Seven Artists Discuss Performing in Cabaret and in Musical Theatre

Simi Horwitz
What Are the Differences? Do They Prefer One Over the Other? Does Each Serve the Artist in Different Ways? Some cabaret-cum-musical theatre performers equivocate, but most, at least among those I interviewed, suggest that any performer who does cabaret can do musical theatre whereas the reverse may not true. In fact, cabaret hones your acting...

Now You’ll Know: Rick Pender’s “The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia”

Mark Dundas Wood
All right, so you’ve read pretty much everything that’s ever been written about American songwriter Stephen Sondheim, and you’re thinking: Why on earth would I need to have something called The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia? Let’s put your Sondheim knowledge to the test with three questions (no Googling allowed!): Who was originally hired to play Fredrik...

Cabaret Setlist: Springing Forward with Three Songs of Hope and Happiness

Mark Dundas Wood
Repertoire for the Once and Future American Songbook Article #14 in this ongoing series In the most recent installments of “Cabaret Setlist,” we’ve looked at the brilliant-but-dark “Lush Life” and the splendid-but sad “When October Goes.” I love these musical explorations of anguish and heartbreak, but I realize they’re not the only sorts of songs...

PETULA CLARK to Receive the 2021 Bob Harrington Lifetime Achievement Award at the 36th Bistro Awards Special Event

BistroAwards
The premiere screening will take place on Friday, April 30 at 8 pm; details on how to access the event are forthcoming. Photo: Pip/BMG (New York, NY, March 22, 2021)—Internationally acclaimed singer, songwriter, recording artist, and actress Petula Clark will be honored at the 36th annual Bistro Awards on Friday, April 30. This...

CD Review: Jane Monheit —”Come What May”

Gerry Geddes
Jane Monheit’s latest release, Come What May, is a timeless collection of standards.  The terrific orchestrations, including gorgeously utilized strings courtesy of Wayne Haun, the tasteful song selection and vocals displaying heart, brains, and accomplished musicality add up to an album that is as fresh as tomorrow while achieving a classic sound that would have...

CD Review: Rebecca DuMaine and The Dave Miller Trio—”Someday, Someday”

Gerry Geddes
Rebecca DuMaine has a lightness and fragility to her sound that calls to mind Blossom Dearie, and, as with Blossom, that lightness extends to her perfectly realized scat in musically astute, smile-inducing style.  Her terrific  new recording, Someday, Someday, is filled with great songs (both classic and contemporary) and offers many pleasant surprises.  It is...

Cabaret Setlist: “When October Goes” – Music by Barry Manilow, lyrics by Johnny Mercer

Mark Dundas Wood
Repertoire for the Once and Future American Songbook Song #13 in this running series The lucky thirteenth installment of Cabaret Setlist centers on “When October Goes,” a short, bittersweet, and evocative ballad of love and loss. The song, which debuted in 1984, has gradually come into its own as a modern standard. It has a...

CD Review: Gary Negbaur—”You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught”

Penelope Thomas
In 1949, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught” from South Pacific outraged many people with its positive take on interracial relationships. Seventy-two years later, it’s painfully obvious that we’re still not truly learning, so it’s a timely title track for Gary Negbaur’s 2021 Blujazz label album. Negbaur’s rendition is catchy—he covers the...

CD Review: Nicolas King “Act One—Celebrating 25 Years of Recordings”

Lisa Jo Sagolla
Listening to singer Nicolas King’s new, fun-filled CD, Act One—Celebrating 25 Years of Recordings, reminded me of Easter mornings as a kid, when I was surprised over and over again discovering all the colorful, tasty little treats the Bunny had hidden among the nooks and crannies of my familiar home environment.  Though most of its...

Live Stream Review: “Sharón Clark: By Special Request, Volume 2”

Gerry Geddes
It is often quite easy, even in pandemic times, to think that New York City is not only the center of the Universe but the Universe itself—especially when it comes to music, whether it be cabaret, theatre, or jazz. I am happy to report that Sharón Clark: By Special Request (presented as part of pianist...