All stories by STEPHEN HOLDEN on BroadwayStars

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Review: ‘Our Guy, Cy: The Songs of Cy Coleman’ Pays Tribute to a Man and His Musicals by Stephen Holden

Randy Graff, Cady Huffman and Judy Kaye, three alumnae of Coleman shows, perform an affectionate tribute, directed by Will Nunziata, at Feinstein’s/54 Below.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:21PM

Review: Andrea Burns at Feinstein’s/54 Below by Stephen Holden

Ms. Burns, who plays Gloria Estefan’s mother in “On Your Feet,” is an entertainer at ease in the place where Broadway tradition merges with Latin American pop.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 01:45PM
Thursday, September 17, 2015

Review: Will Swenson Brings His Broadway Voice to 54 Below by Stephen Holden

At his New York cabaret debut, Mr. Swenson was joined for one number by his wife, Audra McDonald.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:58PM
Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Review: Brian Stokes Mitchell Blends Songs and Theater in ‘Plays With Music’ by Stephen Holden

This theatrically far-reaching show at Café Carlyle has Mr. Mitchell playing a different role in almost every song.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:45PM
Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Michael Feinstein and the Club 54 Below Agree to a Partnership by Stephen Holden

The Midtown Manhattan supper club will be renamed Feinstein’s/54 Below, with the singer and pianist to appear there appear twice annually.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:48PM
Thursday, August 20, 2015

ArtsBeat: Cafe Carlyle Kicks Off Season With Brian Stokes Mitchell by Stephen Holden

The club’s new season, which starts on Sept. 15, will include performances by Brian Stokes Mitchell and Kurt Elling.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 12:21PM
Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Birdland Club to Open a Theater Next Spring by Stephen Holden

The Birdland Theater will occupy the lower level of the club on West 44th Street.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 08:47PM
Sunday, July 19, 2015

Review: ‘Another Hundred People’ Digs Into Stephen Sondheim’s Catalog by Stephen Holden

The songs of Mr. Sondheim change KT Sullivan and Jeff Harnar, the stars of this revue, into more complex entertainers than previously suspected.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 06:13PM
Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Review: Charles Busch in ‘That Girl/That Boy’ Shares Songs and Stories by Stephen Holden

Among the top pleasures in Mr. Busch’s show at 54 Below is an appearance by Miriam Passman, one of his greatest characters and a comedic force.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 07:18PM
Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Review: In ‘Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs’ at Café Carlyle, No Emotion Is Left Hidden by Stephen Holden

This nightclub show performance amped up an aspect of Mr. Cumming that in the past he has parceled out more cautiously: his deeper personal feelings.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 03:54PM
Sunday, May 31, 2015

In ‘To Life!,’ Sheldon Harnick Tells of Songs Cut From ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ by Stephen Holden

“To Life!: Celebrating 50 Years of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ With Sheldon Harnick” presents songs cut from the original “Fiddler on the Roof.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:27PM
Monday, May 25, 2015

Music Review: For This Musical Couple, It’s Simply a Matter of Chemistry by STEPHEN HOLDEN

Barbara Cook and Michael Feinstein sing a program of standards at Feinstein’s at Loews Regency.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:58PM

Music Review: An Operatic Persona, Cut Down to Size by STEPHEN HOLDEN

Paulo Szot is making his New York cabaret debut at the Café Carlyle with a mixture of Brazilian standards and show tunes.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:58PM

The Kisses, the Bites, the Humor of Rodgers and Hart by Stephen Holden

Karen Akers sings the romance songs by Rodgers and Hart at the Oak Room in the Algonquin Hotel.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:58PM

A Swinging, Sophisticated New York by STEPHEN HOLDEN

Barbara Carroll sings for Sunday brunch at the Oak Room in the Algonquin Hotel.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:58PM

It’s a Mean-Girl World: Are You Bully or Victim? by STEPHEN HOLDEN

“You Again,” with Kristen Bell, Sigourney Weaver and Jamie Lee Curtis, is a misogynistic revenge comedy.

SOURCE: movies.nytimes.com at 05:58PM

Critic’s Notebook: Cabaret Love Is Busting Out All Over (but Not on TV) by STEPHEN HOLDEN

October brings the Cabaret Convention and the Broadway Cabaret Festival, related events that peacefully co-exist in a small cultural niche.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:58PM

Saving Old Scores From Pop’s Dustbin by STEPHEN HOLDEN

“Michael Feinsten’s American Songbook” showcases a singer’s love of collecting the building blocks of music’s history.

SOURCE: tv.nytimes.com at 05:58PM

Lightens My Sadness, She Livens My Days by STEPHEN HOLDEN

John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey, husband and wife, sing standards at the Café Carlyle.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:58PM

Over-the-Top Style Meets Some Good-Hearted Sense by STEPHEN HOLDEN

Lainie Kazan recounts her life and sings the standards at Feinstein’s at Loews Regency.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:58PM

Nightclub Tradition Gets a Jolt Of Youth by STEPHEN HOLDEN

Two singers, T. Oliver Reid and Amanda King, were standouts at the New York Cabaret Convention’s opening-night gala on Thursday at Rose Theater.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:58PM

Music Review: The Broadway That’s Forever Buoyant by STEPHEN HOLDEN

Marilyn Maye mines the catalogs of Herman, Loesser and even Sondheim for upbeat anthems for her shows at the Metropolitan Room.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:58PM

Music Review: At the Broadway Cabaret Festival, Kooks and Cutups by STEPHEN HOLDEN

The three-day festival at Town Hall was devoted to mostly familiar songs by mostly American songwriters, sung by Broadway performers.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:58PM

A Star Takes an Excursion Out of Her Comfort Zone by STEPHEN HOLDEN

Kelli O’Hara, star of Lincoln Center’s “South Pacific,” widens her range at Feinstein’s at the Regency.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:58PM

A Plush Voice Discovers Some Room to Be Frisky by STEPHEN HOLDEN

Jane Monheit brought a playful approach to her pop-jazz stylings at Birdland on Wednesday evening.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:58PM

Campy Ode to Film Noir and a Twist on Politics by STEPHEN HOLDEN

Amanda McBroom’s show at the Metropolitan Room on Thursday mixed emotional songs with comic zingers and a humorous call for the return of Monica Lewinsky.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:58PM

A Crooner Serenades His Loyal Friends by STEPHEN HOLDEN

Jack Jones, one of a vanishing breed pop-jazz crooners, opened his three-week run at the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel on Tuesday night.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:58PM

Music Review: The Porous Bernstein Border by STEPHEN HOLDEN

An evening devoted to both the classical and the Broadway sides of Leonard Bernstein demonstrated that sometimes they are nearly the same thing.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:58PM

All Orbs but No Surrender at This End of the Rainbow by STEPHEN HOLDEN

Jane Scheckter’s show at the Metropolitan Room is titled “The Moon, the Stars, Albert Einstein and Love,” but her feet are “planted on the earth.”

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:58PM

Doing the Loco-Motion, Somewhat Slowed Down by STEPHEN HOLDEN

Lynda Carter’s latest cabaret show, “Wicked Cool,” draws from the ’60s and ’70s.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:58PM

Songbook Standards Flavored With Barbecue in an Escargot Cafe by STEPHEN HOLDEN

Steve Tyrell, a Burt Bacharach protégé from Houston, is in his sixth season at the Café Carlyle.

SOURCE: The New York Times Subscription at 05:58PM

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