Shelly Markham News

New York's cabaret community just came together to celebrate the legacy of its late great impresario Donald F. Smith in a free public concert. Donald F. Smith, Executive Director and Founder of The Mabel Mercer Foundation, passed away in March, 2012. He created the New York Cabaret Convention 27 years ago. For many years it was held at Town Hall, a building he was instrumental in preserving as a New York City landmark.

Cabaret vocalist Francesca Amari will reprise her tribute show, "YOU MAKE ME LAUGH: A Love Song to Gilda Radner" tonight, May 10, 2012, at the legendary Gardenia Supper Club in West Hollywood, CA. The show, which Amari debuted at last year's Gilda's LaughFest in Grand Rapids, MI, a 10-day festival of laughter that included such notables as Bill Cosby, Betty White, Margaret Cho and more, to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of Gilda's Club West Michigan.

Cabaret vocalist Francesca Amari will reprise her tribute show, "YOU MAKE ME LAUGH: A Love Song to Gilda Radner" on Saturday, May 10, 2012 at the legendary Gardenia Supper Club in West Hollywood, CA. The show, which Amari debuted at last year's Gilda's LaughFest in Grand Rapids, MI, a 10-day festival of laughter that included such notables as Bill Cosby, Betty White, Margaret Cho and more, to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of Gilda's Club West Michigan.

Continuing its six year reign as the most popular and award-winning supper club of its kind in the greater Los Angeles area, dedicated to presenting the best of Broadway performers and nightclub artists dedicated to the Great American Songbook, Sterling's Upstairs had its Grand Opening Sunday, April 1st at The Federal Bar and Restaurant in North Hollywood's trendy NoHo Arts District. Sterling's presented Bruce Kimmel's Kritzerland production of Take Me Along: The Songs of Bob Merrill as its premiere offering. The six member cast starred musical theatre stars Julie Garnye and Juliana Hansen, Broadway's Melody Hollis and Kristofer McNeely, and musical theatre star Jeffrey Christopher Todd, with Special Guest... Broadway, film, TV, concert and recording star Lainie Kazan. Christy Crowel served as the evening's Musical Director, with Shelly Markham serving as Musical Director for Lainie Kazan. Bruce Kimmel conceived, produced and directed Take Me Along, with Adryan Russ on board as Associate Producer.

On Sunday April 1 Kritzerland presented its monthly show, this time Take Me Along saluting composer/lyricist Bob Merrill at the all new Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal in NoHo. This also marked the opening night for the new venue. Bruce Kimmel hosted a lovely evening with singers Melody Hollis, Juliana Hansen, Julie Garnye, Kristopher McNeeley, Jeffrey Christopher Todd and special guest Lainie Kazan. Christy Crowl served beautifully as musical director at the piano. Shelly Markham played for Miss Kazan. As always, Kimmel told some interesting stories about the composer. As for Merrill, he composed all of his tunes on a toy xylophone and had a series of pop tunes in the 50s long before he had a Broadway success. Songs performed in the 90-minute set included these tunes as well as Broadway fare from hits like Funny Girl, Carnival and Sugar, as well as from flops Pretty Belle, Henry, Sweet Henry, based on The World of Henry Orient and Holly Golightly otherwise referred to as Breakfast at Tiffany's.

Too Old For the Chorus (But Not Too Old To Be A Star), directed by a young whippersnapper named Martha Wilkinson (she's artistic director at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre, which celebrates its 45th birthday this year, and she has a boatload of First Night Awards and enough glowing reviews to fill the fanny packs of every mall walker briskly making their way through Opry Mills) and featuring a top-notch cast of Nashville actors, is as gentle as the best stool softener and as kick-ass (when it needs to be) as a certain little blue pill favored by certain gentlemen in the age group (not me, but so I've been told).

The Gardenia presents ANDREA MARCOVICCI: 'SMILE' Mar. 15 - 17 & Mar. 22 - 24, 2012 Thurs. - Sat. at 9:00PM. Musical Director: Shelly Markham. Reservations: (323) 467-7444.

On Sunday evening March 4, Bruce Kimmel presented the 19th Kritzerland show, the third and final one at Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's. Commencing April 1, Kritzerland will continue at Sterling's in its new venue Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal. Sunday's show was a salute to the lyrics of Ira Gershwin, boasting the glorious talents of musical director Shelly Markham and singers Shannon Warne, Damon Kirsche,Jane Noseworthy, Melody Hollis and Lauren Leigh Barker. Special guest was the remarkable Andrea Marcovicci (photo above) whose grande acting style really sets a song apart and makes it a sizzlingly unique experience on a cabaret stage. Kimmel told delightful anecdotes about Gershwin's collaborations with brother George Gershwin, Kurt Weill, Jerome Kern, Burton Lane, Harold Arlen, Harry Warren, among other musical composers. The program offered well known songs, but with an emphasis on those lesser known tunes that are really little gems, totally worth remembering. Thanks to Kimmel and Kritzerland for keeping all this wonderful music alive and vibrant.

On Sunday evening March 4, Bruce Kimmel presented the 19th Kritzerland show, the third and final one at Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's. Commencing April 1, Kritzerland will continue at Sterling's in its new venue Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal. Sunday's show was a salute to the lyrics of Ira Gershwin, boasting the glorious talents of musical director Shelly Markham and singers Shannon Warne, Damon Kirsche, Jane Noseworthy, Melody Hollis and Lauren Leigh Barker. Special guest was the remarkable Andrea Marcovicci (photo left) whose grande acting style really sets a song apart and makes it a sizzlingly unique experience on a cabaret stage. Kimmel told delightful anecdotes about Gershwin's collaborations with brother George Gershwin, Kurt Weill, Jerome Kern, Burton Lane, Harold Arlen, Harry Warren, among other musical composers. The program offered well known songs, but with an emphasis on those lesser known tunes that are really little gems, totally worth remembering. Thanks to Kimmel and Kritzerland for keeping all this wonderful music alive and vibrant.

Kritzerland at Sterling's presents The Ira Gershwin Album with Lyrics by Ira, Music by George Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Burton Lane, Kurt Weill and other greats on Sunday, March 4, 2012 at 7:00 pm.

Kritzerland at Sterling's will present The Ira Gershwin Album, Lyrics by Ira, Music by George Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Burton Lane, Kurt Weill and other greats on Sunday, March 4, 2012 - 7:00 pm.

The Gardenia presents ANDREA MARCOVICCI: 'SMILE' Mar. 15 - 17 & Mar. 22 - 24, 2012 Thurs. - Sat. at 9:00PM. Musical Director: Shelly Markham. Reservations: (323) 467-7444.

Kritzerland at Sterling's presents The Ira Gershwin Album with Lyrics by Ira, Music by George Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Burton Lane, Kurt Weill and other greats on Sunday, March 4, 2012 at 7:00 pm.

On Sunday evening February 5 Kritzerland celebrated their 18th. show and second at Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's in Studio City with a family evening of great tunes from live action films entitled Reel Imagination saluting Michelle NiCastro, a magnificent singer who passed away last year. Five remarkable female singers Alet Taylor, Juliana Hansen, Melody Hollis, Lauren Rubin and Jane Noseworthy (left to right in photo above) joined music director extraordinaire Shelly Markham at the piano and Bruce Kimmel who introduced the songs in his own inimitable style with delightful anecdotes about the composers and his association with them through Kritzerland. Composer Richard M. Sherman, of Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang fame, made a special guest appearance singing and playing the kazoo on 'The Chimpanzoo' cut from Mary Poppins (photo above).

NAKED BOYS SINGING!, the fifteen-song celebration of the male form will hit its final milestone: it will end its New York run Saturday January 28th after 3,069 performances. It opened July 22, 1999 at the Actors Playhouse, making it the longest running Off-Broadway musical after The Fantasticks. But everyone in that show wore clothes!

The new collection, EVERYONE HAS A STORY: THE SONGS OF ADRYAN RUSS, offers Broadway, pop, cabaret - even a holiday song - by this lyricist/composer of Inside Out, the award-winning off-Broadway musical about five women in group therapy that played New York's Cherry Lane and many theaters country-wide.

Andrea Marcovicci wins my Academy Award for creating a marvelous movie and Shelly Markham takes home one for composing a brilliant film score. Her current cabaret act 'No Strings' at the Oak Room is a musical documentary which lets you hitch a ride and romantically travel the past 25 years of Marcovicci's performing at the Algonquin.

Andrea Marcovicci - the acclaimed singer and actress dubbed 'The High Priestess of the American Songbook' by The New York Times - will celebrate her landmark 25th anniversary at the famed Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel. Her new show 'No Strings' runs from November 15 to December 30, featuring Music Director Shelly Markham on piano and Jered Egan on bass. For the second year in a row, Andrea will offer a special holiday performance on Monday, December 26 at 7:30 PM. The sophisticated entertainer holds the record for the longest continuous run in the Oak Room's history. Check out photos from her show below!

Andrea Marcovicci - the acclaimed singer and actress dubbed 'The High Priestess of the American Songbook' by The New York Times - will celebrate her landmark 25th anniversary at the famed Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel. Her new show 'No Strings' runs from November 15 to December 30, featuring Music Director Shelly Markham on piano and Jered Egan on bass. For the second year in a row, Andrea will offer a special holiday performance on Monday, December 26 at 7:30 PM. The sophisticated entertainer holds the record for the longest continuous run in the Oak Room's history.

On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, October 20, 21, 22, The Mabel Mercer Foundation presented its 22nd annual Cabaret Convention at The Rose Theater, Frederick P. Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center. More than forty exemplary vocalists and musicians appeared in three diverse programs. heck out photos from the event below!