By Marilyn Lester***After two years of COVID curtailment, the 33rd annual Mabel Mercer Foundation Cabaret Convention was back in fine form. Held in Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center, a galaxy of cabaret stars from near and far convened for three nights (October 26, 27, 28) of glorious song. Here are the highlights:
The Hosts: Traditionally, the first night of the convention is helmed by Jeff Harnar and Andrea Marcovicci, but owing to Harnar being indisposed, Marcovicci soldiered on solo on Look To The Rainbow: The Songs of Yip Harburg. She also soloed on a playful “What Wouldn’t I Do For That Man?” Night two, themed Unforgettable: A Tribute to Nat King Cole, was hosted by the ever-bubbly and uptempo Natalie Douglas, who astounded with “L-O-V-E” delivered in seven languages! and “Sweet Lorraine.” On night three, Through The Years: Celebrating Timeless American Standards, Mabel Mercer Foundation Artistic DIrector and driving force, KT Sullivan, opened the show at the piano (a newly rediscovered ability and love) with “Sail Away.”
The Musicians: Without them, a capella singing would become mighty monotonous. Fortunately, top-flight musicians supported the vocalists with unflagging creativity and mighty chops. Pianist Jon Weber, except where noted, applied his genius at the keys, anchoring all three nights. Bassists Steve Doyle and Johnathan Michel, drummers Dan Gross and Ray Marchica and specialty players Danny Bacher (reeds), Sean Harkness and Ed Cherry (guitars) and Rex Benincasa (bongos), added spice throughout the Convention. A treat on night two was the House Trio (Weber, Cherry, Michel) with a hot jazz salute to the Nat King Cole Trio, with “Hit That Jive, Jack.”
The Legends: They are, as Duke Ellington would say, “beyond category: Sandy Stewart (“Just One of Those Things” with Bill Charlap), Marilyn Maye (“Here’s That Rainy Day/Stormy Weather” with Tedd Firth) and the entirely unique and “best-loved man in cabaret,” Sidney Myer (“I’m Perfect” with Tracy Stark).
Broadway Guys and Dolls: They do double duty on big stages and small, with powerhouse performing a specialty. They were: Karen Akers (“Paris Is A Lonely Town” with Alex Rybeck), Valarie Pettiford (“Besame Mucho/Quizas Quizas Quizas” with Ron Abel), Aisha de Haas (“Route 66”), Karen Mason (“Love Is Here To Stay” with Christopher Denny), Haley Swindal (“Through The Years” with Mark Hummel), Amra-Faye Wright (“Hard Hearted Hannah”with Mark Hummel), Emma Pittman (“Someone to Watch Over Me” with Mark Hummel), Michael-Denby Cain (“Down With Love”), Darius de Haas (“Nature Boy”), Nicolas King (“Where Can I Go Without You?”), T. Oliver Reid (“Straighten Up & Fly Right”) and Ken Page (“Angel Eyes” with Lance Horne).
Double Acts+: Featuring harmonies and good chemistry: Clearly Now—Sean Harkness, Marcus Simeone, Lina Koutrakos (“Over The Rainbow” with Danny Bacher on sax), Marta Sander and Leanne Borghesi (“Napoleon” with Alex Rybeck; Sanders also performed “Brother Can You Spare A Dime” and Borghesi also performed “Satan’s Little Lamb” with Nicolas Perez on piano, trumpeter Joey Lamb and Danny Bacher on sax), Those Girls—Eve Eaton, Karen Mack, Wendy Russell, Rachel Hanser (“The Begat” with Steven Ray Watkins), Lennie Watts and Kim Grogg (“Blow Gabriel Blow” with Stephen Ray Watkins) and MOIPEI (“It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing”).
The Humorists: Without his horn, Danny Bacher (“If I Only Had A Brain”), Spider Saloff (“The Tale of an Oyster”), Clint Holmes snd Billy Stritch (“Save The Bones for Henry Jones”), David LaMarr (“If I Can’t Sell It, I’ll Keep Sittin’ On It” with Ben Covello) and taking the biscuit, a costumed Tovah Feldshuh as Tallulah Bankhead (“When The Idle Poor Become The Idle Rich”).
The Piano Men: Doubly talented, they sing and play: Bryan Eng (“On The Street Where You Live”), Billy Stritch (“Somewhere Along The Way”), Eric Yves Garcia (“Penthouse Serenade”) and Mark Nadler (“Crazy”).
Now Playing: These cabaret queens and kings have been most active recently: Ann Kittredge (“How Are Things In Glocca Morra?” with Christopher Denny), Stacy Sullivan (“Stardust”), Josephine Sanges (“Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead” with John Cook), Gabrielle Stravelli (“Beautiful Moons Ago”), Marissa Mulder (“It’s Only A Paper Moon”), Meg Flather (“Lonely Room” with Tracy Stark), Carole J. Bufford (“Let’s Misbehave” with Ian Herman), Celia Berk (“April Showers” with Tedd Firth), Marieann Meringolo (“Fifty Percent” with Doyle Newmyer), Shana Farr (“I Could Have Danced All Night”), Anais Reno (“Autumn Leaves” in French and English with Pete Malinveri, Todd Murray (“Old Devil Moon” with Alex Rybeck), Clint Holmes (“Mona Lisa” with Billy Stritch), Ari Axelrod (“Silent Spring/Adrift On A Star” with Larry Yurman), Kim David Smith (“Falling In Love Again” with Tracy Stark), Scott Coulter (“The Christmas Song”), Ben Jones (“I Want to Be Around” with Ron Abel) and Aaron Lee Battle (“Orange Colored Sky”).
Very Notable: Some debut artists, some we haven’t seen in a while, some from far away, and all a delight: Maude Maggart (“Look To The Rainbow”), Amanda King (“No Moon At All”), Paula Dione Ingram (“Right As The Rain”), Elena Bennett (“Thrill Me” with Fred Barton), Anna Bergman (“What Is There To Say/Here’s To Your Illusions” with Alex Rybeck), Phillip Officer (“Anyone Can Whistle”), Christian Holder (“Last Night When We Were Young”), Tim Connell (George M. Cohan Medley with James Followel), Andrew Walesch (“When I’m Not Near The Girl I Love”) and Rob Russell (“September Morn”).
The Young ‘Uns: Rising star Hannah Jane (“What Did I Ever See In Him?/I’ll Show Him/I Hate Men”) and Madalynn Mathews (“It Might Have Been”), Julia Parasram (“Don’t Go”), Katelyn Myers (“Put ‘Em In A Box, Tie ‘Em With A Ribbon & Throw ‘Em In The Deep Blue Sea”), Elias Javier (“Smile”) and Jillian Mustillo (“Bill”).
Photos by Maryann Lopinto
