weber can play every imaginable musical style and for a wide variety of cabaret and concert singers, but this superlative keyboardist is really a jazz man at heart. Weber knows that the intricacies of certain music languages-whether classical or jazz-can be frustratingly elusive, so he's made it his mission to educate the masses, or in this case a few hundred people who after this Tuesday night at 7 pm will have attended one of his four entertaining classroom sessions at the Metropolitan Room, called 'From Joplin to Jarrett: 115 Years of Piano Jazz.' And when some of the students in the audience are among the most accomplished instrumentalists in New York, you realize that your teacher is a virtuoso.
Shana Farr, the multi-talented singer and award-winning cabaret artist, has announced her upcoming schedule of summer performances which will begin today, May 28, at 6:30 PM, with an appearance at the Opening Concert For City Greens, hosted by Raissa Katonah Bennett, in Tudor City Greens Park (41st St between 1st and 2nd Aves).
Shana Farr, the multi-talented singer and award-winning cabaret artist, has announced her upcoming schedule of summer performances which will begin on Wednesday, May 28, at 6:30 PM, with an appearance at the Opening Concert For City Greens, hosted by Raissa Katonah Bennett, in Tudor City Greens Park (41st St between 1st and 2nd Aves).
Jon Weber one of the most prominent music directors in New York cabaret performed his one man show at the Metropolitan Room last night. The acclaimed Milwaukee born Jazz pianist and composer lectured and played a program which demonstrated how jazz piano evolved over the last 115 years. From Scott Joplin to Keith Jarrett Mr. Weber recreated the sounds and styles of the various pianists and showed how they influenced piano jazz over the years. Jon is the host of Piano Jazz with Jon Weber on National Public Radio and his recent album titled Simple Complex features his own compositions.
May and June sees some new artists and some returns at The Crazy Coqs, including: Harold Sanditen (May 2-3); Simon Green with David Shrubsole (May 6-10); Lauren Fox with Jon Weber (May 13 - 17); Gary Williams (May 20 -24); KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler (May 26-28); Opera Tottie (May 29 - 31); Bryan Batt (June 3 - 7); Judy Carmichael with Colin Oxley (June 10 -14); Elaine Delmar (June 17 - 21) and more. Details below!
Last night more than a dozen musical theater and cabaret stars celebrated the remarkable musical career of Ervin Drake in a special concert to benefit The Gold Coast Arts Center and Landmark on Main Street, two non-profit cultural gems located on the North Shore of Long Island.
This April, legendary songwriter Ervin Drake will turn 95. A Long Island Music Hall of Fame Inductee, Mr. Drake has written some of the American Songbook's most beloved classics, including: 'It Was a Very Good Year,' 'I Believe,' 'Tico Tico,' 'Quando Quando Quando,' 'Perdito' and 'Good Morning, Heartache.' 2014 also marks the 50th anniversary of the Broadway production of Drake's 'What Makes Sammy Run' (starring Steve Lawrence), which featured songs 'A Room Without Windows' and 'The Friendliest Thing.' On Today, April 25 at 8 pm, Producer Sandi Durell, Musical Director Jon Weber, and Host Charles Grodin will lead a tribute to Ervin's illustrious career that will feature a star-studded cast of musical theater and cabaret stars
Shana Farr brought her solo show 'In The Still Of The Night' to the Laurie Beechman Theatre last night. Taking the audience on a musical and poetic journey through the words and music of two of the 20th century's greatest and most prolific songwriters and poets - Noel Coward and Cole Porter, it was an evening of wit, flamboyance, chic and cheek, urbanity and elegance!
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