Articles by this Author:
Rita Rudner
A very persistent shoosh-ing could be heard throughout an extended portion of Rita Rudner's final performance at her recent 54 Below engagement. It was unclear who, exactly, this self-appointed guardian of...
Karen Oberlin
Karen Oberlin comes on stage for "His Aim Is True: The Singular Songs of Elvis Costello" at Stage 72 wearing what looks to be an elaborate choir robe, fit for an...
Marlene VerPlanck
In a one-nighter at Jazz at Kitano recently, Marlene VerPlanck reminded audiences of why she's so greatly respected as a musician. Her singing has a kind of matter-of-factness, and yet...
Charles Busch
Charles Busch's current show at 54 Below is called "That Girl/That Boy"—a title that points to something essential about his longtime approach to drag performance. Unlike some drag guys, Busch has...
Lauren Fox
With her recent Metropolitan Room show, "Groupies—The Muses Behind the Legends of Rock & Roll," Lauren Fox brought her considerable theatrical mystique and dramaturgical smarts to a show about the sometimes...
Charlotte Patton
The title of Charlotte Patton's Metropolitan Room show, "Celebrating Men (Bless Their Hearts)," captures the tone of the evening perfectly. Patton's program takes a partly bemused but mostly amused look...
Jeff Macauley
Film composer Henry Mancini (1924-94) was able to adapt nimbly to whatever professional assignment was at hand. He could write music with a hip, cool sound—for instance, the themes from...
Billy Ehrlacher
Setting aside the once-ubiquitous novelty hit "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (A Letter from Camp)," I had only dim memories of mid-20th-century song parodist Allan Sherman (1924-73). But after seeing "Billy...
Ben Cassara
He seems a most mild-mannered, unassuming gentleman. Yet when Ben Cassara seated himself center stage for a one-off appearance at Cafe Noctambulo recently, he commanded attention. Cassara's singing has an...
Kane Alexander
A recent one-nighter at 54 Below brought Australian performer (and a Bistro Award winner in 2001 and 2002) Kane Alexander back to Manhattan. He'd first appeared in the city a...