Photos: Backstage At The New York Cabaret Convention at Jazz at Lincoln Center
The first night of the Mabel Mercer Foundation's Annual Cabaret Spectacular
By: Stephen Sorokoff Oct. 23, 2024
This season, The Mabel Mercer Foundation and Jazz At Lincoln Center will present the 35th year of The New York Cabaret Convention. Full of pride, history, music and legendary performances, there is something magnetic that draws me and thousands of others to music venues and concert spaces in order to be transported. For me, it has always been to witness and observe “how the magic happens.” Backstage, rehearsals, sound checks, invited dress rehearsals, active dressing rooms and hallways … all of it! Those are the activities that excite me. It probably started when my piano teacher, Dave Roberts, who was a staff musician at CBS & NBC had me, his 13 year old student, tag along to watch some TV musical show rehearsals during the ‘50s.
At 16, I got a summer job (remember “working papers”) at ABC delivering teletype messages to the executives, which also allowed me to sneak into, and witness, some rehearsals. Being a pianist in the Borscht Belt during summers of the ‘60’s found me living in a room “backstage”. The touring entertainers usually asked if they could use my small quarters to get dressed in. There were no fancy dressing rooms in these hotels back then. Conversations with major stars of the day while they dressed and prepared to take the stage, supplied young me with endless excitement. Billy Eckstine even borrowed my tie.
So, when Donald F. Smith, founder of The Mabel Mercer Foundation, years ago, asked me if I could take backstage photos at the Cabaret Convention, I happily gave up my seat out front to photograph and chat with the artists as they prepared to go onstage at the legendary annual gathering. Prior to this time, I had no camera and reflect on all the photos I missed capturing during those formative years in the presence of all those greats. But today, and many cameras later, I am thrilled and proud to be able to share with you some photos of this year's magic being made.
Tickets are available at https://www.mabelmercer.org/events
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Rose Theater Jazz at Lincoln Center
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Rose Theater
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Marilyn Maye, Karen Akers, Marta Sanders
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Craig Rubano
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Alex Rybeck, Bryce Edwards Danny Bacher
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MOIPEI
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MOIPEI & Antongiulio Foti
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Stephen Sorokoff & Leanne Borghesi
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Ari Axelrod & Stephen Schwartz
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Rose Theater
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Andrea Marcovicci & Jeff Harner, Charles Strouse in the Box
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Jon Weber, Danny Bacher, Bryce Edwards
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Christopher Denny & Stephen Schwartz
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Stephen Schwartz & Ari Axelod
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Stephen Schwartz & Ari Axelrod
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Marilyn Maye & Stephen Sorokoff
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Marilyn Maye & Ann Anello
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Leanne Borghesi, Marilyn Maye, Marta Sanders
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Marieann Meringlo
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