By Lucy Komisar

Every fall over three days, some of the best cabaret artists in the country appear at the Mabel Mercer Cabaret Convention at Rose Hall at Lincoln Center. If you never go to any cabaret in the year, you must go to this one. Which of course will hook you on cabaret forever!

The themes for three days are interesting (will describe), but they set the stage for the artists. Here are the ones I liked the best and then some others of quality. And BTW, the singers come out at intermission and end of show to mix and chat with the audience. That is why some of the photos here are from their schmoozing with cabaret aficionados. One of the best things about cabaret is that the artists are from the teens to the 90s!

The gals

­­­­­­­ Melissa Errico does “The Lady is a Tramp.” Her intro explains that free and gutsy women were suspect, which means that the tramp was the only real lady. A smashing singer, her voice soars, happy that this Broadway star has come to Broadway’s Rose Hall.

 Carole J. Bufford singing “Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad Woman” has a rep for doing racy ladies. This is a naughty Julie Wilson number done burlesque style, typical CJB honky tonk performance, not just song.

Marilyn Maye “Put on a Happy Face,” shows her incandescent sound and jazzy delivery. She is a perfect singer for the evening dedicated to composer Charles Strouse, both age 96.

 Maude Maggart in “The Best Night of my Life,” performs a lilting trilling soprano. A charmer, her voice takes over the room.

Paula West in “Like a Rolling Stone” does full rich Dylan style with a slight twang. New sound and new ideas, with a different focus from standard cabaret’s love and loss.

 Klea Blackhurst‘s “Don’t Rain on my Parade” displays a brassy jazzy show biz panache, like a horn in the vocal chords!

Alexis Cole, with a Broadway voice, turns “New York, New York” into a tuneful sleepy ballad.

 Karen Akers, her dramatic but clear mid range alto, with usual elegance, sings “It Would’ve Been Wonderful” had it only begun.

Marieann Merinaglo shows perfect cabaret sound in “A Lot of Living to Do.” Very jazzy showbiz, you imagine her on the stage.

The guys

 Yves Eric Garcia, the ultimate sophisticate, with dreamy piano, in Cole Porter’s “After You,” lives up to Bobby Short and Porter. His jazzy voice seems to caress the audience.

T. Oliver Reid‘s “Autumn in New York” shows a thrilling baritone. He doesn’t just sing, he’s a superb actor doing a scene.

 Nicholas King “Rules of the Road” has a nice jazzy Las Vegas club sound like someone who has been in the top 30 for decades. I like the scat.

Mark Nadler’s “I Can’t Get Started,  Ira Gershwin lyric with his fast paced comic, virtuoso piano, is over the top, the compleat music hall performer.

 Barbara Fasano and Eric Comstock did a “Margaret Whiting Tribute” on her centennial. Her rich colorful soprano tells the stories. He is a good piano partner, melodic, jazzy, with the best Hollywood and standards 

And others slightly less known, for now.

The first night Oct 22, was “Put on a Happy Face,” celebration of Charles Strouse who collaborated on Rags about immigrants’ struggle to make their way in America.

Leanne Borghesi‘s soaring “Blame it on the Summer Night” takes us walking those streets. She takes over the room.

Ari Axelrod‘s “Children of the Wind”, in a strong dramatic baritone tells about immigrants’ escape. He got the Julie Wilson award.

Karen Mason‘s torch song “I Want to Be With You” is classic cabaret sound.

 Marta Sanders is a terrific comic. Swigging from a big bottle, she does a great comic drunk rendition of Miss Hannigan’s “Little Girls” from Strouse’s Annie.

Craig Robano does the Strouse and Alan J. Lerner “Dance a Little Closer” in an operatic dramatic style you can’t forget.

The second night Wed  Oct 23, was an homage to Bobby Short

Nicole Vanessa Ortiz is brilliant as a star of Forbidden Broadway. In “I Happen to Like New York,” her voice is Bway, with rich timber, almost operatic.

 Aisha de Haas does a sweet “Nearness of You” with a jazz inflection, her honeyed elegant soprano fills the room. It’s about the story.

Marisa Muldar‘s “One Boy” is a a charmer with a sound like a sweet ingenue giving an edge that makes you think she is a teen.

Billy Stritch’s “Street of Dreams” honky tonk raises the temperature, his luxurious piano seems like an orchestra.

NaTasha Yvette Williams in “Best is Yet to Come,” has a jazzy voice that moves up and down register, her emotions storming over us. She almost doesn’t need the band.

Nicholas Rodriguez does “Send in the Clowns” in a fine crooner baritone. A nice change from the R&B and jazz.

The “Don’t Tell Mama” Dialtones do a funny, clever “Bye Bye Birdie” with their phones, “Harvey” calling girls for dates. They are singing waitstaff, servers and bartenders at the iconic 46th Street cabaret.

 Madalynn Mathews has the presence of a Broadway star as her wonderful dramatic soprano performs “How Could this Feeling Come Again.”

Ann Anello‘s “Welcome to the Theater” fills the room with panache and drama, also as if on the stage. By now you see that the best singers are also performers.

 The Mopei triplets, Mary, Marta and Maggie, from Kenya, are a favorite, here doing “Tomorrow” from Annie, their sopranos charming in counterpoint.

Then on Thurs  Oct 24, “Everything Old is New Again”

Rosemary Loar‘s “People Will Say We’re in Love/Something to Talk About” starts with a high soprano that turns turned into R&B jazz, “Something to talk about” — Let’s give them something to talk about. A great segue from sweet wistful to in-your-face.

Craig Pomranz is delightful in his fanciful comic tenor, “I Always Say Hello to a Flower.” More of Craig!

 Ali Harper, from New Zealand, shows an elegant charming rich sound in “Marieke.”  

Alex Leonard’s “Teach Me Tonight” has a swinging jazzy supper club sound.

 Amra-Faye Wright performs a smashing jazzy dancing “Where You Are” from Kiss of the Spiderwoman in honor of Chita Rivera. Wright is brilliant. Brilliant!

Deborah Stone‘s “Ladies Who Lunch” brings a perfectionist comic satire to the story. 

 Lorna Dallas does “Here’s That Rainy Day” with a crystal soprano that takes the story to the stage.  

Tim Connell in “Everything Old Is New Again” makes you smile to hear his voice which is like one of a brassy vaudeville movie star.

The Kids

Are there scouts out there? Three terrific young women who the Mabel Mercer Foundation programs discovered!

Luz Velasquez from Celia Cruz High School in the Bronx sings “Midnight Sun” with an ethereal rich piano bar sound.

Ava Allen, 17 years old, does a sweet jazzy alto version of “I’ve Got Your Number.”

Ava Nicole Frances, 20, is elegant and brassy, with a bit of a twang, in “My Personal Property,” a song I’d never heard about New York.

If you love cabaret, there is no excuse for not seeing the 2025 Cabaret Convention. The people next to me had flown in for the three days. No excuse to not take the subway. See you there next year!

Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway & 60th Street, NYC. Tickets $25, $50 and $100. Shows start at 6pm and generally run to 8:30pm. Check next year’s dates at the Mabel Mercer Foundation.