New York-based Cabaret producer, performer, promoter, and former reviewer (for Cabaret Scenes Magazine and BroadwayWorld.com) Stephen Hanks is in the midst of a serious love-hate relationship. He loves the art form of Cabaret and hates the dramatic rise of voter suppression and white supremacy in America during the current Republican Party rule of all three branches of the United States Government. So with the November 2018 Midterm elections on the horizon, Hanks has decided to combine the objects of his love and his hate and channel that energy into political action on behalf of the Democratic and Progressive candidates running for the US Senate, the House of Representatives, and perhaps some state governorships in November.
Urban Stages presents this year's award-winning series, WINTER RHYTHMS 2017, which begins tonight, December 12, featuring some of New York's best musical performances through Saturday, December 23, 2017 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street, just East of 8th Avenue).
Cabaret Producer, Promoter, and Performer Stephen Hanks has been chosen by Urban Stages Founding Artistic Director Frances Hill and Director of Musical Theatre Peter Napolitano to Produce and Host the Opening and Closing Night Gala Shows for the organization's Ninth Annual WINTER RHYTHMS SERIES, running this year from December 12 through December 23 at the Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues).
Urban Stages announces the line-up for this year's award-winning series, WINTER RHYTHMS 2017, which will begin Tuesday, December 12 and will feature some of New York's best musical performances through Saturday, December 23, 2017 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street, just East of 8th Avenue).
The Edge of Everyday, a benefit performance for Ripple Effect Artists will feature cabaret singer/vocalist and Broadway World nominee (2015) Sandra Bargman with a special performance by renowned dancer Katherine Crockett.
Joseph Macchia (Cabaret Cares) and Nora Davis (It Helps to Sing About It) present the second rendition of 'Love Trumps Hate' on February 20, 2017, at The Metropolitan Room in Chelsea, celebrating President's Day with a star-studded cast in support of the ACLU.
It will be a festive Halloween night on October 31 at the Pangea Club and Restaurant (178 Second Avenue, between 11th and 12th streets) when Stephen Hanks and his Cabaret Life Productions presents the second of his new bi-monthly variety series with a special Halloween Night Variety Show. The show stars six sensational and highly-praised women cabaret performers who are smart, sassy, sexy, and whose singing is SCARY great--SANDRA BARGMAN, REMY BLOCK, CORY SEMINOWICZ, RACHEL WINELL, MAC Award-Winning Songwriter AMY ENGELHARDT, and KIM SUTTON, who won a 2015 BroadwayWorld.com Cabaret Award for 'Best Show, Female.' Featuring Musical Director/Pianist DARYL KOJAK with Hanks as host.
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 day is finally here! After one month of voting on preliminary nominees in 17 categories, the results of more than 5,000 ballots were considered along with the selections of BroadwayWorld's cabaret section editors to determine the final nominees for the 2014 BroadwayWorld.com New York Cabaret Awards. Joining cabaret icon Marilyn Maye with four nominations is budding star Carole J. Bufford, who made the final ballot for two different shows during 2014 and as 'Best Female Vocalist' and 'Performer of the Year.' Among Maye's nominations were 'Performer of the Year,' two shows in the 'Best Celebrity Show' category, and a 'Best Director' nomination for her work with jazz singer Gabrielle Stravelli (who received two nominations). In addition to her usual nod for 'Best Jazz Vocalist,' jazz star Jane Monheit received two other nominations as 'Performer of the Year,' and as 'Best Host' for her new variety show at Birdland, Jane Monheit's Jazz Party (Monheit also co-starred with Clint Holmes in another nominated show, Frank Wildhorn and Friends in the 'Best Revue' category.) Eric Michael Gillett also earned three nominations for 'Best Show, Male,' 'Best Male Vocalist,' and 'Best Director.'
