Jon Freda: “Imagine Dat!”

Robert Windeler
In "Imagine Dat!" at Stage 72, Jon Freda pays an affectionate and deserved biographical tribute to 20th century showbiz icon Jimmy Durante. Freda also wrote this one-man-show-with-music and co-produced it with its director, Eren T. Gibson. The 70-minute piece has the imprimatur of the surviving Durante family, which might suggest that it would be a...

Billy Ehrlacher

Mark Dundas Wood
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 Ehrlacher: Is He Here Again?" at Don't Tell Mama, I did some YouTube research. This led me to the conclusion that Ehrlacher shares some of...

Ben Cassara

Mark Dundas Wood
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 almost conversational quality at times. He clips some (not all) notes to create an almost pizzicato kind of effect—and when he does sustain a note,...

Somewhere in This Song: The Music and Lyrics of Nicholas Levin

Roy Sander
An evening of the songs of Nicholas Levin was long overdue, so the new revue "Somewhere in This Song" at the Metropolitan Room is a cause for celebration. Surveying the scene of contemporary songwriters, one finds some who may have something to say, but whose lyrics are lacking in basic craftsmanship or marked by infelicitous word/phrase...

Kane Alexander

Mark Dundas Wood
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 decade and a half ago. An appealing performer with bright eyes and a friendly, gentle manner, Alexander has had successful turns in musical theatre back...

Kyle Eastwood Quintet

Robert Windeler
In his recent show at Blue Note, Kyle Eastwood proved that when it comes to instrumental jazz, paternity and osmosis can provide a solid foundation for adventurism and variety, as well as tradition. The eldest child of Clint Eastwood, Kyle literally learned the genre from his father, and went on to work for him as...

Kim Sutton

Robert Windeler
Bouncy and brassy, in "Anchors Away!," her current show at Don't Tell Mama, Kim Sutton pays a robust tribute to Fleet Week and the United States Navy, in which she served for six years in the mid-1980s. She starts out with a driving, semi-disco "Star Spangled Banner"—no audience standup necessary—which leads right into the anthem...

Kevin Dozier

Mark Dundas Wood
Kevin Dozier's recent show at the Metropolitan Room (which will return to the club in November) was called "A New York Romance." It was a suitable title, I suppose, as Dozier did touch quite a bit on his life in (and love for) New York City. But then again, how many other NYC-themed shows open...

Rob Sutton

Mark Dundas Wood
Rob Sutton's recent Don't Tell Mama show, "Not the Boy Next Door," was not so much an autobiographical program as it was a deeply personal musical reverie on what it means to live an authentic, self-aware life. That theme was hinted at in the show's opening number, Alan Jay Lerner and Burton Lane's "On a...

Alexis Cole

Robert Windeler
In her recent one-night show at 54 Below, Alexis Cole demonstrated vocal dexterity, solid musicianship and a willingness to range over a variety of sources for her material. Her technical delivery, whether in a soothing or upbeat contralto, was superb, vocal jazz at its best. Further on the plus side, she beautifully resurrected two lesser-known...