Wednesday, December 7 at 7 pmGRETCHEN REINHAGEN
How Musical Theater Ruined My LifeThe multi-award-winning singer, actress, comedienne brings her brand-new musical theater-themed show to Urban Stages, with longtime friend and teaching partner David Gaines at the piano. for a special 1-night-in-NYC-only performance. Reinhagen revisits some of her favorite shows, favorite roles and favorite songs, packed with the music that Broadways fans love.
Wednesday, December 7 at 9 pmTYM MOSS
(A)Live: Fun! Fabulous! Flamboyant!
Multiply MAC and GLAM Award nominee Moss takes us on a fun, intense, surprising, inspiring and triumphant journey of the first half of his life’s experience coming to New York City. He tells his story through familiar songs but he gives new meaning to each of them with his unique “take” on each tune. Musical director is Tracy Stark.
Friday, December 8GREGORY TOROIAN’s GUYS ‘N’ GALS
Part I – 7 pmMusical director, arranger, and educator Toroian presents a two-part evening with some of the singers he works with. Part I will feature the voices of Cabaret Scenes’ Frank Dain, Maria Corsaro (You Taught My Heart to Sing), Linda Kahn (SAY YES!), Claudia Stack, Lionel Shockness, and Eva Steinberg (Not Your Mama’s Peggy Lee), with special guest Lina Koutrakos. This is an evening of jazz, musical theater, blues, holiday tunes, the American Songbook and Cabaret music.
Part II – 9 pm
Part II will feature the voices of Fred Aiese (Live from New York!), Jacqueline Draper (Spreadin’ Rhythm Around), David Milberg, Deanna Monaco, Kati Neiheisel (Yesterday…Once More), Deborah Stone (Chiaroscuro) and Geoffrey Stoner, with special guest Leslee Warren (Me, Myself & Eye: Songs of a Nearsighted Girl).
Saturday, December 10 at 2 pm
RETIRED THEATER KIDS
The Roles We Never Got to Play
This group of 20-somethings get to relive their since-crushed childhood theater dreams of all the songs they so desperately wanted to sing (and receive applause for). Come be merry and do your due diligence in clapping for those theater kids you know, love, and maybe can’t stand sometimes.
Saturday, December 10 at 5 pmDAVID BUSKIN
Up ‘Til Now: A Songwriter’s RetrospectiveVeteran songwriter David Buskin has been writing, recording, and performing his music professionally since 1970. He’s made about fifteen albums, most as half of the duo Buskin & Batteau or in his “geezer band” Modern Man. He is a New York Nightlife Award, Bistro Award and Clio Award winner, and also a recipient of the ASCAP Jamie deRoy Award for excellence in songwriting. With daughter Sophie Buskin, the duo blend thrillingly, and their writing styles—his out of folkie roots, hers more grounded in alternative bands—combine in a compelling and nuanced multi-generational hybrid.
Saturday, December 10 at 8 pmBETH AND RITT’S HOLIDAY SURVIVAL KIT! (7th Annual)
Award-winning songwriters Beth Falcone and Ritt Henn return to Urban Stages for their 7th Annual Beth & Ritt’s Holiday Survival Kit, serving up a bevy of original and originally arranged holiday songs from around the globe. to see you safely through the season. Falcone’s “catchy melodies and smart lyrics” (Variety) and Ritt’s “funkier Cole Porter” songs (LA Weekly) soar with her “fiery piano playing” (Chicago Sun Times) and his “cool cat” bass (Time Out NY). They are joined by Met Opera and Broadway performer Roosevelt André Credit, Django jazz guitarist Lisa Liu, award-winning actress/singer Christine de Frece and Bibi the Elf!
Sunday, December 11 at 3 pm and Tuesday, December 13 at 7 pmOTHER LIVES: THE STORY SONGS OF MICHAEL COLBYA mélange of melody and tour de force performances, featuring lyrics by Michael Colby (Charlotte Sweet, The Algonquin Kid) and many of the best veteran and up-and-coming performers seen on New York stages include. Janet Aldrich, Bethe Austin, Ari Axelrod, Lauren Baker, Klea Blackhurst, Stephen Bogardus, Le Donna Burns, Talia Cutulle, David Edwards, Heeya Kim, Dan Hoy, Luke Naphat, Sarah Rice, Jane Seaman, Megan Styrna, Marianne Tatum, Maureen Taylor, Deborah Jean Templin, Deborah Tranelli, Joshua Turchin, Stuart Zagnit. Composers represented are Andrea Colby, Ned Paul Ginsburg, Larry Hochman, Paul Katz, Gerald Jay Markoe, Peter Millrose, Alex Rybeck, Joseph Thalken and Herman Yaboloff. Musical director is Michael Lavine.
Sunday, December 11 at 7 pm
SARA LOUIS LAZARUS
Circle Sing the Holidays
Featuring the graduating Musical Theatre Class of Circle in the Square Theatre School. Direction and Musical Staging is by Sara Louise Lazarus, with Musical Direction by Joseph Baker.
Wednesday, December 14 at 7 pmAMANDA SCALICI
A Sentimental Journey: Celebrating Doris DayDrawn to Ms. Day’s bubbly nature and crystal-clear vocals, Amanda Scalici grew up listening to Day’s many albums. With a “lilting soprano” with “incredible tambour,” Scalici has blended her own unique style to tribute Day’s energy into every song, without seeking to impersonate the icon. The show also features dad, Robert Scalici (Musial Director/guitar) as well as Skip Ward (bass) and Vince Caiafa (drums).
Thursday, December 15 at 7 pmTHE ART OF COLLABORATION:
THE NEW YORK SONGWRITERS ALLIANCEThe New York Songwriters Alliance was founded by Tom Toce in 2016 as a group of professional songwriters who meet twice a month to share songs, success stories, industry opportunities and creative energy. This show, hosted by Toce, focuses on intra-group collaborations and features a group of current regular attendees showcasing their songs, with new material by Michael Colby, Matt Corriel, John Forster, Ned Ginsberg, Harriet Goldberg, Sonya Hayden, Ritt Henn, Kevin Kelso, Eva Margolies, Hillary Rollins, Paul Rolnick, Steve Sieck, Ethan Tarasov, Tom Toce, Carla Ulbrich, and Steve Young. Their songs will be performed by vocal talent that includes Karen Akers, Ann Kittredge, David LaMarr and Michael Wingate.
Friday, December 16 at 9 pm
AMANDA RECKONWITH
Glitter and Be Gay
With a multi-award-winning, FABULOUS cast, this show will be the most fun you can have on a Friday night in New York City! Hosted by Amanda Reckonwith (aka David Sabella Chicago and MAC Award winner) and featuring: Bistro and MAC Award winner David Maiocco, Tym Moss, Jon Owen, and Alexander Scelso, with special guest Sidney Myer. Musical director is David Maiocco. This show will feature standards, holiday, American Songbook, cabaret, and spoken word numbers.
Saturday, December 17 at 3 pm
THE TOMATOES GOT TALENT WINNERS
Join host Randi Levine-Miller for an afternoon featuring eight of the Tomatoes Got Talent contest winners and a few runners up from the past years of this competition. This contest is for ladies over the age of 40 who are all working in other fields but who all have a dream to perform. The show will feature: Karen Nason, Susan Vardy, Teresa Fischer, Kathleen Waters, Sheree Sano, Christina Connors, Robin Lyon Gardiner, Leslee Warren, Aleta St. James plus runners-up Alice Levine and Robin Gerson Wong, with a few other surprises in store! Musical Directoris Paul Chamlin.
Saturday, December 17 at 7 pmMAY I INTRODUCEJoin host and co-producer of Winter Rhythms Sue Matsuki as she presents four talented singers each performing a four-song set. Matsuki and Music Director Gregory Toroian co-host a monthly Jazz Brunch Open Mic featuring many wonderful performers who they then love to feature. Today’s show introduces cabaret singers Ira Lee Collings (The Gay Geezer), Caitlin McBride, Eva Steinberg (Not Your Mama’s Peggy Lee) and Leslee Warren (Me, Myself & I: Songs of a Nearsighted Girl).
Saturday, December 17 at 9 pm
DEBORAH STONE
Take Me Back: Joan, Joni, Dylan, and Others
Stone revisits her years as a folk-guitarist/singer here in her home town—New York City! She has been a dancer, actor and singer on the East and West Coasts, was in a Broadway musical and was a show girl in New York City and Dallas before entering the world of Cabaret in 2016. Stone has performed in New York City at Beach Café, Pangea, Metropolitan Room, The Triad, Don’t Tell Mama, and the Laurie Beechman Theatre, and in Kansas City at The American Jazz Museum’s Blue Room.
Sunday, December 18 at 3 pm
SUSAN WINTER
Sings the Sixties
The 1960s was a decade teeming with glorious triumphs and life-altering upheavals: Vietnam, the optimism of a youthful president in JFK, miniskirts, the birth of the women’s movement, political assassinations, student unrest and Black Power. It was also a particularly fertile period for popular song—a time when, as a young girl, award winning vocalist Winter listened to the likes of Motown, Tony Bennett, Eydie Gormé, Tom Jones, Petula Clark the Beatles and more, whose songs she presents, covering a wide swath of music and observatuobs, Music director is Christopher Denny, 
Sunday, December 18 at 7 pm
SONGS OF HOPE
For the fifth time, Tom Toce will produce a program of hopeful songs. We need them now more than ever. This closing program will feature Ann Kittredge and other renowned New York cabaret singers in New York, with Jon Delfin music directing.
All tickets are $30 (except the Opening Night Gala). To purchase, go to urbanstages.org or call 866.811.4111
Urban Stages is located at 259 West 30th Street, NYC
