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Rob Lester
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Concert Review: AN EVENING WITH LAURA BENANTI (Kaufmann Concert Hall, 92NY)
MUSIC, MEMORIES, MOTHERHOOD & MELANIA Laura Benanti sparkles in a knowing, joyful evening at 92NY Her silver gown sparkled. Her voice sparkled. Her wit sparkled. Yes, Laura Benanti was aglow on January 29 in a concert at 92NY. Self-aware, self-confident, and a bit full of herself in the most entertaining way possible, her musical menu…
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Cabaret Events: AMERICAN SONGBOOK HIGH SCHOOL COMPETITION & CABARET WORKSHOP CONCERT (Mabel Mercer Foundation, Laurie Beechman Theatre)
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 introducing younger performers to the Great American Songbook and the art of cabaret. This winter, the Foundation has presented two related initiatives: a concert held last…
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Theater Preview: CREATIVE STAGE SPECTACULAR 2026 (Creative Stage Collective, Symphony Space)
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 members of Creative Stage Collective are real troopers, traipsing and trudging through snow falling—and lingering—in unpleasant temperatures dipping below freezing and staying there. After all, these dedicated kids, teens,…
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Concert Review: ISABEL LEONARD AND FRIENDS (Carnegie Hall)
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 moments of surprise and comic relief brought amused laughter that banished any fear that a heavy layer of formulaic formality would settle over…
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Theater Review: CAMELTON (Stephen Cole’s One-Man Show About One Man’s Wild Ride)
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 is stranger than fiction,” and well worthy of inclusion in an edition of Ripley’s Believe It or Not, comes the mind-boggling saga of how…
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Music Review: THE LOVESTRUCK BALLADEERS (Birdland Theater)
A POEM IN PRAISE OF THE LOVESTRUCK BALLADEERS There’s a super group that gets plenty of cheers:They’re called The Lovestruck Balladeers.They had a Birdland three-night gig.And the repertoire was pretty darn big.They play vintage music – originals, too.One cute highlight’s a song that’s called “Looking for You.”And this delight just happens to beThe title tune…
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Theatre Review: GOING BACHARACH: THE SONGS OF AN ICON (Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater)
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 building at 10 West 64th Street. The show there is the “Best That You Can Do,” so “Make It Easy on Yourself” and see the super-satisfying…
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Concert | Theater Review: OKLAHOMA! IN CONCERT (Carnegie Hall)
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 warmth— exclamation point included. Ah, the classic musical Oklahoma! It begins with the offstage cowboy character named Curly singing about nature—“There’s a bright golden haze…
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Theatre Review: FINDING DOROTHY PARKER (Laurie Beechman Theatre)
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 hanging on until 1967. Even her own death was subject to one more pithy punchline. In a story with herself…
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Cabaret Review: BOOM! 15TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT (Ann Hampton Callaway & Liz Callaway at 54 Below)
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 other’s lines, with glorious harmonies weaving and soaring through songs—it’s one of the best things you can do for your ears. At 54 Below, through Saturday, January…
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Off-Broadway Review: THE DISAPPEAR (Minetta Lane Theatre)
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 — but for Ben and Mira in The Disappear, nobody’s doing much watering, making this particular union look parched, prickly, and perilously…
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Cabaret Review: DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER & BILL CHARLAP (Birdland)
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 adjective might describe the rendition du jour and the full live set or recording in which it has appeared. In the case of…
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Album Review: CHRISTMAS & YOU (Anthony Nunziata)
A RARE HOLIDAY ALBUM OF ALL-NEW SONGS Anthony Nunziata sidesteps recycled carols with a freshly written, earnest Christmas collection It’s not exactly a Christmas miracle, but it is kind of rare among the thousands of holiday albums to find one with material that is 100% new. Year after year, most new releases rely heavily on…
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Album Review: CHRISTMAS (Judy Whitmore)
A PLEASANT CHRISTMAS Warm, traditional holiday fare delivered with sincerity and respect When it came time to title her Christmas album, the unpretentious, straightforward singer Judy Whitmore apparently didn’t give a whit about coming up with something witty or flashy. It’s simply called Christmas. And in keeping with that no-nonsense title, Whitmore comes off as…
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Film Review: SERIOUS PEOPLE (directed by Pasqual Gutierrez & Ben Mullinkosson)
A FILM ABOUT MAKING A VIDEO–ARE THEY SERIOUS ABOUT THIS??!?!!? Depending on your level of patience and maturity, you may or may not have serious problems with Serious People. It’s probably best not to take it seriously. The concept has potential for comedy and some payoff—eventually. But it takes a long time to get there;…
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Film Review: SAUNA (Directed by Mathias Broe)
A “STEAMY” LOVE STORY The Danish drama Sauna explores identity, discomfort, and an unexpected bond Not everybody likes surprises, and life throws enough curveballs that sometimes it’s nice to know what you’re getting into — especially when the information is readily available. In the film Sauna, a cis gay guy named Johan opens his humble…
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Film Review: 31 CANDLES (Directed by Jonah Feingold)
A SUMMER CAMP CRUSH, A RELIGION DECISION & A FREE BAGEL A modern Jewish rom-com sprinkled with neuroses, nostalgia, and plenty of chutzpah He’s 30 years old and single, without a steady permanent job, so naturally Leo Kadner’s parents push, prod, and pester him about finding a better job and a nice Jewish girl to…
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Album Review: BRISKET FOR BREAKFAST (Joe Alterman, featuring Houston Person, with bassist Kevin Smith and drummer Justin Chesarek)
JAZZ WITH JOY: THE BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS The back cover of the instrumental CD Brisket for Breakfast by the Joe Alterman Trio and their guest, veteran tenor sax man Houston Person, cutely reinforces the album title’s reference to food with two promises worthy of the marriage of a roadside diner and a jazz set. Both…
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Film Review: THE BUSINESS OF FANCYDANCING (Written and Directed by Sherman Alexie; Restored)
A TRIBE, A DIATRIBE, MOVING AWAY & MOVING ON Say what you will about the ties that bind. If those ties were literally ropes, some of them would stay strong and some would fray or break. Arguably, time does not heal all wounds; some hurts fester and foster resentment for years. Prodigal sons may have…
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Album Review: I WILL (Larry Goldings, piano, with Karl McComas-Reichl, bass, and Christian Euman, percussion)
GOLDINGS HAS THE GOLDEN TOUCH Soloist, sideman, bandleader, pianist, organist, arranger, composer, accompanist to singers (such as James Taylor, John Pizzarelli, Jessica Molaskey, and Norah Jones)… Well, check out Larry Goldings and you’ll note that he checks a lot of boxes and thinks outside the box as a creative jazz man. His latest release, the…
Music Review: NELLIE McKAY (City Vineyard)
by Rob Lester | April 29, 2026
in Cabaret, New YorkOff-Broadway Review: BROKEN SNOW (Theatre 71)
by Gregory Fletcher | April 28, 2026
in New York, TheaterTheater Review: THE SECRET SHARER (DNAWorks at Emerson Paramount Center)
by Lynne Weiss | April 27, 2026
in Boston, TheaterBroadway Review: JOE TURNER’S COME AND GONE (Barrymore Theatre)
by Paola Bellu | April 25, 2026
in New York, Theater
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