Karen Oberlin News

On Friday, May 27, producer Stephen Hanks and the performers of the series' CABARET CAMPAIGNS: BLUE WAVE 2018 and THE VOTING RIGHTS SHOW 2020, will reunite at the Laurie Beechman Theater at 6:30 PM. The evening is hosted by Hanks, with music director Tracy Stark.

Birdland presented singer/actress Karen Akers, who premiered a brand new, very personal concert on Monday, April 25.  The show, titled “Water Under The Bridge,” was musical directed by Alex Rybeck, with Tom Hubbard on bass.

Seven months prior to the 2018 Midterm Elections, Cabaret Show Producer, Publicist, and Performer Stephen Hanks launched a series of five variety shows as fundraisers for Democratic Senate, Congress, and State Legislature candidates.

The Manhattan Association of Cabarets has announced the 2022 MAC Award nominees. The nominees were determined by votes cast by the active MAC membership, except for the song and recording categories, which were determined by special committees.

So what does a cabaret director do? Today in my ongoing series, THERE ARE NO ONE-PERSON SHOWS, we will find out from one of the busiest cabaret directors in New York, Marc Tumminelli. Marc is the founder of Broadway Workshop, which provides year-round, professional-level classes and workshops for kids 8-19 with some of the finest artists working on Broadway and in the West End. He is also the founder of Project Broadway, a non-profit that provides scholarship opportunities to young performers.

Broadway World Cabaret's resident photojournalist Helane Blumfield was on hand to document the return to live performing of the cabaret convention.

Karen Oberlin brought a brand-new celebration of Lorenz “Larry” Hart to the Birdland stage on Monday night.

THE MELODY LINGERS ON: A GALA TRIBUTE TO THE SONGS OF IRVING BERLIN was a gathering of some of the biggest names in the cabaret world. There’s something a little odd about celebrating the intimate art of cabaret in a Broadway-sized theatre like Rose Hall, but to be honest it was one of the few venues sizable enough to hold all the cabaret fans who came to see this fine collection of talented artists. There were performances from Sandy Stewart, Jeff Harner, Andrea Marcovicci, Eric Yves Garcia, Karen Oberlin, David LaMarr, Natalie Douglas, Stacy Sullivan & Todd Murray, Karen Akers, Steve Ross, Amra-Faye Wright, Klea Blackhurst, Billy Stritch, Aisha de Haas, Christine Andreas, Sidney Myer, Karen Mason, Nicolas King, Mark Nadler, and the Moipai Triplets. In addition to these wonderful performers, we were treated to some of NYC’s best musicians including Ray Marchicka, Steve Doyle, Jon Weber, Bill Charlap, Darnell White, Alex Rybeck, Mark Hummel, Michael Rice, and Tracy Stark.

When it came time for her tribute show to Lorenz Hart, Karen Oberlin lined up the great songs and the great musicians to create an evening of entertainment very close to her heart.

The Mabel Mercer Foundation, led by KT Sullivan shows resilience as it evolves with the changing times and pandemic needs, presenting streaming and live performances for the 2021 Cabaret Convention.

BIRDLAND THEATER will present Christina Bianco in her new show “A Lot to Unpack” on Friday, October 15 and Saturday, October 16 at 8:30 PM. Her bags are packed for London but before she leaves her hometown this globetrotting, genre-crossing, multi-voiced, multi-wig-wearing funny girl has some serious unpacking to do.

BIRDLAND will present Amanda Green & Friends “Vaxxed AF!” on Monday, October 4 at 7:00 PM. Tony Award-nominated lyricist/composer and award-winning performer Amanda Green will be joined by some amazing Broadway friends, including Darius de Haas, Ann Harada, Lesli Margherita, Curtis Moore, Natalie Douglas, and Dan Finnerty of The Dan Band.

Birdland Jazz Club and Birdland Theater are open this October with a full slate of nightly performances! 

Karen Oberlin (Our Sinatra) is not only a delicious singer blessed with great musical sensitivity and excellent diction, but she is also a wonderfully passionate actor who can bring a wide range of emotions to every well-formed phrase. Some singers take great care to make sure the emotions land on the audience. Oberlin has a much lighter touch. She has the gift of making sure the emotions land on her and then allowing the audience to come to her. It's a wonderful thing to watch a singer stop performing and practice the much more difficult art of just being. Ms. Oberlin makes all the hard work look very simple.

It's been a long time for Meg Flather and for her fans, but everyone left The West Bank sated and smiling after a dinner music set that ranks as full-blown cabaret show.

Always an artist who puts on a great show, Karen Oberlin is also a friend to the other members of the concert and club community. Get a look at her gifts and her grace in this collection of performance videos from over the years.

KT Sullivan vows to keep The Cabaret Convention alive and evolving with the first ever Virtual presentation and a diverse lineup of artists well-known and humble.

Featuring new performers with every show, the weekly, award-winning Piano Bar Live! (PBL!)streams this Tuesday, September 15th at 7:15 pm ET, with host Scott Barbarino. PBL! is continuing the long-established tradition of the piano bar-that special place where we can gather, entertain, support and create, as we connect with live music.

On Monday, March 30th, the 2020 MAC Awards were broadcast via Facebook Live from the living rooms or Lennie Watts and Amy Wolk/Lorinda Lisitza in a split-screen presentation in which The Three Stooges of Cabaret made their community of artists laugh with many hi-jinks, giggles, grins, silliness, and an ongoing series of the new MAC Award theme song, penned by Wolk and Lisitza themselves. The intent was to bring some levity to a difficult time in the world and, judging by the comment scroll during the home-made telecast, the hardworking trio tickled the funnybones of many. As names were announced, recipients called in to say a few words (apropos to the proceedings, Mr. Watts' telephone ringtone is the Benny Hill theme song) and particularly moving speeches from the proceedings came from Lisa Viggiano, Meg Flather, and Jeff Harnar. The entire show can be seen on Broadway World HERE. Results of the voting can be seen below.

With the Coronavirus stopping all social gatherings and causing the closing of Don't Tell Mama for the duration, MAC has made a change from the previously announced event which was to be held at the club.