The Cabaret Chronicles: Bway Boys, Adriana McPhee & more!

Well, it's been another busy, entertainment-packed week!

On Saturday, February 28^th, I had the honor of hosting the MAC New Face Showcase, which featured performers who appear as debut artists on the ballot for the 2009 MAC Awards.  The featured performers were Shannon Brown, Edd Clark, Cait Doyle, Kevin Dozier, Nicole Kafka and Stearns Matthews, and I was simply blown away by the level of talent!  All of the performers did a terrific job and showed that they are very welcome additions to the cabaret community!  The variety was great, too - there was a little bit of everything, from Shannon Brown's country tunes to Cait Doyle's musical comedy numbers, to Kevin Dozier's standards, and everything in between.  The afternoon was an excellent introduction to some of the newer talent in cabaret and a great opportunity for fellow MAC members to get an idea of the work that's being considered for award nominations.  I'll be hosting another showcase this Saturday, featuring the other five debut artists who appear on the preliminary ballot and I am truly looking forward to it! 

On Monday, March 2^nd, it was off to a fabulous doubleheader at Birdland.  First up was The Broadway Boys, which was part of the Broadway at Birdland concert series.  The Broadway Boys is a group made up of some of the most in-demand fellas working in the NYC theatre scene.  While there are 22 "boys" in total, each concert is performed by a group of six, and on Monday evening, we had the pleasure of seeing a fantastic combo: Jesse Nager (Mary Poppins), Maurice Murphy (SPELLING BEE), Marty Thomas (WICKED), Danny Calvert (ALTAR BOYZ), Morgan Karr (Spring Awakening), and Landon Beard (ALTAR BOYZ).  The show was called Sampler and featured songs from three of their existing shows, Broadway Today, The Radio, and Oh What A Night.  The material spanned from traditional Broadway tunes to pop and rock songs and featured very hip, contemporary arrangements, tight harmonies, and even a bit of choreography!  The hands-down standout moment of the night for me was a fantastic Jackson 5 medley - so much fun and so well done!  It truly brought the house down!  Their medley of  "Maybe" and "Tomorrow" from Annie was another one of my favorites!  As a special treat, the boys invited some amazingly talented female friends to perform - singer/songwriter Katie Thompson and singer Shayna Steele, each of whom blew me away -  I can't wait to see more of them!  

After The Broadway Boys, I stayed right where I was for another fabulous Cast Party.  Host Jim Caruso kicked things off right, with a zippy "Down With Love," and the wintery weather outside didn't prevent loads of talented folks from showing up.  It was a blast as usual, with talents like Christine Lavin, Jeff Segal, Tom Leopold, guitarist Sean Harkness, and Birdland songbirds Cait Doyle and Melissa Ward all providing top-notch entertainment.  Adding to the excitement was drummer Steve Bakunas sitting in with the "Cast Party Symphony Orchestra" (Tedd Firth on piano and Steve Doyle on bass).  Boy, between the Broadway Boys and Cast Party, I had quite an enjoyable night at Birdland!! 

On Tuesday, I headed to the Metropolitan Room to see Adriana McPhee in her New York debut, Starting Here, Starting Now.  I'd had the pleasure of hearing Adriana several times at Cast Party, and was excited to finally have the chance to see her in a full-length solo show.  Loosely based on her travels from L.A. to New York, to Paris, and back to New York, the show featured a combination of show tunes, standards and pop, and Adriana's charm, poise, and sweet personality were perfectly matched to the sweet quality of her voice.  One of my favorite parts of the night came when she transitioned from speaking of her time in Paris to singing "Don't Tell Mama," which subsequently led to her introducing her mother, Peisha McPhee, as her special guest star for the evening.  The mother/daughter duo treated us to two duets: first up was "You Must Believe in Spring," which was followed by the famous Judy Garland/Barbra Streisand "Happy Days Are Here Again"/"Get Happy" duet.  Their voices complemented each other beautifully, and their joy in singing together was catching - as I looked around me, it seemed like everyone in the audience had a huge grin on their face!  It was a lovely evening, and I look forward to seeing more of Adriana as she makes her home in the New York cabaret scene!

Where I'm going this week...

Friday, March  6^th:  Not *technically* cabaret, but a heck of a lot of fun - Lush and Lively with d.j. Dan Fortune at the Time Out New York Lounge.  The first Friday of every month, Dan Fortune takes up residence in the TONY Lounge (which is located on 50^th St. under New World Stages) and spins '60s and '60s-style lounge music.  It's a fantastic place to unwind, be silly and listen to some swingin' retro tunes!  He's there from 9 p.m. - midnight. 

Saturday, March 7^th:  MAC New Face Showcase (Part 2!) featuring performers who appear as debut artists on the preliminary ballot for the MAC Awards.  The show is at 3:30 at the Reprise Room and I'll be hosting (yay)!  Featured performers are Deb Berman, Christina Bianco, Ben Cherry, Dawn Derow, and Dominic Sheahan-Stahl. 

Sunday, March 8^th:  The Algonquin Salon - FREE singer/songwriter/musician soiree in the lobby of the famed Algonquin Hotel.  Hosted by Mark Janas, with special co-host on March 8^th, Broadway's Aaron Kaburick!  From 7 p.m. - 10 p.m.  Get there early to sign up if you want to sing! 

Monday, March 9^th:  Broadway at Birdland: John Bucchino & Friends - Amazing composer/pianist John Bucchino will be sharing an evening of his work, which will be performed by a host of fabulous guests including Brian Stokes Mitchell, Ann Hampton Callaway, Brian Lane Green, Daisy Prince, Justin Paul, Benj Pasek, Jessica Phillips, Lucas Steele, Jamison Stern, Joan Almedilla, Jacqueline Hester, and cellist Yair Evnine.  This promises to be an outstanding show - I can't wait to see it!  Concert starts at 7 p.m. 

Cast Party at Birdland!  Hosted by Jim Caruso, this fantastic open mic runs from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. but again, make sure you get there early to sign up if you want to sing!  

Tuesday, March 10^th:  Cabaret Hotline's March Is Cabaret Month Gala at the Laurie Beechman Theatre - Hosted by Brandon Cutrell with musical direction by Tracy Stark, this show boasts a terrific lineup of talent including Laura Dekkers Langham, Natalie Douglas, Anne Steele, Joan Curto, Sally Mayes, Jack Donahue, Sarah Rice and Ben Cherry.  Should be a fun night!  Show starts at 7 p.m.

Thursday, March  12^th:  Metrojam at the Metropolitan Room - another terrific open mic!  Usually, Metrojam takes place on the first Friday of the month, but this month, it's the second Thursday!  Hosted by the charming and talented Joe Bachana and featuring a house band with John DiPinto on piano, Ritt Henn on bass and Bobby Sher on drums, this is a fabulous way to spend the night!  As with the Algonquin Salon and Cast Party, make sure to get there early to sign up to sing!  From 10 p.m. - midnight. 

Have a great week and I'll have another update next Friday!

Pictured (l-r) Katie Thompson, Marty Thomas, Jesse Nager, Maurice Murphy, Danny Calvert, Landon Beard, Morgan Karr, and Shayna Steele

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