With the most unfortunate and unexpected loss of the legendary Claiborne Cary earlier this season, it was a natural speculation as to who might be the proper candidate to fill her ornate and undoubtedly-expensive shoes. That torch has most certainly been passed to 2010 MAC Award nominee Joan Jaffe, who while putting a slightly Yiddishkeit spin on a music-comedy act of the same type, performs an evening no less than howlingly funny and uncannily impressive.

Acclaimed as "the revelation" of Brazilian Jazz, performed with Michel Legrand (3 Time Oscar Winner ) last year: Fancy, charming, unique ...those are some important skills that made Michel Legrand admire Patty Ascher's talent. Her first album, with Burt Bacharach, Greatest Hits in Bossa Nova Rythym - produced by Roberto Menescal, one of Bossa Nova's fathers - was "best selling" in Brazil (2007).

When you’re a 16 year old exceptionally verbal, bright theatre kid, the world is your oyster. . .or so it seemed for Andy Lipman (Noah Robbins). His idol is a sought after Broadway Tony Award-winning director, writer (on the order of Harold Prince perhaps) named Martin Kerner (John Glover). Spurred on by his mom Joanne (Amy Aquino), and dad Peter (Mark Nelson),

This year's annual Fresh Fruit Festival, which delivers a cornucopia of theatrical offerings at the Cherry Lane Theatre, was regrettably plagued at the outset with bad news, namely the untimely death of festival founder Harry Weider. A "little person" (aka dwarf) who also happened to be a lifelong champion of causes for both the LGBT and Jewish communities, besides a thespian known far and wide for his tremendous command of the stage and screen, as well as unending charisma. Weider met his premature end in mid-spring at he age of fifty-nine, when he was struck by a moving taxi on a street in the East Village.

Memo to: “One Life to Live,” how could you have made Eli into a psycho? The TVJ loved this guy (and the sexy Matt Walton, whose evil side is wonderful!) and now he’s just another creep who Blair’s planning to marry. Poor Blair (the fabulously spectacular and underappreciated, not to mention stunning, Kassie DePaiva) marrying yet another loser. Hey Blair’s not THAT dumb! Give her a break. In fact, give all those Cramer women a break.

The search for singing talent is in full swing on West 22^nd Street. Here is the latest report on the doings and undoings of MetroStar contestants, those singers competing in the singing contest at Manhattan’s Metropolitan Room for a chance to have an all-expenses-paid nightclub engagement there.  Competing is also great exposure, performing experience—and a learning experience as our reporter on the scene, Kathleen France continues to tell us. The competition continues each Monday through August 30.  What follows is a wrap-up of the last two Mondays.  Earlier reports by Kathleen, writing from the perspective of someone who was a contestant last year, can be found elsewhere on this website.

Hello, NiteLife Exchange Readers!    It’s August.  You can almost hear the NYC nightlife and theatre community simultaneously slowing down and revving up at the same time.  Droves of performers are driving their bodies off to the beach or the country while the wheels of preparation in their minds are steadily turning towards new shows for the fall.  There’s still four weeks of summer left to share vacation time with loved ones and enjoy some solitude.