A Birdland in the Hand

While the pickings are fewer than usual in July, there’s still plenty of choice offerings to keep a cabaret-goer interested.

In fact, the star-studded lineup for Broadway at Birdland is nothing short of amazing! The month’s attractions include The Todd Lonagin Five (July 7), Sebastian Arcleus, Stephanie J. Block, Sierra Boggess, Mattthew Morrison, and Marissa Parry singing the songs of David Green (July 14), Emmy Award winner and Broadway star Lucie Arnaz (July 16-19), Valarie Pettiford (July 21); singer-songwriters Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich (July 28), and Tony Award nominee Sam Harris (July 30-August 2).

The eclectic goings-on at the Zipper Factory include Jason St. Little as Tits Fisher with Kitten’s Kiss (July 3 and 10), The BROADWAY FOR MUSIKIDS benefit with special guests Julia Murney, Andrea McArdle, and Kathy Brier, Desert Sin’s Musee Des Femmes (July 8), Lady, Lady, Lady: Midsummer Madness (July 9), Murray Hill’s 8th Annual Miss Lez Pageant (July 12), Daniel Zaitchick (July 14), Our Lady J (July 23), Dean & Britta (July 24), The Wet Spots (July 27), and Ian Herman (July 30).

At Joe’s Pub, the wide variety of acts include Spring Awakening star Kyle Riabko (July 6), cast members from the upcoming Shakespeare in the Park production of Hair (July 7), spoken word artist Dael Orlandersmith and David Cale (July 13), Stew, Heidi Rodewald and cast members from the Broadway hit Passing Strange (July 13), jazz great Howard Fishman (July 23), former Broadway star and rock chick Ellen Foley (July 24), and pop sensation Lisa Loeb (July 31).

The Metropolitan Room continues to spotlight some of the town’s top talent including MAC Award winner Suzanne Carrico (July 2, 5 and 9), 2008 Tony Award nominee Tom Wopat (July 3, 10, 17, 24, 31), Eric Michael Gillett (July 8, 12, and 29), the fabulous Lina Koutrakos (July 24-25), and former Academy Award nominee Karen Black (July 26), along with its seven-week long METROSTAR talent contest (beginning July 7).

Elsewhere, Iridium Jazz Club will feature Capathia Jenkins and Louis Rosen (July 15 and 29); Lorenzo’s in Staten Island will host performances by Lenny Starwood (July 11) and the Big Apple Pops Orchestra (July 27); the Bradstan Inn Cabaret in White Lake, New York continue its summer season with Natalie Gamsu (July 6), Lee Lessack (July 13), Lynn Loosier (July 20), and Barbara Brussell (July 27), while San Francisco’s Rrazz Room offers up Idols in Concert (through August 30), featuring such former contestants from the hit FOX-TV series American Idol as Anwar Robinson, Lakisha Jones, Jon Peter Lewis, and Gina Glocksen.