The Mabel Mercer Foundation, Est. 1985
Preserving and promoting the intimate art of Cabaret, its timeless Songbook, and the legacy of Mabel Mercer.
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Cabaret Spotlight
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Eric Comstock & Barbara Fasano
SUN! SKIN! SIN! SINATRA!
June 4, 11, 18 & 25 @ 5:30PM
Birdland Jazz Club
Drawing from eclectic influences, Sinatra and Cole Porter classics to singer-songwriters like Joni Mitchell and Carole King, the married musical couple’s electrifying combination of warmth, wit, swing, and sensuality have made them the nightclub world’s most celebrated team.
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Norm Lewis
SUMMERTIME (SPECIAL TONY EDITION)
June 6-8 & 10-13 @ 7:00PM
54 Below
Featuring Norm’s long-time friends and collaborators, musical director Joseph Joubert and director Richard Jay-Alexander, Norm Lewis: Summertime (Special Tony Edition) takes place in the middle of awards season, right around the Tony® Awards. The show will spotlight an extraordinary line up of Broadway music like you’ve never heard it!
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Gabrielle Stravelli
GABRIELLE STRAVELLI TRIO
June 8, 15, 22, 29 @ 5:30PM
Birdland Jazz Club
Vocalist and songwriter Gabrielle Stravelli combines a hard-swinging style with totally modern lyric interpretations- breathing new life into every song with a contagious joy and thrilling spontaneity. She will be joined by bassist Pat O'Leary and a lineup of New York's finest pianists. Her group will share classic standards, rarely heard gems from the American Songbook and tracks from her new album "Beautiful Moons Ago."
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Ben Jones
TEMPTATION!
June 7 @ 7:00PM
Don’t Tell Mama
Temptation! The songs of Kaci Bolls, Nat King Cole, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Jason Isbell, Miss Peggy Lee, Mika, Anthony Newley, Nina Simone, Chris Stapleton, Tom Waits, Rufus Wainwright and more. Ben jones is an award-winning singer, comedian, story-teller and actor who has appeared in front of audiences worldwide. Musical director: Ron Abel.
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Hannah Jane
HJ UNPLUGGED
June 8 @ 4:00PM
Don’t Tell Mama
“I am so excited to announce my new show, HJ Unplugged. As an artist, my favorite thing to do is to tell stories and what better way to do that than through song. Join me for what is going to be an amazing evening of exploring story songs from many different genres and allow me to take you on a journey through each song!” - Hannah Jane
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Craig Rubano
TAKE THE MOMENT
June 12 @ 7:00PM
Laurie Beechman Theatre
He’s back! Broadway’s (Les Misérables, The Scarlet Pimpernel), and multiple M.A.C. and Bistro award-winning cabaret artist, Craig Rubano returns to New York City with a collection of songs that shine a spotlight on the choices we make during the moments that matter. Directed by Jeff Harnar, and together with Music Director Beth Ertz, Craig will tap into music and lyrics by Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, Stephen Sondheim, Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Jerry Herman, and more.
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Natalie Douglas
JUNETEENTH JUBILEE – THE WOMEN
June 17 @ 7:00PM
Birdland Jazz Club
Natalie is thrilled to collaborate with her longtime Music Director, Mark Hartman, as they perform the songs of equality and excellence, exploring the musical catalogs of brilliant Black women artists including, Roberta Flack, Ella Fitzgerald, Dionne Warwick, Lena Horne, Tracy Chapman, Gladys Knight, Tina Turner, Nina Simone and many others. Join Natalie, Mark and the band as they celebrate this Federal Holiday with music, friendship, laughter, healing, and hope!
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Nicolas King
TIME CHANGES
June 17 @ 7:00PM
The Green Room 42
“Polished young pop jazz crooner” (The New York Times) Nicolas King returns to The Green Room 42 for one night only for his only Big Apple performance this summer- and you won’t want to miss it! “Time Changes” will feature songs that celebrate change- good, bad and otherwise- from the musical styles of Jazz, Broadway and Pop. King- with the inimitable Billy Stritch on piano- promise a show that’ll leave you feeling inspired and ready to kick off your summer!
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Christine Andreas
PARIS TO BROADWAY
June 18 & 26 @ 7:00PM
54 Below
With songs by Piaf, Charles Trenet, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Kern, Porter, Berlin, Bacharach and David, Lerner and Loewe, you will be transported from wherever you are, to the City of Light, Paris… to the Champs Elysees… to a Parisian café… to the streets of Pigalle that gave the world Edith Piaf….then back again, trans-Atlantic to the glittering lights of Manhattan and onto the Broadway stages.
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Sally Mayes
NOW AND THEN
June 20 @ 7:00PM
The Green Room 42
The Great Big Huge Broadway edition of Now And Then is perhaps nearest and dearest to Sally’s heart. As she puts it, “Well, I have always been a storyteller, and I love that aspect of what I do the most. I also have a great affection for the opportunities I have been given both on and off Broadway and also in recording, and some of the best arrangements I have done over the years come from that love. I cannot wait to remind people of this stuff, and I am having so much fun!”
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Nick Ziobro
WITHOUT A SONG
June 21 @ 9:30PM
Once known as The Great American Songbook Youth Ambassador, Nick Ziobro returns to NYC with an all new show, "Without A Song"! Jam-packed with songs from the ever-expanding Great American Songbook, this night will keep you on the edge of your seats! Featuring music from Cole Porter to Carole King, (as well as some artists you NEVER thought you'd see coming,) travel across time with heartfelt vocals and stories through the best songs from the last century. With a band of legendary New York musicians led by the incomparable Tedd Firth, Nick's passion for this music will only be matched by the incredible players onstage with him.
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Anthony Nunziata
LIVE
June 23 @ 7:00PM
54 Below
Don’t miss this special one-night-only concert featuring the songs of award-winning singer-songwriter Anthony Nunziata. He returns to 54 Below performing a new concert of his timeless originals including “Back to You,” “The Time We Have,” “Just One Prayer Away,” “I Found a Home,” “Will You Be My Everyday?” “That’s God Talking,” and many others.
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Meg Flather
OUTBOUND PLANE
June 23 @ 4:00PM
Don’t Tell Mama
Outbound Plane is a cabaret show born out of the loss of Ms. Flather's mother. Contemplating that loss with her longtime collaborator, director Lennie Watts, Flather gathered up the pearls of wisdom Watts dropped at her feet and created a show about the losses that people suffer, and how they recover, the result being a perfect example of what cabaret should be, and could be, if every person setting foot on a nightclub stage were as brave as Meg Flather.
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Clint Holmes
ICONS
June 24 @ 7:00PM
Birdland Jazz Club
Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Clint Holmes and musical director Christian Tamburr will celebrate the great music icons of the past century in “Icons: Celebrating 100 Years of Greatness Through Music.” The show will feature songs and stories about Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis, Jr., Roberta Flack, Bill Withers, Peter Allen, and Stevie Wonder.
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Carole J. Bufford
SONGS FOR A SUMMER NIGHT
June 28, 29, 30 @ 7:00PM
Carole J. Bufford returns to Birdland Theater with her new show, "Songs for a Summer Night," a musical escape celebrating those sultry, starlit evenings of summertime. Carole will put her unique spin on timeless classics made famous by Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Bonnie Raitt, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Judy Garland, Wilson Pickett, Patsy Cline, Randy Newman, Mae West, and more.
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Liz Callaway & Jason Graae
HAPPILY EVER LAUGHTER
July 3, 5, 6 @ 7:00PM
54 Below
Celebrate the hot sultry days of summer with Liz Callaway and Jason Graae as they join forces for a romantic (but platonic) evening of love songs, high belting, and hilarity! With more than 11 Broadway shows, 150 recording/cast albums, and 35 movies and television shows between them, these college pals who made their NYC Off-Broadway debuts together have stories!
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Nicole Henry
July 15 @ 7:00PM
Birdland Jazz Club
Singer Nicole Henry and her band return to Birdland after a sold-out debut. The New York Times, Miami Herald, and Jazz Times Magazine have compared powerhouse jazz vocalist Nicole Henry to Sarah Vaughan, Natalie Cole and Whitney Houston for her dynamic range, impeccable phrasing, and ability to connect to a lyric. Whether burning through a swing tune or gently caressing a ballad, Nicole truly makes each song uniquely her own and “aims right for the emotional center.” (Billboard)
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Loston Harris
July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 @ 5:30PM
Birdland Jazz Club
His piano playing has been described as "percussive" with "incredibly fluid". His vocals noted as "suave." Loston himself will tell you he has worked hard during his career but knows he's been blessed with the opportunities to play the music closest to his heart, jazz. For more than a decade Loston has headlined at a “home” that shares his passion for timeless music. The Legendary Bemelmans Bar located in The Carlyle in Manhattan’s storied Upper East Side, has a legacy of hosting great cabaret and jazz greats from the likes of Bobby Short, Eartha Kitt, Elaine Stritch, John Pizzarelli and the Modern Jazz Quartet (MJQ).
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Natasha Yvette Williams
July 11 & 12 @ 7:00PM
54 Below
Natasha Yvette Williams, The Grammy Award winning, Tony Award® nominated performer brings her celebrated solo show to 54 Below. This evening chronicles some of NaTasha’s escapades from Fayetteville, North Carolina to Broadway, and beyond on the wings of music and laughter. Featuring music from well-known Gospel, jazz, R&B artists, and some well-known showtunes, complete with personal stories and life lessons she learned along the way,
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Jeff Harnar
SINGS SAMMY CAHN THE SECOND TIME AROUND
July 26 & 27 @ 7:00PM
Jeff Harnar presents his critically acclaimed show Sammy Cahn All The Way, with music director Alex Rybeck and director Barry Kleinbort. The show shines a special spotlight on Cahn’s lyrics for Sinatra, Hollywood, and World War II. Featured songs include “All The Way,” “Teach Me Tonight,” “Call Me Irresponsible,” “My Kind of Town (Chicago Is),” “I Fall in Love Too Easily,” “Saturday Night (Is the Loneliest Night of the Week),” and “Time After Time.” Sammy Cahn was a lyricist with more Academy Award nominations than any other songwriter: 26!
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As we approach the forty-year milestone at the Mabel Mercer Foundation, we want to extend our sincere gratitude for your continued generosity and support in preserving the timeless art of Cabaret by keeping great songs alive.
“The Mabel Mercer Foundation, American song’s best friend.”
— Octavio Roca, San Francisco Chronicle