383 stories by "Rob Lester"
THE QUEEN OF CABARET STILL REIGNS A birthday-month run proves that Marilyn Maye at 98 remains unstoppable Memo to fans of solo singers who've been living in a cave for more than half a centu…
THE SONGBOOK LIVES ON Feinstein's Carnegie Hall "On the Town" concert celebrates classic songs and those who wrote and performed them with style, wit, and swing Like a party that keeps going…
A LEGEND STILL IN MOTION A radiant, nostalgic evening with a Broadway icon who continues to charm and connect Gracious, graceful, gratifying, glowing, glamorous. Some cabaret shows are every…
LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL WITH A TWIST Julie Benko's Mardi Gras"flavored cabaret delights with energy and polish: a tasty Gumbo On a Monday night at Birdland Jazz Club, with a twinkle in her e…
TWO STEVES WITH LOVE, TWO TRIBUTES, ONE SUPREMELY SATISFYING WEEK From Schwartz to Sondheim, Callaway revisits rich collaborations with warmth, wit, and deeply felt interpretation Once upon …
GETTING OLDER NEVER SOUNDED SO GOOD A richly satisfying Maltby and Shire revue finds warmth, wit, and wisdom in growing older Lynne Wintersteller, Sally Wilfert, Allyson Kaye Daniel While it…
LORNA LUFT LETS LOOSE LUSTILY AND WITH LOVE A veteran performer pushes through rough patches with grit, gratitude, and plenty of show-biz heart There's plenty of energy and goodwill going ba…
PIANO MAN BY PROXY Tony DeSare salutes Billy Joel with polish, power, and plenty of affection Special thanks go to Billy Joel for changing the career path of the terrifically talented Tony D…
A BENNETT SONGBOOK WITH PIZZARELLI SWING The singer-guitarist and his trio offer solid entertainment and a nostalgic stroll through a legend's songbook There may not be many things you can c…
A SINATRA SONGBOOK REVUE RETURNS WITH STYLE, SWING, AND STAYING POWER The revue recalling the repertoire of "Ol' Blue Eyes" is a song-stuffed, sure-fire success (again) So, who doesn't love …
A FAMILY AFFAIR AT 54 BELOW Linda Eder shines, with a promising assist from Jake Wildhorn; like mother like son " both likeable Casual and confident, a smiling Linda Eder strode onto the sta…
WITNESSING WILDE'S WONDERFUL WIT IS ALWAYS WELCOME Storm Theatre delivers elegance and precision, if not always sparkle Lurking under the characters' control, courtesies and curtseys, calcul…
A HIGH VOICE, SOME HIGHLIGHTS, AND A HIGH-SPIRITED CROWD If you were shopping for the most versatile fantasy fabric for fashioning a fabulous outfit, imagine it by checking each of these box…
QUINTESSENTIAL QUINTIN Essential jazz, effortless swing, and a trio's genuine chemistry Jazz fans bid farewell to January with a smile at Birdland Jazz Club by settling into a sublimely sati…
A CONTEST AND A CONCERT The Mabel Mercer Foundation nurtures the next generation of cabaret artists Three cheers for the Mabel Mercer Foundation (MMF) and its ongoing commitment to introduci…
AN INTERGENERATIONAL, SENSATIONAL THEATRE GROUP Creative Stage Collective's annual revue proves that age is irrelevant when imagination leads To get to their Sunday rehearsals, the many memb…
A VARIED AND VOLUPTUOUS NIGHT OF SONG A night at Carnegie Hall always feels special and elegant, and the evening of January 15 was no exception. Applause was plentiful, cheers resounded, and…
THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MIDDLE EAST Stephen Cole's backstage Qatar saga is stranger than fiction"and just as entertaining In the story category of "truth …
A REMARKABLY RESPLENDENT & RADIANT REVUE If you're wandering around Manhattan, just "Wishin' and Hopin'" for a magnificent musical revue with some "Magic Moments," don't "Walk On By" the…
OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL EVENIN'! RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN RIDE AGAIN AT CARNEGIE HALL With a full cast, full dialogue, and a glorious orchestra, this Oklahoma! concert leans into the classic's…
SARCASM ON STEROIDS To say that Dorothy Parker had a way with words would be the understatement of the century"and she spanned two of them, being born in the last decade of the 1800s and han…
BOOM! IS A BLAST! Separately, each is terrific. Together, the two are sublime. When singing sisters Ann Hampton Callaway and Liz Callaway combine their voices and sensibilities"echoing each …
MARRIAGE, MOVIES & MISERIES AT MINETTA LANE Marriage may be like a garden " has to be consistently and attentively nurtured and cared for or it will wither instead of bloom and grow " bu…
A PLEASING PAIR Standards stretched, teased, and joyfully reimagined The song "'S Wonderful" will be a century old next year, so it's not a new thing to wonder if its titular positive adject…
Reviews of tribute albums for Sondheim, Finke, the Gershwins, McHugh, Berlin.
