Roy Sander

Roy Sander has been covering cabaret and theatre for over thirty years. He’s written cabaret and theatre reviews, features, and commentary for seven print publications, most notably Back Stage, and for CitySearch on the Internet. He covered cabaret monthly on “New York Theatre Review” on PBS TV, and cabaret and theatre weekly on WLIM-FM radio. He was twice a guest instructor at the London School of Musical Theatre. A critic for BistroAwards.com, he is also the site’s Reviews Editor; in addition, he is Chairman of the Advisory Board of MAC.

Gretchen Reinhagen

Roy Sander
"Special Kaye: A Tribute to the Incomparable Kaye Ballard" Metropolitan Room  -  December 3, 6, 10, 19, January 17, 24, February 4 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...

Carole J. Bufford

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...

Joshua Warr

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...

Maureen Taylor

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...

Micaela Leon & Adrienne Haan

Roy Sander
"Narcissa & Goldmund — Diabolocal Weimar Wunderkinder" Metropolitan Room  -  October 24, 31, November 22, 29 Don't be put off by the silly, cumbersome title, "Narcissa & Goldmund—Diabolical Weimar Wunderkinder." This musical revue provides an excellent opportunity to sample the extraordinary body of work that came out of Weimar Berlin—the period that began in 1919...

Ricky Ritzel

Roy Sander
"Ricky Ritzel Has Hysterical Blondness" Metropolitan Room  -  November 8, 12, 15, December 10, 16 The title of Ricky Ritzel's new offering—his first solo show in donkey's years—is "Ricky Ritzel Has Hysterical Blondness." I don't know whether his hair is genuinely blond—it would be ungentlemanly of me to attempt to get to the root of...

Trent Armand Kendall

Roy Sander
"Picture Incomplete" Laurie Beechman Theatre  -  November 2, 16, December 14, 21 Actor-singer Trent Armand Kendall has written the book to "Picture Incomplete," a one-man, multi-character musical about a man who, on his 40th birthday, examines his past life and considers his future possibilities. He tells his story through songs, monologues, and character sketches of various...

Nesha Ward

Roy Sander
"I Am…" Don't Tell Mama  -  October 8, 21, November 2 I can't imagine not falling in love with Nesha Ward. With her soul-cheering smile, her manifest and unflagging enthusiasm for singing and performing, and the positive energy she radiates throughout her show, she is the personification of joy. On top of that, her funny,...

Danielle Grabianowski

Roy Sander
"Old, New, Borrowed and Blues" Metropolitan Room  -  October 30, November 4 Don't Tell Mama  -  December 16, 21 Danielle Grabianowski is a fascinating singer and performer. Her voice is rather a combination of Billie Holiday and Jessica Dragonette—though every now and then her singing has a less stylized sound. (For you young'uns, unlike Jessica Rabbit, Ms....

Liz Callaway

Roy Sander
"Passage of Time" Metropolitan Room  -  October 20, 22-25, December 31 Liz Callaway recently completed a one-week run at the Metropolitan Room that celebrated the release of her latest CD, "Passage of Time." What she revealed was a new Liz Callaway. Not to worry, the qualities that have won her justifiable acclaim in her theatre,...