Clint Holmes— “Icons Reimagined”

Mark Dundas Wood
It’s the real thing. Coca Cola made that slogan (and an accompanying jingle) widespread at the beginning of the 1970s, although the phrase has been part of American culture at least as far back as 1892, when it was the title of a short story by Henry James.  How, exactly, can we be sure we’ve...

“Josh Johnson’s Garden Variety Show”

Gerry Geddes
Josh Johnson, one of the freshest, funniest young comics around, is familiar to many from his regular contributions to The Daily Show and his frequent on-line posts, including weekly full-length concerts. When I first came across a hilarious clip on YouTube, I subscribed immediately and have been following him (and laughing) ever since. I recently got...

“I Wish You Love: The French Songbook with David Marino”

Gerry Geddes
I Wish You Love: The French Songbook with David Marino is a beautifully crafted, wonderfully performed showcase for a remarkable young singer from Canada named David Marino. His youth and his homeland and his song choices might lead the uninformed to place Marino in the Michael Bublé school of new residents in the world of the...

The Randy Andys’ “Spring Swing”

Penelope Thomas
The Randy Andys are a saucy, toe-tapping trio. The premise of tackling adult(ish) pop tunes with a vintage approach has charmingly worked its way through the internet and late-night talk shows and back into live performance: Jimmy Fallon’s barbershop quintet hip hop covers, and Postmodern Jukebox have primed us for this. Jocelyn Lonquist Klein, Alison...

Joanne Halev’s “Sailing On”

Penelope Thomas
Joanne Halev’s elegance as a performer filled a packed room upstairs at Birdland. She was queen of the thoughtful pause, allowing reflective spaces in her phrasing, and connecting with her very engaged audience. Joanne Halev (Photo: Helane Blumfield) Directed by Sara Louise Lazarus, Sailing On was a loose set of reflections about Halev’s life and...

Meeting the Challenges of the New Year’s Changes: Club Offerings from Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jeannette Miller, Sarah Anne Fernandez, and William Ryall

Mark Dundas Wood
We’re back! And in the first month of this new year, we saw a diverse group of offerings at local clubs: some quite inspiring. So, let’s get right to them! Dee Dee Bridgewater: Rallying for Courage To say that 2025, so far, has been a challenge for many of us is putting it mildly. Anticipation...

Bistro Bits: Winter Rhythms 2024 Features Beats of Different Drums

Mark Dundas Wood
This year’s “Winter Rhythms” series at Urban Stages (the 16th annual edition) was a mix of old and new, playful and profound, polished and loosey-goosey. Some shows focused on the winter holidays, Others referred to them very little, if at all. The best of them had those elements of innovation and surprise that I've been...

A Grab Bag of Cabaret Shows in a Wide Array of Styles

Gerry Geddes
It seems each year the holiday season starts earlier and gets here quicker, and inevitably leaves me with a backlog of reviews to shows I have seen over the past few months in danger of not seeing the light of print before the new year arrives.  Here’s what I have, in no particular order.  Josephine...

Bistro Bits: From Gershwin to Booze, Broadway, Murder, and Sex, Cabaret Shows Take on a Variety of Themes

Mark Dundas Wood
We’ve now reached the point in the year when the influx of new cabaret runs may be tapering off a little, giving way to year-end holiday offerings (often one-offs), with songs about wise men, snowmen, and the occasional dreidel.  Also, bistroawards.com has been on a short hiatus that began Thanksgiving week. So, in this column,...

A Tale of Two Tributes: One Hit, One Miss

Gerry Geddes
The concept of a tribute show in cabaret is appealing to performers for a number of reasons.  First, and most obvious, would be love for the honoree and the wish to pay homage to them. It could be to shine a spotlight on elements of the life or works of the honoree that are not as...