There are two guarantees that come with the annual Mabel Mercer Foundation New York Cabaret Convention. One is that there will be an evening hosted with grace and polish by Jeff Harnar and Andrea Marcovicci, and the other is that the work of a renowned contributor to the American Songbook will be featured. In this case the show, hosted by the two stars of the cabaret world, was entitled Frank Loesser: Heart and Soul, paying tribute to the man who wrote the lyrics and music to Broadway musicals, film and Tin Pan Alley tunes. His most famous musicals are, no doubt, Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. Loesser also won an Academy Award for best song for “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” which has now famously fallen victim to criticism in the #metoo era.
All photos by Maryann Lopinto
The 23 performers who honored Loesser in song were, in order of appearance: Act One: Liz Callaway, Andrea Marcovicci, Jeff Harnar, Steve Ross, Jane Scheckter, Danny Bacher, Marissa Mulder, Karen Oberlin, Sally Darling, Barbara Brüssel, Joshua Lance Dixon, Karen Akers, Lisa Viggiano, Mark Nadler, Marta Sanders. Act Two: Lennie Watts, Tim Schall, David Sabella, Anna Bergman, Eric Comstock, Barbara Fasano, Tovah Feldshuh and Marilyn Maye. The set list was varied, with numbers familiar and not so, yet all bearing the unmistakeable Loesser stamp of melodic tunes with clever, sophisticated and literate lyrics.
The evening wrapped up with the cast and audience singing “A Bushel and a Peck” from Loesser’s 1950 hit musical, Guys and Dolls.
Music Director for the evening was pianist Alex Rybeck, with Jered Egan on bass and Dan Gross on drums.
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