The Vaudevillians

Roy Sander
Laurie Beechman Theatre - through November 19 Starting as a one-night-only event, the two-character revue/theatre piece The Vaudevillians has gone on to play to sold-out houses at the Laurie Beechman Theatre for several months now, and a sixth and final extension, to November 19, was recently announced. Quite an accomplishment. The show's two stars, Jinkx...

Nicolas King

David Munk
"Why Was I Born So Late?" Don't Tell Mama - October 9 The last time I saw Nicolas King perform was at a benefit at least 10 years ago, when the then ten-year-old joined Liza Minnelli for a charming duet of "When You Wore a Tulip and I Wore a Big Red Rose," a song...

Twentieth Century Girl: The Lois Morton Songbook

Roy Sander
Don't Tell Mama - June 8, 15; The Duplex - September 19; Don't Tell Mama - December 8 Lois Morton is an interesting and uncommonly gifted songwriter. If you heard only her comic pieces, you'd swear her birthparents were Tom Lehrer and Gilbert & Sullivan, and she the beneficiary of the mischievous wit of Lehrer...

The 24th New York Cabaret Convention

Kevin Scott Hall
Written by Kevin Scott Hall, Mark Dundas Wood, Robert Windeler, David Munk Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center  –  October 7, 8, 9, 10 Gala Opening Night - by Kevin Scott Hall With stellar performances from both veterans and newcomers alike, the opening night of the 24th New York Cabaret Convention offered hope and promise for...

Joanne Tatham

Robert Windeler
"Soundtrack New York" Café Carlyle  -  October 3, 4, 10, 11 The Los Angeles-based Joanne Tatham is not so well known in New York, but that could change quickly as a result of this satisfying set at the storied Café Carlyle. Tatham's voice is both pleasant and powerful, and she is passionately committed to her...

Lady Day

Kevin Scott Hall
Little Shubert Theatre  (open run) The dynamic Dee Dee Bridgewater has had a celebrated career in theatre, having been acclaimed for a number of memorable shows and roles and garnering a Tony Award for her performance in The Wiz. When she turned her attention to recording, the acclaim was no less noteworthy: as a jazz artist, she's...

David Ballard

Mark Dundas Wood
"Having It All" Don't Tell Mama  –  September 24, 25, October 11, 12 In his show "Having It All," David Ballard and his director, Tanya Moberly, count on the musical selections to carry their narrative. After the opening song, Kate Bush's inscrutable "Suspended in Gaffa," Ballard informs us that the show is about a character...

Annie Ross

David Munk
Metropolitan Room  -  Tuesdays One of the beautiful things about the culture of jazz and cabaret music is that life experience, and the emotional deepening that it confers on its artists, is considered an attribute, not a reason to quit. The intimacy of hearing music in a small room is also conducive to one of...

Evangelia Kingsley

Mark Dundas Wood
"Dance Me to the End of Love" Metropolitan Room  –  September 22, 30 "Dance Me to the End of Love," Evangelia Kingsley's show at the Metropolitan Room (directed by Eliza Beckwith), brought to my mind the familiar image of the twin masks of comedy and tragedy, one paralyzed with hilarity, the other frozen in agony....

Tonia Tecce

Mark Dundas Wood
"A Cockeyed Optimist: Why We Believe the Songs of Richard Rodgers" Metropolitan Room  –  September 15, 26 Tonia Tecce, whose background includes performances with symphony and "pops" orchestras, makes her New York cabaret debut with her show at the Metropolitan Room. Her voice has a "legit" sound, which may be one reason why—in a program...