Leonard Cohen News

David Wax Museum vocalist and fiddle wizard Suz Slezak will celebrate her debut solo album, Watching the Nighttime Come, with an album release show as part of her Valentine's Weekend 'Sweet Love and Lullabies' tour at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, February 13 at Rockwood Music Hall, 196 Allen St., New York, NY.

Arc Iris, a new orchestral pop project featuring singer and instrumentalist Jocie Adams, former core member of The Low Anthem, will perform at the Capitol Center for the Arts on Saturday, February 21, at 8pm.

Last night, I attended the thrilling opening performance of Have Faith. Entering the quaint venue, I was fairly positive that a live performance of the album would be just as electrifying, if not more so, than the recorded tracks, and I'm ecstatic to report that Mary Testa, Michael Starobin, and cellist Alisa Horn absolutely exceeded my expectations and blew me away with their superb performances.

Following her critically acclaimed show Hard Rain at 59E59 Theaters, Britain's top song stylist and international cabaret singer Barb Jungr just presented the American premiere of a special concert, originally created for London Festival of Cabaret 2013, at 54 Below.

With the official results of the voting for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Cabaret Awards to be revealed later this week, BWW and New York Cabaret Editor Stephen Hanks have announced this year's special “Editor's Awards” for special achievement in categories that were not subject to online voting. The winners will receive their Awards and most will perform at the 3rd Annual BroadwayWorld Cabaret Awards show on February 23 (6:30 pm) at Joe's Pub. Tickets are already on sale and can be purchased here.

When Barb Jungr takes the stage tonight for her debut at 54 Below (she also be at the club tomorrow night and Sunday night; all shows at 7pm), the acclaimed British chanteuse will have conquered another major New York nightclub venue, having in past years performed critically acclaimed shows at the Café Carlyle, Joe's Pub, the Metropolitan Room. She even knocked them dead at the 59E59 theater twice in less than a year, with her show Dancing the Dark (read my review here) in December 2013 and Hard Rain (review here) this past November. While Jungr is still performing the latter--amazing interpretations of some of the most intensely political Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen songs—throughout Europe and has earned enormous praise for the CD of the same name, her 54 Below show, Mad About the Boy and No Regrets, will be an amalgam of Jungr's greatest hits from past shows and CD, plus some songs she'll be doing for the first time.

Today we are talking to an instantly recognizable stage stalwart who has lit up Broadway and beyond for more than three decades since her debut in William Finn's IN TROUSERS - the one and only Mary Testa. Discussing all aspects of her exemplary new album created in collaboration with acclaimed orchestrator Michael Starobin, HAVE FAITH, Testa imparts the impetus behind the concept album and outlines what motivated the wildly eclectic song choices included on the release - ranging from the Beach Boys, Prince and Aerosmith to Michael John LaChiusa, William Finn, Jill Sobule and many more. Furthermore, Testa eloquently describes the fascinating and compelling theme upon which the album is based - the journey of a soul through life; ostensibly a search for faith - and relates the sonic experience to her own spiritual pursuits. Additionally, Testa clues us in on what we can expect from her upcoming promotional concert appearances alongside Starobin in support of the album, as well, kicking off with a concert at Barnes & Noble next week along with a series of shows at the Laurie Beechman Theater. Reflecting on the various ways in which she has seen the theatre transform over the course of her career thus far, Testa also sheds some light on many of her most celebrated roles to date, including IN TROUSERS, THE RINK, XANADU, 42nd STREET, MARIE CHRISTINE, SEE WHAT I WANNA SEE, QUEEN OF THE MIST, GUYS & DOLLS, A NEW BRAIN, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, LUCKY STIFF, CHICAGO, WICKED and more. All of that, playing Barbara Bush in FIRST DAUGHTER SUITE and much, much more with one of Broadway's most reliably entertaining and endlessly inventive regulars.

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.

After a sell out run of The Jewish Legacy celebrating the Jewish contribution to musical theatre, Aria Entertainment returns with a new production; The Jewish Legends, Jan. 31, Feb 8.

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.

This summer, Stoneham Theatre presents veteran folk-singer-songwriter Judy Collins in An Evening with Judy Collins for two performances on June 13–14, 2015. “Stoneham Theatre is proud to bring this outstanding Grammy Award-winning artist to our stage,” said Producing Artistic Director Weylin Symes. “Judy Collins' legendary singing has been captivating audiences for five decades. We know our audiences will be uplifted and entertained by her performance in our intimate venue.”

Night Fires, Theatre Group Ltd's celebrational pageant-like play at the time of the winter solstice, will be performed this year this weekend, Dec. 19, 20 and 21 at Town Hall Theater in Middlebury.

After a dazzling debut at Lincoln Center on March 2014 in which its sound was described by The New York Times as "quite terrific," Cameron Carpenter brings his revolutionary International Touring Organ (ITO) to the Majestic Theater in Gettysburg, PA on Friday, January 23 at 7:30pm. Tickets are $34-$46; call 717-337-8200 or visit gettysburgmajestic.org to purchase.

MARY TESTA -- the two time Tony Award nominated singer and actress -- and MICHAEL STAROBIN, the Tony Award winning orchestrator and arranger will perform four concerts in January to promote their new album Have Faith from Ghostlight Records.

Today we are revisiting the very best theatre-related items released in 2014 in honor of the holiday shopping season being upon us.

MARY TESTA - the two time Tony Award nominated singer and actress - and MICHAEL STAROBIN, the Tony Award winning orchestrator and arranger will perform four concerts in January to promote their new album Have Faith from Ghostlight Records. Fresh off her recent starring role on Broadway in Wicked, Mary will perform a special CD release engagement at The Laurie Beechman Theater at The West Bank Cafe January 4-5,11-12, 2015 at 7:00 PM. Music Director Michael Starobin, will join her on piano with Alisa Horn on cello. Since being released earlier this month, Have Faith was called "stunning" by Playbill, "beautifully hypnotizing" by BroadwayWorld and "a sensational CD debut, terrific from first cut to last" by the Connecticut Post. For tickets, please visit www.lauriebeechmantheatre.com. To order the album, please visit www.sh-k-boom.com/havefaith.

Sony/ATV Music Publishing has today announced it has extended its long-term worldwide deal with writer, musician and producer Greg Kurstin.

One more door opened today as Barry Manilow announced that the GRAMMY nominated Koz will be a special guest on his ONE LAST TIME! Tour in 2015.

Having seen Mary Testa in a cabaret concert in Houston, I feel I had an idea of what to expect from her and Michael Starobin's album HAVE FAITH. While I expected it to be eccentrically eclectic and haunting, nothing could have prepared me for how it was beautifully hypnotizing and simultaneously so unlike anything I've ever heard before. The unique album utilizes well-known pop songs (hits from The Beach Boys to Alanis Morissette) and songs written by William Finn and Michael John LaChiusa to explore thoughts on faith and doubt in ways that are equally alluring and unexpected.

Grammy Award-winning artist Judy Collins makes her Segerstrom Center for the Arts debut in her Holidays and Hits concert tonight, December 6 in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.