The Mabel Mercer Foundation’s invitation predicted“A Swell Party” and last night certainly was!  KT Sullivan artistic director of the foundation hosted an elegant evening to celebrate the legacy of Charles S Bullock, Chairman Emeritus, Board of Trustees, and his favorite composer Cole Porter at the legendary Pierre Hotel in Manhattan. The Pierre, has been the scene of many notable events in the social history of New York City and this evening was unquestionably one of them.

Also predictably, the program consisted of some of the finest Cabaret performers in the country and best beloved favorites of the Mabel Mercer Foundation’s sophisticated and knowledgeable audiences … On the stage of the Cotillion Room at The Pierre were: Christine Andreas, Anna Bergman, Eric Comstock, Natalie Douglas, Elsa Dungan-Hawks, Barbara Fasano, Liam Forde, Eric Yves Garcia, Jeff Harnamr, Mark Nadler, Catherine Russell, and of course KT Sullivan.  John Weber (piano) and Steve Doyle (bass) supplied the musical accompaniment.

Cole Porter’s piano may still reside in the Waldorf Astoria, but his words and music were alive and well in The Pierre and were superbly performed in honor of Charles Bullock by this esteemed gathering of concert/cabaret artists.

A SWELL PARTY

KT SULLIVAN

RICK MEADOWS

ANNA BERGMAN

LIAM FORDE

CATHERINE RUSSELL

ELSA DUNGAN-HAWKS

ERIC YVES GARCIA

CHRISTINE ADNREAS

JEFF HARNAR

NATALIE DOUGLAS

MARK NADLER

ERIC COMSTOCK & BARBARA FASANO

KT SULLIVAN

SUE BULLOCK & CRAIG RUBANO

HOWARD MORGAN, Chairman of the Board MMF, & ELEANOR MORGAN

PETER HANSON & KT SULLIVAN

ADELA ELOW & LARRY ELOW

SANDFORD FISHER, CHRISTINE ANDREAS, ALEX RYBECK

ISANNE FISHER & KT SULLIVAN

BOB LOVERD, CHRISTEL IBSEN, KT SULLIVAN

ALEX RYBECK, ANNA BERGMAN, EDA SOROKOFF, STEPHEN SOROKOFF, CHRISTINE ANDREAS, MARTIN SILVESTRI

CARMEN DELL’ OREFICE & JEFF HARNAR

EDA SOROKOFF, MARC ROSEN CHRISTEL IBSEN

CHRISTINE ANDREAS & KT SULLIVAN

BARBARA FASANO & ERIC COMSTOCK

JEFF HARNAR & BARBARA FLOOD

LOUISE PRATT, COLETTE RUSSELL, KT SULLIVAN

NATALIE DOUGLAS & JUDY STEWART

CHRISTINE ANDREAS, KT SULLIVAN RICK MEADOWS CARMEN DELL’ OREFICE

PETER LEAVY

BARBARA FLOOD, PHILLIP OFFICER, CARMEN DELL’ ORFICE, CRAIG RUBANO

MARC ROSEN & EDA SOROKOFF

MARC ROSEN & EDA SOROKOFF

JON WEBER

KT SULLIVAN & ED CLOSSON

THE PIERRE

The countdown is on and the winners of the 2022/2023 season will be announced in a live televised ceremony on Sunday, June 11. 

Here is who we think will win and who should.

Best Scenic Design of a Play

The Nominees

Miriam Buether, Prima Facie
Tim Hatley & Andrzej Goulding, Life of Pi
Rachel Hauck, Good Night, Oscar
Richard Hudson, Leopoldstadt
Dane Laffrey & Lucy Mackinnon, A Christmas Carol

Most if the technical awards will and should go to this amazing visual production

Will win: Tim Hatley & Andrzej Goulding
Should win: Tim Hatley & Andrzej Goulding

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

The Nominees

Beowulf Boritt, New York, New York
Mimi Lien, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Michael Yeargan & 59 Productions, Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
Scott Pask, Shucked
Scott Pask, Some Like It Hot

The theatre community is going to want to honor New York, New York in some way, but it is Sweeney Todd that has our vote.

Will win: Beowulf Boritt
Should win:Mimi Lien

Cast of Broadway’s ‘Ain’t No Mo’ Photo by Joan Marcus

Best Costume Design of a Play

The Nominees

Tim Hatley, Nick Barnes & Finn Caldwell, Life of Pi
Dominique Fawn Hill, Fat Ham
Brigitte Reiffenstuel, Leopoldstadt
Emilio Sosa, Ain’t No Mo’
Emilio Sosa, Good Night, Oscar

Emilio Sosa is up for two nominations but will win for Ain’t No Mo’ in order to honor this show.

Will win: Emilio Sosa
Should win:Emilio Sosa

Best Costume Design of a Musical

The Nominees

Gregg Barnes, Some Like It Hot
Susan Hilferty, Parade
Jennifer Moeller, Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
Clint Ramos & Sophia Choi, KPOP
Paloma Young, & Juliet
Donna Zakowska, New York, New York

Hands down this is Gregg Barnes. His costumes are spectacular and make you want to go shopping on that set.

Will win: Gregg Barnes
Should win:Gregg Barnes

Best Lighting Design of a Play

The Nominees

Neil Austin, Leopoldstadt
Natasha Chivers, Prima Facie
Jon Clark, A Doll’s House
Bradley King, Fat Ham
Tim Lutkin, Life of Pi
Jen Schriever, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Ben Stanton, A Christmas Carol

Most if the technical awards will and should go to this amazing visual production

Will win: Tim Lutkin
Should win: Tim Lutkin

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

The Nominees

Ken Billington, New York, New York
Lap Chi Chu, Lerner & Loewe’s Camelot
Heather Gilbert, Parade
Howard Hudson, & Juliet
Natasha Katz, Some Like It Hot
Natasha Katz, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Natasha Katz is up for two nominations but will win for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in order to honor this show.

Will win: Natasha Katz
Should win:Natasha Katz

photo credit achristmascarollive.com

Best Sound Design of a Play

The Nominees

Jonathan Deans & Taylor Williams, Ain’t No Mo’
Carolyn Downing, Life of Pi
Joshua D. Reid, A Christmas Carol
Ben & Max Ringham, A Doll’s House
Ben & Max Ringham, Prima Facie

The sound design in this show by Joshua D. Reid was spectacular and made the show.

Will win: Joshua D. Reid
Should win: Joshua D. Reid

Joshua Henry, Gavin Creel Into the Woods Photo credit: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

Best Sound Design of a Musical

The Nominees

Kai Harada, New York, New York
John Shivers, Shucked
Scott Lehrer & Alex Neumann, Into the Woods
Gareth Owen, & Juliet
Nevin Steinberg, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Will win: Scott Lehrer & Alex Neumann
Should win:Nevin Steinberg

G.H. Harding

MORNING GLORY — (Via Deadline) Jennifer Aniston is teasing the new season of The Morning Show ahead of its Apple TV+ premiere this fall.

The Friends alum plays a morning show anchor named Alex Levy on the Jay Carson-created drama and is opening up about what to expect in Season 3.

“It’s a good, juicy one,” Aniston told People. “Everybody’s getting in trouble. Everybody has a secret. And everyone’s just walking the line. It’s a lot more sensual this year.”

Aniston shares the screen with Reese Witherspoon and they both executive produce the series. With Season 3 not even airing yet, the stars have already secured a fourth season When the show returns this fall to the streamer, it’ll pick up right after Season 2 ended and as the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the fictional network UBA.

While making an appearance on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon earlier this year, Aniston teased the new season of The Morning Show and talked about Jon Hamm joining the show.

“Everybody has a secret. We’re revealing a lot of secrets. There’s definitely romance,” Aniston said. “Mr. Jon Hamm is a big one. We were very excited to get him. Isn’t he the nicest guy? He’s this very handsome leading man and then he’s got this funny and… it’s just so fabulous.”

The cast of the show also includes Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Néstor Carbonell, Karen Pittman, Bel Powley, Desean Terry, Nicole Beharie, and many more. Steve Carell was also part of the show in its two first seasons.

Season 1 of the show was just sensational with Steve Carrel turning in a great performance. Season 2 was rather awful and because of that I was surprised it was even renewed at all. Aniston and Witherspoon are fantastic; terrific chemistry, but the real stars, at least for me, are Billy Crudup and Mark Duplass. Somehow, Crudup’s character was not given the same attention in Season 2 and that was a huge mistake IMO.

I’m a big Jon Hamm fan as well, so, I’m ready. Bring it on.

Ronnie Wood and Micky Dolenz

SHORT TAKES — Micky Dolenz performed “I’m A Believer,” “Randy Scouse Git” and “Daydream Believer” at last weekend’s James Burton and Friends in London at the Palladium. Also there: Brian May; Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter; Ronnie Wood; and Albert Lee. Here’s Wood and Dolenz …

Donnie Kehr and Lou Christie at Cutting Room

Broadway’s Donnie Kehr delivered a superb show Sunday night at Steve Walter’s Cutting Room in NYC. He performed his current album Beautiful Strange in its entirety. With a top-notch band, it was just sensational. Seen there were: Cori Gardner; Benny Harrison; the China Club’s Danny Fried with daughter Gabriella and Lou Christie. Kehr’s pr-man David Salidor was also on hand. Kehr and his band even performed “Running Back” which was a hit 35 years ago when Kehr was in a rock-ensemble called Urgent. Stellar night …

Surrender/Jann Klose

Jann Klose was at Philadelphia’s Sellersville Theater a week back and Annie Haslam (Renaissance) was on for several songs. His new album Surrender is out and just an excellent work … The long-awaited movie The Flash is out next week and the first reviews are in and they’re sensational. Even Deadline’s moribund Pete Hammond, whose reviews are usually a snore-and-a-bore loved it. He event cited Michael Keaton’s return as Batman as brilliant. Check it out here: https://deadline.com/2023/06/the-flash-review-ezra-miller-michael-keaton-in-brilliant-return-batman-1235409735/ …

Robert Miller

I hear there’s a new Project Grand Slam album out? One of Robert Miller’s former PR-persons (and there have been many) tipped us off about it. Congrats Mr. Miller … HBO, in their infinite wisdom, just cancelled Perry Mason after two seasons. Sad, but not surprising as it was a terrific show that had not only great writing, but great acting. Matthew Rhys and Juliet Rylance were sensational. Their second season was definitely harder to get through than their debut season, but still well written and performed. Sad … NBC’s Carson Daly just previewed what Spotify believes could be the songs of the summer. Taylor Swift; Jack Harlow; Rema with Selena Gomez were all picks; the only thing is, they all sounded the same … CNN’s Chris Licht – supposedly the savior to the network’s failing fortunes was fired Wednesday by David Zaslav after a disastrous article in The Atlantic. From our spies at CNN, this was no surprise and a most welcomed development. Zaz The Butcher should bring Jeff Zucker back …

Comic-legend Pat Cooper passed yesterday. Anthony Pomes from Square One Publishing said: “Pat was a mighty American comedy legend. He was brash, brave, and fearlessly original in his presentation of all his life’s truths. We (Square One) feel honored to have published his memoir. Having accompanied Pat to several shows and such for PR and to sell his book, I came to see the pussycat behind the scowly owl front. If he yelled at you, that meant that he LIKED you. Godspeed, Mr. Caputo – you were a great one” … And, RIP George Winston and Astrud Gilberto.

NAMES IN THE NEWS — Benny Harrison; Steve Walter; Tony Sachs; Barry Fisch; Eppy; Peter Shendell; Tom & Lisa Cuddy; Lush Ice; Joe Cocker; Kent Denmark; Kim Garner; Elizabeth Warner; Andrew Sandoval; Jason Elzy; Irving Azoff; Anthony Pomes; Anthony Noto; Robert Funaro; Joel Diamond; Vinny Rich; Benny Harrison; The Smith; Sasha Prendes; and ZIGGY!

Dan Brown is a writer/director from NYC. In 2013 he released the documentary film- John Cori Warned You. In 2020, Dan published a collection of fiction writing- The Sometimes Why. In ’21 he directed the theatre production-Tales From the Sometimes Why. In January ’23 he debuted the stage show; The Eleven Story Drop. His play- The Mollies was selected to the Queens Short Play Festival.

In Sunshine Unlimited a 14 minute play at The New York Festival we meet Martin who was promoted to management. He is the first African American to be elevated to an executive position, but it seems not just , fanfare within the company is linked to the promotion. Months later when his hiring is still being celebrated, Martin experiences doubts about his boss, and himself. Is racism still wrong when the perpetrators have good intentions. Is one truly a victim when racism come with a raise and window view?

Tony nominee Paul Gordon’s new musical The Gospel According to Heather will premiere Off-Broadway this summer at Theatre 555, with performances beginning June 14 ahead of a June 22 opening night. The limited run will continue through July 9.

On Monday the cast premiered a few of the numbers and talked to the press. In this video meet Brittany Nicole Williams (The Prom), Maria Habeeb, Carlos Alcala, Lauren Elder (Hair), Carson Stewart, Donna Trikoff the artistic producer of Amas Musical Theatre, Katey Sagal  (The Connors, Sons of Anarchy, Married with Children) as “Agatha,” Jeremy Kushnier (Atomic, Footloose) and composer, lyricist and book writer Paul Gordon.

In The Gospel According to Heather, Heather Krebs wants a boyfriend, but how can she navigate her way through high school if she might be the new Messiah? A small town in Ohio grapples with politics, religion, and teenage romance in the pop musical featuring a book, music, and lyrics by Tony nominee Gordon (Jane Eyre).

The Gospel According to Heather is being presented by Amas Musical Theatre in association with Jim Kierstead, Broadway Factor, Linda Karn and David Bryant.

All video’s by Magda Katz