All stories by Marilyn Lester on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Daryl Sherman: A Breath of Spring Warming a Chilly April Night by Marilyn Lester

Singer-pianist Daryl Sherman has been a long-time fixture in the international and New York City jazz world. Her endurance as a favorite is well-founded in her talent and charm. She’s full…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 01:26PM
Tuesday, April 9, 2019

Versatility: Alexis Cole, Part 2—Cabaret Artist by Marilyn Lester

Vocalist-pianist Alexis Cole put aside the piano for an evening at the Beach Cafe, with a show entitled Canary in Combat Boots. This was the cabaret side of Cole, with a hint of her jazz per…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 05:01PM
Monday, April 8, 2019

Swing: Alexis Cole, Part 1—Jazz Artist by Marilyn Lester

Vocalist Alexis Cole is one of the few females in the jazz world to be able to claim first rate singing ability along with piano chops. You can count them on one hand—the late Barbara Carr…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 10:50AM
Monday, April 1, 2019

Michael Feinstein’s ‘S Wonderful and Marvelous Salute to Jewish Broadway by Marilyn Lester

In his ongoing Standard Time series at Zankel Hall, Michael Feinstein created another winner of a show with The Great American Jewish Songbook. More specifically, the singer’s template of …

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 06:23PM
Saturday, March 2, 2019

Yes I Can: The Sammy Davis Jr. Songbook Proved a Boffo Tribute by Marilyn Lester

With Yes I Can: The Sammy Davis Jr. Songbook, the powers behind 92Y’s Lyrics and and Lyricists series not only put on a tremendously important and entertaining tribute to one of America’…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 12:47PM

A Feast of Open Mics Awaits Those Itching to Perform by Marilyn Lester

The open mic— a time-honored way for singers to perform, test material, keep vocal chords in shape, socialize with peers and so much more. There are quite a few regular sessions in Manhatt…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 12:22PM
Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Lyrics and Lyricists’ “We’ll Have Manhattan: Rodgers & Hart in New York” at 92nd St. Y Scores a Grand Slam by Marilyn Lester

Call it inspired, a perfect storm of creative ideas or even perfection—but no matter how you describe it, the first of this year’s Lyrics and Lyricists programs at the 92nd Street Y was …

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 02:57PM
Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Christmas in Hell, Playing at the York Theatre, Is…Cute as Hell by Marilyn Lester

Christmas in Hell is, well, as cute as hell. The music is delightful and the cast a wonderful dispenser of screwball antics. For those looking for a good time, the show is a kind of dark Dis…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 10:15AM
Sunday, October 14, 2018

October 12, 2018: CabCon Night Four—An Ending with Alan Jay Lerner and Plenty of Sparkle by Marilyn Lester

How do you wrap up a fabulous four nights of cabaret? Why, with a blitzkrieg of super talent—a 21-gun salute of singers honoring the 100th birthday of songbook treasure, Alan Jay Lerner. A…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 12:01PM
Friday, October 12, 2018

This Weekend with Welsh Diva Iris Williams Includes the Cabaret Convention Friday, October 12 and the Beach Café on Saturday, October 13 by Marilyn Lester

Garbed in Sunday clothes with beads and buckles and bows, and most definitely getting their picture took, was a thrilling cast of performers singing the Jerry Herman songbook at the Mabel Me…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 07:02PM
Thursday, October 11, 2018

October 10, 2018: CabCon Night Two Celebrates the Ladies—Clooney, Cook and Wilson by Marilyn Lester

Shifting focus from a broad panorama to a narrower lens celebrating three icons of cabaret, the second night of the 29th Annual Mabel Mercer Foundation Cabaret Convention saw a dozen A-list …

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 05:36PM
Wednesday, October 10, 2018

October 9, 2018: The Cabaret Convention Convenes Brightly at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Hall by Marilyn Lester

The first night of the four-night Mabel Mercer Foundation Cabaret Convention began auspiciously at 6 pm in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Hall. The 29th annual event, subtitled Cabaret Toda…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 01:03PM
Saturday, October 6, 2018

An Installment Plan for Theater Tickets: An Idea Whose Time Has Come or a WTF? What Do You Think? by Marilyn Lester

This week, it was announced that Ticketmaster would institute an installment plan to pay for Broadway tickets for Hamilton (top ticket at a whopping $1,551, fees included) and a dozen other …

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 11:19AM
Thursday, September 27, 2018

What’s New? Ann Hampton Callaway Sublimely Sings the Linda Ronstadt Songbook by Marilyn Lester

Poise, polish and presence are just a few of the accolades deserved by Ann Hampton Callaway in debuting her latest show, The Songbook of Linda Ronstadt. The match is a good one. Ronstadt’s…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 11:16AM
Friday, July 27, 2018

Richard Rodgers: With a Song in My Heart—Another Jazz in July Triumph by Marilyn Lester

The thirty fourth annual Jazz in July series at the 92nd Street Y has just concluded with six shows, each one a gem. Series artistic director, Grammy Award-winning pianist, Bill Charlap, has…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 01:01PM
Tuesday, July 3, 2018

The Universal Language of Jazz—Uptown and Across the Pond by Marilyn Lester

If music is an international language, then it’s nowhere more true than in the jazz world. Jazz artists—singers and instrumentalists—make up a tight community of travelers. Mention the…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 02:23PM
Friday, June 29, 2018

Bea Lillie Is in Good Hands with Sally Darling by Marilyn Lester

As time marches on, as new songs enter the American songbook and as more and more cabaret shows move further away from the classics of the past, preservation of this musical heritage becomes…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 10:58AM
Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Keeping the Music Playing—How Four Major Nonprofits Are Protecting America’s Musical Legacy by Marilyn Lester

A new foundation, a rebranded foundation and two established foundations are stepping up to keep American music safe. And be assured, American music in all of its forms does need to be prote…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 03:57PM
Friday, June 22, 2018

Natalie Douglas and Shirley Bassey Are a Perfect Match by Marilyn Lester

If ever there was a match made in entertainment heaven, it is Natalie Douglas with Dame Shirley Bassey. Both singers have remarkable vocal instruments—powerful voices and the wherewithal t…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 10:39AM
Friday, May 25, 2018

KT Sullivan Reigns Supreme at Birdland by Marilyn Lester

If there’s such a thing as reincarnation, KT Sullivan was surely a notable monarch in one of her past lives. Her command of a stage, large or small, is complete. On the intimate platform o…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 10:14AM
Friday, May 4, 2018

Libby Holman: Did She Do It? Lee Horwin May or May Not Know by Marilyn Lester

Lee Horwin has been fascinated by actress, singer and philanthropist, Libby Holman, for decades. So has actor/director/writer Walter Willison. The two have combined their shared passion for …

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 11:00AM
Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Spider Saloff Exudes The Cool Heat of Peggy Lee by Marilyn Lester

Spider Saloff is so darn appealing you just want to wrap her up and take her home. The singer is a bubbly package of entertainment perfection. She’s poised, witty, personable, smart and mo…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 11:05AM
Thursday, March 29, 2018

The Tuscany Project Vocal Workshop Offers the Opportunity to Sing in Paradise, June 30th-July 7th by Marilyn Lester

The Tuscany Project 2018 is not your “usual” vocal workshop. This immersive experience offers a path to creative enlightenment, encouraging participants to “sing your song” in a way …

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 11:43AM
Friday, March 23, 2018

The New Nightlife Mayor Has Arrived – Where Do We Go from Here? by Marilyn Lester

Nightlife, the naughty stepchild of live entertainment, may finally be finding redemption and validation with the long-awaited repeal of the so-called “Cabaret Law” and the creation of t…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 09:27AM
Sunday, March 4, 2018

We Report the Passing of Fantasticks Composer Harvey Schmidt with a Very Personal Pair of Tributes by Marilyn Lester

Composer Harvey Schmidt, perhaps best known for his work with lyricist Tom Jones in creating the legendary musical, The Fantasticks, passed away in Texas on February 28, at age 88. Schmidt a…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 12:14PM
Tuesday, February 27, 2018

The Stardusters Put on a Show—And it Rocked! by Marilyn Lester

Five of the singing waiters, the Stardusters, from Ellen’s Stardust Diner, descended the stairs to The Iridium on February 20th, and knocked the socks off an enthusiastic house (plus a hug…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 01:16PM
Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Josephine: A Burlesque Cabaret Dream Play at the Soho Playhouse Scores High Marks by Marilyn Lester

Josephine: A Burlesque Cabaret Dream Play, billed as a combination of cabaret, theater and dance, scores high marks for story telling and presentation, even if the title of the show is a bit…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 04:59PM
Friday, December 8, 2017

Christine Pedi’s Snow Bizness Is a Santa’s Bagful of Treats by Marilyn Lester

Ten years ago, Christine Pedi started what would become a tradition in New York City holiday shows. Originally she named it Holly Jolly Christmas Folly, until she received a cease-and-desist…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 06:30AM

The Barry Levitt Foundation Cabaret – Swing It Did! by Marilyn Lester

It’s been almost ten weeks since Maestro Barry Levitt passed away suddenly and unexpectedly, sending shock waves through the music community he touched in so many ways. And yet, The Maestr…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 06:30AM
Saturday, December 2, 2017

Wednesday, December 6, 2017: A Barry Levitt Foundation Cabaret. Swing We Must! by Marilyn Lester

By MARILYN LESTER**** When the music comes up at the Iridium this Wednesday night, December 6, 2017, the occasion will essentially mark the launch of The Barry Levitt Foundation – just the…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 03:28PM
Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Remembering Barry Levitt, 1947-2017 by Marilyn Lester

When someone as beloved as Barry Levitt passes on, those who mourn are especially affected. When that transition to the larger life is completely unexpected, the shock and sorrow are magnifi…

SOURCE: NiteLifeExchange at 12:25AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards