Jack Cavari News

Back by popular demand, ON KENTUCKY AVENUE: A Celebration of Atlantic City's Historic Club Harlem returns to City College's performing arts center Aaron Davis Hall on Friday, February 19, for a three-day encore engagement. The show, which shines a red-hot spotlight on a little-known piece of Black history, is presented by the City College Center for the Arts (CCCA) and Byron and Sylvia Lewis. An audience favorite, last February, the production was created by Jeree Wade and directed and written by Adam Wade with Ty Stephens. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the show!

NJTV, New Jersey's public television network, and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)  presented the first performance of the American Songbook at NJPAC series and BroadwayWorld was there. Performances will be taped before a live audience in NJPAC's Victoria Theater on Sunday, October 25 and Monday, October 26 for broadcast on NJTV, WLIW and THIRTEEN next year. 

For any cabaret performer, delivering an original song can be a nice touch in any show, but finding the right one can drive a singer crazy. The upside is that as well as highlighting the songwriter (which in some cases can be the singer's musical director) it gives the performer an opportunity to show what they can do with unfamiliar material. The combination of the two can be effective and memorable. Such was the case recently with singer Gary Crawford who along with musical director, arranger and songwriter Barry Levitt delivered a very compelling evening of songs on September 2 at the Metropolitan Room. Crawford is a lovable singer who highlighted the somewhat under-the-radar talent of one of cabaret's most respected musicians. After producing a MAC Award-winning show (for "Best Debut") in 2013-In Love With Love-and recording a subsequent CD, it was inevitable that Crawford and Levitt team up again, this time for Secret Dreams: Gary Crawford Sings The Barry Levitt Songbook.

Vocalist Gary Crawford burst onto the New York cabaret scene like a "thunderbolt" in October 2014 with his debut show 'In Love With Love' at the Metropolitan Room. With the veteran Music Director and Arranger Maestro Barry Levitt at the piano, Crawford produced a captivating show that earned him rave reviews from BroadwayWorld.com and Cabaret Scenes Magazine and ultimately a 2014 Manhattan Association of Cabaret & Clubs Award (MAC) for "Best Male Vocal Debut." (Crawford had already performed a "CD Release" show of 'In Love With Love' at the Metropolitan Room that April). After spending the past year and a half performing as a guest singer in variety shows throughout city at venues such as Iridium, Birdland, Don't Tell Mama, and Urban Stages, Crawford has again teamed up with Levitt for a new show, this one featuring songs composed by Levitt himself. Crawford will star in Secret Dreams: Gary Crawford Sings The Barry Levitt Songbook at the Metropolitan Room on September 2 at 7 pm. The show will feature the Barry Levitt Quartet, including Jon Burr on bass, Ray Marchica on drums, and Jack Cavari on guitar, as well as special guest vocalists.

Vocalist Gary Crawford burst onto the New York cabaret scene like a “thunderbolt” in October 2014 with his debut show 'In Love With Love' at the Metropolitan Room. With the veteran Music Director and Arranger Maestro Barry Levitt at the piano, Crawford produced a captivating show that earned him rave reviews from BroadwayWorld.com and Cabaret Scenes Magazine and ultimately a 2014 Manhattan Association of Cabaret & Clubs Award (MAC) for “Best Male Vocal Debut.” (Crawford had already performed a “CD Release” show of 'In Love With Love' at the Metropolitan Room that April). After spending the past year and a half performing as a guest singer in variety shows throughout city at venues such as Iridium, Birdland, Don't Tell Mama, and Urban Stages, Crawford has again teamed up with Levitt for a new show, this one featuring songs composed by Levitt himself. Crawford will star in Secret Dreams: Gary Crawford Sings The Barry Levitt Songbook at the Metropolitan Room on September 2 at 7 pm. The show will feature the Barry Levitt Quartet, including Jon Burr on bass, Ray Marchica on drums, and Jack Cavari on guitar, as well as special guest vocalists.

The Triad will host an encore performance of ON KENTUCKY AVENUE: THE ATLANTIC CITY CLUB HARLEM REVUE on Sunday, August 23rd at 7pm at The Triad, 158 West 72nd Street.

Marilyn Maye took the 54 Below stage with her solo Frank Sinatra tribute, HER WAY, on April 23 & 25 at 7PM & April 24 at 8:30PM. Check out photos of the event below!

Last December, after I posted my list of the Best Cabaret Performers of 2012, I followed up my original 'listmania' with a column that served as a way to include some 'honorable mentions,' basically a recognition of other memorable shows and performances of songs that were striking, unique, and/or original that year. The column received a positive response so I thought I'd wheel it out again this year. So as the hours tick away on 2013 and we anticipate the coming of a new year, here is an addendum to the 2013 New York Cabaret Performers of the Year--a totally random list of 30 Honorable Mentions of the 'Best' and 'Most' in Cabaret for 2013 . . . mainly because I can and it's fun. Enjoy and Happy New Year!

If you're wondering whether or not 2013 was a fantastic year for the cabaret art form in New York, all you have to do is scan the amazing list of nominees for this year's BroadwayWorld New York Cabaret Awards and you'll know it was one of the best ever. So now it's time for all you cabaret performers and fans to vote for the best singers, musicians, songs, and shows of the year. Voting will continue until Sunday night January 5 and the winners will be announced later that week. We hope that all the winners will be able to perform in the Award show on Sunday night February 23 at Joe's Pub.

The Major League Baseball All-Star break (the game is on Tuesday night) has always been considered the midpoint of the season and as a lifelong fan I've always enjoyed reading those analyses from writers that assess the best performances of the first half. Since July is also the middle of the calendar year, I thought it might be fun to present a cabaret equivalent of a baseball midseason report. So . . . (drum roll) . . . presenting the Best (and My Favorite) 20 New York Cabaret Shows and Performances of (the first half) of 2013.

Tony winner Lea Salonga ('Miss Saigon,' 'Les Miserables') returns to the intimate cabaret space at Cafe Carlyle for the third time through Saturday, June 8. The Cafe Carlyle is located at The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel (35 East 76th Street Madison Avenue). Check out photos of Salonga in action bel

Tony winner Lea Salonga returns to the intimate cabaret space at Cafe Carlyle for the third time starting tonight until Saturday, June 8. The Cafe Carlyle is located at The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel (35 East 76th Street Madison Avenue).

The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel will welcome back Tony Award-Winner Lea Salonga to the Cafe Carlyle for her highly anticipated three-week engagement. Her new program, 'Back to Before,' is a nostalgic repertoire in which she revisits her life as a New Yorker and pays tribute to her favorite ladies-most notably Ella Fitzgerald and her idol, Barbra Streisand. 'Back to Before' will be making its debut at the Cafe Carlyle. Ms. Salonga's engagement at the Cafe Carlyle will run from tonight, May 21st to June 8th.

The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel will welcome back Tony Award-Winner Lea Salonga to the Cafe Carlyle for her highly anticipated three-week engagement. Her new program, 'Back to Before,' is a nostalgic repertoire in which she revisits her life as a New Yorker and pays tribute to her favorite ladies-most notably Ella Fitzgerald and her idol, Barbra Streisand. 'Back to Before' will be making its debut at the Cafe Carlyle. Ms. Salonga's engagement at the Cafe Carlyle will run from May 21st to June 8th.

It's April 1st. Do you know when your Spring is coming? During another longggggg New York winter, the good news is that there were a ton of warming cabaret shows. The bad news is that there were so many, even during this seemingly endless winter our intrepid reviewer Stephen Hanks didn't have enough time to review them all right after the performances. So in what is becoming a seasonal ritual, here he offers yet another compilation of 13 'catch-up' cabaret show reviews.

Tony Winner, Disney Legend Lea Salonga ('Miss Saigon,' 'Les Miserables') opened this year's Lincoln Center presents 'American Songbook' concert series, a 15-year-old annual tribute to great American songwriters, past and present, to sold-out crowd at The Allen Room, Jazz at Lincoln Center last night.

The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel welcomes one of the finest and most noted cabaret stars, Andrea Marcovicci, in her long-awaited Cafe Carlyle debut. Ms. Marcovicci's four week engagement at the Carlyle's iconic venue runs through October 27th. Check out photos from the concert below!

The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel welcomes one of the finest and most noted cabaret stars, Andrea Marcovicci, in her long-awaited Cafe Carlyle debut. Ms. Marcovicci's four week engagement at the Carlyle's iconic venue runs tonight, October 2nd through October 27th.

The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel welcomes one of the finest and most noted cabaret stars, Andrea Marcovicci, in her long-awaited Cafe Carlyle debut. Ms. Marcovicci's four week engagement at the Carlyle's iconic venue runs October 2nd through October 27th.