Steve Ross, the veteran cabaret performer who made his Broadway debut in Noël Coward's Present Laughter, will celebrate the songs of Rodgers and Hart in May.

Aptly titled "Strictly Rodgers, Mostly Hart," Ross will perform his new act at Symphony Space's Leonard Nimoy Thalia at 7 and 9:30 PM on May 3. Joining the pianist-singer are two other cabaret habitués, renowned songwriter/vocalist Tom Andersen and Ethel Merman aficionado Klea Blackhurst.

Ross rose to fame in the 1970's, performing at the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel and Ted Hook's BackStage. He has performed throughout the world, including New York's Carnegie Hall, London's the Ritz and Tokyo's Imperial Hotel. He was named Outstanding Singer-Instrumentalist by the Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs and starred Off Broadway in a tribute to Fred Astaire, which was entitled I Won't Dance.. Andersen, a five-time MAC Award winner for singing, songwriting and performing, has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Weill Recital Hall, Tavern on the Green and the Algonquin. He has released several solo recordings and appeared in the Off-Broadway revue "Cabariety." Blackhurst received the 2002 MAC Award for Outstanding Female Vocalist after garnering rave reviews — Including one in The New York Times — for her tribute to Ethel Merman, "Everything the Traffic Will Allow." The young singer-actress also appeared Off-Broadway in Oil City Symphony and Radio Gals.

During his lifetime, composer Richard Rodgers penned over 900 songs. His partnerships with Lorenz Hart and later with Oscar Hammerstein II produced some of the most successful musicals in Broadway history. His works with Hart included such musicals as On Your Toes, Babes in Arms, I Married an Angel, The Boys from Syracuse, Pal Joey and By Jupiter.

Symphony Space is located in New York City at 95th Street and Broadway. Tickets to "Strictly Rodgers, Mostly Hart" — priced at $25 — are available by calling the theatre's box office at (212) 864-5400. — By Andrew Gans