Lee Roy Reams, Faith Prince, Ari Axelrod, and Anita Gillette to Join 92NY's Cabaret Conversations

The 92nd Street Y, New York School of Music has announced new guests for their popular virtual interview series, Cabaret Conversations, now in its third year. Led by award-winning cabaret historian and performer Michael Kirk Lane, the series was the recipient of the 2022 Manhattan Association of Cabaret Award for Best Virtual Presentation. Each edition of Cabaret Conversations focuses on the guest's achievements, contributions to and work in the art form of Cabaret in New York City. Joining Lane to start 2023 are Lee Roy Reams, Faith Prince, Ari Axelrod, and Anita Gillette . This online offering is perfect for both practitioners and fans of the art form of cabaret, whether in NYC or elsewhere. Recordings of all previous editions, which include sit-downs with Chita Rivera, Lillias White, and Joe Iconis, are also available for purchase.

Cabaret Conversations with Michael Kirk Lane, January-March 2023

Mon, Jan 9: Lee Roy Reams

7-8:30 pm ET
Lee Roy Reams has been hailed by the New York Times as "Broadway's song & dance man nonpareil" for his leading Broadway roles in The Producers (Carbonell, Helen Hayes & Las Vegas Life Awards), 42nd Street (Tony & Drama Desk Nominations), Beauty & The Beast, La Cage Aux Folles, Hello, Dolly!, An Evening with Jerry Herman, Applause, Lorelei, Oklahoma! & Sweet Charity. On Broadway, he directed the last revival of Carol Channing's Hello, Dolly! & An Evening with Jerry Herman . His TV, concert & cabaret appearances have taken him around the world and to the White House before four U.S. Presidents (Carter, Reagan, Bush Sr. and Clinton). Most recently, he played to another sold out house at Broadway's Feinstein's / 54 Below and made history as the first American male to star as Dolly in an Equity production of Hello, Dolly! at the Wick Theatre where he also starred in La Cage Aux Folles. He's a board member of the Chita Rivera Awards & received the Friars Club Thespian of the Year Award. He also is the proud recipient of an Honorary Doctorate from his alma mater, CCM / University of Cincinnati.

Mon, Jan 30: Faith Prince

7-8:30 pm ET
Faith Prince has been dazzling Broadway audiences since winning the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for her performance as "Ms. Adelaide" in Guys and Dolls. As one of Broadway's best loved leading ladies, Faith most recently starred on Broadway in Disaster! The Musical. In 2008 she was nominated for Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for A Catered Affair. Other Broadway credits include Annie, The Little Mermaid, Bells Are Ringing (Tony, DD, OCC noms), Nick & Nora (OCC Award), Jerome Robbins' Broadway (Tony, DD noms), Little Me, The Dead, and Noises Off.

Faith is currently starring as Nellie on Fox's musical drama Monarch. She recurred as Joey Lawrence's mother on the long running series Melissa & Joey and had a 5-season run as Brooke Elliott's mother on Drop Dead Diva. She was a series regular on Huff and recurred for five seasons on Spin City. Other television credits include Emily in Paris, Modern Family, Chicago Justice, Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy, CSI, House, Medium, Monk, and Law & Order. Film credits include Dear Christmas, Our Very Own, Picture Perfect, Dave, and My Father the Hero.

Faith has performed at the Sydney Opera House and the Adelaide Music Festival. She works often with the Boston Pops, Utah Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, and Philly Pops, and starred in the Orlando Philharmonic's concert version of Sweeney Todd. Faith toured her original show Moving On, and travelled the U.S. in Over the Rainbow, a concert celebrating the centennial of Harold Arlen. Faith has two critically acclaimed albums: Total Faith, and A Leap of Faith.

Mon, Feb 27: Ari Axelrod

7-8:30 pm ET
Ari is an actor, singer, and director. He recently received the 2022 Bistro Award for Theatrical Performance in Song for his show, Ari's Arias. His award-winning show, A Place For Us: A Celebration of Jewish Broadway, began with a sold-out run at the historic Birdland Jazz Club, featuring six-time Emmy & Tony nominee Tovah Feldshuh, and has since grown to international acclaim performing to sold-out audiences around the world. In 2020, he received a MAC Award nomination for Best Male Vocalist. Ari Axelrod's first solo show, Taking the Wheel, directed by Tony Award winner Faith Prince, and music directed by multiple MAC Award winner Alex Rybeck, has been performed in numerous cities around the country. Ari's work as a director has been seen at the Tony Award-winning Paper Mill Playhouse, Birdland Jazz Club, 54 Below, and The Green Room 42.

Ari was the recipient of The Jewish Week's prestigious 36 Under 36 Award, which "honors 36 noteworthy Jewish leaders, all 36 years old or younger, who make New York - and its many Jewish communities - better. These entrepreneurs, young leaders, and changemakers bring remarkable energy and new ideas to religion, philanthropy, the arts, Jewish learning, campus life, social action, inclusion, and justice."

Mon, Mar 27: Anita Gillette

7-8:30 pm ET
Gillette made her Broadway debut in the original production of Gypsy alongside Ethel Merman. Since then she has been seen in Carnival, Cabaret, All American, Don't Drink The Water, They're Playing Our Song, Brighton Beach Memoirs, and Chapter Two for which she received a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Play.

She made her television debut on The Ed Sullivan Show and was a frequent game show panelist with stints on What's My Line, Match Game, Password, and Pyramid. She co-starred on a string of seventies sitcoms (Me and the Chimp, Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, All That Glitters, and The Baxters). On Quincy ME, she played Quincy's late wife in a flashback and then recurred as Dr. Emily Hanover (who he married). She played mothers to John Goodman (Normal, Ohio), Tina Fey (30 Rock) and Catherin Willows (CSI). Other guest spots include Modern Family, Elementary, Sesame Street, St. Elsewhere, Mad About You, Frasier, the Law & Order franchise, Blue Bloods and Sex and the City. In film she is best remembered for her role as Mona in Moonstruck.

As a prolific cabaret and nightclub performer she was the recipient of the 2020 Manhattan Association of Cabaret Lifetime Achievement Award. She had previously won two other MAC awards and is also a recipient of a Bistro Award.

ABOUT Michael Kirk Lane

Michael Kirk Lane is 2-time Manhattan Association of Cabaret Award winner, having most recently won in 2022 for Best Virtual Presentation. Along with 3 previous MAC nominations, Lane has been nominated for 11 BroadwayWorld Cabaret Awards, winning in 2018 for Best Show. Stephen Mosher of BroadwayWorld Cabaret has called Lane "one of the most popular performers and people working in cabaret today." Cabaret Scenes Magazine has deemed Lane's work "musical comedy heaven."

Beyond his own experience performing in cabaret, Lane's experience managing two of the city's most renowned cabaret venues (The Laurie Beechman Theatre, Don't Tell Mama) offers him a unique vantage point and perspective on the art form.

As a teaching artist for over 20 years, Lane has taught all ages from pre-school to retirement homes. In each class he brings the same philosophy to his teaching, no matter the age of the students. "Art, theater, and music are ways for us to connect with our most authentic self, and to explore the world around us," he says.

The 92NY School of Music is under the direction of Yana Stotland.

To post a comment, you must register and login.