Club Review: Beth Leavel’s “It’s Not About Me”

Gerry Geddes
By the time singer/actress Beth Leavel had finished her first number, “It’s Not About Me” (Matthew Sklar, Chuck Beguelin from The Prom), she had the audience tied up in a bow and in the palm of her hand; she did not let it go until she exited the stage at the end of her remarkably entertaining return...

Club Review: Sierra Boggess

Lisa Jo Sagolla
The elegant Feinstein’s/54 Below, nestled in the heart of the Broadway theatre district, advertises itself as “Broadway’s supper club,” presenting shows by Broadway performers designed to appeal to Broadway audiences.  Yet while many of the artists it features bring cabaret acts filled with pop tunes and standards, the room really lived up to its Great...

Club Review: The Royal Bopsters

Penelope Thomas
(L. to r.):  Dylan Pramuk, Amy London, Jeanne O'Connor, and Pete McGuiness of The Royal Bopsters. A lucky few who braved torrential rain got to hear The Royal Bopsters’ second set on Wednesday, September 1. The Pangea stage was challenged to make room for four singers and their rhythm section: their close...

Streamed Concert: Vladimir Kornéev & WDR Funkhaus Orchestra—”Chansons d’Amour”

Gerry Geddes
During COVID, I viewed any number of virtual concerts and cabaret shows but I can count the ones that succeeded on the fingers of one hand.  Based on Chansons d’Amour by German-based actor/singer/pianist Vladimir Kornéev & WDR Funkhaus Orchestra, and on another audience-less concert I will be soon be reviewing, it appears that across the Atlantic they have...

Club Review: Carolyn German—Unsolicited Advice About Life, Love, & Practical Shoes

Gerry Geddes
I approached Don’t Tell Mama to see Unsolicited Advice About Life, Love, & Practical Shoes with a sense of anticipation because singer/songwriter Carolyn German had been previously recommended to me by friends who had seen her at open mics around town and suggested I should check her out. I can understand their enthusiasm since they...

Cabaret Setlist: “Cooking Breakfast for the One I Love” — Music by Henry Tobias, Lyrics by Billy Rose

Mark Dundas Wood
Repertoire for the Once and Future American Songbook Article #17 in this ongoing series We learned recently that Beanie Feldstein will headline next year in a Broadway revival of 1964’s Funny Girl. Once again, the name of that musical’s central character, real-life entertainer Fanny Brice (1891-1951), will be on people’s minds and lips. Brice’s career...

Club Review: The Boy Band Project

Gerry Geddes
The Boy Band Project: L. to r.: Kevin John Murray, Travis Nesbitt, Christopher Brasfield, Jesse JP Johnson. (Photo: Tamra Sheehan) Just the name, The Boy Band Project, conjures so many possibilities ranging from tongue-in-cheek parody to soaring harmonies, from impossibly romantic ballads to irresistible dance rhythms.  In their debut at Feinstein’s/54 Below,...

CD Review: Lauren White and the Quinn Johnson Trio’s “Ever Since the World Ended”

Gerry Geddes
It is a singular pleasure to come across a new jazz release that honors the style and class of an old school album while offering a fresh and exhilarating selection of songs and a personal point of view.  That is exactly what Ever Since the World Ended from Lauren White and The Quinn Johnson Trio offers a...

CD Review: Tanya Dennis’s “White Sails Blue Skies”

Lisa Jo Sagolla
A romantically mellow, one-mood CD, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Tanya Dennis’s White Sails Blue Skies is a recording you shouldn’t give up on too soon because, despite their emotional sameness, its tracks grow increasingly more interesting, musically, as the album progresses.  Produced and arranged by Dennis, the recording—featuring seven of her own compositions, plus two covers—evolved as...

Critical Thoughts: Performers Take Heed! Cabaret Is Back, and So Are Its Faux Pas

Gerry Geddes
After a year and a half of pandemic-induced exile, cabaret performance is at last returning to New York. It has been rewarding to attend a club, imbibe a two-drink minimum and, perhaps, a meal, while being entertained by established performers flexing their long dormant muscles and by newcomers making their long- delayed debuts.  I have...