Everybody Rise: A Resistance Cabaret

Mark Dundas Wood
The art of political song parody has been reinvigorated in the era of Donald Trump. You can find this in the online videos of the clever, intrepidly campy Randy Rainbow, also famed for his spoof interviews. A less-visible practitioner of the genre—at least until now—has been Joe Keenan, formerly a writer and producer on TV's...

Marissa Mulder

Penelope Thomas
The opening night of Marissa Mulder's I'll Follow the Sun: The John Lennon and Paul McCartney Songbooks at Feinstein's/54 Below provided a much-needed infusion of brightness in a week full of rain. It's unusual that sweetness would be such a compelling and interesting quality in a singer, but Mulder knew exactly what to do with...

Broadway’s Next Hit Musical

Robert Windeler
Satirical improvisation based on audience suggestions is tricky enough when it merely involves words and actions in unrelated set pieces. But add impromptu music, lyrics, and a quirky overarching theme to the mix, and you really have a challenge. It's one that, by and large, this cast of four composer-performers was well up to the...

Mark Nadler

David Sabella
Mark Nadler recently regaled the audience at the Laurie Beechman Theatre with his new show, The Old Razzle Dazzle – an Evening of Lies, Lying and Liars. Appearing dapper at the piano in a vested suit and black Bowler hat, he assured the audience that "Everything I am going to tell you tonight is a lie."...

Susanne Mack

Mark Dundas Wood
Early in her new show at Pangea, Where I Belong, German-born singer Susanne Mack tells about growing up along the Swiss-German border. She speaks of being fascinated by a bridge with a line down the middle—a border marker that you could straddle so that your left foot was in one country and your right in...

Ravenswood Manor

Gerry Geddes
Return with us now to the thrilling days of yesteryear—the days of Charles Ludlum and the Ridiculous Theatrical Company, the days of Charles Busch and Psycho Beach Party. With Ravenswood Manor, directed by Ellie Heyman and recently seen at Joe's Pub over two evenings, with three "episodes" each evening, writer/star Justin Sayre makes his bid...

Celia Berk

Mark Dundas Wood
In the last few years, Celia Berk has established herself as a serious player on New York cabaret stages. She's been honored with multiple awards (including a 2015 Bistro Award). In Comes Love, her recent one-nighter at the Birdland Theater—a collaboration with accomplished jazz pianist Sean Gough, along with talented bassist Steve Doyle—she proved yet...

Mama’s Boys

Gerry Geddes
Anyone fortunate enough to have seen Tommy J. Dose, Brian Kalinowski, Paul Pilcz, or Jon Satrom perform in the piano bar at Don't Tell Mama, or at Brandy's or some other open mic room, knew before Mama's Boys started that there would be lots of good singing—and there was. What there wasn't, was lots of cabaret....

Jordan Wolfe & Michelle Dowdy

David Sabella
Jordan Wolfe and Michelle Dowdy are two very enthusiastic and charismatic performers who have a lot to offer, both vocally and energetically. And in '67: The Summer of Love Show, the two performers took every advantage to offer as much of this enthusiasm, and vocal volume, as possible. Playing to a sold-out crowd of exuberant...

Gabrielle Stravelli

Penelope Thomas
The Birdland release concert for Gabrielle Stravelli's fourth album, Pick Up My Pieces: Gabrielle Stravelli Sings Willie Nelson, was packed. 6:00 PM is basically a matinee in the jazz world, and not a time you would expect to see buzzing crowds spilling out onto midtown sidewalks. The show more than delivered. Stravelli truly landed on the...