The 37th Annual Cabaret Convention
With a Song in My Heart: A Cornucopia of Entertainment
Rose Theater, NYC, October 15, 2026
Reviewed by Bart Greenberg
The final evening of the 2026 Cabaret Convention was a joyous and emotional evening, produced and hosted by the Artistic Director of the Mabel Mercer Foundation KT Sullivan. She assembled a wide-ranging group of singers, several of whom were making their debut appearances in the long-running celebration. There was a strong emphasis on the multiple-national sources for the inclusive art form.
Things kicked off when Sullivan, looking like a glamorous ringmaster in a black top hat, sat at the piano to offer a spirited medley of “Give My Regards to Broadway” (George M. Cohan), “Take Me Back to Manhattan,” and “I Happen to Like New York” (both Cole Porter). Susan Mack, the first of the Cabaret Convention debuters, burned up the stage declaring “I’m Going to Live Till I Die” (Walter Kent/Manny Kurtz/Al Hoffman) and “Let the Good Times Roll” (Louis Jordan). And they did as Broadway star Robert Cuccioli transformed himself into a crooner with “How Little We Know” (Hoagy Carmichael/Johnny Mercer) and “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head” (Jimmy Van Heusen/Sammy Cahn). The next Convention newbie was Dawn Padmore, who brought classical training and tremendous dignity to “Losing My Mind” (Stephen Sondheim). Cabaret favorite Tim Connell charmed and moved with “End of the World” (Arthur Kent/Sylvia Dee). The youthful Madeline Joy Travis brought remarkable poise and depth of interpretation to “Will He Like Me?” (Sheldon Harnick/Jerry Bock).
The delightful partnership of Tim Cahill and Jim Harder, professionally known as The Ims, charmed with Rodgers and Hart’s “You’re Nearer.” The international appeal of cabaret was accented with Mafalda Minnozzi’s electric performance of “The Girl from Ipanema” (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Vinicius de Moraes) in Portuguese, and when Eric Yves Garcia enchanting the audience with “C’etait Moi” (Gilbert Becaud) in French. Then, to break our hearts, Melodie Wolford, I her surprising debut performance, enchanted with “Smile” (Charles Chaplin/John Turner/Geoffrey Parsons). The next debut artist was Can M. Yasar, who first won the audience by going from cater waiter to soloist in the Rose Theater in about two weeks, and then celebrated his immigration from Turkey story with a joyous “Coming to America” (Neil Diamond). To bring the first half to a close, three glowing people—Shana Farr, Craig Rubano, and the legendary Steve Ross—offered the ultimate in romance, “With a Song in My Heart” (Rodgers/Hart).
To open the second half, Carole J. Bufford paid tribute to Dolly Parton with a rollicking version of “A Lil’ Ole Bitty Pissant Country Place” (Carol Hall), and a bit latter Marieann Meringolo honored Barbra Streisand with a moving version of “Pieces of Dreams” (Michel Legrand/Alan & Marilyn Bergman). In between, Raissa Katona Bennett and Arbender Robinson returned to the theme of immigration with a powerful “Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor” (Irving Berlin). Another international guest was Britisher Sam Jewison, who received the Julie Wilson Award. Clearly thrilled, he reciprocated with a jazzy “I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise” (George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin & B.G. DeSilva). The usually sedate and polished Ann Kittredge surprised with an erotic delivery of “I Feel the Earth Move” (Carole King).
Balladeer Brian De Lorenzo enchanted with a medley of “Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)” (Bart Howard) and “Just in Time” (Jule Styne/Betty Comden & Adolph Green). With fine understatement, Celia Berk delivered Mark Waldrop and Dick Gallagher’s “Laughing Matters,” sadly as relevant today as it was when first written. Ben Jones offered a fine and very different version of “Slipping Through My Fingers” (ABBA). One final non-English number was Marta Sanders’ dynamic “Volero” (Giorgia Fumanti). To bring the evening and the 37th Cabaret Convention to a close, Mark Nadler delivered a superb medley of songs from Lynn Ahrens’ and Stephen Flaherty’s brilliant score for Ragtime. He interlaced the song with a moving account of his own family’s journey to become Americans.
The main musicians of the evening were pianist Jon Weber, bassist Steve Doyle, and drummer Ray Marchica. Other instrumentalists who contributed to the show were pianists Joe Baker, Brian Holman, James Followell, Paul Ricci, Stephen Purdy, Tracy Stark, Jan Herman, Mark Janas, Doyle Newmyer, Christopher Denny, and Alex Rybeck, along with violinist Seoyeon Im, celloist Alden Terry, and guitarist Sean Harkness.
