Stephen Hanks - Page 2

Question: Would you buy an orchestra ticket (or any ticket for that matter) to an experimental Broadway musical called The Sweaty Smorgasbord where the 11 o'clock number is "Supper Sings Tonight?" How about checking out a derivative Jason Robert Brown musical titled The Gassy Breakthrough, where the song "Too Soon" is about whether the protagonist should fart on the first date? Here's one that potential musical theater show investors would love: A new Disney style musical called The Sticky Snake. Of course these aren't real or even prospective Broadway musicals. They are ideas that have emerged from the creative minds of some young composers and lyricists who might very well have their musicals gracing Broadway theaters some day. But in the meantime they have been conjuring up these wild concepts in Tune In Time, a musical theater game show staged semi-regularly at The York Theatre Company on East 54th Street (the next installment will be on Monday, November 9 at 7:30 pm) that could have been created by some hybrid of Chuck Barris (of The Gong Show fame) and Mel Brooks. As the show's creators and producers Amy Engelhardt and Heather Shields are fond of promoting about Tune In Time, "Anything goes . . . and usually does."

Urban Stages (Frances Hill, Founding Artistic Director, Peter Napolitano, Producer/Director of Musical Programming) today announced the line-up for this year's Award-Winning Musical event WINTER RHYTHMS 2015, which will begin Wednesday, December 2 and will feature some of New York's best musical performances through December 13, 2015 at Urban Stages Theatre. WINTER RHYTHMS 2015 marks the seventh year that Urban Stages has brought noted musical artists to its stage during the holiday period. The mission of Winter Rhythms is to bring the talents of known and unknown singers, musicians, lyricists and composers to the attention of the New York theater community while performing at Urban Stages Theater. Winner of the 2015 Ruth Kurtzman Benefit Series MAC Award, WINTER RHYTHMS benefits Urban Stages' acclaimed Outreach Program, which brings more than 200 free "arts in education" presentations to libraries and schools throughout the five boroughs. This year's event features 20 shows and more than 100 artists.

Maxine Linehan, one of New York's rising star concert and cabaret vocalists, sure knows how to celebrate the newly-crowned National League Champion New York Mets and their sudden home-run slugging superstar Daniel Murphy. The Irish-born Linehan recently took to the roof of her midtown westside residence to sing a special song in honor of fellow Irishman Murphy, who recently set a Major League Baseball post-season record for belting a home run in six consecutive playoff games. What song did Linehan pick as her love ode to the Murphy and the Mets? What's else but a parody of that iconic Irish ballad 'Danny Boy,' the original of which Linehan featured in her critically acclaimed cabaret show Beautiful Songs. As you'll see and hear in the video below, Maxine Linehan knocked this one out of the park.

On Monday, October 2 from 7 pm to 12:30 am at The Players Club, Patrick Solari's Prohibition Productions Series, THE SALON, will present an exclusive 'Antique Cocktail Party' celebrating the Playboy Clubs of the 1960s. The event will feature live music, DJs, classic burlesque, antique cocktails (made from unopened vintage bottles of 1960s spirits), and of course BUNNIES, all in honor of the book release of 'PLAYBOY SWINGS: How Hugh Hefner and Playboy Changed the Face of Music' written by Patty Farmer and Will Friedwald. Serving as the iconic 'Playboy Mansion' will be the beautiful & historic olde-world private club, The Players on 16 Gramercy Park South (between Park Ave and Irving Place on 20th Street). Like each Playboy Club of the era, guests receive a key upon arrival and have three rooms to frolic, dance and imbibe--THE PLAYPEN, THE LIVING ROOM, and THE LIBRARY-during what promises to be a sophisticated and titillating soiree.

On Monday, October 2 from 7 pm to 12:30 am at The Players Club, Patrick Solari's Prohibition Productions Series, THE SALON, will present an exclusive 'Antique Cocktail Party' celebrating the Playboy Clubs of the 1960s. The event will feature live music, DJs, classic burlesque, antique cocktails (made from unopened vintage bottles of 1960s spirits), and of course BUNNIES, all in honor of the book release of 'PLAYBOY SWINGS: How Hugh Hefner and Playboy Changed the Face of Music' written by Patty Farmer and Will Friedwald. Serving as the iconic 'Playboy Mansion' will be the beautiful & historic olde-world private club, The Players on 16 Gramercy Park South (between Park Ave and Irving Place on 20th Street). Like each Playboy Club of the era, guests receive a key upon arrival and have three rooms to frolic, dance and imbibe--THE PLAYPEN, THE LIVING ROOM, and THE LIBRARY-during what promises to be a sophisticated and titillating soiree.

When Al Jolson died in October 1950 at the age of 64, the world lost the man who was arguably the first pop superstar of the 20th century and the Broadway musical theater actor and singing sensation who had been acknowledged as 'The World's Greatest Entertainer.' A few months before Jolson died, a passionate Jolson fan named Dolores Kontowicz from Wisconsin founded the 'Al Jolson Society.' Sixty-five years later, the 1,000-plus member 'International Al Jolson Society' is not only still going strong, the organization holds an annual May 'Festival' at various venues around America and the world. In addition, the Society's current President Jan Hernstat has for the past 18 years produced a 'Mini' Jolson Festival in Long Island, which attracts Society members and local residents who want to revel in the memory of The Great Jolson. This year's 19th Annual event will be held on August 15, 9:30-4:00 pm, in Oceanside, New York (see complete info at end of this story). 

When Al Jolson died in October 1950 at the age of 64, the world lost the man who was arguably the first pop superstar of the 20th century and the Broadway musical theater actor and singing sensation who had been acknowledged as "The World's Greatest Entertainer." A few months before Jolson died, a passionate Jolson fan named Dolores Kontowicz from Wisconsin founded the "Al Jolson Society." Sixty-five years later, the 1,000-plus member "International Al Jolson Society" is not only still going strong, the organization holds an annual May "Festival" at various venues around America and the world. In addition, the Society's current President Jan Hernstat has for the past 18 years produced a "Mini" Jolson Festival in Long Island, which attracts Society members and local residents who want to revel in the memory of The Great Jolson. This year's 19th Annual event will be held on August 15, 9:30-4:00 pm, in Oceanside, New York (see complete info at end of this story). 

Stephen Hanks, Producer of Cabaret Life Productions, and Union Temple of Brooklyn (17 Eastern Parkway) are proud to announce that Musical Director/Pianist Jon Weber will perform his critically acclaimed show, From Joplin to Jarrett: 100 Years of Piano Jazz, at Union Temple tonight, June 19 at 8 pm. The one-man concert will be in the 3rd Floor Social Hall at 8 pm after the 6:30 pm Shabbat Service and dinner. Admission to the concert is FREE.

British chanteuse Barb Jungr is also a staunch defender of the cabaret faith, and an incredibly erudite one at that. In December 2012, for the British online current-affairs magazine, spiked, she made such a great argument for the cabaret art form—in the face of constant putdowns by judges of British singing competitions shows, among others—that BWW felt it needed to be read by the American cabaret community and its fans.

Take the songs of young composer Scott Evan Davis and expose them to a bunch of Broadway babies from Houston making an eight-day trip to Manhattan and you've got the perfect ingredients for a revue that will hit the Davenport Theatre Mainstage on Monday, June 15 at 7 pm. (The Davenport Theatre is on 354 West 45th Street.) Called Perspectives, the revue was conceived by Houston-based Jeannine Rowden and her Rowden Music Studio, and will star 12 up-and-coming performers between ages eight and 18, most of whom are from the Houston area and all of whom are Rowden's musical theater and vocal students.

In 2015, the CabaretFest in Provincetown (MA), one of America's biggest Cabaret events, is returning to its roots. After a one-year layoff, this weekend extravaganza of song that began in 1999 under the guidance of actor and cabaret performer John O'Neil, will be back this June (4-7) bigger and better than ever. Singer and Cape Cod resident Patricia Fitzpatrick and Ambassador Productions has recruited O'Neil to help re-launch the event in its original format-only longer. CabaretFest 2015 Provincetown weekend will be jammed-packed with activities and shows that Fitzpatrick says, 'Promise to be educational, entertaining, and fun, and all will celebrate 'The Art of Cabaret!'

Mary Foster Conklin and Amy Engelhardt, two of New York City's most unique cabaret artists, return to the Duplex to make their own fun tonight, June 3 at 7 pm. Sprung from different parts of New Jersey's underbelly, these unique storytellers with serious potty mouths recently discovered each other's talents--and are now proud members of a mutual admiration society.

Stephen Hanks, Producer of Cabaret Life Productions, and Union Temple of Brooklyn (17 Eastern Parkway) are proud to announce that Musical Director/Pianist Jon Weber will perform his critically acclaimed show, From Joplin to Jarrett: 100 Years of Piano Jazz, at Union Temple on June 19 at 8 pm. The one-man concert will be in the 3rd Floor Social Hall at 8 pm after the 6:30 pm Shabbat Service and dinner. Admission to the concert is FREE.

Since BroadwayWorld.com launched its New York Cabaret Awards in 2012, the process of voting on preliminary nominees and final nominees for recognition in approximately 20 categories has been open to anyone registering to vote on the highly-trafficked entertainment website. For it's 4th Annual Cabaret Awards nomination period—this year beginning after Thanksgiving 2015--BroadwayWorld will now put the nomination process into the hands of its cabaret show reviewing staff (Alix Cohen, David Clarke, John Hoglund, Andrew Martin, Billie Roe, and Remy Block) and select industry experts, led by BWW Cabaret Editor and Awards Show Producer Stephen Hanks (who has also hosted the show since its inception). Once the final nominees are announced, the general public will again be offered the chance to vote online for the best performers and shows of the past year.

Mary Foster Conklin and Amy Engelhardt, two of New York City's most unique cabaret artists, return to the Duplex to make their own fun on Wednesday, June 3 at 7 pm. Sprung from different parts of New Jersey's underbelly, these unique storytellers with serious potty mouths recently discovered each other's talents--and are now proud members of a mutual admiration society.

Legendary theatre district cabaret nightspot Don't Tell Mama--which has been a launch pad for countless future stars in cabaret and theater since it inaugurated its cabaret in November 1982--has announced it will present the first annual Mama's Next BIG Act! a 12-week competition for entertainers that mixes styles and genres. Beginning Tuesday June 9 at 9:30 pm, and running for 12 consecutive weeks every Tuesday through August 25, Mama's Next BIG Act! will attract acts in multiple categories and then pit the top votegetters in head-to-head competition during the contest's final weeks. Voted by the audience and a cavalcade of celebrity judges, the contest will invite solo, duo, and group acts in the following categories: music, magic, drag, burlesque, and variety. (All acts may use the contest's resident music director, or provide their own accompaniment.)

The York Theatre Company and its Artistic Director James Morgan and producers Amy Engelhardt and Heather Shields, will be presenting the 8th edition of the quirky and popular musical theater game show Tune in Time, on Tuesday May 5 at 7:30 pm with a new cast of contestants and celebrity judges. Joining the songwriting fray for this round are Alan Gordon (Kleban Award for The Usual), Kathryn Hathaway (Afterland), Bill Nelson (Harmony, Kansas), Rachel Peters (curator of Cornelia Street Cafe's Otherwise Unsung series), Brad Simmons (musical director of Broadway's Lysistrata Jones), and Benjamin Velez (Pain in the Aztec). Among the celebrity judges for the next show will be Broadway Producer Ken Davenport (Altar Boyz), casting director Michael Cassara (NYMF, A Time for Singing at the York) and performer Rachel Rhodes-Devey (Merrily We Roll Along at APAC).

Linda Amiel Burns is about to launch the May/June 2015 edition of her Singing Experience Workshop and still has openings for intrepid singers, whether pros who need polishing or newcomers who need nurturing. As Burns says, “Whatever level you are at, The Singing Experience is for you.” With Musical Director/Accompanist Richard Danley at the piano, the six-session May/June 2015 workshop—called HIT PARADE—will include four rehearsals at Studio 353 (353 West 48th Street) on Thursday evenings, May 21, May 28, June 4, and June 11, from 6:30-9:30 pm. The performance show, in which the participants perform solos and group numbers in front of friends, family, and cabaret lovers, is scheduled for Wednesday, June 17 at Stage 72 (The Triad) at 7:30 pm. The group holds a “DVD Viewing Party” of the show on June 17, 7-10 pm.

Singer and actress Julie Wilson, arguably one of the greatest cabaret chanteuses to grace a stage, died early this morning at the age of 90, according to her long time accompanist and friend Christopher Denny, who posted the news on his Facebook page. As of 8:45 this morning, the news of Wilson's death had not yet broken through major news outlets. Denny reported that Wilson 'died peacefully, surrounded by people who loved her, after having sustained two strokes over the last several days.' Up until the past couple of months of her life, the energetic Wilson was still being seen at various cabaret shows around town and supporting the new breed of stars, recently having the time of her life at a Mark Nadler show at the York Theatre.

Artistic Director James Morgan, The York Theatre Company, and producers Amy Engelhardt and Heather Shields, will be presenting another edition of the quirky and popular musical theater game show Tune in Time, on Monday, April at 7:30 pm with a new cast of contestants and celebrity judges. Joining the composing fray for this round will be composers Lisa deSpain, Mark Sonnenblick, and Rick Bassett, while the lyricists they will team up with could come from a group consisting of Sarah Ziegler, Gordon Leary and cabaret performer, Broadway actress, and musical theater composer/book writer Rosemary Loar. Among the celebrity judges for the next show will be Matt Britten, Executive Producer for Blank! The Musical and marketing director for the New York Musical Theatre Festival; Remy Zaken, from the original Broadway company of Spring Awakening; and Thomas Honeck, the general manager for the Duplex and recent MAC Award winner for his cabaret show, Dancing With Dealth.