By Marilyn Lester*** Beginning with Chelsea Table + Stage, there was the wonderfully creative Michael Kirk Lane performing Whatever I Feel, with pianist William TN Hall music directing and backup singers Brian Kalinowski and Jon Satrom pitching in on robbust vocals. Delivering exactly what the title promised, the set was eclectic, with Lane’s connecting thread of wit and comedic inspiration suffused throughout. Lane is consistently inventive 
and fun—certainly not “your father’s cabaret.” How many vocal artists do you know with a set list that includes “I’m Not a Loser” by They Might Be Giants from Spongebob the Musical or the Indigo Girls’ “Closer to Fine?”
One of the highlights of humor—the show bumping up against the start of the Mabel Mercer Foundation’s 34th Annual Cabaret Convention—was “I Went To the Cabaret Convention” (George Winters)—written for the late Jay Rogers. Known well to many artists of the genre, it’s a kind of theme song for those who wonder why they’ve never been invited to perform at this yearly institution. Tender moments came with “Halfway Down The Stairs” (AA Milne) and “Rainbow Connection” (Paul Williams, Kenny Ascher). What Lane feels is deep and caring, a journey through a landscape of emotion that brings you out to a place of feeling just fine, ‘cause we’re all in it together: “Here’s to Us” (Cy Coleman, Carolyn Leigh). Whatever I Feel was directed by Jake Bazel, with movement by Jeffrey Gugliotti.
Photos by Conor Weiss
At Don’t Tell Mama, Lynda Rodolitz Makes Art was, as expected, the product of a true original. You only have to see the postcard created by Lynda Rodolitz for the show to know this fact. It depicts Rodolitz’ face in iconic works of art, including “The Scream,” “The 
Mona Lisa” and “American Gothic.” But the art that the singer-comedian ultimately talked about was the art of life as reflected in the art of cabaret.
And it too featured a set of wildly different eclectic songs from the traditional “If I Were a Bell” (Frank Loesser) and “Here’s to Life” (Artie Butler, Phyliss Molinary) to pop: “I’ve Loved These Days” (Billy Joel) and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” (Taylor Swift, Max Martin, Johan Shellback); to the downright comic: “Hips Don’t Lie” (Shakira Mebarak, Wyclef Jean) and “Too Old to Die Young” (Murray Grand). Ultimately, Lynda Rodolitz Makes Art was a meditation on the ups and downs of life, through the lens of a woman of a certain age and her life experience. With these various ups and downs, reflections on parents and youth, goals and aspirations and more, Rodolitz brought optimism to the fore, with the notion that the time is now to keep growing and living one’s best possible life. The show was directed by Lennie Watts, with Steven Ray Watkins as musical director, also featuring Matt Scharfglass on bass and Don Kelly on percussion, with backup vocals by Wendy Russell.
Lynda Rodolitz Makes Art plays again at Don’t Tell Mama on Tuesday, November 14 at 7 PM and Sunday, November 19 at 3 PM.
Also at Don’t Tell Mama, VANGARI presented an encore of Moon Tunes & Mad Things! Vangari is the portmanteau of the delightful mother-daughter act of Evangeline Johns and Ariana Johns, who can be counted on for a well-paced and curated cabaret of songs 
known and unknown, clever, and “wistful and wild.” Aside from the talent required to pen and mount such a cabaret, what’s a wonderful bonus here is the dynamic between the two performers: mother love shines through to daughter and daughter love shines right back. At the keys, the duo’s longtime creative partner, music director Darrl Curry, was on hand to add vocals and zest (he and Ariana are also a songwriting team). 
Another delight about Vangari is their slightly eccentric charm. That’s evident in the title of the show, Moon Tunes & Mad Things! based on Luna, from which the term “lunacy derives.” There’s banter, harmony and humor as in Steve Allen’s “How Dare You, Sir” plus more in the “mad things” category. As for the moon, there was “No Moon at All: (David Mann, Redd Evans) and “Moon Outside My Window” (Jobe Huntley, Langston Hughes). Moon Tunes & Mad Things! made us happily moonstruck.
And over on Tin Pan Alley, the busy Tin Pan Alley American Popular Music Project mounted a terrific program in association with the centennial celebration of The 
Museum of the City of New York. At the kickoff event, Uptown Jazz Speakeasy, vocalist Aisha De Haas and TPAAPMP Board member, Education Chair and pianist, Robert Lamont, delivered an illustrated program of Tin Pan Alley songs from around 1923, when the Museum was f
ounded. Therein followed the Speakeasy with the Dandy Wellington jazz band and The Harlem Swing Dance Society. Music, dancing, cocktails—what a fun night!
And at The Woodlawn Cemetery’s Woolworth Chapel, TPAAPMP co-presented The Music of Tin Pan Alley, a concert featuring the early music of TPA as well as later tunes of the American Song Book, ragtime and blues. The amazing Miss Maybell and Charlie Judkins have an incredible repertoire of songs and the knowledge that goes with it. Back story song setups were fascinating and interesting. Plus, they’re superb musicians, true to the period yet with a modern twist that’s toe-tapping pleasing.
