Mabel Mercer News

The nightclub singer Marta Sanders follows her memorable Cabaret Convention appearance (she closed the Stephen Sondheim tribute with a soul-bearing 'I'm Still Here') with an encore of her latest show, 'Follow Me,' in February. The four-week major engagement performs at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 West 42nd Street, on Thursday February 2; Saturday February 11; Thursday February 16, and Saturday February 25, all at 7pm.

NiCori Studios and Productions proudly announces the first annual Winter Gala which will be held on Friday, December 16, 2016 at 7pm at Westminster Arts Center at Bloomfield College with a VIP After Party at Oakeside Bloomfield Cultural Center. 

City Theatre adds to its season of contemporary plays and exciting CityEvents, announcing Tamara Tunie: Legends from the 'Burgh. Pittsburgh native and Law & Order: SVU star, Tamara Tunie returns to her roots, performing songs by hometown legends. Her band includes Roger Humphries on drums, Jeff Grubbs on bass, and Max Leake conducting and playing piano. Ms. Tunie, a Tony and Drama Desk Award winner has performed Legends from the 'Burgh on tour and in New York City to packed houses and critical acclaim. Performances are December 9 and 10 at 7:30 p.m. on the Main Stage. Tickets are on sale now.

Vivian Reed - the two-time Tony Award-nominated Broadway star and concert artist - will return with her acclaimed show 'Standards and More' at The Metropolitan Room for two more performances this year tonight, November 10, at 9:30 PM and Wednesday, December 14 at 9:30 PM.

Vivian Reed - the two-time Tony Award-nominated Broadway star and concert artist - will return with her acclaimed show 'Standards and More' at The Metropolitan Room for two more performances this year on Thursday, November 10 at 9:30 PM and Wednesday, December 14 at 9:30 PM.

One of the most gorgeous voices in New York belongs to Corinna Sowers Adler, who offered  the premiere of 'Something Beautiful' at Jazz at Lincoln Center's majestic Appel Room on Saturday November 5 at 7pm and Broadwayworld was there

One of the most gorgeous voices in New York belongs to Corinna Sowers Adler, who offers us the premiere of "Something Beautiful" at Jazz at Lincoln Center's majestic Appel Room today November 5 at 7pm.

One of the most gorgeous voices in New York belongs to Corinna Sowers Adler, who offers us the premiere of "Something Beautiful" at Jazz at Lincoln Center's majestic Appel Room on Saturday November 5 at 7pm.

Sarah Rice first burst onto the Broadway musical theater world in 1979 as the original Johanna in Stephen Sondheim's TONY Award-winning musical Sweeney Todd. The dazzling soprano later became a cabaret star, winning a 2010 Bistro Award and 2011 MAC Award for Best Female Vocalist. After performing cabaret in almost every major venue in New York, Rice has been performing an exciting new show—MUSIC OF THE NIGHT--at the popular restaurant/club PANGEA (178 2nd Avenue, between 11th and 12th Streets) and will be presenting her fourth performance at the venue on Friday, November 25 at 7 pm. Back in August, TIMEOUT NEW YORK recommended it as one of their “shows to see.”

Ultimate Divas of Stage, Screen and Popular music, Barbra, Bette and Bernadette have made their mark from the Baths to Broadway and beyond! With their fifth collaboration, Girls Like Us (Cabaret favorites Laura Freeman, Beckie Menzie and Marianne Murphy Orland), bring you the music and lives of Streisand, Midler and Peters with humor, history and song.

On the penultimate night of the 2016 Cabaret Convention, presented by the Mabel Mercer Foundation, 11 fantastic cabaret artists---those who are celebrated in the form as well as those who are emerging alike---assembled to salute the late and legendary Sylvia Syms. The evening, hosted by one of Syms' closest confidants, the critic Rex Reed, was brassy, delivered wonderful anecdotes, and was ultimately very moving musically, much like Syms herself. A black and white photograph of Syms, accurately capturing her maternal warmth, hung high inside the Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center throughout the evening, which was formatted in two distinct segments. Act One was comprised of each performer taking to the stage alone to sing one of Syms' lesser known cabaret staples, or the songs which she "rescued" from obscurity such as those cut from golden age musicals. Act Two saw the performers again take on a Syms staple, but those which were more well-known hits and standards, displaying the full range of Syms' nightclub chops.

There's no 'Tomorrow' for this years four day 27th New York Cabaret Convention but there certainly was a thrilling performance of that song by host Kela Blackhurst and the Broadway by the Year Chorus.  The composer and lyricist were in attendance as their songs were performed by a wonderful group of cabaret artists. The convention even produced a 12 year old to recreate the emotions of seeing 'Annie' as Zoe Gelman sang Maybe & NYC to the Rose Theater audience. Luckily there will be a 'tomorrow' for the Mabel Mercer Foundations Cabaret Convention and mark your calendars for the 28th New York Cabaret Convention in 2017.

Hold your hats and hallelujah. After an electrifying opening night, the Mabel Mercer Foundation's 27th Annual Cabaret Convention continued Wednesday night in a packed Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Hosted by Jeff Harnar and Andrea Marcovicci, the cabaret community gathered to salute the music of Stephen Sondheim, the EGOT-winning composer/lyricist whose oeuvre has been simultaneously catapulting and tripping up artists for decades. Despite 30 performances on the evening, you'd be hard-pressed to find a weak spot in Wednesday night's lineup, hosting what is arguably the best rotation of the four nights, featuring cabaret giants, up-and-comers, expert arrangers (plus the talents of Jered Egan on bass and Dan Gross on drums), and Sondheim role originators.

KT Sullivan made an astute call and turned over the creation of the third night of the Cabaret Convention to host Rex Reed.  If there is anyone in the world who symbolizes music sophistication with a flawless comprehension of what good cabaret performance is about it is the elegant Mr. Reed. The Convention's final evening is yet to be heard (tonight), but last evening must have been one of the finest chapters in the long history of Donald Smith and the Mabel Mercer Foundation's twenty seven year old creation. The musicians, singers, and material, which honored the legendary cabaret performer Sylvia Syms truly represented the highest quality of cabaret performance. Rex also made an important artistic decision….he included himself as one of the vocalists.  Rex Reed was a participating member of the golden age of New York life and his unique ability to verbally convey it's history honored Sylvia Syms, who as Rex pointed out at the start of the evening…..died the way she wanted, singing in a  nightclub (Oak Room Algonquin)  to a standing ovation.  She collapsed into the arms of audience member Cy Coleman.  

Twelve years after his last full show and a full 36 since he performed at the venerable Laurie Beechman Theatre, entertainer (and Don't Tell Mama booker) Sidney Myer commanded the stage as if he'd been there yesterday. I attended the second of three sold-out presentations marked as fundraisers for The Mabel Mercer Foundation, likely the only organization for which Sidney would take on such a project. The concerts are a 'thank you' to the art's standard bearer and its creator Donald Smith, who gave Sidney wide exposure and exceptional latitude at every Cabaret Convention from the third on, a tradition maintained today.

The 27th Annual Cabaret Convention, presented by the Mabel Mercer Foundation, kicked off on October 18, putting forth performances by some of the most iconic cabaret artists which the arena has to offer, as well as introducing new but equally captivating talent of the art form. Hosted by KT Sullivan, a cabaret stalwart herself, the evening moved briskly through an impressive 19 performers, each of whom was accompanied by their very own pianist--- if they weren't accompanying themselves, that is.

Lovers of Cabaret flocked to New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center's Rose Theatre last night to attend The 27th New York Cabaret Convention and BroadwayWorld was there. Unlike a political convention there was complete agreement that this annual event produced and sponsored by the Mabel Mercer Foundation is one of the best entertainment experiences of the year.  Madam Chairman' and artistic director KT Sullivan kept complete order as one by one the wonderful vocalists made their case to the extremely knowledgeable 'delegates' filling Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center. It's not politically correct to pick winners at the annual event, which presents newcomers and veterans of the cabaret art form, but if there's one......  The Audience!  For two hours they hear some great music and get a potpourri of diverse singing styles that make the long evening seem brief.  The superb song stylist and New York based vocalist Natalie Douglas was deservedly presented the prestigious Donald F. Smith award, and legend Maureen McGovern received the Mable Mercer Award. 

Actress and singer, Gay Marshall, brings her original show, Gay's Paree, to downtown's alternative supper-club, Pangea, this fall. Marshall's real-life experiences of singing all over Paris, to varying degrees of adventure, delight and misery, unfold through songs by Charles Aznavour, Boris Vian, Francis Lemarque, Dave Frishberg Jacques Brel, and Edith Piaf in both French and English, featuring Marshall's own English adaptations. 

Ask Celia Berk what she loves about New York and she'll give you a list. Or, better yet, an album. Corporate executive by day, cabaret chanteuse by night (and a damn good one), Berk has won a MAC Award (New York Debut – Female), a Bistro Award (Vocalist), a BWW Award (NY Cabaret Debut), and The Margaret Whiting Award from The Mabel Mercer Foundation since her 2014 debut album You Can't Rush Spring. Her latest, Manhattan Serenade, is an eclectic collection of New York and New York-esque songs steeped in nostalgia and romance, complete with arrangements by Alex Rybeck and a stunning orchestra. Extended by popular demand, Berk will celebrate its release once more at the Metropolitan Room this Friday, October 14 at 7:00 pm. Before the show, we sat down for a discussion on her love note to New York, carving out a space for yourself in the city, and typical New York resilience.

PREMIERES, the New York based music theater organization whose mission is 'to bring new music theater to light,' has announced the complete cast and creative teams for this season's Inner Voices, the biannual series of solo works featuring new teams of playwrights and composers. Performances began October 3rd and continue through October 29 at The TBG Theatre (312 West 36th Street - between 8th & 9th Avenues). Opening Night is tonight, October 13th at 8:00pm.