Articles by this Author:
Daniel Reichard
The theme of Summer Playlist—Daniel Reichard's recent show at the Birdland Theater—was the mix tape. In decades past, Reichard, like many young music lovers, would program these customized song collections...
Lucie Arnaz
It's serendipitous, I believe, that the first lyrics to be sung during the first official engagement at Manhattan's new Birdland Theater are from Irving Berlin's "There's No Business Like Show...
Kathryne Langford
No hard-and-fast rule dictates how much spoken word cabaret singers should include in their shows. Generally, spoken remarks don't occur in a show until after the second number. Then, depending...
Steven Zumbo
"You know, we eschew themes," Steven Zumbo announced early in his recent show at Don't Tell Mama, a two-night engagement directed by Helen Baldassare. (He could have added that show...
Jason Henderson
Presenting an entire program of Noël Coward numbers would, I imagine, give many an American cabaret singer pause. Whose songs are more steadfastly British—not only in lyrical content but also...
Kendra Cunningham
Kendra Cunningham is a good human being. Or, at any rate, she’s trying hard to be one. Growing up in a Catholic, Irish-Lithuanian-American household, she began saying affirmations at age...
Marcos Valle
Brazilian songwriter, singer, and keyboardist Marcos Valle has been an international musical presence since the early 1960s. Looking at displays of his album covers online, you can trace his march...
Whitney Chapman
There's a straightforward, almost conversational quality to Whitney Chapman's vocals that works well for some of the mid-tempo and up-tempo songs in her Burt Bacharach/Hal David show (directed by Barry...
Brad Simmons and Lennie Watts
I'm not certain I fully understand the point of the musical genre "Blue-Eyed Soul," which is essentially a nickname for soul music (and/or Rhythm & Blues) sung by white people. The...
Emily Ellet
Last summer I attended the final round of the MetroStar Talent Challenge at the Metropolitan Room, where I immediately found myself rooting for young singer Emily Ellet. She was someone...