Meg Flather
Epiphany
Don’t Tell Mama, NYC, February 12, 2026
Reviewed by Bart Greenberg
Photo by Hannah Jane
A new Meg Flather show is always an event of great interest, not just because of her warmth, easy sense of humor, and lovely voice, but because her programs have a decided point of view and a theme that always ties everything together. With her team of director Lennie Watts and music director/pianist Tracy Stark, the show will always be smooth and varied. Her newest show at Don’t Tell Mama, Epiphany, did not disappoint.
The show’s theme was songs from Broadway musicals in which their characters experience major shifts in perceptions. Flather began her show with a shimmering “Chanson” (Stephen Schwartz). It started off with Stark singing it in French before Flather took the stage to deliver it in English. The song speaks of things suddenly changing, a perfect metaphor for the theme of the show. It also suited Flather’s quicksilver vocal style. In contrast, this was followed by the delightfully silly “One Step” (Richard Maltby Jr./David Shire) that involved a duet with Stark, a popping top hat, and some impressive high kicks.
Some of the most dramatic moments of the show came from combining two unlikely songs into one theatrical arch. For example, the mating of “Lion Tamer” (Schwartz) with “Anyone Can Whistle” (Stephen Sondheim) with Flather’s fine interpretation, became a portrayal of longing and uncertainty. The surprising merging of the aching “What You’d Call a Dream” (Craig Carnelia) and the determined “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” (Sondheim/Jule Styne) charted the growing confidence of the character. By shifting from “I’m Not at All in Love” (Richard Adler/Jerry Ross) to “I’ve Grown Accustomed to His Face” (Frederick Loewe/Alan Jay Lerner) she showed a growing self-realization of being in love. These combinations were vocally accomplished and dramatically valid; they showed that Flather is as fine an actress as she is a singer.
Further impressive acting came in a show-stopping version of “I’m Reviewing the Situation” (Lionel Bart) and in a terrifying take on “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” (John Kander/Fred Ebb). The wide range of characters created by Flather is one of the hallmarks of her work; her wonderful and varied vocals are another. The show was definitely one of the cabaret highlights so far of 2026.
