Ring in the New

Judging just from January, 2008 is going to be a very good year for cabaretgoers in the Big Apple. The Café Carlyle welcomes back two of its most popular leading ladies this month. The incredible Elaine Stritch will present her award-winning Broadway show At Liberty in its entirety (January 1-19), followed by pop singing legend Judy Collins (January 22-March 1). At Feinstein’s at the Loews Regency, the new season kicks off with 95-years-young Hollywood legend Tony Martin (January 29-February 2).

Things are really busy over at The Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel. Andrea Marcovicci finishes up her new show, Marcovicci Sings Rodgers & Hart (through January 12), which includes some rare treasures from the accomplished songwriting team’s catalogue. She’s followed by two dynamite pairings: the great mother-son team of Sandy Stewart and Bill Charlap in their new show Make Me Rainbows (January 15-26) and jazz singer Tierney Sutton with Shelley Berg (January 30-February 2). If that’s not enough, Billy Stritch continues to thrill the Sunday brunch crowd (through January 13) and a new jazz-age musical Glimpses of the Moon, based on a novel by Edith Wharton, will play eight consecutive Monday nights (January 21-March 10).

Once again, the line-up at Birdland is nothing short of sensational. Songwriter Scott Alan will bring along such talented friends as Liz Callaway, Cheyenne Jackson, Eden Espinosa, Stephanie J. Block, and Adriane Lenox to celebrate his new CD (January 7); the peerless Chita Rivera will perform back-to-back benefit shows for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (January 14); jazz great Mark Murphy will fill the house (January 16-19); and the hilarious Amanda Green returns with a brand new show Does This Song Make My Ass Look Phat, with special guests Brooks Ashmanksas, Jenn Colella, Jonathan Dokuchitz, Jenny Foote, and Amy Spanger (January 28).

The eclectic line-up at Joe’s Pub will include the ultra-hot rock band Old Springs Pike, featuring Tony Award winner John Gallagher, Jr. (January 2-6), the latest edition of Weimar New York featuring Justin Bond, Penny Arcade, Daniel Isengart, and Taylor Mac (January 11), former Hairspray and Tarzan star Chester Gregory (January 28), and the lovely Jamie Leonhart (January 31).

Things are really hopping at the Zipper Factory, where the many highlights include benefit concert presentations of the musical Alive in the World, starring Melissa Errico, Greg Naughton, Lea Michele, Daniel Reichard, and Adam Pascal (January 13-14), Alexander Kariotis and Rock Opera Orchestra (January 17), and the hilarious Joy Behar (January 24 and 31).

At The Metropolitan Room, the many worthy offerings include former Hairspray star Joel Vig (January 6); former Company star Teri Ralston (January 7 and 13), Broadway leading man Martin Vidnovic (January 10 and 24), Tony nominee Liz Callaway’s Between Flights (January 11-12), Judith Owen (January 12), Tony winner Christian Hoff (January 14), the inimitable Barb Jungr (January 15-20), and a brand-new show by funny lady Christine Pedi (January 21 and 28).

Over at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, the main events include Joe Iconis’ Rock ‘n Roll Jamboree (January 5, 6, 13, and 19) with special guests including Anthony Rapp and Annie Golden, Christine Pedi and Karen Murphy (January 11-12), Brandon Cutrell (January 13), Songs from the Magic Trash Can: The Music of Kevin Ray with special guests include Lisa Asher, Hilary Kole, and Maude Maggart (January 18), Crossroads with Marc Dalio, Michael Givens, and David Rappaport (January 24-26), Ben Rimalower’s Saturday Night Underground with special guest Anthony Rapp (January 26), and The Little Mermaid‘s Bret Shuford (January 27).

Elsewhere around town, the new revue This is Burlesque continues its open-ended run at Corio; and the amazing Judy Kuhn brings her acclaimed show Serious Playground: The Songs of Laura Nyro to Iridium (January 10, 17, 24, and 31).

Outside of the Big Apple, the Royal Room at the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida welcomes three of my all-time favorite performers: Betty Buckley (January 3-5), Ann Hampton Callaway (January 8-19), and Ben Vereen (January 22-February 3). The Empire Plush Room in San Francisco will close its doors on February 2 (with a relocation at the Nikko Hotel to come very soon). Before it says goodbye to its current location, you can catch Wesla Whitfield and Mike Greensill (January 4-6 and 19-20), the popular Shawn Ryan (January 11-13), and the delightful Varla Jean Merman (January 24-February 2).