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                                                     Slightly more than the eight nights of Chanukah and slightly shorter than the 12 days of Christmas, but without the dizzyingly spinning dreidels or the pesky partridges in precarious pear trees, this December there are ten eclectic evenings of cabaret called Holiday Cabaret Nights at Urban Stages Theatre.  It's the theatre space nestled deep into the West Side on West 30th Street (259 West 30 Street, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues).

Cabaret and theatre overlap in natural ways -- well, sometimes --- and audiences who've had a foot in one should not think it's such a big step to cross into the other.  Cabaret regulars and theatre audiences will both find some familiar names and plenty of talent to entertain them between December 6 and 15.  As mentioned in my Catch-Up on Cabaret column, it opened with a gala with the bubble of energy and soprano soigne style of KT Sullivan and closes with the dynamic veteran singer who is also an extraordinary and extraordinarily funny impressionist Marilyn Michaels, whose career has spanned collaborations with her own family steeped in the traditions of the Yiddish stage, to current songwriting collaborations with her son, Mark Wilk, with whom she is writing a musical.  In between, there have been many shows of all kinds, recordings, lots of TV appearances and, of course, starring in the national tour of Funny Girl.

In between, you can catch such cabaret attention-getters and Bistro/MAC award winners for shows and CDs as Julie Reyburn and Susan Winter -- both on the same night.  And there's Craig Pomranz, the romantic crooner and raconteur and Carole J. Bufford who's guested at the Cabaret Convention and shows at The Town Hall after doing her own cabaret shows.  And it is Christmas, after all, so there's a trio around the tree--oh, it's Lennie Watts, Scott Coulter and Steven Ray Watkins who are current doing their show of '70s music at Don't Tell Mama but get into a more Santa bag with holiday harmonies.  And if you missed Janice Hall's show on Marlene Dietrich, which closes its regular run on December 8 at the Metropolitan Room, she brings it to Urban Stages, too.  And there's more.  Here's the whole schedule of regular performances and popular prices which follow the gala dinner/performance benefit opening night benefit:  

Price for a single show is $25 but if you are under the age of 30 and show up at 30th Street, it's $5 off (ID required!). And, if you want to do a double-header, you can see both shows on the two-show evenings for $40 and get a free glass of wine at intermission.  And there are some enticing double bills!

Tuesday, December 7...Tallulah in London --8 PM

                   

FOR TICKETS:  SMARTTIX (212) 868-4444 or VISIT Smartix.com

Urban Stages is located at 259 West 30^th Street

For more information & artist calendar Please visit www.urbanstages.org or call 212 431-1380

        At last Friday's MetroJam at the Metropolitan Room, one of the returnees to this year's Urban Stages program, Lorinda Lisitza, earned showstopping-style cheers with a taste of her big voice and all-stops-out rousing blues.  Always an audience pleaser, I asked the vibrant performer about her participation.  Last year, she was in a program of songs by musical theater writer Michael Ogborn.  This year, she returns to reprise her work with two other frequent colleagues Joe Iconis (recent winner of MAC's John Wallowitch Songwriting Award) and Robert Maddock with the well-received Triumphant Baby. She told me, "I'm glad that Urban Stages has started an annual program to put cabaret acts into an actual theater; since cabaret is such an inherently theatrical medium, it's a great fit." So is she, a singer who digs into rich theatrical material who also has a cabaret entertainer's sensibility about communicating directly to listeners.  She sees the series as being right up the company's alley and a blend of the best of both muediums, adding, "This handily combines Urban Stages mission to promote new works and still keep the intimacy and immediacy of what is offered at the clubs: a real connection between the audience and the performer.  It's a chance to see the American Songbook is still being written."

Urban Stages' Artistic Director Frances Hill filled me in some more.  Our conversation follows:

Q: How did the idea to do cabaret at Urban Stages come about and develop?

A: After Urban Stages produced the musical ReWrite by Joe Iconis, I realized what a lovely space we had to hear and enjoy music.  So, last season instead of producing a family play during the holidays, I said to myself, "Let's do a cabaret series and let's expose cabaret artists and their audiences to the Urban Stages Theatre. We could develop a new venue for musical acts, providing an opportunity for these artists to work on new material.  The evenings would also help fund our extensive program bringing arts in education to kids in libraries and schools in our 'Outreach Program.'  It would be a win/win situation for all.

Q:  What are your goals? Is one of them to bring cabaret to audiences who might not normally walk into a nightclub for whatever reason?

A:  We have several goals:  (1) To expose our theatre and its possibilities to a wider audience than the one who just goes to plays.   (2) To allow composers the opportunity to work on new materials that Urban Stages might produce in the future--- for example, last season Michael Ogborn played some of his new music for a very successful cabaret evening.  I was impressed with his work and this season we did a workshop of his musical Cafe Puttanesca. (3) Since Urban Stages is producing world premieres of new musicals, it is an opportunity for the cabaret and musical audiences to see who we are and what we do and come back for more, consequently bringing larger audiences into our theatre.  (4) To give our artists who have worked in our productions like Lorinda Lisitiza and C. Kelly Wright an opportunity to develop and perform their own shows.  They seem to enjoy this opportunity. And, finally, (5) to introduce us to the super talent of the musical and cabaret world artists, bringing them to our theatre with the possiblity of using their talents in our main stage productions.

Q: What is the performing/audience space like physically and how does that impact the way the shows come across and the "feel" of the room?

A: Urban Stages is lucky to have a charming, warm, theatre of 75 seats where every seat feels a direct contact with the performer.  Due to our high ceiling and raked seats, the theatre has excellent accoustics.  KT Sullivan is not using a mic for her show of songs from the late 1920s.  The artists seem to love to perform in the space since the room feels warm and friendly, with excellent sound.

Q:.  How does being a theatre instead of a night club or concert hall influence your mindset when choosing the acts?

A:  I think we are able to be more flexible as to the acts.  We can have a concert, we can have a revue we can have a one person with piano or trio act.  This season, Ryan Scott Oliver with his band and singers, is using our projectors for a multi-media effect with projections of interesting photos.

Q: How have audiences received your previous cabaret shows or those which blur the line between theatre and cabaret?

A:  I have to answer this by saying that it depends on the  show.  Last year, both Ryan Scott Oliver and Daniel Zaitchik and Broadway Sings for Urban Stages were sell-out shows with people waiting for standing room.  The tickets this year are again selling well for Ryan Scott Oliver. So I have to say that the audiences seem to accept and enjoy the shows that maybe fall between cabaret and theatre.

Q:. What else would you like our readers to know about the programs themselves or your mission and goals?

A: Urban Stages feels that the theatre at 259 West 30th is our home and the home of all of our artists and audiences.  We want it to ring with new provocative plays,  sing with new musicals and vibrate with the cabaret artists who are multi-talented, and we can provide a space for them to bring their acts and sell their exceptional recordings.  We are all one creative family that is located on 30th Street.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, SEE WWW.URBANSTAGE.ORG

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