Ritt Hen News

Pamela Lewis (a.k.a. Champagne Pam), the 2013 BroadwayWorld New York Cabaret Award winner for "Best Female Vocalist" (for her show Daddy's Little Girl), performed her new solo cabaret show, New York State of Mind: The Songs of Billy Joel, in front of a rowdy, revved-up, packed house at the Metropolitan Room on Friday and Saturday, January 16 and 17. The singer with champagne-colored streaks in her long brown hair, Lewis embodies cool. And hot. She's a brassy chick from Long Island who knows who she is and she wants to party with you. In this show, she celebrates her roots, singing the songs of another Long Islander she grew up loving, first for his tuneful pop melodies and later for his words. It's cool when a woman sings an entire show of songs written by a man, doesn't fear using the "wrong" pronouns, and puts her own spin on them by changing the feel, the tempo, and the arrangements. Pamela Lewis does all that with verve and then some in this show.

Composer-Lyricist-Bookwriter Mary Liz McNamara is currently working on Body and Soul based on the 2009 documentary by filmmaker Alice Elliott. Excerpts from Body and Soul were seen at New York Theater Barn in October 2014. Awards: 2013 Bistro Award for Songwriting, 2011 BMI Foundation Harrington Award for creative achievement in musical theater, two MAC awards and six ASCAP PLUS awards. Mary Liz is a frequent NYC performer, and her songs are performed by cabaret and musical theater artists across the country. She is a member of the BMI Musical Theater Workshop (as a composer/lyricist and a librettist), and about a million other performing arts unions and organizations. Her song 'Bacon' was used in an episode of 'So You Think You Can Dance.'

If you've been a regular reader of this particular reviewer's musings, you know that every year there are long stretches of time where I just haven't been able to critique all the shows I've seen that deserve commentary. So I end up playing what they call in sports, 'Catch-up ball,' and post a mash up of belated reviews from past shows. It's kind of like a critic's version of the song 'Six Months Out of Every Year,' from Damn Yankees. Give or take a month or two, that's usually the time period during which I store unpublished reviews in my fevered brain and then unload them all in one seemingly endless column-like this one is going to be. If my cabaret-show reviewing days will be over (as chronicled here), I might as well go out with a bang-and relieve my procrastination guilt during holiday season. Now I can scratch one New Year's resolution off the list.

The Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs has announced the 3rd Annual "MAC presents THEY WRITE THE SONGS." The show will be held Sunday, November 16th at 4pm in the Engelman Recital Hall at the Baruch Performing Arts Center (Lexington Avenue at 25th Street).

The 25th New York Cabaret Convention first night titled 'I Love A Piano' was held at Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center last night and BroadwayWorld was there backstage and out front!

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.

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, March 23, at 3pm. Performers include Fran Leonardis, Christian Fabian and Lauren Fox & Ritt Henn. The featured performer in the 'Young Musician Moment' will be Elizabeth Nucci.

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. 54 Below also launched its series of late night events. Joining Tuesday nights' popular 'Backstage' with Susie Mosher is 15:54, and more:

While Woodstock 1969 will probably forever be known as the ultimate rock n roll festival of all time, NYC cabaret hot spot 54 Below is lining up an impossibly impressive assortment of stars for a one night only Woodstock tribute in August, led by two-time Tony Award-winner Norbert Leo Butz and Broadway/Hollywood notable Raul Esparza.

It's April 1st. Do you know when your Spring is coming? During another longggggg New York winter, the good news is that there were a ton of warming cabaret shows. The bad news is that there were so many, even during this seemingly endless winter our intrepid reviewer Stephen Hanks didn't have enough time to review them all right after the performances. So in what is becoming a seasonal ritual, here he offers yet another compilation of 13 'catch-up' cabaret show reviews.

With the grit of a sheriff facing down an outlaw, the silky-toned Marissa Mulder takes on the bard of bad Tom Waits, in the premiere of "Tom… in His Words", which began on March 27 and runs through tonight, March 30, 2013, at the Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd Street. BroadwayWorld was there and brings you photos from the concert!

The 28th Annual Bistro Awards gala took place on March 4, 2013. Unlike most other awards shows, the Bistro Awards is an evening filled with great performances from the winners - stars as well as talented newcomers - who represent a wide variety of styles from the worlds of cabaret, comedy, and jazz. BroadwayWorld has photos from the ceremony below!

The Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs will present the 27th Annual MAC Awards on Thursday, March 21st, at B.B King Blues Club & Grill in New York City.

2012 was indeed a very good year for the art of Cabaret in New York City. Here, BroadwayWorld.com Cabaret Reviewer and Columnist Stephen Hanks offers up his exclusive 'Best New York Cabaret Performers of the Year' for 2012, plus some surprising honorable mentions. Let the debates begin!

York Theatre Company presents Broadway's Marc Kudisch (9 to 5; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) and Jeffry Denman (Irving Berlin's White Christmas; Yank! at the York) in the Off-Broadway premiere of a new holiday variety entertainment, The Holiday Guys in Happy Merry Hanu-Mas, under the music direction of Timothy Splain, for a limited two week engagement through December 31, 2012 at The York Theatre at Saint Peter's (Entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue). The show opened last night and you can check out complete coverage below!!

Urban Stages (Frances Hill, Founding Artistic Director), in association with producer/director/lyricist Peter Napolitano announces a series of musical evenings entitled WINTER RHYTHMS 2012, beginning on Tuesday, December 4 and running through Friday, December 15, 2012 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street). Tickets are $25 per show (both shows in one night, $40). Beer and wine will be available for a $3 donation. Tickets may be purchased on www.smarttix.com or 212 868-4444.

Urban Stages, in association with producer/director/lyricist Peter Napolitano, announces a series of musical evenings entitled WINTER RHYTHMS 2012, beginning tonight, December 4 and running through Friday, December 15, 2012 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street).

Cabaret Cares the award-winning benefit series returns to The Laurie Beechman Theatre tonight, November 25th at 9:30 PM. Created by cabaret Producer Joseph Macchia the series raises funds for Help Is On The Way Today a non for profit organization he funded to help children and youth living with HIV and AIDS.

Urban Stages, in association with producer/director/lyricist Peter Napolitano, announces a series of musical evenings entitled WINTER RHYTHMS 2012, beginning on Tuesday, December 4 and running through Friday, December 15, 2012 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street).