Kenneth Gartman News

Erin Cross announces her return to Don't Tell Mama with the third, and pinnacle, concert of the ERIN CROSS Sings NANCY LAMOTT Concert Series, 'Inspirations'.

Broadway and cabaret performers come together for a good cause on Saturday, June 4 at 7 pm at Unity Center in Norwalk, Connecticut. The 'cause' for this concert will be announced as a part of the event itself, so just come enjoy a stellar show with two for one drinks after the event at BJ Ryan's BANC House (around the corner from Unity Center).

Award-winning Pantochino Productions Inc. has announced its bold 2016/17 season which includes three original musicals for family audiences, a Teen Theatre production and a second season of it's Nite Spot Nights series produced in conjunction with the Milford Arts Council.

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 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.

It took 30 years for Shawn Moninger, a Unity minister and longtime technical director with four MAC awards, to move out of the booth and onto the stage. His show Because I Can (which has been running monthly at the Metropolitan Room since last November) is more a one-man Off-Broadway comedy show than typical cabaret. Almost without exception, the opening of a cabaret show is the weakest. Performers tend to warm up around the third or fourth number. That was not the case at the February 27 show, or as Moniger put it, 'the Senior Citizen Happy Hour.'

The Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs has just announced the 2016 MAC Award nominees and complete list of honorees for the 30th Annual MAC Awards.

Entertainment destination Don't Tell Mama presents performing artist Tracey O'Farrell in her original solo cabaret show Bless the Broken Road on Saturday, March 5, 4 pm and Saturday, March 26, 7 pm at 343 W. 46th Street, New York. The show is produced in collaboration with legendary New York composer and director David Friedman, accompanied by Kenneth Gartman on piano.

The final night of this year's estimable Cabaret Convention, What I Did for Love/Taking a Chance on Love, hosted by Klea Blackhurst, saluted composer/songwriter Vernon Duke in Act I and composer/conductor Marvin Hamlisch during Act II. It was a curious pairing, indeed.

Sound Street Productions presents the first full-length recording of Show Choir! - The Musical with new orchestrations by Assaf Gleizner, and under the musical direction of Kenneth Gartman. Leading the studio cast is Kevin Duda (Beautiful, Book of Mormon /Broadway) and Tony nominee Christiane Noll (Ragtime, Jekyll & Hyde /Broadway) They are joined by additional cast members Bay Bryan (Growing Into My Beard,) John Raymond Barker (Vampire Drag Queen,) Taylor Coriell (Titanic National Tour,) Joshua Lance Dixon (2015 BISTRO Award,) Shira Elias (Turkuaz,) Julie Galorenzo (Show Choir! NYMF & FringeNYC,) Adam Glickman (Jimmy Nederlander Awards,) Carly Kincannon (NBC's Sing Off,) Mark Martin (Voca People,) Tegan Miller (Fancy Nancy National Tour) Michelle Millerick (Side Show/ Original Broadway Cast) Aubyn Peterson (Cabaret Showdown Champion) Tony Ponella (First Runner up, Michael Feinstein Great American Songbook) and Stuart Williams (Mind The Gap Theatre.) Casting by Wojcik/Seay Casting.

Out of 65 productions in the NY THEISPIS Theater Festival, Brush Strokes, a new musical, has been selected for one of the six Encore Production.  This special showing will be next Monday, September 28th at 8:30 pm at the Hudson Guild Theater, 411 West 26th street (between 9th & 10thAvenues), NYC. The cast for the new musical is Joy Franz, Chuck Muckle and Hannah Seusy. The musical is written by Stephen Chinlund & Jim Semmelman; with music by Bert Draesel; and lyrics by Jim Semmelman.  It is directed by  Kathleen O'Neill, with set design by April Bartlet, lighting designer by  Dan Henry, and the musical director is  Kenneth Gartman.  The hit musical closed this weekend with a Sold Out show and people turned away.

Brush Strokes is a new musical that has been selected for the NY THEISPIS Theater Festival. Performances are at the Hudson Guild Theater, 411 West 26th street (between 9th & 10th Avenues), NYC. The cast for the new musical us Joy Franz, Chuck Muckle and Hanah Seusy. The musical is written by Stephen Chinlund & Jim Semmelman; with music by Bert Draesel; and lyrics by Jim Semmelman. It is directed by Kathleen O'Neill, with set design by April Bartlet, lighting designer by Dan Henry, and the musical director is Kenneth Gartman.

BRUSH STROKES is a new musical that has been selected for the NY Thespis Theater Festival. Performances are at the Hudson Guild Theater, 411 West 26th street (between 9th & 10th Avenues), NYC.

Having appeared on many of New York City's cabaret stages, Gregory Nalbone returns to the Metropolitan Room with The Sounds of My Heart. Directed by Lennie Watts and music direction by Kenneth Gartman, this show showcases Nalbone's baritone register and Pop-Broadway instrument and allows him to bare his soul as he sings some of his and our favorite tunes.

Kevin Scott Hall, a long-time mover and shaker in New York's cabaret scene, begins his 20th season of his popular cabaret workshop, That Singing Feeling, with Monday night classes from June 1 through July 13, 2015. (There will be no class on July 6.)  Two showcases follow at The Duplex, Sunday, July 19 (4:30 pm), and Tuesday, July 21 (7:00 pm). Classes are limited to six participants.

Songwriter, performer, producer, and now activist, Bobby Horowitz, has put yet another spin on the series/variety show, with her refreshing take on the subject of 'ageism' in America. Called It's Just a Number (starting with six dates running from April to October at The Metropolitan Room), Horowitz's show theme champions the notion that age truly is just a number. Featuring a different group of cabaret's best performers for each show, the series honors a person who after the age of 50 either began a new career, resumed a career, is attempting to attain knowledge in a new field, or established a new organization with the purpose of helping people. This past Saturday afternoon, Alice Fisher, who presently serves as Director of Community Outreach in the Office of NYS Senator, Liz Krueger, was the first honoree.

One of New York cabaret's most beloved personalities, songwriter and performer Bobbie Horowitz is producing a new variety show series at the Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street) dedicated to the proposition that age truly is just a number. Each show in the series, It's Just a Number!, will feature some of cabaret's best performers and 'Honor a person who after age 50 either began a new career, resumed a career, is attempting to attain knowledge in a new field, or established a new organization to help people.' The series (six shows between April and October to start) launches on April 11 at 1 pm and will honor long-time social justice advocate Alice Fisher, creator of 'The Radical Age Movement,' a grassroots nationwide effort that challenges traditional notions of aging and introduces new ideas for building co-creative and interdependent communities.

One of New York cabaret's most beloved personalities, songwriter and performer Bobbie Horowitz is producing a new variety show series at the Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street) dedicated to the proposition that age truly is just a number. Each show in the series, It's Just a Number!, will feature some of cabaret's best performers and 'Honor a person who after age 50 either began a new career, resumed a career, is attempting to attain knowledge in a new field, or established a new organization to help people.' The series (six shows between April and October to start) launches on April 11 at 1 pm and will honor long-time social justice advocate Alice Fisher, creator of 'The Radical Age Movement,' a grassroots nationwide effort that challenges traditional notions of aging and introduces new ideas for building co-creative and interdependent communities.

Show Choir! - The Musical is a melodious mockumentary about America's favorite teen pastime...with jazz hands. This original musical comedy by Mark McDaniels and Donald Garverick has been developing in New York City since 2006, including an award winning production at the 2007 New York International Fringe Festival and a sold out run at the 2010 New York Musical Theatre Festival. Show Choir! also received acclaimed productions at the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and The American Conservatory Theatre - San Francisco in 2012.

Veteran cabaret performer Raissa Katona Bennett and Musical Director Kenneth Gartman are very good friends who for the past few years have been performing together in what might be called the cabaret equivalent of movie shorts. But with 3Decades in the Dark: Raissa and Kenneth Go to the Movies (a five-show run that ended Feb. 21 at the Laurie Beechman Theater), Bennett and Gartman have finally presented their first feature length duo cabaret show. Both performers have garnered praise as individual performers in musical theater and cabaret. Bennett, who is the charming producer and host of the Award-winning Concerts for City Greens at Tudor City, once played Christine in Phantom of the Opera, and has performed solo shows at venues such as the old Feinstein's. Gartman, who recently musically directed The White City in concert at 54 Below, presented a highly praised solo show in 2011. Sounds like a match made in cabaret heaven, right?