Ricky Pope

In her show THE WINDMILLS OF MY MIND…FOR DUSTY SPRINGFIELD, Lianne Marie Hobbs draws comparisons between what she calls the “hamsters in her brain” and those that inhabited the similar ones in Dusty Springfield's brain.

I left this show feeling that I had experienced something true and honest from an artist who is largely associated with his dazzling style. This show presents Sam Harris as a remarkable and sensitive artist in addition to being a flawless showman.

Beth Leavel, known best for her comedic talents, proved that she's up there with the best at singing Sondheim at her 54 Below show on 10/25 and 10/26. Ms Leavel is very deft at playing multiple emotions at the same time, which matches the trademark ambivalence of all of Sondheim’s best lyrics.

Moberly is a fine actress who gives us over 20 interesting characters while simply presenting the songs without a lot of folderol. She is working in the tradition of some of the great musical monologists like Charles Aznavour, Liza Minelli, Bernadette Peters, and Julie Wilson.

What would happen if your favorite Disney princess stepped off the screen to talk about the reality of her life, the parts of the story that the animators missed? Hear from the cast of DISENCHANTED's national tour. DISENCHANTED plays 10/11 and 10/12 at Queens Theatre.

Chelsea Table + Stage is quickly becoming the most adventurous cabaret venue in New York. Last week Ann Kittredge celebrated the release of her new album ROMANTIC NOTIONS, a series of songs exploring the many aspects of love and romance, with a concert there. Kittredge is an engaging performer with a wonderful sense of style and elegance.

Graham Nash is as vital as ever. His 10/1 show at Carnegie Hall was filled with enthusiastic fans, and good vibes. Nash and his band created a clarity of sound refreshing in an era of overly processed tunes. Graham’s songs are classic gems that go straight from the artist's heart to the hearts of fans listening to the soundtrack of their lives.

Last week, Amanda McBroom unveiled highlights from her forthcoming album WINTERSONG at Birdland, a collection of mostly new songs on a holiday theme. It feels strangely incongruous on a sultry September evening to be listening to songs about hearth and family, but McBroom painted such vivid songscapes that you left ready for a vigorous sleigh ride

In show business, there are very few sure things. But Klea Blackhurst and Billy Stritch singing songs by Hoagy Carmichael is about as close as it gets. The September 15th show was perfection.

MELBA MOORE: FROM BROADWAY WITH LOVE had its first performance March 15th at 54 Below. Ms. Moore’s show is a dynamic travelogue through her Broadway career with a few added treasures for good measure. There is one more nearly sold out show tonight at 7 pm; get your tickets while you can.

Rian Keating's stories are very careful observations of what it means to be kind, strong, nurturing, independent, and free. It is a feminist show from a source you wouldn’t immediately expect. He tells stories about teachers, mentors, and family members that are vivid and empowering. We should all be so lucky to have such women in our lives.

As Thomas Wolfe tells us, you can’t go home again. Thankfully, cabaret singer/songwriter Meg Flather has ignored Mr Wolfe’s sage advice.  Over the next few months, she is presenting a series of her most successful cabaret evenings in the Brick Room at Don’t Tell Mama which she has logically entitled “The Brick Room Tour.”

If anyone on the modern scene is equipped to take on Mercury’s imposing legacy, it is singer/songwriter/actor Reeve Carney. He has cords of steel and a range similar to Freddie Mercury’s. Watching him sing is to marvel at what the human voice is capable of.

Unlike the characters she often plays on stage, this view of Stephanie J Block was sentimental, vulnerable, cozy, and very very warm. It was an evening filled with gratitude for the blessings of life that was brimming over with humor, mostly self-deprecating. The amazing thing is the picture of the artist is just as badass as any of her onstage alter egos.

Audra McDonald is generally listed among the best voices to have ever graced a Broadway stage. She frequently teaches master classes where she passes along the discipline and seriousness of purpose that have made her one of America’s premiere performers.

If you were asked to describe yourself in 14 songs, what would they be? That is the challenge that singer Ari Axelrod set for himself in his show which opened at Birdland last night entitled simply enough, AN EVENING WITH ARI AXELROD. What emerged from that question is a portrait of an artist who is intelligent, sensitive, somewhat anxious, and remarkably contemplative for someone just on the cusp of 30.

At every turn, Montgomery plays up the fact that she and Rosemary Clooney are in many ways sisters in a parallel universe. Both women are dextrous, rich-voiced, blond crooners who find joy in the work they do while having less success in their unconventional love lives.

It is safe to say that Carnegie Hall has been the premiere showcase for what is great in American Art and Culture for over 130 years. It is not hyperbole to say that the concert given Monday night by Broadway and television star Lea Michele will be remembered as one of those defining zeitgeist events. Her two-hour intermission-less journey through her career so far was the kind of powerhouse performance that people talk about for years. For the young Millennial set, it is their Judy Garland moment, the thing they will reminisce over cocktails “I was there for…”

A THOUSAND SWEET KISSES is a very emotional homecoming. It has been 17 years since Jai Rodriguez has trod the NY boards and his excitement about being home was palpable last night at 54 Below. His show frankly and hysterically recounts the many adventures he’s had along the way, particularly focusing on the sex, love, and relationships that spiced it all up.

When Ari Axelrod was putting together his show, A PLACE FOR US: A CELEBRATION OF JEWISH BROADWAY, he couldn’t foresee that it would open at a time of mourning for Jews around the world. The horrendous attacks in Israel have made any sort of celebration hard to bear. But as Axelrod points out that is precisely the reason it is imperative to celebrate the achievements of Jewish Americans. And nowhere is that influence felt more strongly than on Broadway in the musical theatre.