In the world of big-room cabaret, where three-figure-per-person tabs are downright obligatory, predictability and reliability have become virtues prized by owners and audiences alike. When it comes to the mother-and-son duo of Sandy Stewart and Bill Charlap, whose new show, Make Me Rainbows, marks their fifth engagement at the Algonquin Hotel's Oak Room, you know exactly what you're paying for before the lights dim.

From Stewart, there's a deep commitment to lyrics tied to a modest but effective vocal range, used most effectively on contemplative ballads; from Charlap, one of the world's great jazz pianists, there's impeccable musicianship used primarily in support of his mother and their [...]