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Cabaret

What to Watch in The New Year: May 23

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Bernadette Peters

Camille A. Brown – A Glimpse Behind The Curtain MTC’s Snapshot Series presents Camille A. Brown – A Glimpse Behind The Curtain. Conceived and created by Tony Award nominee Brown, featuring Juel D. Lane, with a prologue and original music by Daryl Waters.

Camille A. Brown 

Visit the virtual stage for a rare and intimate look inside the mind and creative process of this superstar director and choreographer as she prepares for her re-envisioned production of the landmark musical Ain’t Misbehavin’, an upcoming co-production between Westport Country Playhouse and Barrington Stage Company.

12pm soundcheck/ 3pm and 8pm show: The Seth Concert Series: Lilli and Chuck Cooper Lilli Cooper: Broadway: Tootsie (Julie) Tony Nomination; Spongebob Squarepants (Sandy), Wicked (Elphaba); Spring Awakening (original cast). Theater favorites: Mack & Mabel (Encores) Tick, Tick…Boom! (Keen Company) Sundown, Yellow Moon (The WP), The Wildness (Ars Nova), Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 (American Repertory Theater), The Threepenny Opera (Atlantic Theater). Television: NCIS New Orleans, Dynasty, Bull, Instinct, Elementary, The Code, The Good Fight. LaGuardia Arts High School and Vassar alum. lillicooper.com @lilcoopz

Chuck Cooper: Proud union actor for over 45 years, 16 Broadway plays and musicals, lots of regional theatre, Tony Award, The Lucille Lortel Award, Two Drama Desk Nominations, numerous film and TV guest starring appearances. Favorite role is Eddie, Alex and Lilli’s father. Gratefully married to playwright Deborah Brevoort.

7pm: Broadway Barks Across America For the second year in a row, Broadway Barks is presented digitally by co-founder Bernadette Peters. Celebrities introduce viewers to adoptable pets from shelters across the country.

7pm: Side By Side Concert Sisters Liz Callway and Ann Hampton Callaway come together for a concert inspired by their 14-month pandemic separation. Expect renditions of some of the most beloved songs of Broadway, pop and jazz.

7:30pm: Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades A work of extreme moods and colors, The Queen of Spades explores life’s frivolities as well as the darkest impulses of obsession, addiction, madness, and self-destruction. Over the course of the drama, the officer Hermann desperately tries to learn a powerful secret, amidst the vast elegance and mystical allure of imperial St. Petersburg. Tchaikovsky’s skills as a great symphonist and undisputed master of ballet music are apparent in the many superb orchestral touches throughout the score, and the vocal solos are notable for their diversity and powerful impact.

7:30pm: The Last Five Years 20th Anniversary Reunion Northlight Theatre presents a special 20th Anniversary reunion event for the world premiere of The Last Five Years. The event features performances and conversation with BJ Jones, playwright Jason Robert Brown, director Daisy Prince, and original cast members Norbert Leo Butz and Lauren Kennedy.

Brutal Imagination: Vineyard Theatre Artistic Directors Douglas Aibel and Sarah Stern announce the company’s second original cast benefit reading, reuniting renowned actors Joe Morton (“Scandal”) and Sally Murphy (August: Osage County) for Oppenheimer Award-winning playwright and poet Cornelius Eady’s (Vineyard’s You Don’t Miss The Water) play, Brutal Imagination. Directed by Joe Morton, this digitally-staged reading includes video design by Jared Mezzocchi and is available for on demand streaming through June 3.

The Zip Code Plays: Los Angeles Antaeus Theatre Company highlights the culture and history of six additional Los Angeles neighborhoods with Season 2 of its popular The Zip Code Plays: Los Angeles podcast series.

The latest installments will introduce audiences to the geographically, historically and culturally diverse locales of Echo Park (90026), West Hollywood (90069), Inglewood (90303), Pacoima (91331), North Hollywood (91601) and Monterey Park (91754). 

This American Wife on demand May 29. Michael Breslin and Patrick Foley are returning to the world of live internet theatre with their deep dive into the world of reality TV—and America’s obsession with them. This American Wife, first seen at New York Theatre Workshop’s Next Door series in 2018.

Presented by FourthWall Theatrical, in association with Fake Friends and Jeremy O. Harris, the latest iteration is a multi-camera, live-streamed, dark comedy investigation into the obsession, idolization, and all-consuming-hunger sparked by the women of The Real Housewives franchise.

In addition to the co-conceivers, the production will also feature Jakeem Dante Powell (Slave Play). This American Wife escapes from the real world to play out scenarios, texts, and choreographies from the massively popular and endlessly memed franchise. As the boys travel deeper into the dark walk-in closets of their minds, they are forced into crises of desire, repulsion, identity, and autobiography.

Once Upon A (korean) Time Daniel K. Isaac’s Once Upon A (korean) Time mixes traditional Korean fables with the horrors of the Korean War, and is an analog for the experiences of the Korean American diaspora.

In addition to Isaac, the reading stars Diana Oh, Jon Norman Schneider, James Seol, David Shih, Shannon Tyo, and Jeena Yi.

Stream on demand through May 23. 

Herding Cats Starring Jassa Ahluwalia, Greg Germann, and Drama Desk nominee Sophie Melville, Herding Cats by Lucinda Coxon is a chillingly funny play about a generation negotiating intimacy and independence in the 21st century.

Meeting the demands of modern life is as impossible as herding cats for Justine, Michael and Saddo. To deal with work, Justine talks—a little too much—to her roommate Michael who earns a living by chatting with strangers like Saddo. But all three will soon find that in a cold, disconnected world, words may not be enough.

Directed by Anthony Banks, this revival of Coxon’s play uses the technical feats that adventurous theatre artists have discovered during the pandemic and combines them with the raw intimacy of in-person performance. This first-of-its-kind, transcontinental event features Ahluwalia and Melville performing for an in-person audience on Soho Theatre’s London stage with Germann performing live via video from the United States.

This production contains distressing themes of sexual abuse. If needed, you may seek help from the RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline. (Click here to access their website.)

Christiane Noll: Coming Alive Again TheaterWorks Hartford and Goodspeed Musicals announced today present Christiane Noll: Coming Alive Again.

Fourteen months of quarantine, a Broadway shut down, a roller coaster of good news and bad news, but Tony-nominee Christiane Noll is optimistic. With a little caution and a lot of hope, she’s ventured out of her home to share an intimate cabaret. A thoughtful, moving and funny (virtual) concert experience exploring themes of motherhood and complex women, through the lens of a Broadway artist navigating a crazy COVID-paralyzed world.

Broadway, the Maye Way Cabaret legend Marilyn Maye celebrates her 93rd birthday with a new streaming concert at Feinstein’s/54 Below. Filmed live at the venue, audiences can enjoy the show through May 29.

Carry On Tony nominee Jeremy Jordan This event is being streamed online through BroadwayWorld Events. There will be no in-person audience.

Broadway’s Jeremy Jordan, known for his powerful voice and provocative storytelling, returns to the stage with his most ambitious and personal performance to date. Equal parts humor and heartache, Carry On takes us deep into Jeremy’s new life as a father. Unpacking and attempting to reconcile his own complicated childhood, Jeremy soon discovers there is more to being a parent than he could have ever imagined. Featuring an array of musical styles, as well as some never-before-heard songs, Carry On has been thoughtfully reimagined for the virtual stage after winning multiple awards for its premiere at Feinstein’s/54 Below just over a year ago. Featuring musical direction by Benjamin Rauhala.

Black Beans Project Huntington Theatre Company presents Black Beans Project, a world premiere digital work by Huntington artist-in-residence Melinda Lopez and Joel Perez.

In the play, created specifically for a virtual presentation, Lopez and Perez play siblings who reconnect online to share a secret family recipe that forces them to reveal secrets of their own.

Black Beans Project is available for on-demand streaming May through 30. 

The Waves in Quarantine: A Theatrical Experiment Begins Raúl Esparza leads a star-studded cast, including Alice Ripley, Carmen Cusack, Nikki Renée Daniels, Darius de Haas and Manu Narayan, in this musical adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s The Waves for Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Watch through May 28.

Twelve remarkable singer actors and eleven musicians are creating a wholly original, completely Pastiche way of bringing you back in time with our latest technology.

Diverse and distanced, gorgeous and witty, liberating talent from Canada to Israel and all over the US, for Austen, Beethoven and musical theater fans all over the world. Ludwig calls the tune as we celebrate Jane Austen, and her ability to create happy endings in her stories, when real life so often sadly disappoints.

Animal Wisdom Heather Christian’s Animal Wisdom will unfold on screen rather than on stage. The writer-performer’s show originally debuted at The Bushwick Starr in 2017 but now gets a film adaptation. 

In Animal Wisdom, singer-songwriter-soothsayer Christian lays to rest the souls that haunt her, shape-shifting between rock star, folklorist, and high priestess, as she conjures a constellation of souls in an effort to confront her family’s mythologies.

Amber McGinnis directs the film, with stage direction by Emilyn Kowaleski. The cast also includes Sasha Brown, Eric Farber, B.E. Farrow, and Maya Sharpe.

The film is presented by Woolly Mammoth Theater Company and American Conservatory Theater. 

Capricorn 29 The Tank and Post Theatrical present Capricorn 29 by Alex Hare and Julia Izumi. The show is directed by Hare and co-produced with Sami Pyne.

On the eve of her 29th birthday, a Very Online millennial stumbles upon a curious conspiracy theory: the powers-that-be have initiated a new capitalist plot to eliminate unsuccessful 30 year olds. What sounds at first like the byproduct of someone watching too many dystopian films from the 1970s quickly proves harder to dismiss. And as the countdown to 30 begins, surviving and saving a generation may be the opportunity one young-ish adult needs to finally fulfill her rapidly fading potential.

The Destruction of Jane Edgar Rice Burroughs will be spinning in his grave this spring. A new seven-part miniseries, inspired by the infamous film Tarzan the Ape Man, debuts this month.

The Destruction of Jane is an unauthorized parody of the King of the Jungle is told from the point of view of Miss Jane Parker. 

Weekly installments premiere on Thursdays.  

The miniseries stars stars Paul Pecorino and Rob Eco as Jane and Tarzan, respectively, and features special cameo appearances by Mario Cantone and Randy Rainbow. The show is written by Paul Pecorino and directed by Drue Pennella.

Set in the current COVID-19 pandemic, this comedy follows Jane to the African jungle where she meets and falls in love with the spectacular specimen we all know as the legendary Tarzan. The 1981 Tarzan film became a massive financial hit due to its dizzyingly unintentional bad taste, and screenwriter Paul Pecorino has set out to push these offensively vulgar boundaries even further.

The creative team includes director of photography Erik Paulsen, composers Drew Fornarola and David Nehls, musical arranger Paul Doust; costumes & wigs designer David Mitsch; makeup & wig styling designer Vera Stromsted and Donanyely Mejia and Marty Thomas; and specialty costumes designer Gail Baldoni. The Destruction of Jane is presented by Pure Motion Pictures.

Back to the Future: From Screen to Stage Ahead of the Back to the Future musical opening in the Adelphi Theatre on August 20, BFI at Home presents an online discussion with members of the cast and crew about how the hit film became a full-fledged stage musical.

Romeo & Juliet Jessie Buckley and Josh O’Connor star in a film of London’s National Theatre’s Romeo and Juliet. It premieres on PBS as part of the Great Performances series. 

The Woman’s Party Clubbed Thumb presents the world premiere of The Woman’s Party. Originally slated to premiere as part of the 2020 Summerworks Festival, the piece will now premiere virtually.

Written by Rinne B. Groff and directed by Tara Ahmadinejad, The Woman’s Party has been divided into three 30-minute episodes.

1947 is the year that the savvy politicos of the National Woman’s Party will finally get the ERA passed once they quash that insurgency—or oust the old guard. The Woman’s Party takes place 27 years after the ratification of women’s suffrage, when the Equal Rights Amendment was poised for passage. 

The cast includes Rosalyn Coleman, Alma Cuervo, Laura Esterman, Marga Gomez, Marceline Hugot, Emily Kuroda, Lizan Mitchell, Socorro Santiago, Rebecca Schull, and Connie Winston.

Two Sisters and a Piano Emmy winner Jimmy Smits and Daphne Rubin-Vega star in a streaming production of Nilo Cruz’s 1999 play presented by the new streaming theater company New Normal Rep. Cruz also serves as director for the work that follows follows two sisters serving time under house arrest in Cuba, and the lieutenant assigned to their case who falls in love with one of them.

Cheyenne Jackson, Ted Sperling, More Sing Adam Guettel’s Myths & Hymns (Episode 3) By MasterVoices The central project of MasterVoices’ 2020-2021 season will be a virtual rollout of award-winning composer Adam Guettel’s theatrical song cycle, Myths and Hymns, in an online staging conceived by Ted Sperling. 

Fat Ham: world premiere of the digital production of Fat Ham by James Ijames from Philadelphia’s Wilma Theater will now stream April 29-May 23.

The play, a contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, is being filmed on location in Virginia, and shot as a one-take film to retain the real-time storytelling of a play.

It is directed by Morgan Green and stars Brennen S. Malone, Taysha Marie Canales, Kimberly S. Fairbanks, Jennifer Kidwell, Anthony Martinez-Briggs, Brandon J. Pierce, and Lindsay Smiling. 

Shadow/Land Michelle Wilson, Te’Era Coleman, Lizan Mitchell, Lance E. Nichols, Lori Elizabeth Parquet and Sunni Patterson star in the world premiere of Erika Dickerson-Despenza’s audio play. The drama is set amidst the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and is part of the Public Theater’s digital stage.

The Thanksgiving Play Spotlight on Plays returns with Larissa FastHorse’s The Thanksgiving Play, directed by Leigh Silverman. The cast features Tony nominees Heidi Schreck and Bobby Cannavale, along with Keanu Reeves and Alia Shawkat.

Whiterock Cliff Goode Productions presents a streaming production of Ryan McCurdy’s one-man Off-Broadway musical Whiterock Cliff will be performed live at New York’s Funkadelic Studios for a five-week virtual run.

The show features a book by Ryan McCurdy and Ellie Pyle, music and lyrics by McCurdy, and directed by Mary Chieffo.

Whiterock Cliff weaves together memory, music, mental health, the creative process, the stories we tell ourselves, and the ones we tell to each other.

This act is performed live each night with the permission of Actors’ Equity from a Times Square studio with one performer, three cameras, and eight musical instruments.

The musical follows two aspiring playwrights, Bud and Doug, as they attempt to secure producers for their new musical about printing press inventor Johann Gutenberg. The pair sing all the songs and play all the parts in the hope of a Broadway contract.

Romeo y Julieta Lupita Nyong’o and Juan Castano star in this free bilingual audioplay of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, presented by the Public Theater and WNYC Studios.

Lights on the Radio Tower Originally developed at the Adirondack Theatre Festival and Bloomington Playwrights Project, this thrilling two-hander rock musical tells the story of Molly and Jesse, a brother and sister who, after eighteen years apart, reunite at their decaying childhood home following the death of their father. The estranged rock duo’s competing recollections of their childhood, their last night together, and their final gig force them to face the painful truth of their past.

La Femme Theatre Productions: The Night of the Iguana The show will feature Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee Dylan McDermott (Netflix’s “Hollywood”) as Reverend Shannon, Emmy nominee and Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad  (Broadway’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) as Maxine, Roberta Maxwell (Broadway’s Summer and Smoke) as Judith Fellowes, Tony nominee, Obie and Drama Desk Award winner Austin Pendleton (Broadway’s Choir Boy) as Nonno, and Jean Lichty (Off-Broadway’s A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur, The Traveling Lady) as Hannah, with Keith Randolph Smith (Broadway’s Jitney, American Psycho) as Jake, Carmen Berkeley (Off-Broadway’s Our Dear Dead Drug Lord) as Charlotte, Eliud Kauffman (Roundabout Theatre’s 72 Miles to Go) as Hank, Julio Macias (Netflix’s “On My Block”) as Pancho, Stephanie Schmiderer (No Exit, The Human Voice) as Frau Fahrenkopf, Bradley James Tejeda (Broadway’s The Inheritance) as Pedro, and John Hans Tester (Amazon’s ”Hunters” ) as Herr Fahrenkopf.

Waiting for Godot Directed by Scott Elliott, the classic features Tony nominee Ethan Hawke as Vladimir, Tony recipient John Leguizamo as Estragon, Wallace Shawn as Lucky, rapper Tarik Trotter as Pozzo, and Drake Bradshaw as Boy.

In Waiting for Godot two wanderers wait by a lonely tree, to meet up with Mr. Godot, who they hope will change their lives for the better. Instead, another couple of eccentric travelers arrive, one man on the end of the other’s rope.

The creative team also includes production designer Derek McLane, costume designer Qween Jean, sound designer Justin Ellington, director of photography Kramer Morgenthau, editor Yonatan Weinstein, and associate director Monet.

The New York Pops Up Festival a thousand in-person performances throughout the state from now through June. Most events associated with NY PopsUp will be unannounced (and unticketed) and will be designed so that New Yorkers happen upon them in their everyday lives. (Since we can’t have large gatherings right now, we want to bring a lot of small things to the public where they are) NY PopsUp is a surprise that you happen upon, rather than an event or concert you are alerted to via a notification or a schedule.

Julius Caesar, Starring Patrick Page By Shakespeare@ Tony nominee Patrick Page (Hadestown) stars in the title role with Jordan Barbour (The Inheritance) as Brutus and Keith Hamilton Cobb (American Moor) as Cassius. West End Harry Potter and the Cursed Child performers Jamie Ballard and James Howard co-star as Mark Antony and Metellus Cimber, respectively. 

The production is also be available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, and Stitcher.

Produced by Jersey City’s Shakespeare@, this audio production is the third installment of the season, produced and adapted by Artistic Director Sean Hagerty.

Hagerty has crafted the production into four weekly parts and partnered with the Emmy-winning team at Sonic Designs to capture the lost art and thrill of radio drama all without leaving the confines of quarantine.

Julius Caesar features original music composed by Joan Melton with sound design by the Emmy-winning team of Dan Gerhard and Ellen Fitton of Sonic Designs. Justin Goldner is the music producer and supervisor, and casting is by Robin Carus. Sydney Steele serves as the associate producer. 

Assassins Reunion: Original Off-Broadway Cast The original cast and creative team of the 1991 Off-Broadway debut of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Tony-winning Assassins will reunite virtually to celebrate the musical’s 30th anniversary.

The free online event is part of the Studio Tenn Talks: Conversations with Patrick Cassidy series and will feature Studio Tenn Artistic Director Cassidy as well as other original cast members Victor Garber, Greg Germann, Annie Golden, Lyn Greene, Jonathan Hadary, Eddie Korbich, Terrence Mann, Debra Monk, William Parry, and Lee Wilkof plus Sondheim and Weidman, director Jerry Zaks, musical director Paul Gemignani, and orchestrator Michael Starobin.

The Things Are Against Us Susan Soon He Stanton’s The Things Are Against Us will be the next production in MCC’s LiveLab one-act digital reading series. Ellie Heyman directs the cast, which includes Juan Castano, Emily Davis, Susannah Flood, Babak Tafti, and Danny Wolohan, in tthe play set in a mysterious house with a mind of its own. 

SoHo Playhouse Presents Typical Soho Theatre and Nouveau Riche present the world premiere of Typical, the film version of the stage play, released exclusively on Soho Theatre On Demand 

Written by Ryan Calais Cameron and directed by Anastasia Osei-Kuffour, Typical uncovers the man and the humanity behind the tragic true-life events of Black British ex-serviceman Christopher Alder and the injustice that still remains twenty years since his story emerged. 

The Manic Monologues Current Slave Play Tony nominee Ato Blankson-Wood, Rent Tony winner Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Accidentally Brave playwright Maddie Corman, and more stage favorites will explore mental health this winter in a new digital production from the McCarter Theatre Center.

Suzanna, co-owns and publishes the newspaper Times Square Chronicles or T2C. At one point a working actress, she has performed in numerous productions in film, TV, cabaret, opera and theatre. She has performed at The New Orleans Jazz festival, The United Nations and Carnegie Hall. She has a screenplay and a TV show in the works, which she developed with her mentor and friend the late Arthur Herzog. She is a proud member of the Drama Desk and the Outer Critics Circle and was a nominator. Email: suzanna@t2conline.com

Cabaret

MY View: Marilyn Maye at Dizzy’s Club…Thrilling Audiences for Generations

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Marilyn Maye hardly needs another review—although I know she still enjoys reading them. Yet there she was last night, at 98, onstage at Dizzy’s Club in New York, singing, swinging, looking terrific, and thrilling an audience just as she has for generations.

Her voice was in magnificent form, her wit as sharp as ever, and she commanded the room with the effortless authority of a true master. Watching her perform at this stage of her remarkable career was not simply a concert experience—it was a rare opportunity to witness music history in the making. Her arrangements seem to live in the very bones of her fantastic trio—Mark McLean on drums and Tom Hubbard on bass—and you will rarely hear a tighter, more intuitive display of musicianship supporting a singer. Tedd Firth, her pianist and arranger, seems to breathe the same musical air as Marilyn. He creates an ocean of sound that surrounds and enhances her, perfectly complementing her extraordinary sense of time and phrasing.

It feels as though Marilyn and Tedd continually inspire one another, each pushing the other to greater heights. The result is something truly rare—a once-in-a-lifetime musical experience. What a privilege to have been in the room for yet another unforgettable Marilyn Maye performance.

I, like most MM friends have many Marvelous Marilyn stories, but here’s one of my favorites. After a late-night performance on a cruise ship, Eda and I shared an Apple Martini with Marilyn and then escorted her back to her cabin. As the three of us linked arms and did our best to remain “steady” navigating the passageway Marilyn suddenly blurted out, “Oh, my dear, I do hope this is the ship that’s rocking!”

BTW, Marilyn told me a while ago to keep this story to myself. So, Marilyn, if you’re reading this…oops!

MARILYN MAYE

TEDD FIRTH & MARILYN MAYE

MARILYN MAYE

DIZZY’S CLUB

DIZZY’S CLUB

TEDD FIRTH, MARILYN MAYE, TOM HUBBARD

TEDD FIRTH & MARILYN MAYE

MARILYN MAYE

DIZZY’S CLUB

MARILYN MAYE

EDA SOROKOFF, MARILYN MAYE, STEPHEN SOROKOFF

MARILYN MAYE & SHANE HARTKE

EDA SOROKOFF, MARILYN MAYE, SUSIE CLAUSEN

TEDD FIRTH & MARK McLEAN

DIZZY’S CLUB

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Cabaret

My View: Another Win For Sydnie Christmas…..This Time at Sony Hall

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Sony Hall was packed for last night’s Sydnie Christmas concert with a wait-list of lines down 46th street, and quite frankly, I’ve rarely witnessed an audience respond to a performer with the kind of enthusiasm that Sydnie received. Coming from the era when black and white television talent shows were often the launching pad for extraordinary careers it was my opportunity to discover whether the phenomenon that began on Britain’s Got Talent can evolve into something far bigger.

The applause meter on Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts, one of the most widely watched television shows of the 1950’s was a proving ground for some remarkable talent. Vic Damone, Tony Bennett, Pat Boone, Connie Francis, Eddie Fisher, and Rosemary Clooney all went on to become household names after appearing on the show (Elvis Presley auditioned but was rejected). Other contest winners were Frank Sinatra on Major Bowes’ Original Amateur Hour and Gladys Knight on Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour.

As the 2024 winner of the British counterpart to America’s Got Talent, Christmas captured audiences with a series of remarkable performances before taking the title. Now, with a string of successful concerts behind her, the real question is whether that television triumph can be the beginning of a substantial and enduring career.

The manufactured drama woven into today’s television talent shows often dictates not only the songs contestants choose but also the vocal fireworks they unleash. A singer’s style can be every bit as important as the voice itself when it comes to winning over judges and the public. Does Sydnie Christmas have something else besides that type of performance that targets the judges and the public?….She attempted to answer that question from the very start, opening with a haunting “Amazing Grace,” followed by a two-act concert filled with Pop, Broadway, Soul and Disco standards, as well as several originals. Many of the songs received standing ovations from an audience that had clearly come to celebrate—and exalt—their hero.

There is no question that Sydnie Christmas is likable, possesses a powerful instrument, and brings an original approach to a song. It’s easy to understand why the jury and audience at BGT gave her such an enthusiastic thumbs-up. But this “jury” is still deliberating. We need to hear more before reaching a final verdict.

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Cabaret

Oh, What a Night! The Midtown Men Bring Broadway and the ’60s to Eisenhower Park

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Some Broadway friendships end when the final curtain comes down. Others apparently turn into a rock-and-roll band.

Michael Longoria

The Midtown Men brought their irresistible combination of Broadway polish, four-part harmony and pure 1960s swagger to Eisenhower Park’s Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre, proving once again that Jersey Boys may have introduced these four men to one another, but it certainly wasn’t the end of their story.

Christian Hoff

Tony Award winner Christian Hoff, Michael Longoria, Daniel Reichard and Tony Award nominee J. Robert Spencer first shared a stage as members of the original Broadway company of Jersey Boys, the musical phenomenon that turned the story and songs of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons into one of Broadway’s biggest hits.

Daniel Reichard

They spent more than a thousand performances together before doing something rather unusual: instead of simply moving on to their next individual Broadway jobs, they took the chemistry they had developed eight shows a week and created something of their own.

J. Robert Spencer

The result was The Midtown Men.

Michael Longoria, Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard and J. Robert Spencer

And while their pedigree is unmistakably Broadway, this isn’t Jersey Boys on tour. The Midtown Men became their own musical act, expanding beyond The Four Seasons to embrace the glorious pop landscape of the 1960s—The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Motown, The Rascals, The Mamas & the Papas, The Ronettes and more. Their official repertoire has long celebrated the decade that gave America some of its most enduring pop music, with four singers who know exactly how to sell both a harmony and a story.

Michael Longoria, Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard and J. Robert Spencer

What makes the group work isn’t simply nostalgia. Plenty of acts can recreate the music of the ’60s. The Midtown Men have something considerably harder to manufacture: history with one another.

Michael Longoria, Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard and J. Robert Spencer

They learned how to listen to one another on a Broadway stage. They know where the other voices are going, when to step forward, when to pull back and how to turn four leading men into one sound. Reichard has recalled that while they were still performing Jersey Boys, the four would gather in dressing rooms between shows and work out harmonies to other songs they loved from the decade. In other words, The Midtown Men were quietly being born backstage while another show was happening out front.

Michael Longoria, Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard and J. Robert Spencer

That musical shorthand followed them to Eisenhower Park.

Christian Hoff

Christian Hoff

Christian Hoff

Hoff brings the confidence that won him the Tony Award for his portrayal of Tommy DeVito. Reichard, Broadway’s original Bob Gaudio, possesses the musical-theatre storyteller’s instinct for finding the character inside a song. Spencer, the original Nick Massi and later a Tony nominee for Next to Normal, supplies formidable Broadway chops, while Longoria—who originated Joe Pesci before succeeding John Lloyd Young as Frankie Valli—knows a thing or two about sending a voice soaring above a crowd.

Michael Longoria

Michael Longoria

Michael Longoria

Together, however, they stop being four Broadway résumés and become a genuine group.

J. Robert Spencer

J. Robert Spencer

J. Robert Spencer

There is something wonderfully circular about what happened to these men. They began as actors playing a band, only to discover along the way that they actually were one. What started under Broadway lights developed into years of concerts across the country, recordings and even a nationally televised concert special.

Daniel Reichard

Daniel Reichard

Daniel Reichard

The Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre is precisely the sort of setting where this music feels at home. These songs weren’t created to sit politely behind glass as artifacts of another era. They were made for summer nights, for dancing, singing along and suddenly realizing that you remember every word to a song you haven’t consciously thought about in twenty years.

Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard

That’s the pleasure of The Midtown Men. They don’t treat the 1960s as a museum exhibition. They remind you why this music became permanent in the first place.

Christian Hoff, Michael Longoria

The Beatles gave us exuberance. Motown gave popular music sophistication and irresistible rhythm. The Beach Boys made adolescent longing sound like California sunshine. The Four Seasons gave us those impossible harmonies and that unmistakable falsetto.

Daniel Reichard

J. Robert Spencer

Daniel Reichard, J. Robert Spencer,

Michael Longoria

Christian Hoff

Four Broadway actors fell in love with all of it. Nearly two decades after first coming together, Hoff, Longoria, Reichard and Spencer are still standing beside one another, still singing, still touring and still having what appears to be a ridiculously good time doing it.

Michael Longoria, Christian Hoff, Daniel Reichard and J. Robert Spencer

Not bad for four guys who were originally hired to pretend to be a band. Turns out they were just getting started.

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Cabaret

How to Make August (and September) Even Hotter

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Karen Mason photo by Maryann Lopinto

Ironically, the hottest show in town is also the coolest. This can only mean that Karen Mason is back at Don’t Tell Mama for her return engagement of “More SPF!..The Summer ”

Karen Mason photo by Maryann Lopinto

In this case, the SPF doesn’t refer to sun protection but rather Songs, Patter and Fun, which she delivers copiously.

Karen Mason photo by Maryann Lopinto

Catch her one-more-night-only show on August 18th at 7 pm. From an original review: Her sleek frame allows her to dramatically punctuate a lyric with a quick twitch of her shoulder or hip. It feels like every corpuscle in her body is working double time to make sure she gives an unforgettable performance, which translates into her love for the music and the audience.

Karen Mason photo by Maryann Lopinto

Karen Mason photo by Maryann Lopinto

Christopher Denny photo by Maryann Lopinto

By the way, Karen is launching a new CD “Birthday Bash at Birdland” on September 28 at—where else?–Birdland.  Even though she’s an April baby, this is one party you won’t want to miss.

Raul Esparza and Lily Rabe Photo by Joan Marcus

I’ll add my acclaim to the enthusiastic critical response for “The Winter’s Tale” currently playing at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. And hats off to the Public for giving this lesser-known Shakespeare play the attention it deserves.  Everything from the stunning performances by Raul Esparza and Lily Rabe to the costumes and set, this Winter’s Tale was a perfect complement to a warm summer evening in Central Park.

A real treat awaits musical theatre lovers on August 23rd at 6 pm when the AMT Theatre will        present

Penny Fuller

Broadway: The Golden Age, Rick McKay’s beloved documentary, which features interviews with dozens of Broadway legends.  Historian Rob Schneider will moderate a Q&A with two-time Tony nominee (Applause, Rex) Penny Fuller after. The following  week is same format/different film:  Broadway Musicals: A Jewish Legacy. AMT  is at 354 W. 45th  Street; for further information and tickets call 917.388.2630.

Glenn Crytzer Quartet

Just back from a week on Queen Mary 2, the Glenn Crytzer Quartet will be at Birdland on August 30 at 5:30.  I can personally attest to the fact that they had passengers enthralled with their renditions of songs from the early part of the previous century.

Bryce Edwards

They are the perfect hors d’ouevre, so to speak, for Bryce Edwards show at the same stage next month on September 14th.  And if you love Bryce (and who doesn’t?) you’ll love these four musicians.

Back from Las Vegas and Chicago, Jeff Harnar returns to the stage that launched him—Don’t Tell Mama—on September 9 & 16th in a show entitled “Blame It On My Youth.”  From an original review:  There is always a poetic sensitivity to Harnar’s work, perhaps most keenly achieved in this program.  Harnar is truly one of the masters of the cabaret artform. See for yourself!

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Cabaret

My View: Like A Bolt Of Lightning and Shinny Cloth Isaac Mizrahi hits the Stage of 54 Below

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Like a Bolt of Lightning (and shinny cloth) fashion icon Isaac Mizrahi charged onto the stage of 54 Below last night wearing a silver suit and declaring to a cheering audience…”It’s  a mess out there but it’s beautiful in here”! There are singers whose earthy, distinctive voices may not necessarily send chills down your spine, yet they can be enormously appealing because of their innate musicality and their ability to deliver a lyric with honesty and sincerity. Isaac Mizrahi is that kind of performer. He is chaotic, lovable, bawdy, witty, hysterical, and most importantly, completely authentic in his performances. What this product of the Garment Center may lack in vocal chops, he more than makes up for with a musician’s innate sense of time and phrasing. The result is an exciting reimagining of the dozen excellent tunes Isaac weaves (also knits) seamlessly between his humorous exchanges with the audience.

Having also spent my career in the Garment Center and also being a pianist, I like to think I know good “material” when I hear it—whether in textiles or music. Isaac, newly appointed Creative Director at Large for Target Stores performed several of our favorites, and on more than one occasion he tugged at our musical heartstrings with his interpretations of “Baubles, Bangles & Beads,” Laura Nyro’s “Save the Country,” and “Some Other Time” from On the Town, to name just a few. His story about meeting Betty Comden is absolutely hysterical, but I won’t spoil it’s surprise ending for you.

Whether he is entertaining or enlightening us through his music, fashion, or commentary, Isaac Mizrahi is truly a one-of-a-kind and formidable force in the entertainment world.

In his current show “Hooray” at 54 Below Isaac again appears with his excellent band of six musicians playing world class arrangements..Music director Benjamin Waltzer, Daniel Freedman (drums) Bruce Jamar Christopher (trumpet) Kellin Hanas (trumpet), Daniel Duke (bass), Dan Aran (percussion)

ISAAC MIZRAHI

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