New York News: May/June 2015

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Fresh off her 2015 MAC Award win for Revue (with her co-star Kathleen France), Dawn Derow goes solo in Legit: A Classical Cabaret 5/9, 26 & 6/19 at the Metropolitan Room. Musical director is Mark Janas and Lina Koutrakos directs. Eric Comstock & Barbara Fasano return to the club with performances 6/1-4, 8, 9. Two California cabareters head east for performances 6/19: Tom Culver presents Cole Porter, Uncorked at 7 pm and Mary Bogue reveals Confessions from the Heartbreak Hotel at 9 pm. The last two This Is Your Night! honorees until the fall are photographer/reviewer/playwright/ man-about-town Russ Weatherford (5/12) and songwriter David Friedman (6/15).

Other goings-on at the Met Room: Gretchen Reinhagen reprises two different shows, her Kaye Ballard tribute is 5/4 and My Songs of the ‘70s is 6/7. Arlo Hill presents I’ve Been in Love Before: The Songs and Stories of Frank Loesser every Thursday in May; Daddy’s Little Girl with Pamela Lewis (aka Champagne Pam) 5/8; Jeff Macauley in Mr. Lucky: The Songs of Henry Mancini 5/6 & 6/17; Sara Zahn 5/11; A New York Romance with Kevin Dozier 5/13; Celebrity Artist-in-Residence Julie Budd returns with They Wrote the Songs: The Music of Our Lives 5/14; Elizabeth Sullivan makes her annual visit to NYC, this time celebrating her birthday 5/24 and joined by The Sullivan Singers; Joseph Macchia’s Cabaret Cares will honor Anita Gillette with the Ruth Kurtzman Cabaret Cares Lifetime Achievement Award and Spirit Awards will go to Ricky Ritzel and Gary Lizardo. That’s 5/17. Joseph also presents A Tribute to Karen Carpenter 6/6; Adam Shapiro with his latest show, Nothing Normal, 6/13; Swing That Music: Danny Bacher Sings 3 Louis—Armstrong, Prima, and Jordan 6/16, 25, 26, 28; Carly Ozard’s Midler on the Roof 6/24; and  The Broadway Four—Thomas Dieter, Tom Guthrie, Johnny Hager, Michael Oss 6/25.

More Music by Alex Rybeck is at 54 Below 5/21. He’s invited Joyce Breach, Maureen Brennan, Terry Burrell, Ann Hampton Callaway, Liz Callaway, Joshua Dixon, Jason Graae, Karen Mason, Mary Stout and Susan Winter to perform works he’s created with lyricists Carol Hall, Ira Gasman, Michael Stewart and others. Roslyn Kind sold out her debut at the club in 2014, so she’s back with shows 5/1-3. Scott Coulter directs and Tracy Stark is musical director for 54 Celebrates Lesley Gore with two shows 5/6. (By the way, Tracy was Lesley’s musical director.) 54 (also) Celebrates Eydie Gormé. Doreen Montalvo, Kelli Rabke Agresta, Mariand Torres, Tari Kelly, Kristy Cates and Carole J. Bufford will warble some of Eydie’s greatest hits. That’s 5/14. Jennifer Sheehan debuted her newest show, Stardust: A Night in the Cosmos, in April and she’s back for encores 5/9 & 20. Singing fare from the Great White Way to the pop charts will be Melba Moore 5/22 & 23. Euan Morton says I HEART the Carpenters 6/1, 8, 15. Linda Lavin is Starting Over 6/4-6. Nobody Does It Like Me: The Music of Cy Coleman is Michele Lee’s new show. She unveils it 6/11-13. Jeremy Jordan returns to the club 6/22 – 7/3 with a brand new show.

Don’t Tell Mama will host the premiere of a new musical revue, Nightclub Mamas, written by Gary Holmes. It runs 5/12-14 and stars Luba Mason and introduces Dawn Driver and Danea Robinson. Vickie Phillips is back at the club with a new show, Songs for a June Night, 6/25. Ray DeForest presents Gurl Talk 5/4 (with special guest Karen Mason) & 6/1. And speaking of Karen, she returns to DTM  6/21, 22, 28, 29. Get transported to another time and place at Pompie’s Place, a pop-blues club, 5/10, 11 & 28 starring jazz and blues singers Leslie Harrison, Brianna Thomas and Hilary Gardner. Ehud Asherie is M.D. Tanya Moberly continues to sing Songs I Feel Like Singing 5/8 & 13. Barry Kleinbort directs Whitney Chapman in Magic Markers: A Celebration 5/7 & 19. Barbara Lowin says I Like It Here 6/1 & 7. Wendy Russell is there 6/18 & 27.

Thomas Honeck is still Dancing with Death, his 2015 MAC Award-winning show, at The Duplex 5/27. How about a little Mama Drama with Natalie Arneson 5/3 & 8. Neil Herman continues to host The Duplex Songwriters Night 5/12. Adam T. Biner & Jordan William Segal declare I Know Nothing 5/16. You can Make Your Own Fun with Mary Foster Conklin and Amy Engelhart 6/30. Molly Pope takes to the stage 6/12. The MAC Roving Open Mic roves into The Duplex 6/30.

Anya Turner and Robert Grusecki present Look Up! The Songs of Turner and Grusecki 5/19 at The Laurie Beechman Theatre. Joining them are singers Darcy Yellin and Tom Picasso. You’ll have a bloody good time when Lennie Watts reprises his award-winning show, Bloody Bloddy Lennie Watts, 5/31. Tim Realbuti is Live in Living Color 6/9, his all-new shows is dedicated to the songs of Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray, Catch Me If You Can). Robin Westle hosts Robin’s Nest, a benefit for helpusadopt.org at 6/2 starring Mandy Gonzalez with special guest star Raissa Katona Bennett.

And speaking of Raissa, the arrival of warmer weather means it’s time for her Concert for City Greens series. This season’s inaugural concert is 5/20, with additional shows 6/24, 7/29 & 9/2. (Rain dates the next day.) All shows are at 6:30 in the South Park, Tudor City Greens. Look for a host of cabaret and Broadway talent to entertain the crowds.

Café Calyle is winding down its season, but not before inviting back Judy Collins 5/5-15; Megan Hilty (9 to 5, Smash) is there 5/19-30. Closing the season is Tony Award winner Alan Cumming (Cabaret, The Good Wife). He’s there 6/2-13.

ScoBar Entertainment presents Danny Aiello at IridiumNYC’s early show 5/2. The late show features Patrick DeGennaro in a new show performing songs from his recently-released EP, All I Need. The next night, Rhonda Ross (maybe you’ve heard of her parents: Diana Ross and Barry Gordy?) brings her neo-soul/jazz style to the club. It’s Here and Now with pop/jazz vocalist Karen Wyman. John Oddo is M.D./pianist and Eddie Caccavale is music coordinator/drummer at her two shows 5/26.

Justin Vivian Bond returns to Joe’s Pub in Love Is Crazy! 5/22-25. Also making a return visit is Betty Buckley in her new show, tailored specifically for the Pub, called Dark Blue-Eyed Blues. Her songs have become a mainstay in many cabaret shows and now Susan Werner sings them herself 6/4. (Her musical adaptation of the film Bull Durham had its premiere at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta last fall.)

Jamie deRoy and friends—this time Lena Hall, Cady Huffman, Judy Kaye, Kevin Meaney, Pamela Myers, Andrew Rannells—celebrate Tony Award-winning performers and musical 5/17 at Birdland. Proceeds benefit The Actors Fund. Jim Caruso’s Cast Party continues every Monday night. James Snyder (If/Then) is Prince Charming 5/3. Anything Could Happen when pop/jazz/blues artist Suede takes the stage 5/5. MusicTalks: Daniel Reichard Sings Rodgers & Hammerstein is 5/10. The Freddy Cole Quartet sets up shop 5/12-16. Natalie Douglas returns to reprise her hit show, Hello Dolly…The Music of Dolly Parton 5/18. Jazzer Diane Schuur is there 5/19-23. Enjoy An Evening with Steve Ross 5/25 when Steve gives an overview of the many shows he has performed throughout his career. Kurt Elling celebrates the release of his CD, Passion World, 6/10-13. Erich Bergan (Bob Gaudio in Clint Eastwood’s film of Jersey Boys; TV’s Madam Secretary) returns to Birdland 6/21 & 22.

Some of those appearing at Midday Jazz at St. Peter’s are: Bob Dorough, Steve Berger, Patrick O’Leary 5/6; William Bolcom and Joan Morris 5/27; Bucky Pizzarelli and Ed Laub 6/3; and Sheila Jordan and Cameron Brown 6/17.

The next edition of The Singing Experience, Hit Parade, is 6/17 at Stage 72 at The Triad.

The Mabel Mercer Foundation presents It Was a Very Good Year: Tributes to Legends Born in 1915 at Weill Recital Hall 6/9. Being saluted are Alice Faye, Billie Holiday, Bart Howard, Edith Piaf, Frank Sinatra, Billy Strayhorn and Cy Walter. KT Sullivan and Rex Reed are co-hosts with performances by Joyce Breach, Alexis Cole, Jed Distler, Merrill Grant, La Tanya Hall, Allan Harris, Valerie Lemon, Gay Marshall, Marcus Simeone, Lumiri Tubo, Jon Weber, Aaron Weinstein and  Bill Zeffiro.

The Broadway by the Year season at The Town Hall ends with The Broadway Musicals of 1966-1990 (5/11) and The Broadway Musical of 1991-2015 (6/22).

Eric Michael Gillett presents Careless Rhapsody: The Heart of Lorenz Heart in the Music Room at The Carammor Center for Music and Arts in Katonah, NY 5/9. The program is underwritten by Larry & Adela Elow.

The Tilles Center for the Performing Arts in Brookville, NY welcomes Audra McDonald 5/9 and singer/songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway 5/16.

The AIP annual Cabaret Week is 5/13-17 on Long Beach, Long Island. Participants include Rita Gardner, Pamela Lewis and Joshua Dixon. Panels will be run by our own Rob Lester and Susan James. It’s free! www.aip-artists.org