209 stories by "Andrew Poretz"
By Andrew Poretz … Singer, guitarist and songwriter Allan Harris brought his golden baritone and his matching gold guitar to Chelsea Table + Stage for a grade-A set of jazz standards, Nat …
By Andrew Poretz . . . This reviewer saw Seth Sikes and Nicolas King's The New Belters when they first presented it last October at The Green Room 42. It showed promise, but, was certainly a…
By Andrew Poretz … Broadway, film and pop star John Lloyd Young returned to 54 Below for a four-night residency. The Jersey Boys star had a new backup band, led by that long-haired gen…
By Andrew Poretz … Prodigious Grammy-winning saxophonist and composer Joe Lovano celebrated his 70th birthday with an eight-set, four-night run at Birdland Jazz with his large jazz ensembl…
With special guest Nicole Zuraitis By Andrew Poretz … This writer has reviewed or simply attended hundreds of shows by dozens of artists who have graced the Birdland stage over the years.�…
By Andrew Poretz … Susan Mack is the living embodiment of the saying, "Hard work pays off."Â Long successful personally and professionally, and beloved in her community, she did not pur…
By Andrew Poretz . . . Singer Madelaine Warren returned to the Laurie Beechman Theatre for an encore performance of Invitation. The classically trained soprano has been on the cabaret scene …
By Andrew Poretz … Bob O'Hare is a former actor who gave it up to become an attorney four decades ago, a profession he still practices. Like many attorneys, he's quite the raconteur.Â…
By Andrew Poretz … Have you ever wished you could brag that you caught an early version of a show like Hamilton or In the Heights before it hit Broadway? If you were at 54 Below on Nov…
By Andrew Poretz … Remember those 60's shows like Hullabaloo! and Shindig! that had exclamation marks as part of their titles? Well, Jo Brisbane does! This Kansas City writer and p…
By Andrew Poretz … Nicolas King and Seth Sikes performed their new show, The New Belters, before a sold-out crowd at The Green Room 42 on October 29. They described this first show as …
By Andrew Poretz … One could visit a galaxy far, far away in search of the finest "Pops" orchestra in the universe. As it happens, a subway ride to Carnegie Hall is a better bet. T…
By Andrew Poretz … Shana Farr, a winner of several major musical theater and cabaret awards, is an accomplished actress and singer with a gorgeous, classically trained voice and the statur…
By Andrew Poretz … While the New York theater world discusses who is the best Fanny Brice on Broadway, Naomi Miller might be as close to the real thing as you'll find in 2022, though more …
By Andrew Poretz … We started and ended our week with Billy Stritch, first with his Mel and Ella show with Gabrielle Stravelli on Monday (reviewed here), and capped off the week with his C…
By Andrew Poretz … Mel Tormé and Ella Fitzgerald were two of the greatest jazz singers of the twentieth century, masters of singing and performance whose legacy continues long after their…
"The Shadow of Her Smile" By Andrew Poretz . . . Imagine spending much of your young life constantly being told, "You look just like Elizabeth Taylor… in National Velvet!" The endless comp…
By Andrew Poretz . . . The legendary cabaret chanteuse Karen Akers reprised her acclaimed Water Under the Bridge show to a near-capacity crowd at Birdland Jazz on September 12th. The Tony-no…
By Andrew Poretz … Actress and singer Donna Vivino is a successful performer since early childhood, and most notably played Elphaba in Wicked. At 54 Below, Donna performed with her sis…
Charles Mingus Centennial by Andrew Poretz . . . Hot jazz on a sultry Friday night in August. That's what patrons of Chelsea Table + Stage received from Mingus Dynasty. There are a handf…
By Andrew Poretz. . . The Quintin Harris Quartet made their first appearance at Chelsea Table + Stage with a fine debut set. The Quartet was actually a trio. He was backed by Sam AuBuchon on…
Mostly Soul: Beloved Hits from Motown to Broadway . . . By Andrew Poretz … John Lloyd Young is a dynamic entertainer and actor. The Tony and Grammy winner is also a multi-Platinum reco…
By Andrew Poretz … Julie Benko is having one hell of a year. It would be fair to say that this is "The Year of the Benko." Prior to 2022, you likely did not know the name of this e…
By Andrew Poretz … Jacob Khalil and his trio returned to Birdland Theater on August 14th for two sets. After a strong showing in The Lineup with Susie Mosher earlier that week, it was …
By Andrew Poretz … Ah, the Jazz Age of the Roaring Twenties, that romanticized, Great Gatsby era of music and mayhem, the days of hot jazz, ladies in flapper outfits and well-dressed men, …
