Feature: Stephen Mosher's Pandemic Playlist Number Four

Today's Pandemic Playlist is all solo artists. No duos, no groups, no bands, just the folks who get up and take center mic with the back up of the stellar musicians who support them in their craft. It's a lonely yet exciting place to be, center mic, exposed, intimate, and thrilling, as the relationship between the audience and the performer becomes that upon which an entire show hangs. Thank goodness for those musicians that provide the safety net because up there in that solo spot the responsibility is all yours.

Just look at how great these ten people are at taking the task to heart.

1. Sally Mayes is a Tony Award nominee for the play She Loves Me and though she has been on Broadway a few times, much of her work is in the regional theaters and the concert circuit of America. Considered one of the great jazz singers, Mayes fits in, easily, with the cabaret community by lending her inimitable sound to new standards, show tunes, the Great American Songbook, and even a little pop music now and then. A Mistress of musical storytelling, Sally can upend any audience with her humor and her sensitivity, and she seems to be working quite a bit lately, especially at her very first self-penned musical. Resilient as all hell, Sally Mayes takes on a legendary Sondheim song, showing all why she's Still HERE

2. Jay Rogers can make you laugh so hard you nearly wet yourself, and then he can break your heart so tenderly that you find your face wet with tears. One of New York's great character actors, beloved for appearances in "When Pigs Fly" and "Whoop-Dee-Doo," Jay has continued to perform while also transitioning into being a great director, guiding the onstage journeys of gifted artists like Faye Lane, Michael Kirk Lane and Richard Skipper in such a manner that their audiences are able to fully appreciate the story the artists tell. Proof positive that those who can don't just stop at the doing, but also teach, cabaret's own Mr. Rogers is a treasure to all. HERE Jay Rogers brings the comedy... and the naughty.

3. Nora Palka has one of the most unique sounds audiences are likely to encounter on any stage anywhere. A singing actress who has discovered that she writes songs as well, Ms. Palka pursues her art with a great passion, though her focus at the moment is all on her work as a singer-songwriter. Though her most recent concert work has been at the downtown cabaret The Duplex, Palka plays other rooms around Manhattan and ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL is the perfect place for a little "Me and Bobby McGee" from Nora Palka and once you've heard this voice, you will want more. Fortunately, Nora Palka has a Youtube channel HERE and a website HERE (photo by Bobby Patrick)

4. Marty Thomas is a miracle. Anyone who has ever heard him sing knows of the enormous voice, but it takes being in the room with him to see that the range of emotions he brings matches the range of that voice. A Broadway actor who has landed himself on television, Marty has proven himself to be a triple threat (quadruple for anyone who saw him skate in Xanadu) who is also a consummate event host and a recording artist of the highest order. His new CD "Slow Dancing With a Boy" is his greatest artistic offering to date and should be on everyone's playlist. HERE Marty put that unique Thomas spin on a little Robyn. Find Marty Thomas online at his website

5. Molly Pope is one of the most famous cabaret artists on the scene. Though Night of a Thousand Judys is an event that happens off the stages of The Duplex and Joe's Pub, where Molly can usually be found showing her inimitable style, this performance of "By Myself" is the perfect look at what it is that makes Ms. Pope a quintessential cabaretist. With her evolution of style and take-no-prisoners approach to her creations, Molly Pope has spent the last decade redefining the art of cabaret and refining her own contribution to the art form. Respected by all, Molly Pope is an industrious woman, determined to keep future growth on the front burner of her own work and that of the cabaret world. Even today Ms. Pope suggested on her social media that her recently canceled show "Molly Pope, a Gay Man, and a Piano" might be turned into a completely online show during the time of the quarantine, a thought that will please her throng of admirers, all of whom follow her online HERE

6. Anthony Nunziata is one of the hardest working men in the music business. Not only is Nunziata a heck of an entertainer, but he is also versatile in his work, moving easily between jazz, pop, and HERE a little opera. After starting out on stage with his brother, Will Nunziata, Anthony took his career solo while Will turned to directing. One day Anthony thought it might be a good idea to take a stab at songwriting and, with that, Anthony Nunziata found his next big thing. As his concert career continues to grow, so does his songwriting career, and March 17th at 7 pm Anthony will be doing a Living Room Concert on his Facebook page. Anthony's website

7. Dani Apple is a recent inductee into the cabaret world. An actor with an extensive resume of musical theater in New York and regionally, Dani Apple is an alumnus of the Bridging The Gap master class series, where actors are taught the more intimate art of cabaret. All of her studies and experience are working for her because when Dani appeared in An Evening With... Frank Sinatra, she came to the stage for her one number with her story in place when she hit the stage and it stayed with her until she left the stage again, making her stand out as one of the memorable acts of the night. See that performance HERE Dani has an online presence HERE

8. Dorian Woodruff is a musician of great renown who has worked around the world as an instrumentalist and a singer. With award nominations for his work as a jazz vocalist, Dorian works hard to create shows of an elegant aesthetic that focus on the telling of personal stories, as well as masterful musicianship. A singer whose voice is as dreamy as the sophisticated pictures he paints with words and music, Dorian dedicates himself to the lyrics of each song, working with his director, Lina Koutrakos, to break down the subtext of each song, so that he can give his audience the full picture. HERE Dorian swings with the style for which he has come to be known and appreciated.

9. Dawn Derow is an award-winning singer whose shows run the gamut from the personal (like her recent autobiographical "The House That Built Me") to the flamboyant (like her upcoming "Gypsy in My Soul: The Songs of Eydie Gorme.") Ms. Derow has an innate ability to immerse herself into the lyric while using her vocal prowess to bring the melodic line to life. Puckish of personality and sassy of style, Ms. Derow is basically a rock singer who prefers the Great American Songbook, and it's a hypnotic combination that has made her one of cabaret's leading ladies. Dawn's "Old Cape Cod" is a perfect example of her inestimable way with a song. Find Dawn online HERE

10. Sean Stephens is a young actor with a propensity for musical theater and LGBTQ+ themed projects. His regional theater credits include Rent, Hair and Bent, and his most recent New York credit has a title with more than one word: Camp Morning Wood. Adventurous and emotional, Stephens' appearance at Tuesdays at 54 with Robbie Rozelle gave the young actor a perfect opportunity to show people why he belongs up on the stage, as he touches hearts with this Brandi Carlile TUNE . Sean Stephens is set to debut his solo show at FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW on April 16th. Sean's Backstage profile page is HERE (photo by Kristin Pulido)

Be sure to check back tomorrow to see which nightclub entertainers land on Pandemic Playlist Number Five!

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