Ray Watkins News

MAC nominee Jim Speake brings back his acclaimed show celebrating the music of Broadway composer Cy Coleman for two more performances. 'I'm A Brass Band, Jim Speake Sings Cy Coleman at the Duplex' will play Saturday 11 October at 4:30pm and Sunday 19 October at 4:30pm. The show is in the Cabaret Room of The Duplex, 61 Christopher Street at 7th Ave. NY, NY 10014.

Black, Blind and Beautiful, Peggy Easton's robust and gorgeous style will enthrall everyone who hears her. Once again, she is directed by ten-time MAC winner Lennie Watts -- and after two successful outings on June 9th and June 15th, Peggy is back again tonight, July 23rd.

Since I attended more than 50 shows over the past eight months (a few more than once)--the large majority of which were reviewed on these web pages—I felt I had more than enough cabaret show inventory to present my second-annual “Mid-Year Cabaret Review” citing the “20 Best Cabaret Shows and Performances” for the first half of 2014. Since the eligibility period for 2014 BroadwayWorld New York Cabaret Award consideration begins with shows staged since last November (late October if it was the first of a run), I've included a few of those late 2013 shows in this group. And with the announcement of the BWW Award nominees just four months away, I've offered some projections on the Award categories for which these shows very well might receive consideration.

Black, Blind and Beautiful, Peggy Easton's robust and gorgeous style will enthrall everyone who hears her. Once again, she is directed by ten-time MAC winner Lennie Watts -- and after two successful outings on June 9th and June 15th, Peggy is back again on July 23rd.

The biggest challenge in personalizing a tribute show is when the set list is structured to tell a story about the performer's life. Those songs better be good, that life better be interesting, and that storytelling patter better be clever, humorous, and self-deprecating or an audience (let alone a reviewer) will tune you out quicker than a liberal accidentally hitting FOX News on the remote. I recently saw two different shows at The Duplex from enchanting young women performers—Carly Ozard and Nikki MacCallum--who deftly managed to weave their love of a singer (Bette Midler for Ozard) or a songbook (Kander & Ebb for MacCallum) into a tale of life journey and personal growth to produce charming and entertaining shows.

Peggy Eason is one of those characters who seem to have been made for the New York cabaret scene. She's a bodacious woman who is ubiquitous at the local clubs, possesses a passion for singing, and bills herself as the 'Chocolate Diva,' although on stage she's more like a Red Hot Mama. Eason opened her third solo cabaret show, I'll Show Them All, at Don't Tell Mama on Monday night (she's appearing again at the club on Sunday at 7pm) with the decidedly politically incorrect titled song written especially for her by David Conforte, 'Black, Blind and Beautiful' (Hey, 'African American, Visually Challenged and Beautiful' doesn't have the same ring to it.). But there was little that was incorrect about her fast-paced and entertaining show that was often poignant and funny at the same time.

Singer/ actor Joshua Dixon follows his acclaimed cabaret debut with a return engagement of FLY UP! at The Duplex on Sunday, June 22nd at 7:00PM and Monday, June 30th at 9:30PM. Using an eclectic mix of songs from Broadway, The Great American Songbook and contemporary music, FLY UP! will give us a glimpse into Joshua's life so far - from his Mormon childhood to his college years to becoming a man in music and theater. Stephen Sondheim, Jimmy Webb, Andrew Lippa, Jerry Herman, Scott Evan Davis, Cole Porter, andBastille, among others, provide a backdrop to his fascinating, funny and freeing tale of growing up and letting go.

Current cast members of Broadway's long-running Stephen Schwartz musical Wicked, Tiffany Haas (standby: Glinda) and Michael McCorry Rose (understudy: Fiyero) are preparing for a second performance of their concert CHEEK TO CHEEK: A BROADWAY ROMANCE which debuted in February at 54 Below. Directed by Stephen Sposito with musical direction by Steven Ray Watkins, CHEEK TO CHEEK will be performed this Monday, May 19th at 7pm at Birdland. (For tickets, click here.)

MAC nominee, Jim Speake brings back his acclaimed show celebrating the music of Broadway composer, Cy Coleman: 'I'm A Brass Band, Jim Speake Sings Cy Coleman at the Duplex'. The show is directed by Lennie Watts with musical direction by Steven Ray Watkins, featuring the SRW band.

MAC nominee, Jim Speake brings back his acclaimed show celebrating the music of Broadway composer, Cy Coleman: 'I'm A Brass Band, Jim Speake Sings Cy Coleman at the Duplex.' The show is directed by Lennie Watts with musical direction by Steven Ray Watkins, featuring the SRW band.

Peggy Eason will bring "I'll Show Them All!" to "Don't Tell Mama" on June 9th, 15th, 2014.

MAC nominee, Jim Speake brings back his acclaimed show celebrating the music of Broadway composer, Cy Coleman: "I'm A Brass Band, Jim Speake Sings Cy Coleman at the Duplex". The show is directed by Lennie Watts with musical direction by Steven Ray Watkins, featuring the SRW band.

After sold-out performances in New York City and her hometown of San Francisco, cabaret singer Carly Ozard will debut her latest show Midler on the Roof at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, May 25, 2014 at cabaret institution The Duplex, 61 Christopher Street at 7th Avenue in New York City. Tickets are $10 (plus a 2-drink minimum) and advance reservations are highly recommended by contacting (212) 255-5438 or www.theduplex.com.

MAC nominee, Jim Speake brings back his acclaimed show celebrating the music of Broadway composer, Cy Coleman: "I'm A Brass Band, Jim Speake Sings Cy Coleman at the Duplex.' The show is directed by Lennie Watts with musical direction by Steven Ray Watkins, featuring the SRW band.

Mamma Mia's Gerard Salvador makes his solo concert debut at The Duplex in New York City. Gerard Salvador: Straight Up will run for two consecutive Sundays at the famed cabaret hot spot, beginning April 6th and returning April 13th, both at 7PM. In this brand new collision of mainstream pop and musical theatre, with direction by MAC Award winner Amy Wolk and musical direction by Steven Ray Watkins, Salvador will treat audiences to a funny, poignant and personal evening of songs and stories about growing up in Queens, attending the Fame school, and singing ABBA tunes 8 times a week in one of Broadway's biggest hits!

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).

It turns out that when it came to Tanya Moberly cabaret shows and this reviewer, the third time was the charm. After being blown away by Moberly's powerful voice and stage presence when I first caught her one-song performances at the Sunday Salon Open Mics three years ago, I wasn't crazy about either of her full-blown cabaret shows the past two years (Tanya Moberly Sings Di Franco/Tanya Moberly Sings Jonatha Brooke in 2011 and Tanya Lorraine Moberly Sings Barbra Joan Streisand in 2012—in spite of her receiving MAC and BroadwayWorld.com Best Female Vocalist nominations for the latter). But her new show that opened this past Friday and Saturday nights at Don't Tell Mama, I Love New York Songwriters, pressed many of my cabaret buttons—in a good way. While there were still some minor flaws—owing to a certain stubbornness in her approach to a cabaret show—this eclectic set of original songs written by some of the city's best “unknown” composers was consistently entertaining. In this particular show, Ms. Moberly was Tanya Terrific.

The Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs is proud to announce the 2nd Annual "MAC presents THEY WRITE THE SONGS." The show will be held 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.