Bistro Bits: When Theatre Is Cabaret (and Vice Versa)–Three Shows that Blur the Lines

Mark Dundas Wood
One afternoon a few years ago, I sat in a restaurant next to a once-Tony-nominated performer who—not knowing my connection with club performances—brusquely pooh-poohed the whole notion of cabaret. She considered it a pastime for amateurs with grandiose ambitions. Having been deeply moved and/or thoroughly delighted countless times by accomplished artists in cabaret clubs (and...

Brian Nash’s “Sunday Night Music Club”

Gerry Geddes
As a pianist, an arranger, a vocalist and a second banana, Brian Nash has been a vital component of some of New York’s best cabaret shows by some of cabarets best performers. With his new show, Sunday Night Music Club, which debuted at The Green Room 42, he grabbed the spotlight center stage and he never...

Lila Day’s “More of the Same”

Gerry Geddes
Lila Day made her cabaret debut with a show that had a “COVID-adjacent” premiere. Despite the circumstances, she loved the experience and knew that she wanted to do another. When she sat down to write her next endeavor, she realized that the ideas that had filled her first show were still firmly front and center in...

Randa McNamara’s “Past, Present, Peculiarities”

Gerry Geddes
When the eager crowd (filled with its fair share of cabaret legends and stars) set foot into the original cabaret space at Don’t Tell Mama to see Randa McNamara’s Past, Present, Peculiarities, they had no idea they were in for the added treat of entering a time machine that would transport them to the glory...

Club Review: Deidre Rodman Struck–”The Year of Lost and Found”

Gerry Geddes
We all developed our own unique coping mechanisms to deal with the results of the pandemic. Singer, songwriter, pianist Deidre Rodman Struck combatted the desolation of lockdown in a way that might have seemed obvious but was inspired by the suggestion of a friend. That friend suggested that she should sit down and write a...

Bistro Bits: Let’s Hear It for the Guys—King, Skipper, and Harnar Do the Things They Do

Mark Dundas Wood
First things first. I join Sherry Eaker in thanking everyone who made the Bistro Awards evening such a memorable event! Though a Bit Overdue.... This winter and early spring, much time was spent by the Bistros Committee in preparation for awards night. Consequently, content for Bistro Bits columns piled up. So I’m happy to return...

“André De Shields Celebrates the 40th Anniversary of ‘Haarlem Nocturne'”

Gerry Geddes
Haarlem Nocturne is not only a seminal show in the long and storied career of André De Shields, it is one of the seminal events in the history of New York cabaret. Teaming with his original music director, Broadway’s Marc Shaiman, De Shields mounted a 40th anniversary production of the show at 54 Below last...

Isabelle Georges in “Oh Là Là—A Passionate Journey Through the French Repertoire and Beyond”

Gerry Geddes
In spite of its rather academic subtitle, “Oh Là Là—A Passionate Journey Through the French Repertoire and Beyond was a delightful showcase for and introduction to the many sides of French musical star, Isabelle Georges. Seconds into her lively opening number, “La Grande Évasion” (music by Georges & P. Maniez, lyrics by Georges), she managed...

Tim Connell in “…it’s the joy in your heart…”

Gerry Geddes
Singer Tim Connell possesses such a warm, natural sound and such a thoughtful lyric delivery that it is easy to understand why he was awarded a 2023 Bistro Award for his last presentation on the intimate stage at Pangea. It is equally understandable that he wants to stretch his performing wings and embrace a broader, more...

Sally Mayes in “Now and Then: Jazz/Standard Time”

Gerry Geddes
At the top of her exciting new show, Now and Then: Jazz/ Standard Time, singer Sally Mayes barreled on to the stage like the proverbial blond bombshell, grabbed the room, and didn’t let go for the next hour, much to the delight of her cheering audience. Accompanied by Tedd Firth on piano and Tom Hubbard on...