Theater News

Beyond Convention

The Cabaret Convention brings out scores of stars including Christine Andreas, Christine Ebersole, Mark Nadler, Phillip Officer, and Paula West. Meanwhile, NYC’s clubs present acts by Chita Rivera, Michael Feinstein, Andrea Marcovicci, Christine Pedi, and Liz Callaway.

Liz Callaway
(© Joseph Marzullo/Retna)
Liz Callaway
(© Joseph Marzullo/Retna)

November gets off to a great start with the Mabel Mercer Foundation’s Cabaret Convention at Jazz at Lincoln Center, November 5-8. Numerous stars will be participating, including Christine Andreas, Klea Blackhurst, Barbara Brussell, Judy Butterfield, Barbara Carroll, Eric Comstock, Christine Ebersole, Barbara Fasano, Jeff Harnar, Maude Maggart, Andrea Marcovicci, Sidney Myer, Mark Nadler, Phillip Officer, Julie Reyburn, Steve Ross, Craig Rubano, Catherine Russell, Billy Stritch, KT Sullivan, Paula West, Wesla Whitfield, and Julie Wilson.

The fabulous Chita Rivera debuts a new show at Feinstein’s at the Regency (November 6-24). She will sing songs from her most celebrated musicals, including numbers from West Side Story, Sweet Charity, Chicago, and The Rink. Also performing at Feinstein’s will be Susan Anton (November 11-12), Sylvia McNair (November 18), Erin McKeown and her Little Big Band (November 25-26), and Michael Feinstein, who will present his annual holiday show, entitled Winter Dreams (November 27-December 29).

At the Café Carlyle, Steve Tyrell continues his engagement through December 31. At The Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel, Paula West continues her sensational show Something Good through November 10. Meanwhile, 17-year-old sensation Judy Butterfield drops in at on November 4; and Andrea Marcovicci will present her new show, Marcovicci Sings Rodgers & Hart (November 13-January 12), which includes some rare treasures from the accomplished songwriting team’s catalogue.

Acts at Birdland include The Jeff Blumenkrantz Songbook (November 4), Lauren Kennedy (November 5), the Django Reinhardt Festival (November 6-11), Jessica Molaskey with special guest, husband John Pizzarelli (November 13), who will then perform with his John Pizzarelli Quartet (November 14-17), Lucie Arnaz (November 18-19), jazz singer Melissa Stylianou (November 20), the Rebecca Parris Trio (November 21-24), Broadway’s Nancy Anderson (November 25), and humorist Mo Rocca (November 26).

The line-up at the eclectic Joe’s Pub will include Broadway favorite Andrea Burns (November 5); solo performer Mike Daisey (November 5-26); jazz songwriter/vocalist Kate McGarry (November 6); a special cabaret celebration of feminist and queer performance that includes performance art legends Karen Finley, Lois Weaver and Peggy Shaw (of Split Britches), Carmelita Tropicana, and Holly Hughes (November 10); the great Wesla Whitfield (November 11); Jamie McGonnigal’s Broadway Loves the 80’s Volume 2 featuring stars such as Ashley Parker Angel, Lance Bass, Julia Murney, Danny Calvert, and Josh Strickland (November 12); German-born cabaret legend Ute Lemper with her show Angels Over Berlin and Paris (November 19-December 1); and A-list air hostess to the stars Pam Ann (November 27-December 2).

At the Zipper Factory, Margaret Cho’s burlesque variety show The Sensuous Woman continues through November 17. Singer-songwriter Nikos Tsakalakos presents Late Nite with Niko and Friends, an evening of original songs. And Don’t Quit Your Night Job makes a return, featuring Broadway stars Steve Rosen, Sarah Saltzberg, David Rossmer, with special guests (November 15).

Metropolitan Room offerings include Jeanne MacDonald’s tribute to Peggy Lee, Come Back to Me (through November 17); a tribute to enigmatic American singer Lee Wiley entitled Why Lee? (November 1-5); Christine Pedi singing songs about and made famous by the great ladies of the stage and screen (November 4-30); four-time MAC Award winner Lennie Watts (November 5-12); the New York debut of San Francisco-based singer Bill Cooper (November 6); the legendary Marilyn Maye (November 7-19); a musical memoir by Charles Cochran (November 14-December 5) Tony nominee Liz Callaway’s solo cabaret debut, Between Flights (November 20-December 2); and Broadway veteran Luba Mason (November 23-26).

Ars Nova‘s November events include comedian Tim Minchin (November 12-14) and a book party celebrating the release of Seth Rudetsky’s Broadway Nights, featuring guest performers Andrew McArdle and Tony Award winner Andrea Martin (November 18).

The Laurie Beechman Theatre hosts twin brothers Will and Anthony Nunziata (November 1-6); Lynn Halliday (November 6-12); Paul Stroili’s one-man-show Straight Up with a Twist (Novemer 9-18); Stanley Bahorek, Alison Fraser, and Wendy Ho guesting for Ben Rimalower’s Saturday Night Underground (November 10); and Jennifer Naimo — who plays Frankie Valli’s wife in Broadway’s Jersey Boys — in her cabaret debut (November 11).

The new musical revue Political Idol lands at the Triad (November 6-December 18). Other acts include Michael McGlone (November 15), The Color Purple‘s Chaz Lamar Shepherd (November 12), and Trent Armand Kendall in his one-man musical Picture Incomplete (November 19).

Outside of the Big Apple, Mark Nadler continues his run of Tschaikowsky (and Other Russians) at Philadelphia’s Morgan’s Cabaret at the Prince (through November 17). Cabaret Pittsburgh gets a visit from Amanda McBroom (November 30).

At the Empire Plush Room in San Francisco, the line-up includes Tony winner Tammy Grimes (through November 11), Bay Area-favorite Tim Hockenberry (November 15-18), Oscar nominee Sally Kellerman (November 23-24), and the legendary comic actress Charlotte Rae (November 27-December 2). Also in the Bay area, Tony Award winner Jennifer Holliday will be at the Herbst Theater November 24, while L.A. Law‘s Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker present their husband-and-wife act Life is a Duet at the Florence Gould Theatre (November 11).

In Los Angeles, Craig Pomranz presents his cabaret show, My Heart Don’t Skip a Beat at the Gardenia (November 1-10) while Sterling’s Upstairs at Vitello’s features Gelo Francisco, Annie Nepomuceno, and Bonifacio Deoso in Three of a Kind (November 4), Jeanie Brandes (November 10), Amanda Abel (November 11), Steve Kirwin (November 17), and Lisa Fishman (November 18).

Finally, several NYC-based cabaret favorites head south to the Royal Room at the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida: Karen Mason (November 1-10), Klea Blackhurst (November 15-24), and the popular duo of KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler (November 29-December 8).