Feature: Stephen Mosher's Pandemic Playlist Number Seven

Today's Pandemic Playlist is just the boys and girls. No groups, no specialty acts, just the women and the men who step out onto the stage and sing for their supper. These are some of the best, some you'll find on many a nightclub stage, some can be clocked traveling back and forth between the theater and the cabaret. Whatever journey each of these artists takes to get to the mic doesn't matter - all that matters is that they get to the mic... and the audience, because these ten are something to see.

1. Tony Yazbeck does things his way when he puts on a show, making sure that he is always representing his true self on the stage. With his open heart and open arms, he holds nothing back in his quest to entertain an audience that craves to know him better. They get their wish as he tells tale of his life, the good, the bad and the touching. See his FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW tribute to a dear friend recently departed HERE Tony Yazbeck Twitter @TonyYazbeck

2. Amy Wolk is one of those scary talented people that make you go "Really? You got to have ALL this talent?" As an actor, she has an extensive resume, and as a cabaret performer, she has made her mark in several solo shows around NYC. Her current claim to fame is as one of the creators and the host of "I Only Have Lies For You" - a Broadway game show that features Broadway talent. The game show plays THE Laurie Beechman THEATRE, where it has lived for some time now, and it doesn't appear to be going anywhere. Oh, and that's not all because Ms. Wolk is a songwriter, too. THIS is Amy's self-penned song with music by William TN Hall Find Amy online HERE

3. Andrea McArdle and Felicia Finley are best friends, and what's better than playing with your best friend? So when the iconic star of an iconic musical did her FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW solo show, naturally Ms. McArdle called upon her BFF to some to the playground and wow the audience. Showering Finley with praise, McArdle did indeed wow her audience, with a little help from her best friend, with this famous DUET Twitter for Felicia is @feliciafinley Ms. McArdle is on Insta @mcbwaybaby (Photo Youtube screengrab)

4. Derek Klena has been on a steady climb on the Broadway stage for years. Working steadily from 2012 to today, Klena has significant credits on and off-Broadway and in regional theaters. In spite of all of his acting jobs, Klena is oft to be found lending his voice to group shows in nightclubs, usually FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW. Clearly, the lucky man fits in on any stage. Check him out in one of his 54 Below appearances HERE Mr. Klena can be found online HERE (For copyright reasons, no photo of Mr. Klena available.)

5. Jamie deRoy is a real mensch. A decades-long devotee to the art, community, and public of cabaret, Ms. deRoy has always been there to lend her support and her voice, most notably in a beloved Variety Show that has spanned her entire career, a little thing called Jamie deRoy AND FRIENDS. Happy to be a singer, Ms. deRoy was happier doing one or two tunes and then turning the spotlight on the people whose talent she admires. In an alternate universe, another Jamie deRoy would be putting the spotlight on this Jamie deRoy because the lady is, herself, a hell of an entertainer with some swell comic timing, seen in this CLASSIC deRoy number that she has to do at every show or people start breaking up the furniture. Jamie deRoy's WEBSITE

6. Catherine Porter, Susie Mosher, Elizabeth Ward Land, and Jim Vallance recently appeared at THE BIRDLAND THEATER in a show that was supposed to be Porter and Vallance performing Porter and Vallance but Catherine Porter is nothing if not a supportive sister and when she saw an opportunity for her to ROCK out with her galpals, she called Elizabeth and Susie and, together, they created a great memory for a room full of people. Ms. Porter and Mr. Vallance are great at that - pleasing the audience, it's in their DNA. Catherine Porter Twitter @cathporter Jim Vallance WEBSITE Elizabeth Ward Land ONLINE Susie Mosher WEBSITE

7. Michael Wordly hasn't made it to the big street yet but he has a lot of great touring and regional credits to his name, including The Color Purple and Miss Saigon. With his kind of talent, though, it's just a matter of time. THIS is a completely mesmerizing performance Mr. Wordly did in An Evening With Frank Sinatra at THE GREEN ROOM 42 and it is enough for anyone to memorize the name Michael Wordly. Michael has an online page HERE

8. Gabrielle Stravelli is one of this city's great jazz vocalists. People flock into BIRDLAND on a regular basis to hear her inimitable vocal stylings. When she's not packing them in at Birdland, this singer-songwriter is traveling the world to satisfy the demands of her fans. With CDs on her website and awards on her trophy shelf, Ms. Stravelli is one of the true greats, with a unique sound and an affinity for the reinvention of already established songs, as can be seen in this HYPNOTIC bit of Mercer and Mancini. Find Gabrielle online HERE (For copyright reasons, no photo of Ms. Stravelli available.)

9. Charlie Romo is one of today's rare gifts: a young man singing swing. He's one of three men under thirty currently making the past their present, each of them with a special gift all their own. Charlie's is an unabashed obsession with the era he represents by recreating, perfectly, the mood that is his mission to evoke. He honors the greats by not messing with their legacy, only bringing it to his audience with the skill and grace that are his, naturally, to give. HERE Charlie and the breathtaking Kea Chan take on a very famous duet Finding the charming Charlie online HERE Kea Chan has Insta @maunakeac

10. Kim David Smith is an original. He knows who he is and what his aesthetic is and he is unwavering in his commitment to both, which is what makes him an artist of individuality and quality. He never fails to impress, whatever the venue, whether he is appearing in one of his own shows or in a group show in which he sings only one number. His is the kind of originality and commitment that makes a star a star, like Dietrich, Madonna, Piaf, and Minogue - all artists one suspects he admires. See Kim David Smith, "The Singer." KDS has a WEBSITE

Photos by Stephen Mosher except for Kim David Smith by Bobby Patrick

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