By Roy Sander

"Susan Sings Van Heusen"

From time to time I've used the term "nightclub singing" to refer to an artistic approach that focuses on presentation rather than interpretation, an approach in which style and arrangement take precedence over nuance and exploration of the lyric. Though such a performance will never illuminate a song, nonetheless, when in the hands of a master of the form—Marilyn Maye, for example—it can be enormously entertaining or exciting. Then there is what I consider "cabaret singing," in which the primary purpose is the communication of a song's meaning—its lyric; other factors are not relegated to unimportance, they're just secondary. This approach is what a good many people who enter cabaret strive for; the reigning masters are Julie Wilson, Andrea Marcovicci, and Steve Ross. Finally, there are a few people with a foot squarely in each camp: they can wow us with a knockout arrangement one moment, then move us to tears with an introspective interpretation the next, and sometimes both aesthetics co-exist in a single number. The example that springs immediately to mind is Karen Mason; please add Susan Winter to the list.

By Roy Sander

"John Denver, Bernie Madoff & Me"

It's an intriguing title for a cabaret show—isn’t it?—"John Denver, Bernie Madoff & Me." Reading backwards: the "me" is singer Cynthia Crane; Bernie Madoff is, well, Bernie Madoff, among whose victims, alas, was Cynthia Crane; and singer/songwriter John Denver, or John Denver's estate, was also burned by Madoff. Having been handed a lemon by fate, Crane has opted to make lemonade; that is, she's let her misfortune serve as inspiration for her latest show—and it is a very good show, indeed.

By David Finkle

"We Can Make It: The Songs of Kander and Ebb"

When I heard Marquee Five had been formed and was about to appear at the Metropolitan Room, I got all warm and toasty at the prospect of a five-part harmony infusion. It's not something you get every day. Well, there were Paula Kelly and the Modernaires half a century back, and then The Fifth Dimension, and maybe Uptown Express in one of their shifting incarnations. Before them, there was the Carmen quintet. I suppose more heavy-duty brain-wracking would flush out a few more.

By Roy Sander

"Special Kaye: A Tribute to the Incomparable Kaye Ballard"

Some ideas seem so obvious and so right, that one is astonished to discover that no one had previously thought of them. A cabaret homage to Kaye Ballard is a perfect example. Considering how illustrious Ballard's career has been and how distinctive her style and remarkable her talent, it is difficult to believe that Gretchen Reinhagen is the first singer to assay it (at least to the best of my knowledge). Perhaps it's fortunate that we've had to wait for Reinhagen, for she is a natural to undertake the assignment. For one thing, she bears a facial resemblance to Ballard. More significantly, she projects a generosity of spirit and sense of life similar to Ballard's, and she shares Ballard's complete commitment to everything she does. Most significantly, she's got the brains and talent to do Ballard justice.

By Elizabeth Ahlfors

Michael Feinstein knows how to pick his singing partners. Last June, he illustrated "The Power of Two" with Cheyenne Jackson, that theater hunk with polished vocals. In September, he joined with the ever-delightful Christine Ebersole. For the month of December, Feinstein has invited pal David Hyde Pierce, who brings his dry wit and deadpan presence (Frasier, Spamalot, and Curtains) for what some might argue is the most enjoyable and humorous of Feinstein's musical pairings.

By David Finkle

"All About Love"

For some time now, Baby Jane Dexter has made the Michael Stipe-Peter Buck-Bill Berry-Mike Mills anthem "Everybody Hurts" her signature song. Not only did she include it as the beg-off number when I saw her in the second week of a five-week Metropolitan Room stint (Fridays and Saturdays only), but she continued singing it—with its repeated "hold on" and "hang on"—to sustained applause as she left the room.

By Roy Sander

"intro"

Metropolitan Room  -  November 19, 21

The small "i" in the title of her show, "intro," is the only thing lower-case about Carole J. Bufford. When she is on stage, SHE IS ON STAGE! She can deliver a song with more force and drive than a speeding locomotive, and she enlists the aid of her every gesture and body part in the service of selling her musical wares. Combine that with a voice that is both powerful and attractive and you get a performance that can thrill an audience.

By David Finkle

"Skylark: Marcovicci Sings Mercer"

Oak Room at the Algonquin  -  November 17 - December 26

As we go into the last weeks of Johnny Mercer's centennial year, here comes The Oak Room at the Algonquin's own Andrea Marcovicci with "Skylark: Marcovicci Sings Mercer" to toast the songwriting-and-several-other-things icon. For anyone drawing a deep breath and muttering, "Oh, no, not another show about Johnny Mercer," I can only say you'll never hear these songs examined as scrupulously as Marcovicci examines them. She has always been a superlative actor, and she brings that seamless talent with her. She's so intent on expressing every thought and emotion, she often slows or hastens tempos or speak-sings a line according to how she feels that thought or emotion would best be expressed.

By Roy Sander

"Sing No Evil"

Laurie Beechman Theatre  -  November 12, 14, December 4, 12

In his debut cabaret show, "Sing No Evil," which was directed by Miles Phillips, Joshua Warr has sin on his mind—sin in general and the seven deadly ones in particular. Evidently Warr takes this as a very serious, somber subject—or at least that's how it would appear from the approach he takes with many of the songs. Occasionally a playful twinkle comes through, which suggests that this attitude was a conscious artistic choice rather than a matter of personal conviction. There are times when this choice proves quite effective; then there are the other times.

By David Finkle

Steve Tyrell

Café Carlyle  -  November 10 – December 30

Although he says he takes no requests, Steve Tyrell gives the audience what it wants. And sometimes he even takes requests—or makes it look as if he does. At the Saturday night late set I attended at the Café Carlyle, he obliged a vocal ringsider who requested Sinatra songs. (Yes, Virginia, they're still calling out for Sinatra, as Michael Bublé can also probably tell you.) So the agreeable Tyrell sang three Cole Porter ditties back to back: "I Get a Kick Out of You," "I've Got You Under My Skin" (which Ol' Blue Eyes always jockeyed around) and "Night and Day."

By Elizabeth Ahlfors

By Roy Sander

"Taylor Made: Bob Merrill"

Metropolitan Room  -  October 25, 26, November 2, 9, December 5

If I had been asked a few weeks ago whether a good show could be created from a mix of songs of highly varying quality—some of them mediocre at best—I'm not sure what I would have answered. Having seen Maureen Taylor's program of the songs of Bob Merrill, I can say, perhaps with a little surprise, that the answer is a resounding yes—and not just a good show, but a truly excellent show, and one that is very entertaining.