Rob Lester

TWO FOR THE SHOW, AND THEN SOME A seasoned cabaret favorite finds fresh pleasures in the songs of Dorothy Fields, Cy Coleman, and their collaborators By the time composer Cy Coleman and lyricist Dorothy Fields got together in the mid-1960s to write songs for a Broadway musical, both were established pros with many credits. That…

THREE NIGHTS, ONE GRAND SONGBOOK A generous feast of cabaret favorites, delivered with warmth, wit, and occasional excess FIRST NIGHT ONCE IN A BLUE MOON: A TRIBUTE TO MABEL MERCER Years have gone by since the influential and revered cabaret singer Mabel Mercer held court with elegant, minimalist performances of standards and lesser-known treasures she…

A DIZZYING ARRAY OF SONGWRITERS AT DIZZY’S A playful look back at a Cole Porter salute sets the stage for Songbook Sundays’ upcoming celebration of Kander and Ebb on October 4 A review of Songbook Sundays’ It’s All Right with Cole Porter on April 12 at Dizzy’s begins in the form of three sets of…

A VERY GOOD YEAR Someone should carve a statue to this delightful performer If the world of cabaret ever got around to having someone carve its own equivalent of Mount Rushmore, the smiling face of singer Jeff Harnar might well be one of the heads in stone. After all, he’s carved out quite a long…

YOUNG VOICES, BRIGHT LIGHTS Two dozen aspiring performers take the stage with enthusiasm, confidence and plenty of personality It doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to make an educated guess that most of the smiling faces, cell-phone cameras and wildly applauding hands at a cabaret show filled with kid performers belong to proud parents, grandparents, siblings and…

WAIT ‘TIL YOU HEAR HIM A gifted young singer proves he’s more than a novelty act 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,…

A TRIBUTE WITH HEART Laurie Roldan honors Karen Carpenter with affection, authenticity, and grace. Singer Laurie Roldan could easily be elected president of the Karen Carpenter Appreciation Society. Her concert tribute at The Green Room 42, A Song for You: The Music of Karen Carpenter & Friends!, reflects a lifelong devotion to the singer/drummer while…

MAN, OH MAN! MANCHESTER IS IN FINE FORM A warm, witty retrospective celebrates fifty years of songs, stories, and an artist still at the top of her game. Regulars at 54 Below may have done a double take upon entering the room for one of Melissa Manchester‘s four May performances. First, the piano had been…

A SUAVE, STREISAND- CENTRIC SOIGNÉE SOIRÉE Errico eloquently echoes superstar Streisand with style Musical mega-talents cast long shadows. Any performer who builds a show around their repertoire risks comparison, yet that hasn’t stopped a parade of vocalists from tackling the songs associated with Barbra Streisand. In The Streisand Effect: Back to Barbra at 54 Below,…