WAIT ‘TIL YOU HEAR HIM

A gifted young singer proves
he’s more than a novelty act

Michael Lavine and Ethan Mathias (Jonathan Slaff)

When singers do their shows in New York City’s cabaret rooms, their audiences often include plenty of fellow vocalists. Some are longtime friends; others haven’t yet met. They may have shared a bill at a benefit or group concert, then randomly end up sharing a table before the lights dim.

I can picture exactly that leading to a friendly conversation between two acclaimed Manhattan singers with devoted fans and glowing reviews. One is Ethan Mathias. The other is Marilyn Maye.

MARILYN: Well, good evening, Ethan. It’s nice to see you again.
ETHAN: You too. I was so honored to be on the same bill with you at The Cutting Room last month for the Sidney Myer tribute.
MARILYN: Congratulations on your own show at The Green Room 42. What have you been doing since then?
ETHAN: I just got back from Indiana.
MARILYN: Oh, that’s where I went for Michael Feinstein’s Songbook Academy a few years ago.
ETHAN: I was there this summer. It was wonderful.
MARILYN: Michael and I did a concert together here in New York years ago.
ETHAN: I know! I watched videos of it online. I even saw your MAC Awards performance from 2009.
MARILYN: Really?
ETHAN: Well… on YouTube. I wasn’t there. I was only four days old.
MARILYN: Time flies. Now you’re 17 and this year you won a MAC Award yourself.
ETHAN: Yes, for Male Debut. I’m thrilled… but so many compliments seem to end with “especially for someone his age.”
MARILYN: Since I turned 90, people keep saying I’m amazing “considering my age.”
ETHAN: All that talk about age gets a little… old.
MARILYN: Give it a few years. They’ll stop talking about your age and just talk about your talent. Oh—the show’s beginning. Do you
recognize this song? It’s “Stardust.”
ETHAN: It sounds pretty good…considering how old it is.

If that imaginary exchange has a point, it’s this: Ethan Mathias is rapidly reaching the stage where his age is becoming the least interesting thing about him. Yes, a 17-year-old who genuinely loves the Great American Songbook and classic musical theatre remains something of a novelty. But after seeing his sophomore cabaret outing, Wait ‘Til You See What’s Next, presented July 9 at The Green Room 42, it becomes clear that what deserves attention isn’t his birth certificate but his artistry.

Ethan Mathias

At just 17, Mathias is already attracting attention on New York’s cabaret scene. But he’s not the only teen who burst onto the cabaret scene singing old songs: Contests for high school-aged vocalists have brought us polished performers such as Anais Reno and Joie Bianco. And Nicolas King was a youthful nightclub dynamo early on. Earlier generations can point to Judy Garland, Paul Anka, and Lena Zavaroni.

Mathias demonstrates a deep, well-trained, on-target baritone and an easygoing stage presence that belie his years. It’s hard not to notice that he’s only 17, but that fact can overshadow what matters. Many of the accolades, some bordering on gushingly hyperbolic, come with a qualifier: he’s remarkable for someone his age. Hell, this modest, unassuming, smiley guy in sneakers and sport coat could even pass for someone younger.

The Michigan native has assembled a thoughtful program which contains some autobiographical bits in the song set-up. Titled for Jason Robert Brown’s pulse-quickening “Wait ‘Til You See What’s Next,” a kinetic keeper, the program includes two theatre songs by Maury Yeston (“How Will I Know?” from Death Takes a Holiday; the boy’s song, “Getting Tall,” from Nine) and two life-affirming items by the team of Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones (the title number of Celebration and “I Can See It” from The Fantasticks). Trained in classical music, he showed he could handle Handel with the aria “Si, tra i ceppi.” The singer remains gracious and gallant throughout, in this night of notable charm and chops.

Michael Lavine and Ethan Mathias

An equally important presence is Music Director Michael Lavine, whose assertive, emotion-stirring piano playing propels the evening while responding instinctively to the singer’s phrasing and emotional shifts. Equally evident is the shaping hand of director Eric Michael Gillett, whose experience as both performer and director gives the show polish without sacrificing Mathias’s natural sincerity. One almost wishes Gillett would join his protégé for a duet should the show return.

Not every choice lands equally well. Stephen Sondheim’s “If You Can Find Me, I’m Here” from Evening Primrose begins in complete darkness with spoken dialogue that initially left me uncertain about what’s happening. Likewise, introducing “I Can See It” from The Fantasticks by joking about disagreements between singer and pianist prompts laughter that momentarily undercuts the song’s emotional weight before it gradually recovers its intended impact. A few references about his experiences might not be crystal-clear to all—an Off-Broadway credit in a show called The Last Boy might be confused with the current higher-profile Broadway musical The Lost Boys, and maybe not everyone in every audience will know that Mannes is a music school.

Michael Lavine and Ethan Mathias (photo by Stephan Mosher)

There are also opportunities for expansion. An unabashed comedy number would add another color to the evening, while one full-throttle showstopper could provide an even more exhilarating finish. Since Mathias also studies dance and plays piano, those talents might naturally become part of future cabaret outings as well. The show is not overly long, so a little more material would be fine and fitting and fortuitous.

One hopes, too, that the extraordinary enthusiasm surrounding this young artist remains a source of encouragement rather than impossible expectation. In today’s promotional culture, words like “star” and comparisons to legendary performers arrive very early. They are well-intentioned, but they can burden someone who is still discovering just who he is as an artist.

Fortunately, Ethan Mathias doesn’t need inflated comparisons. What he already possesses—a beautifully trained voice, mature musical instincts, genuine warmth, and a refreshing lack of show-business ego—is more than enough. Wait ‘Til You See What’s Next is aptly titled. If this performance is any indication, we’ll be happy to do exactly that.

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production photos by Michael Stever

Wait ‘Til You See What’s Next
The Green Room 42
570 Tenth Avenue in New York City
performed July 9, 2026
for future shows, visit The Green Room 42 and Ethan Mathias

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