Feature: Stephen Mosher's Pandemic Playlist Number Two

As the country tries valiantly to acclimate to social distancing, the social media content is filled with uplifting messages and videos showing that we can all do this. The MAC Awards will live-stream from Don't Tell Mama on March 30th, and more members of the community are using live-streaming platforms to perform from home for tips via Venmo and Paypal. So, as you go about your day, here is a new Pandemic Playlist to help you get to know the artists and their work, and to distract you from your Netflix cue.

1. Christine Andreas is a Tony Award nominated actress and a true cabaret artiste. Her shows at Cafe Carlyle and FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW always draw big crowds and cause big reactions. Her voice as rich and expressive as ever, her storytelling skills come from a deep place filled with pathos, humor, and intelligence. She is completely committed to the song, the story, and the audience. It is apropos that she does a Piaf show because she and Mlle. Piaf share many of the same qualities, a fact easily confirmed by looking at Andreas' "La Vie En Rose." Find Christine Andreas online at her website.

2. Nicolas King is one of the younger set in the cabaret and concert community, specializing in jazz and swing sounding American Songbook, but his recent recording of the Carpenters' "Sing" proves he could work well in pop music if he wanted to. With exceptional vocal skills and a plucky personality, he embodies musical moxie. His upbeat and joyful BIRDLAND performance of "Call Me Irresponsible" will brighten up even the darkest day. Nicolas can be found online HERE

3. Kariana Sanchez & Stephen Santana are two of the hardest working employees at FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW and a real-life couple whose "When You're Home" was a highlight in the recent 54 Below Staff Show. Kariana is equally comfortable in musical theater or doing Shakespeare, while Stephen, a fine singer, and beatboxer, will say his leading skill is as an actor. Here are the links to their online presence pages: Kariana Stephen (Photo courtesy of Michael Hull)

4. Gretchen Reinhagen is a versatile performer as comfortable with the sweet and pretty as she is with the pratfalls and face pulls. HERE she drops into the pocket of pathos with a little Liza Minnelli, but her tribute show to the iconic Kaye Ballard and her comedy numbers are proof that she can have audiences laughing faster than you can say Gilda Radner. A recent Bistro Award winner for her first CD, Reinhagen is currently in residency at the Lower East Side club PANGEA. The multiple award winner can be found online HERE

5. Joseph C. Townsend is a singer whose star is on the rise and everyone has taken notice. After every group show in which he has sung in the last year, crowds flock to him to find out where he will be singing next. He brings his own stamp to everything he sings, and it usually features a big finish to allow all to bask in the glory of his story and his gargantuan voice. Last week he had one booking at Birdland, then was asked, twice, to fill in at the last minute in two different shows at The Green Room 42, learning the songs overnight and then thrilling the audiences. His "Over The Rainbow" left FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW audiences thunderstruck and the proof is right HERE. Find Joseph online.

6. KT Sullivan & Jeff Harnar are both cabaret icons who have been working in the industry long enough that they are now in the position to be mentors to the new entertainers coming into the art form. Leading through example, they have performed solo acts that have made them famous, and duo acts that have made them beloved. He works with Shauna Hicks and she works with Mark Nadler, but their shows together have proven they have something special that can't be bought or taught. Their recent LAURIE BEECHMAN THEATRE hosted tribute to Strouse and Harnick was stunning enough for this writer to start their review with the words "Let's not bury the lead: get a ticket to this show." Their performance of "Once Upon a Time" is perfect proof of why. KT online and Jeff online.

7. Karen Mason is a legend working on the nightclub stages of New York and the world. She has appeared on Broadway and works extensively in regional theater. Her CDs are popular sellers, especially Better Days, which documents her work with the late Brian Lasser, and her recording of husband Paul Rollnick's "It's About Time" was a game-changer for the community of cabaret artists and for the community of LGBTQ+ couples crusading for marriage equality - which they got. See cabaret idol Karen sing the MAC award-winning tune HERE and then check out her website HERE

8. Michael Kirk Lane is a most charming young man with a wistfulness in his ballads and a whimsy in his comedy. With a strong background in musical theater, Lane has spent his life playing characters but when he brought himself to the cabaret art form, audiences found his most lovable one yet: him. His voiced filled with musicality and his heart informed by his childhood fascinations, his shows at DON'T TELL MAMA and THE LAURIE BEECHMAN THEATRE are always labeled as Musical Comedy Cabaret, always earning for him accolades, along with the laughs. See the softer side of MKL as he does a little Pippin HERE and then visit his website HERE

9. Penny Fuller & Anita Gillette (alphabetical billing for iconic show biz royalty) both have solo shows, but when the two great American actresses joined forces for Sin Twisters and Sin Twisters 2, they packed FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW and THE METROPOLITAN ROOM with good reason. Their solo shows share with audiences their individual journeys through the anals of showbiz history, but the Sin Twisters shows give them a chance to show the depth of friendships built within the community of actors who brighten the world, with comedy, drama, and a little help from their fellow thespian. Here is a video montage of the two in action: SIN TWISTERS Anita Gillette has a website and Penny Fuller can be found on Wikipedia

10. Gerrilyn Sohn is having a great freshman year. She has been praised by many in print and her popularity has caused encore after encore of her maiden voyage in cabaret. There has been a slew of award nominations and it looks like she is on her way! Gerrilyn has certainly captured peoples' attention with her DON'T TELL MAMA based show "Something Cool," and though her title song is a particular favorite of mine, her performance of "Only Wounded" is so pretty and seldom sung, it needs to be seen. Gerrilyn has a Youtube channel HERE

Be sure to check back during the week for the next Pandemic Playlist, stay safe, let's flatten that curve, and I'll see you all online.

NamaSTE

Photos by Stephen Mosher except for Kariana Sanchez and Stephen Santana, shot by Michael Hull

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