You know those legendary "you should'a been there" nights that you hear about ---when everything clicks, when the musicians and singers come together and discover, surprise and inspire each other, those great "giving and getting /when they take you over the moon" kind of nights? Well, Tuesday, January 29 at The Cutting Room, with Terese Genecco and her Little Big Band with special guest Lea DeLaria, was one of them and I was there....

                I caught Paul Kaplan's debut (actually his second night of this two-night debut) at Don't Tell Mama. No way could an audience tell that Kaplan is so new to cabaret performance by this totally professional and highly satisfying show. A man comfortably settled into his middle years, happily doing something he says he has always wanted to do,

                                                                                                        In 1977, New York City was in shambles. By the time the infamous blackout happened in July, the city was on the verge of bankruptcy, the "Son of Sam" had people living in terror and arson was rampant. New Yorkers were in search of brighter days, and perhaps nothing summed up their longing better than the song “Tomorrow” from the Broadway musical, Annie, which made its debut that same year. The conviction the, then 13-year-old Andrea McArdle had for playing the red-haired orphan, earned her the distinction of becoming the youngest performer to receive a Tony nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Musical and helped the show become an American theatre classic.

                                         As in my recent column, here's another look back at 2012, talking about some shows I was able to see, but hadn't written about here or elsewhere. If you missed them in 2012, don't worry; 2013 is still young. My usual beat is cabaret, but these shows aren't your usual cabaret shows. This column will look at memorable shows by BEN RIMALOWER, and shows that are musical-comedy variety with AMY WOLK plus CAIT DOYLE AND COMPANY, and THE RESCIGNOS --- all have trod the boards at The Duplex, New York's oldest continuing cabaret. With eclectic booking, Thomas Honeck and Lisa Moss run the room (they also run the lights and sound with flair).

                                                                         Downtown darlings Scream Along with Billy bring their X-rated punk rock carnival to the Cutting Room to celebrate the Valentine's Day release of their new album, Venice, a break-up record for the twenty-first century. Accompanied by the alternative super-group The X-Loves, featuring Gordon Gano (from the Violent Femmes) and Paul and Matt Hough (Garagedogs), with a special appearance by Lili Taylor, Michael Cunningham, puppets and a Rabbi.

Obie Award-winning playwright/performer David Drake (The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me) is Tawny Heatherton in Tawny Tell Me True at the Laurie Beechman Theatre. Directed by Robert La Fosse, with musical direction by Lance Cruce, videos by Ned Stresen-Reuter and original music by Trevor Kuprel, Tawny, Tell Me True is an evening of songs and stories where Tawny discovers the meaning of the dawning of the Age of Aquarius.

David Drake’s Tawny Heatherton has an enormous love-filled heart, an intoxicatingly free spirit and drop-dead gorgeous legs.

                           Erv Raible, Executive Director/Artistic Director of the eleventh annual International Cabaret Conference at Yale University has announced that this nine-day teaching and training intensive is now accepting applicants. Held from July 26 through August 4 this year, the program focuses on the art of cabaret performance and preparing professionals for the live entertainment industry.

                                                 On January 15th, at Stage72 (formerly The Triad), Sammy Cahn's disciple, Fernand Gabrielli, will present his personal tribute to his friend and mentor, who died 20 years ago on that very same date. Gabrielli comes from Paris specifically to do this show featuring 21 songs with lyrics by Cahn. He will be accompanied by the veteran Russ Kassoff (former pianist of Liza Minnelli and Frank Sinatra). The special guest is Steve Ross, who will perform three numbers and then a couple of others with the host.