By Lucy Komisar
“The Best is Yet to Come, Celebration of Cy Coleman,” the first night of this year’s Cabaret Convention, put on by the Mabel Mercer Foundation, could have been called “the best is on these stages”– for all three evenings. Out of the 60 singers that appeared, I’ve picked what I thought were the best!
For the Coleman songs Oct 21 hosted by Jeff Harnar and Andrea Marcovicci
Carole J. Bufford who is comfortably established as one of the major cabaret singers of these times, wore glittery pink for her hot and steamy rendition of “Hey Big Spender” from “Sweet Charity.” Note this is Bufford in the lobby mixing with fans. A big draw of the CabCon is that the singers go out to the lobby at intermission and after the show to chat with the rest of us! So you will see some stage photos and others of the performers hanging out.
I hadn’t heard Bryce Edwards before, but with his Southern accent and vaudeville style fast jazzy banjo he charmed with “Hey There Good Times.” Reminded me of Al Jolson.
My favorite couple performers are Eric Comstock & Barbara Fasano. With Eric on the piano, they have a subtle sophisticated cool jazz supper club style. Especially liked Coleman and Carolyn Leigh’s 1966 “When In Rome (I do as the Romans do.)”
Jonathan Karrant is a young Sinatra style crooner in his 20s. Wearing a blue suit for his “Why Try to Change Me Now” he certainly recalled old Blue Eyes.
I loved Eden Casteel who threw off a green hooded cape to show off a white glitter dress and present a smashing theater pierce called “Veronique,” about a Parisian femme fatale who started the Franco-Prussian war. Her soprano performance won audience cheers.
Carolyn Montgomery summoned up a bar chanteuse at a roadhouse, her jazzy voice soaring in “Rules of the Road.”
Marta Sanders, in glitter dress and gray hair did a smashing anthem “Here’s to Us”
I keep wanting to use the word “smashing.” Here’s another, Leanne Borghesi in glitter and fur doing a classic cabaret torch song about good girls who choose the wrong guy — the married man, the priest, the hairdresser – “You Can Always Count on Me.” I heard a bit of horn in that voice!
Ann Kittredge was elegant and romantic as her high notes told a story “With Every Breath I Take”
Donna McKechnie did the national tour of “Sweet Charity” in the role created for Gwen Verdun and you can imagine her on stage in the dramatic “Where Am I Going?”
Of course, story-telling cabaret was virtually invented by Andrea Marcovicci and her “Isn’t He Adorable/It Amazes Me” was a performance that is more than singing.
Ann Hampton Callaway’s voice soared with a bit of a gospel sound in “The Best Is Yet to Come” and you want to move with her rhythm.
The second night was about the music of Jule Styne, hosted by Klea Blackhurst and Billy Stritch.
As aficionados of cabaret all know, Klea Blackhurst has avoice that reverberates Ethel Merman style and it took over the room with a medley of “I’ve Heard that Song Before,” “Three Coins in the Fountain,” and “Let it snow.”
I love scat, and Gabrielle Stravelli and Billy Stritch did a hot dueling scat to“As Long as There’s Music.” Gabrielle displays great range as she moves up and down octaves
Natalie Douglas has a tiny speaking voice but when she sings it takes on huge timber. Her “Never Never Land” was warm, charming, ethereal. (Her voice gets better every year!)
Max Von Essen did a syncopated jazzy version of “All I Need is the Girl” from “Gypsy,” belting the long full notes.
My favorite big-time Broadway singer is Christine Ebersole whose slow emotive “Make Someone Happy” was a glorious theater piece. When she sang “I know he’s around” from“The Music that Makes Me Dance,” her rich pure soprano drew a portrait you saw in your mind’s eye
Karen Mason did “I’m in Love” with jazzy perky high notes, her full voice suffused with hope.
Aisha DeHaas is a terrific jazz vocalist with perfect syncopation and full high notes, all shown to fine advantage in “Put Em In a Box” and then the ballad “Being Good Isn’t Good Enough.” She comes from a musical family and it seems the notes are in her genes.
Ben Jones has a beautiful operatic baritone that sometimes ranges toward tenor, which is to say this singer has an amazing range. And he’s comic, too, in “My Fortune is my Face” — “Left profile, right profile….”
MOPEI – the sisters Maggie Mary and Marta –— in black glitter did a Jazzy counterpoint of “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” With a soft trio in the background, their sopranos seemed almost a cappella.
Clint Holmes’s “I guess I’ll hang my tears out to dry” and “Time after time” with scat and syncopation were perfect examples of how such performances of standards occur (almost) only in jazz clubs.
The Third Night: On the Sunny Side of the Street: a cavalcade of variety
KT Sullivan, artistic director of the Mabel Mercer Foundation that put on the Cabaret Convention,ran a potpourri of composers
Christine Andreas took us to Paris with “I Remember it Well, “I love Paris in the Spring” and in perfect French, “La Vie En Rose.” Her voice was stunning, like an opera voice and with the passion of a Piaf. I felt like cheering. So did the audience, with shouts of brava! She has done ten Broadway shows and is near the pinnacle of my best list.
I loved the boogie woogie sound and the torch song flavor of Tanya Moberly’s “New York is My City.”
Eric Yves Garcia, just back from the Crazy Horse in Paris, is invited to other capitals for good reason, a soaring rich baritone as he sings about a former love in “She Was Beautiful.”
Stephanie Pope has done eleven Broadway shows. She was wearing tight tights no long dress, and we learned why. She was a Fosse dancer. Her voice took over the room in the Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields 1930s “Pick Yourself Up.” And with jazzy dancing and comic style she dominated the stage.
It was a long plane ride for her and lucky for us that Ali Harper few from New Zealand, where she is a cabaret star. Her “Dear Mr. Gable” and “The Trolly Song” echoed the unforgettable sound of Judy Garland, something others in the audience whispered about.
When you hear Broadway-style performer Melissa Erico sing, you don’t hear just the expressive sound but the thought. Her “You Must Believe in Spring” by Michel Legrand and the Bergmans, plants a wisp hope in the midst of lonely feelings.
Lady Zen, whose dress reminded me of the Chaplin tramp, did a powerful Bessie Smith / Gospel style of “On Revival Day.” She lives in San Miguel Allende, an artists village in Mexico, so lucky to see her here.
And lucky to hear Anna Fay Wright who has played the starring role of Velma Kelly in “Chicago” since 2001 and on five continents. No surprise then at her fabulous brassy vaudeville take on “City Lights” — with glittered brim hat and kicks.
Sam Jeweson , a Brit, crooned in mellifluous baritone a “Nightingale Sang in Barclay Square.” His voice was a jewel that made this sound like a song with real characters, backed up by his own jazzy piano.
“He Knew How to Read Me” (music by Ben Schaechter, lyrics by Dan Kael Fat) was a funny satire performed by Kelli Rapke, a brassy comic soprano I hadn’t heard before.
Brian Eng is the youngest singer who has performed at the Carlyle. And you can see why.He’s also a pianist and composer, and we heard his 40s jazz piano sound. With subtle sounds in the tradition of Bobby Short, his is a name that will get more attention.
Marieann Meringolo reminds one of Streisand, who performed “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” composed by Michel Legrand, with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. Her voice turns song into poetry.
Nic & Desi do a delightful vaudeville song and soft shoe dance for “Money Makes the World go Round” from “Cabaret.”
KT Sullivan’s “Moon River/Carpet Ride” in her polished cabaret style had a surprise ending. It introduced us to her sister, riding the carpet in a duet.
Heather Sullivan hadn’t been at any cabaret convention that I recalled because she travels around the world doing shows on cruise liners. Not surprising, as she has pizzaz, a smashing personality as well as talent at the piano and song. Her “Empire State of Mind” was a noisy hymn to New York, a cheer as loud and soft as the city. She and KT were quite an amazing duo!
Cabaret Convention, Oct 21, 22, 23, 2025. Jazz At Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater, Broadway and 60th Street, NYC. Check https://www.mabelmercer.org/ for next year’s Cabaret Convention.