Petula Clark

Roy Sander
Feinstein's at Loews Regency  –  January 24 – February 11 When Petula Clark opens her show at Feinstein's singing "I Concentrate on You" slowly and with quiet solemnity, I thought to myself, "This is a chancy thing to do." After all, though her extensive work in films and in the theatre have earned her considerable...

Joel Ginn

Elizabeth Ahlfors
"Singing Bing" Metropolitan Room  –  Jan. 12, 14. 26, 28 Have you noticed how few tributes have been given lately to Bing Crosby? Everyone knows his name and the songs he sang, but perhaps Crosby's laid-back, casual approach has just not been firing up current performers. So thanks to baritone Joel Ginn for "Singing Bing"...

Jessica Sherr

Kevin Scott Hall
"Bette Davis Ain't for Sissies" The Triad  –  January 12 & 13 Jessica Sherr, who enjoyed a sold-out run at last year's New York Fringe Festival with her one-woman show about Bette Davis, has brought Bette Davis Ain't for Sissies back for a run in the clubs and has wisely chosen The Triad, with its...

Tanya Holt

Roy Sander
Urban Stages – December 10 When Tanya Holt performed recently at the estimable Winter Rhythms festival at Urban Stages, it was her first solo offering in five years. During the intervening period, I saw her sing an occasional song or two in variety evenings or as a guest artist in other people's shows, and having...

Mark Nadler

Kevin Scott Hall
"Crazy 1961" Laurie Beechman Theatre  –  December 1, 8, 11, 18, January 15, 22, 29 Boisterous pianist and singer Mark Nadler has been entertaining cabaret crowds here and abroad for quite a few years, and now he's pulling out the stops for a romp through "Crazy 1961," a celebration of his birth year in music,...

Christine Ebersole and Aaron Weinstein

Elizabeth Ahlfors
"Strings Attached" Birdland  –  November 27, 28 There are some sturdy strings attaching singer/actress Christine Ebersole to Aaron Weinstein, a jazz violinist with a bent for comedy on the side. The two have more than a couple of qualities in common. Ebersole, the chick singer in this jazz duo, pointed out that they both love...

Angela Shultz

Kevin Scott Hall
"Do Overs" Don't Tell Mama  –  November 21, 28,  December 2, 6,  January 4 After enjoying a long run with her last show, "Kiss Me Like You Mean It," a couple of years ago, and receiving a 2010 MAC Hanson Award, Angela Shultz has returned with a brand new show—even if its title, "Do Overs,"...

Charles West

Mark Dundas Wood
"Feeling Good" Don't Tell Mama  –  November 16, 17, 23, December 8, 15 When Charles West steps onto the Don't Tell Mama stage and delivers his first song, you may think: Geez, isn't he just a little too much? West is suave and self-possessed. He has chiseled good looks and he's full of sexy growls....

The Bobs

Mark Dundas Wood
"The Bobs Return to the Duplex—with Angie Bob! The Duplex – November 11 Celebrating 30 years of performing, the Bobs still pack a punch with their clever a cappella stylings, which were dubbed "New Wave a cappella" back when the group started out. Their approach to songs is fairly consistent: One member of the quartet will take...

Billie Roe

Roy Sander
"Dangerous Women – Life in Film Noir" Don't Tell Mama – November 4, 11, 18, 25 I was so taken with Billie Roe's performance when she was a contestant in the first MetroStar Talent Challenge, that even though over three years have passed, I still recall it vividly. Since then, she has been high on...