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Rob Lester - Page 8

Rob Lester

Rob Lester, native New Yorker, has been covering entertainment for more than 15 years for various outlets and has recently returned to Broadway World writing staff.  His involvement in cabaret has also led to involvement with the genre's awards as a voting judge and, pre-pandemic, he helped to curate the Artists In Partnership (AIP) Cabaret Festival. As far as musical theatre, he loves attending, researching, reviewing, directing, writing songs and scripts, as well as being a dramaturg.  He also worked with author Deb Berman on her book for kids about what happens before birth called "9 Months in The Play Womb: The Inside Story." He personally hails from the womb of a mother who loves the Great American Songbook and its singers, instilling that appreciation in him.






Review: Jonathan Karrant Suavely Presents ECLECTIC Songs at Chelsea Table + Stage
Review: Jonathan Karrant Suavely Presents ECLECTIC Songs at Chelsea Table + Stage
October 19, 2023

Chelsea Table + Stage continues its eclectic offerings with Jonathan Karrant's set highlighting his new release titled 'Eclectic' --- reviewed at Broadway World in the NYC Cabaret section.

Review: MARILYN MAYE Packs a Wallop in a Packed House at 54 Below
Review: MARILYN MAYE Packs a Wallop in a Packed House at 54 Below
October 17, 2023

She’s got the talent, she’s got the show biz smarts, she’s got the love for performing, she communicates, and she’s in command. 

Review: LITTLE BY LITTLE, CUT TOO SHORT, & BROADWAY BOUND Bring Some Pleasures To 54 Below
Review: LITTLE BY LITTLE, CUT TOO SHORT, & BROADWAY BOUND Bring Some Pleasures To 54 Below
October 17, 2023

These three evenings at 54 Below celebrated what some might cavalierly dismiss as missable musical theatre “also-rans,” but they’d be missing out

Review: Jeff Harnar's A COLLECTIVE CY and THOSE GIRLS SING BROADWAY (Birdland, Don't Tell Mama)
Review: Jeff Harnar's A COLLECTIVE CY and THOSE GIRLS SING BROADWAY (Birdland, Don't Tell Mama)
October 12, 2023

They're swell and just a couple of the acts that you can catch up with at the Cabaret Convention concerts that are around the corner.

Review: VINCE GIORDANO & THE NIGHTHAWKS And THE BRYCE EDWARDS FRIVOLITY HOUR Bring Back Past Eras at Birdland Theater
Review: VINCE GIORDANO & THE NIGHTHAWKS And THE BRYCE EDWARDS FRIVOLITY HOUR Bring Back Past Eras at Birdland Theater
October 7, 2023

Two trips to Birdland, two gifted artists, and two trips into the past make for a spiffy, swellegant look at why the jazz club has staying power, all these years later.

Review: LINDA EDER Is Cookin' with Gas in High-Octane October Shows at 54 Below
Review: LINDA EDER Is Cookin' with Gas in High-Octane October Shows at 54 Below
October 5, 2023

Linda Eder gives the crowd what they want.

Interview: Lisa Dawn Miller Of FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE At 54 Below
Interview: Lisa Dawn Miller Of FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE At 54 Below
October 3, 2023

'For Once in my life, I have someone who needs me...' and WE need to hear this and more written by the man who wrote those words sung by Stevie Wonder, Frank Sinatra, and a zillion others, including his daughter (whom we interview) and her son. (Both will be in the show on October 8.)

Can You Guess Who Our October Cabaret Birthday Honoree Is?
Can You Guess Who Our October Cabaret Birthday Honoree Is?
October 1, 2023

Born in the sticks, raised in a musical family, a major player in cabaret circles, celebrating an October birthday.... here's our monthly toast to someone who'll be blowing out the candles on a cake at the end of the month. But let's start the well-wishing now.

RANDY EDELMAN Brings Decades Of Songs And Scores To His Fans at Chelsea Table + Stage
RANDY EDELMAN Brings Decades Of Songs And Scores To His Fans at Chelsea Table + Stage
September 24, 2023

Randy Edelman --- singer, songwriter, film composer, entertainer --- looks back at his decades of music, and looks forward, too.

Singer Judy Wexler Brings Eclectic Material To WEDNESDAY JAZZ NITES At Pangea
Singer Judy Wexler Brings Eclectic Material To WEDNESDAY JAZZ NITES At Pangea
September 15, 2023

Thoughts about a thoughtful singer's set.

Linda Purl Shows Pizzazz and Poignancy In THIS COULD BE THE START At The Green Room 42
Linda Purl Shows Pizzazz and Poignancy In THIS COULD BE THE START At The Green Room 42
September 13, 2023

Linda Purl brings poise and polish and pure entertainment to the stage in her latest set.

Johnny Mathis: A Birthday Tribute (And Review)
Johnny Mathis: A Birthday Tribute (And Review)
September 5, 2023

Who is the veteran singing star getting the first nod in a new series of monthly birthday salutes at BroadwayWorld's cabaret section?

Review: Toasting The Tony Awards, BACKSTAGE BABBLE Gives 54 Below An Award-Worthy Night
Review: Toasting The Tony Awards, BACKSTAGE BABBLE Gives 54 Below An Award-Worthy Night
August 31, 2023

It's never too late to put the spotlight on the Tony Awards and people nominated for them. Read all about it at BroadwayWorld.com in the NYC cabaret section.

Review: SCOTT SIEGEL'S BROADWAY: THE NEXT GENERATION at 54 Below
Review: SCOTT SIEGEL'S BROADWAY: THE NEXT GENERATION at 54 Below
August 29, 2023

Broadway’s Next Generation generated big hope for the future as these worth-discovering young artists sang of their own big hopes.?

Review: FIFTY KEY STAGE MUSICALS - PART 4 Is A Swell Sampling at 54 Below
Review: FIFTY KEY STAGE MUSICALS - PART 4 Is A Swell Sampling at 54 Below
August 24, 2023

The choices made for a satisfying potpourri that didn’t seem to be trying to overdo the “think outside the box” approach or check every possible box to ensure variety in every possible way.

Feature: More About Man About Town, Charles Kirsch, Broadway's BFF - Part Two
Feature: More About Man About Town, Charles Kirsch, Broadway's BFF - Part Two
August 23, 2023

The saga of the seemingly ubiquitous Charles Kirsch continues: He's everywhere: hosting shows on stage, all over YouTube, in the air or on the air with over 150 podcasts of 'Backstage Babble' with his interviews of show people, and maybe sitting next to you at a cabaret or Broadway theatre or just dashing around New York City.

Feature: Meet Charles Kirsch: Broadway's BFF With A Mission... And With Shows - Part One
Feature: Meet Charles Kirsch: Broadway's BFF With A Mission... And With Shows - Part One
August 21, 2023

Presenter of variety shows with Broadway stars and podcast 'Backstage Babble' interviewER becomes our interviewEE as we learn about his early start, the current agenda of activities, and look forward to a future celebrating theatre's past (his favorite pastime---and job).

Review: Jason Danieley Opens Up With Open-Hearted WITHOUT A SONG 54 Below
Review: Jason Danieley Opens Up With Open-Hearted WITHOUT A SONG 54 Below
August 20, 2023

Jason Danieley is a candidate for caring who takes care in how he sings and speaks his heart. 

Previews: Monday's BROADWAY BY THE SEASON Concert Sounds Exciting!
Previews: Monday's BROADWAY BY THE SEASON Concert Sounds Exciting!
August 4, 2023

A golden opportunity to relive musical theatre's golden age: Preview Monday's concert, Scott Siegel's Broadway by the Season, at BroadwayWorld.com's NYC cabaret section. The participants recruited for the festivities are audience favorites, having earned frequent flyer miles in Siegel strolls down the Memory Lane of Broadway and in Broadway musicals.

Review: BACKSTAGE BABBLE LIVE Bubbles Over with On-Stage Broadway Talent and High-Spirited Host at 54 Below
Review: BACKSTAGE BABBLE LIVE Bubbles Over with On-Stage Broadway Talent and High-Spirited Host at 54 Below
July 19, 2023

There was a lot of history crossing that stage, with performers reprising numbers they’d sung on the Great White Way as far back as the 1970s. Giving the proceedings a uniquely touching quality was the sweet meeting of the generations, with these still very vital veterans being welcomed by — and conversing with — a respectful master of ceremonies who’s still in his teens, but is immersed in musical theatre lore.



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