Category Archives: Cabaret
WE THREE LIZA’S at Joes Pub July 15th
Escape the New York summer heat with “Christmas in July” at Joe’s Pub at The Public where Chicago’s About Face Theatre in association with John Sanders presents a concert version of WE THREE LIZAS, the new hit holiday musical that wowed Chicago audiences this past winter. WE THREE LIZAS plays Joe’s Pub (425 Lafayette St., New York) one night only on Monday, July 15 at 7 pm.
Tickets, priced at $20, are available at www.joespub.com and 212-967-7555.
Created by Scott Bradley (book/lyrics) and Alan Schmuckler (music/additional lyrics), WE THREE LIZAS is
a magical musical fairy tale set in the queerest of lands in which an
embittered designer’s mid-life crisis leads to divine intervention by
Liza Minnelli. And Liza Minnelli. And Liza Minnelli.
The Joe’s Pub concert is staged by director/choreographer Devanan
Garnering sold-out houses and critical acclaim, About Face Theatre’s world premiere production of WE THREE LIZAS premiered in December 2012 at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Garage.
BEST GAY CHICAGO.com said, “BRILLIANT. This is a Must see show!”
Time Out Chicago said “We loved this holiday tale,” naming We Three Lizas the #1 Critic’s Pick in both its Theatre and Gay & Lesbian sections, calling the show “undeniably original and joyously queer.”
Chicago Reader’s Culture Vulture called it “the holiday musical comedy of my dreams” and NewCity hailed its score as “a buoyant gift wrapped in a melodic, dramatically well-conceived bow.”
*PHOTO-Dani
My Big Gay Camp Talent Show June 24th
A
One-Night-Only Cabaret
Hosted
by Philip Mutz, Ken Urso, and Christian Mansfield
Directed
by Phillip Fazio
YouTube
sensation Tyler Marcum will be performing his original interpretive dance
“20/30” to the Dixie Chicks song “Landslide” as part of a one-night-only
cabaret titled My Big Gay ‘Gay Camp’ Talent Show, playing at the Laurie
Beechman Theatre in NYC on Monday, June 24 at 7pm.
Since posting
the mash-up video of his current day 30 year old self dancing in unison with a
video of his 20 year old self, Marcum has raked up almost half a million views
on YouTube. This will be the first time he performs the dance live.
Marcum’s
touching viral dance video can be seen at: http://youtu.be/u2ICgup4GDY.
Marcum’s performance
during New York’s Gay Pride Week will feature him dancing live to his original
choreography in front of video of the same performance from age 20.
Kicking off
2013 Gay Pride Week, this cabaret night will feature 10 of New York’s finest
singers, dancers, improvisers, and stand-up comedians all vying for the
audience chosen ‘Best in Camp’ Award.
Joining Marcum
onstage will be Broadway’s Nadia Quinn (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson), singer/actress
Mariand Torres (Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812; Elphaba
Stand By on the First National Tour of Wicked), stand-up comedian Marc
Maietta (Laugh Attack Comedy Festival) and dancer Lawrence Neuhauser
(National Tour of Movin’ Out).
Following the
sold-out run of the new play Gay Camp as part of the 2012 New York
International Fringe Festival and Fringe Encore Series, comedic actors
Christian Mansfield (Broadway Bares; National Tour of 42nd
Street), Ken Urso, and Philip Mutz (also co-author of Gay Camp) will
reprise their Gay Camp roles as hosts of the cabaret evening. My
Big Gay ‘Gay Camp’ Talent Show is directed by Arizona-native Phillip Fazio
(Gay Camp; Arizona premiere of Grey Gardens and August: Osage
County).
It’s gay;
it’s camp; it’s My Big Gay ‘Gay Camp’ Talent Show!
My Big Gay
‘Gay Camp’ Talent Show
will perform on Monday June 24th at 7pm at The Laurie Beechman
Theatre, downstairs at 407 West 42nd Street, NYC.
My Big Gay
‘Gay Camp’ Talent Show
runs 60 minutes with no intermission.
Doors open at
6:15pm. Show starts at 7pm.
Reservations
can be made by calling (212) 695-6909.
Tickets are
$15 (plus a $15 food/drink minimum).
For more
information on My Big Gay ‘Gay Camp’ Talent Show,
visit our website at www.gaycamptheplay.com
Queer Songwriters Night June 28th
We are putting on another Queer Songwriter’s night at the Sidewalk Cafe.
What:
rotating lineup of NYC’s hottest, underground queer singer/songwriters.
The series allows the queer artists to showcase their unique voices and
sounds in an intimate, acoustic setting.
Brett Gleason, Chris Blacker, David Clement, Aaron Pfeiffer
When:
Friday June 28th, 6:30pm
Where:
The Sidewalk Cafe, 94 Avenue A, New York, NY
Cost:
$5 suggested donation
After Sandy-A Night of A Thousand Midlers at LIPS May 15th
A NIGHT OF BETTE!
Lips Restaurant, “The Ultimate in Drag Dining,” is proud to announce that on Wednesday, May 15th,
it will host a tribute
showcase for the legendary Bette Midler to benefit her charity, the New
York Restoration Project (NYRP), a non-profit organization, founded by
Midler, dedicated to restoring parks, gardens and open space in
underserved communities throughout New York City.
A portion of the funds raised from the evening will be used towards the
NYRP’s “MillionTreesNYC” initiative which aims to plant and care for
one million new trees in NYC by 2017. Particularly after so many of the
city’s trees were destroyed in the wake of
Hurricane Sandy, this is a particularly meaningful cause that Lips
Restaurant is proud to be a part of.
Guests
in attendance will receive the full star treatment as they walk the red
carpet upon arrival where they will be greeted by Joan Rivers look
alike, Jessie Volt, as she conducts
interviews and poses for paparazzi souvenir photos. Once inside, the
cocktail hour will feature cocktails by Absolut, Vueve Cliquot Champagne
and hors d’oeuvres provided by J Kings Foodservice. A silent auction
will be on site with items graciously donated
by Bette Midler including her 2012 Hulaween Costume, signed albums,
CD’s and memorabilia, a Florida vacation, Beauty Salon Experiences,
Restaurant gift certificates, Hulaween and Garden Party Event Tickets,
and more.
Following
the cocktail hour, a three-course dinner will be served by the
legendary “drag” waitresses of Lips, culminating with a fabulous NYRP
tree cake created by TLC’s Cake Boss, Buddy
Valastro for dessert. The evening’s highlight, a “Night of a Thousand
Midler’s” tribute revue dedicated to the Divine Miss M, will be hosted
by drag sensation, Ginger Snapt and feature the world’s foremost Bette
Midler tribute artist, Donna Maxon, along with
the Ladies of Lips.
Tickets for the charitable evening are available online at www.1000Midlers.com,
by phone at 212-675-7710, or by mail at: LIPS RESTAURANT, 227 East 56th Street, NYC, NY 10022.
New Yorks Elaine Stritch Farewell Concert at Cafe Carlyle in April
WOW! Four-time Tony nominee and Broadway.com Audience Choice Award winner Grand Dame, Elaine Stritch has announced that she will play her final engagement at Cafe Carlyle this April.
will play the intimate club April 2 through 6.
Michigan, her native state.
“What actor would ever say they’re done? I loved being on Broadway, but
performing has become exhausting, and I just don’t want to live in New
York anymore… I just don’t have the energy, darling. I’m 88! I don’t
look or always feel it, but I’m 88!”
Broadway stars Nick Adams, Ashley Brown, Jessica Rush and Michael James Scott at XL March 11
Broadway stars Nick Adams, Ashley Brown, Jessica Rush and Michael James Scott will appear in a special one night only benefit production of Jason Robert Brown’s SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD on Monday, March 11 at 7PM at XL Cabaret (512 West 42nd St). Directed by two-time Tony nominee Jeff Calhoun, a portion of the proceeds from the evening will be donated to The Performing Arts Project. Nick Adams says, “To be able to give back to the next generation of artists is something I’m grateful to be a part of.”
Jason Robert Brown’s SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD is a
series of songs, connected by the theme “the moment of decision.” The
show employs four performers who do not play the same characters
throughout the show, but have consistently developing character arcs.
Composer Jason Robert Brown has said of his show, “It’s
about one moment. It’s about hitting the wall and having to make a
choice, or take a stand, or turn around and go back.”
Space is limited as its an intimate venue! GET TICKETS NOW!
Alan Cumming and Liza Minnelli at Town Hall March 13th
Last year, party promoter Daniel Nardicio had the opportunity to bring together two of my favortite performers for one night, a night the New York Times called “the biggest cultural event of the Fire Island season”
and Michael Kors called “a seminal Fire Island moment”
Under the musical direction of Emmy winner Lance Horne
Yes Alan Cumming and Liza Minnelli are on stage at NYC’s histroric Town Hall March 13th and you, my dear readers, as a can get on Daniels list, get an opportunity to get advance tickets now before they go on sale to the general public Wednesday.
because those tickets allow you to get into the private afterparty and
you can order those tickets HERE starting Wednesday.
Jackie Beat is Back in New York City for a Holiday Show
NYC’s favorite Grinch returns to serve up her 15th annual holiday show.
for her 15th annual holiday show. Beginning December 12th, the
self-professed bastard child of “Weird” Al Yankovic and Bette Midler
will premiere JACKIE BEAT: COME, THEY TOLD ME
at The Laurie Beechman Theater (inside West Bank Cafe at 407 West 42nd
Street — at Ninth Avenue, accessible from the A,C,E,N,R,V,F,1,2,3
trains at 42nd Street). This limited engagement runs for 6 performances
only: Wednesday, Dec. 12 – Sunday, Dec. 16 at 7:30pm, except for Friday,
Dec. 14, which is at 10pm. Tickets are $22 plus a $15 food/drink
minimum. To purchase tickets call 212-352-3101 or visit www.SpinCycleNYC.com. Note: advance purchase highly recommended; Beat has sold out every holiday show in the last 11 years.
JACKIE BEAT: COME, THEY TOLD ME
continues Jackie Beat’s mission to poison every sacred belief and
holiday tradition. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa or
Ramadan, an evening with Jackie Beat is always the perfect antidote to
holiday cheer. This comic celebration is a virtual stocking stuffed with
hilarious new seasonal material and some classic Christmas Jackie
including the right-wing pregnancy confessional “Santa’s Baby,” a
menorah-loving “Jew Christmas,” a booze-infused spin on “Happy Holidays”
called “Alcoholidaze,” and the self-explanatory “It’s Beginning To Look
A Lot Like Syphilis.”
Sherry Vine and Joey Arias Reunion at New Yorks XL Nightlclub
Joey Arias & Sherry Vine:
A Twist) and Sherry Vine (star of Here TV’s She’s Living For This),
will be performing their all live cabaret extravaganza at XL on November
20-21 & 23-24 at 8pm. Although they have toured the world with
their sold out, scandalous shows, Joey and Sherry have not presented a
full length event together in NYC in over 10 years!!
StarLust, SINsation, and Cherchez La Femme will now be turning it out in
Looking Back At The Future – a sexy, over-the-top spectacle featuring
new original material as well as Broadway, Rock, Joey’s infamous Billie
Holiday, Sherry’s trashy parodies, dancers, videos by Francis Legge and
many surprises! These sisters in crime have dazzled crowds in
Australia, Germany, Italy, Spain, Finland, Austria, Switzerland, Canada,
all over the USA and even Estonia!
in NYC!
AVANTGARDE the Musical on CD this Month!
The Classic Broadway HIT Musical “AVANTGARDE”
Soundtrack… will finally be released via Famous
Records/EMG/UMG INC.
New York singer/songwriter Ernest Kohl explains, “When I was 16 I starred in a Broadway musical that had a huge wonderful
successful opening and was eventually moved uptown to B-way & was selling
out every night to great reviews. It was AVANTGARDE.
Well, Actors Equity unfortunately went
in to new rules and 4 big musicals closed. Ours was one of them- the Original Cast Recording was
never released and because of that, it put a lot of actors out of work.
It is very sad, that over the years ALL of the guys in the original cast, outside of me, have passed away from
AIDS.
All the woman are still living and many have great
careers & TONY’s now!
I promised my best
friends on their deathbeds, I would get this Cast Album out- Somehow, some day. And over the years, this has been my goal.
Finally on December 31st – The Original Cast Album of “AVANTGARDE” will be released! I am so excited. It has
been fully restored & remastered & with a special bonus track
added (it did not fit on vinyl back then).
Now it will
finally be out on CD & on Digial Download for the world to experience it’s
magic.
I succeeded in my mission.
There is even talk of a revival if the
album does well…it would have to be re-done & up-dated. But that’s why
this legendary Cast album (that’s now has huge cult appeal ) must come
out & we had so many requests for it.
It is exciting that the original Cast Musical
“AVANTGARDE” will be released & the beautiful voices of our lost men
to Aids will finally be heard by the world and I was able to keep my promise to
them! We are dedicating it in memorial trubite to the guys lost.”
Pre-order NOW – Under $10 @ AMAZON! Avantgarde – The Musical
THIS ALBUM IS RELEASED IN MEMORY OF: CHRIS SEPPE,
CHARLES CARTER, DARYL CARPENTER, STEVEN LEWIS & JEFFREY
L. ROBBINS.
* AVANTGARDE WILL FEATURE “SPECIAL” HOT NEW REMIXES
BY “THE NEW YORK REMIXERS” Which currently have the
#1 Comp. on the World Chart “THE LEGENDS OF DANCE”
Craig Pomranz Talks the New York Cabaret Scene with Channel13
CRAIG POMRANZ was recently asked to write an OP-ED piece on Cabaret, for Metro Focus / Channel 13. …
The word “cabaret” conjures up images ranging from smoke-filled rooms
(remember smoke?) to lap dances. We may have lost the smoke, but
cabaret is back in a big way in New York.
In a world where music is everywhere, on your iPod, cell phone and in
TV shows like “American Idol” and “Glee,” the unsung venues are the
cabaret rooms. These rooms include long-standing uptown music rooms
like Café Carlyle and the Algonquin Hotel’s Oak Room and less highfalutin venues like the Metropolitan Room on West 22nd Street, which offers a roster of both famous names and newcomers, as well as Don’t Tell Mama on West 46th Street and the Laurie Beechman Theater on West 42nd Street.
The artists who play at Joe’s Pub and the City Winery
meet the growing demand for live music in a more intimate space.
Burlesque seems to have been adopted by the 20-something set with rooms
like The Triad and Duane Park Café
(great food by one of my favorite chefs, Richard Overholt). A number of
other venues in the East Village/Lower East Side and Brooklyn,
including The Box and Galapagos (respectively) offer a diverse calendar of acts.
In these rooms performers strive for the chance to communicate with
an audience. Nothing’s needed except the singer, the song, a musician or
two, and the give and take of the audience. It’s the rare opportunity
to express yourself with lyrics that mean something and music that
shapes those lyrics indelibly. You can explore a vast treasury of great
songs and can take a familiar pop song and give it new life and meaning.
It is the job of a singer to convey the story behind the music. I can’t
tell you how many times someone has come up after a show to say they
had never really heard the lyrics to a pop song until I had sung it.
Part of the fun of cabaret is how audiences differ so much depending on the location and venue.
I was the first white male to sing at Sweetwater’s, an R&B club
in New York. It was fun because I got to work with the house band who
had toured with Aretha Franklin. As I took to the stage there was a
dubious silence, but once I began singing, I started hearing, “you tell
‘em, baby,” and “sing it child!” It took me a minute to get used to this
participatory crowd, where you would sing and they would answer you
right back — but I loved it!
In London, the audiences seem like very serious students, silent
throughout the song and until the pianist has played his very last note
and then politely applauding; afterwards they tell you how moved they
were. In Los Angeles, they sigh audibly and want to stay after the show
to discuss in detail every song you chose and where you found it. In New
York, they heckle (good-naturedly!) and, if they like it, applaud
enthusiastically even before the song is over. It’s all wonderful. And
you never know who you’re going to meet…
Early on, I had gotten a lot of attention from some record labels,
and I was working at a club called Mickey’s with famed singers Karen Akers and Cissy Houston.
Bob Feiden of Arista Records asked me to stay for Cissy’s show to get
my take on her daughter, whom Cissy was introducing in the act. Into the
spotlight stepped this pretty teenager with minimal makeup wearing a
sheath dress. Barely moving, she sang a very pure version of Barry
Manilow’s “All the Time.” Her beauty and simplicity were amazing. It
was, of course, Whitney Houston.
So many people think they can sing, and do, that it’s important that
the world of cabaret offers them a venue, especially in New York.
You
don’t have to have a beautiful voice. Some of the greats had little
range but were all soul. Frank Sinatra says he learned it all from Mabel Mercer, who often talked her way through a song. Insiders hail Fred Astaire
as a great singer, and some of the finest songs were written for him
(“The Way You Look Tonight” for example). He had a small voice but
exquisite rhythm, timing and a reserved emotional quality that could be
heartbreaking.
What prepares you to be a singer? Life!
What art form is more
immediate, able to change from night to night according to musical
fashion or even the headlines? In a world full of noise and clatter,
people yearn for the kind of intimacy a small music room provides. Like
all live performance, you never know what you’re going to get…But it’s
oh so worth the visit. So go out and support live music, be it a
cabaret, a piano bar or any other venue. Let yourself be transported,
and have a cocktail while you’re at it. Cabaret is a key part of New
York’s culture.
Craig Pomranz
is an actor, singer, dancer, recording artist and song stylist who
sings internationally. His new show in New York is “Love and the Clock”
at The Metropolitan Room.