Lorinda Lisitza News

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond:

NiCori Studios and Productions in association with Oakeside Bloomfield Cultural Center announces a new installment of the monthly concert series, 'Music at the Mansion', on Sunday, February 23, at 3pm. Performers include Jeff Macauley, The Ted and Lo Show and Rosemary Loar. The featured performer in the 'Young Musician Moment' will be Julia Maskin.

Craving a show after the show? 54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, is expanding its popular late-night series with fresh faces and hot new performances to keep the party buzzing into the wee hours. Located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th St., 54 BELOW welcomes you to loosen your tie and embrace the night at its upcoming events:

This February and March at 54 BELOW presents an exciting lineup of the brightest talent from Broadway and beyond, including Christopher Sieber, Annaleigh Ashford, Randy Graff, Melinda Doolittle, Jeff Daniels, Linda Eder, Andrea McArdle, Sondheim Unplugged, Taboo: 10th Anniversary Reunion Concert, Beth Leavel, Lindsay Mendez and Derek Klena.

This February and March at 54 BELOW presents an exciting lineup of the brightest talent from Broadway and beyond, including Christopher Sieber, Annaleigh Ashford, Randy Graff, Melinda Doolittle, Jeff Daniels, Linda Eder, Andrea McArdle, Sondheim Unplugged, Taboo: 10th Anniversary Reunion Concert, Beth Leavel, Lindsay Mendez and Derek Klena.

54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents David Alan Thornton in 'David Alan Thornton Vs. the Bunny Suicides' on February 17, 11:30pm. David Alan Thornton has escaped and he's at it again! He returns to 54 Below for David Alan Thornton Vs. the Bunny Suicides- an evening of fun, feelings, fruity love stories, robots with identity crises, determined hippopotamuses (yes, it's the correct plural), and BUNNY SUICIDES! With the cooperation of internationally-renowned comic-book artist Andy Riley and featuring an all-star cast, the night and the music are sure to make you laugh, sigh, snort, cry, and feel darn good.

Peggy Herman just brought 'Herman on Herman,' her tribute to Broadway legend Jerry Herman, to the Laurie Beechman Theatre. The concert featured many of the songs from the show's premiere in May of 2011, plus additional material that was added to the project in the intervening months. Check out photos from the concert below!

Last December, after I posted my list of the Best Cabaret Performers of 2012, I followed up my original 'listmania' with a column that served as a way to include some 'honorable mentions,' basically a recognition of other memorable shows and performances of songs that were striking, unique, and/or original that year. The column received a positive response so I thought I'd wheel it out again this year. So as the hours tick away on 2013 and we anticipate the coming of a new year, here is an addendum to the 2013 New York Cabaret Performers of the Year--a totally random list of 30 Honorable Mentions of the 'Best' and 'Most' in Cabaret for 2013 . . . mainly because I can and it's fun. Enjoy and Happy New Year!

Susan Blackwell, Alice Ripley, Michael Cerveris, Julia Murney, Annie Golden, Krysta Rodriguez, Taylor Trensch, Nick Blaemire, Harrison Chad and more will be part of The 6th Annual Joe Iconis Christmas Spectacular, presented December 20-21, at 54 Below.

Urban Stages, in association with producer/director/lyricist Peter Napolitano have announced additions to WINTER RHYTHMS 2013 performer line-up now running throughSunday, December 15, 2013 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street). Tickets are $30 per show (unless otherwise noted).Tickets may be purchased on www.smarttix.com or 212 868-4444.

Urban Stages (Frances Hill, Founding Artistic Director), in association with producer/director/lyricist Peter Napolitano announces a series of musical evenings entitled WINTER RHYTHMS 2013, beginning on Tuesday, December 3 and running through Sunday, December 15, 2013 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street). Tickets are $30 per show (unless otherwise noted).Tickets may be purchased on www.smarttix.com or 212 868-4444.

The Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs is proud to announce the performers and award recipients for the 2nd Annual "MAC presents THEY WRITE THE SONGS," to be held this Sunday, November 17th at 4pm at the Engelman Recital Hall at the Baruch Performing Arts Center (Lexington Avenue at 25th Street).

Ocean State Theatre Company (OSTC), the not-for-profit professional theatre company, which recently completed its inaugural season in Warwick, is pleased to present the Multi Award-winning cabaret performer and OSTC fan favorite, Lennie Watts, in his funny, yet poignant show, Bloody Bloody Lennie Watts for one performance only tonight, August 16 at 7:30pm.

Ocean State Theatre Company (OSTC), the not-for-profit professional theatre company, which recently completed its inaugural season in Warwick, is pleased to present the Multi Award-winning cabaret performer and OSTC fan favorite, Lennie Watts, in his funny, yet poignant show, Bloody Bloody Lennie Watts for one performance only on Friday, August 16 at 7:30pm.

The Major League Baseball All-Star break (the game is on Tuesday night) has always been considered the midpoint of the season and as a lifelong fan I've always enjoyed reading those analyses from writers that assess the best performances of the first half. Since July is also the middle of the calendar year, I thought it might be fun to present a cabaret equivalent of a baseball midseason report. So . . . (drum roll) . . . presenting the Best (and My Favorite) 20 New York Cabaret Shows and Performances of (the first half) of 2013.

A few weeks before BroadwayWorld.com Cabaret Reviewer and Columnist Stephen Hanks was about to stage the opening night of his debut solo cabaret show on May 31, a number of cabaret performers asked him if he was going to write about the experience in some way, with some even encouraging him to keep a diary. 'It might be really interesting to read how your perspective about cabaret performers and performing might have changed and how it might impact your reviews now that you're doing it yourself,' commented one singer. 'It was a fascinating notion and one that I had already thought about,' Hanks admits, 'but between a full time job, attending shows, writing reviews, taking vocal lessons, rehearsing, etc., finding the time and the energy to keep even a weekly diary was not in the cards.' Hanks certainly didn't think he'd forget even the little things that have gone into making his journey what he calls 'an amazing, fantasy-fulfilling, almost surreal experience.' On the eve of his last performance of his three-show run (over three weeks) at the Metropolitan Room of Beyond American Pie: The Don McLean Songbook, BroadwayWorld.com sat down with our lead cabaret reviewer to get his insights and perspective on what's it been like to be on the performer end of things.

NiCori Studios and Productions in association with Oakeside Bloomfield Cultural Center has announced a new monthly concert series, 'Music at the Mansion', on Sunday, June 30, at 3pm. Performers include Ted Stafford and Lorinda Lisitza, Ami Brabson and Sidney Myer. The featured performer in the 'Young Musician Moment' will be Henry Garner.

When you're a cabaret reviewer on the evening show prowl between Monday night and Saturday evening (although not every night, thank goodness), you'd like to think that the God of Cabaret would make Sunday a day of rest. No such luck, since the weekend allows clubs to book shows as early as brunch time. I learned this again early this month when I felt compelled to attend three shows starring charming female singers-Corinna Sowers-Adler at Stage 72 (the Triad), Eva Kantor at the Laurie Beechman, and Lianne Marie Dobbs at the Metropolitan Room. I didn't break my personal Sunday record of four shows in one day set in late January (yes, I should be committed), but there was a two-hour break in this mix so it still turned out to be an 8-hour cabaret extravaganza. (Thank you, oh God of Cabaret, for press comps!) While it would have been sweet for the musical marathon to have been a clean sweep of excellent shows, as Meat Loaf might croon, 'Two Out Of Three Ain't Bad.'

Help is on the Way Today, a 501c3 non-profit which assists children and youth living with HIV/AIDS, is announcing their annual Gala on May 19th at the Laurie Beechman Theater.In addition, founder Joseph Macchia is announcing a name change to the charity's Lifetime Achievement Award."It is with a bittersweet pleasure that we've renamed the Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of the late Ruth Kurtzman," says Macchia. "Ruth was a true lady and a kind and caring person who was a tireless supporter of the Cabaret Cares series, as well Help Is On The Way Today, MAC and Broadway Cares. She is someone I will never forget and her kind heart will live on in everyone she touched. I'm very happy to announce the 2013 Cabaret Cares Ruth Kurtzman Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Peter Leavy. Like Ruth, Peter is a true champion of the community, the publisher of Cabaret Scenes magazine - the world's only magazine dedicated to the art form - and a generous supporter of Cabaret Cares and its mission."

Jahn Sood's new folk opera The Disappearing Man received a concert reading at Joe's Pub on Monday, April 8th. A well-attended developmental reading of the musical that took place March 3rd at Shetler Studios marked the New York premiere of the show's latest incarnation, which featured significant revisions, including a new book and several new songs by Sood, as well as new orchestrations by music director Brian Cavanagh-Strong. Scroll down for photos from this month's concert!