James Naughton serves as the Master of Ceremonies for the annual event, which features Russ Kassoff on piano, John Arbo on bass and John Redsecker on drums.
Produced by music director Joel Fram and directed by Annette Jolles, Wall to Wall Cabaret is divided into several segments and kicks off at 3 PM with A Masterclass with Barbara Cook, where the Tony-winning singing actress will instruct three young singers — Andi Alhadeff, Kersten Anderson and Brennan Caldwell — on the fine points of interpretation.
Cabaret Now, which begins at 4 PM, examines "the new generation of performers who are redefining cabaret with a unique blend of traditional song stylings and performance art, expanding their repertoire into the world of pop, folk, and a new take on classic songs," according to press notes. Performers include Emily Bergl, La Tanya Hall, Molly Pope and Eric Yves Garcia.
Cabaret Comedy features Jackie Hoffman and Christine Pedi, while Singer-Songwriters spotlights Tony DeSare, Andrew Lippa and Benjamin Scheuer. The International Style traces American cabaret back to the 1881 opening of Le Chat Noir in Paris and the explosion of creative song in Germany during the 1920s; expect performances by Ute Lemper, BD Wong, Karen Kohler and Jean Brassard.
Taylor Mac, Todd Londagin and Cole Escola are featured in Satire, Revolution, and Alt-Cabaret, which begins at 6:15 PM and "reveals cabaret as a forum for exploration, exhortation, and bending the boundaries of performance art." Performers set for Broadway and The American Songbook include Andrea McArdle, Kate Baldwin, The Broadway Boys and The DiGiallanardo Sisters, while ASCAP and The New American Songbook includes the songwriting team of Marcy Heisler + Zina Goldrich, along with composers Jason Robert Brown, Sam Davis, Steve Marzullo, Matthew Sklar, Georgia Stitt and Sam Willmott. The evening portion of Wall to Wall Cabaret, scheduled for 8-11 PM, is devoted to Cabaret Classics, saluting the artists who "define the tradition, with vivid, immediate interpretations of the American Songbook." The parade of singers includes Klea Blackhurst, Barbara Carroll, Jim Caruso, Bill Charlap and Sandy Stewart, Eric Comstock and Barbara Pasano, Julie Halston, Lypsinka, Andrea Marcovicci, Marilyn Maye, Jane Monheit, James Naughton, Steve Ross, Jennifer Sheehan, Billy Stritch, Aaron Weinstein, Forever Plaid and Karen Wyman. Michael Arenella and His Dreamland Orchestra will also perform.
Symphony Space is located at 2537 Broadway at 95th Street. Tickets are free, though premium reserved seats are available for $100 for the afternoon (3-7:45 PM) and the evening (8-11 PM). The proceeds go to keeping Wall to Wall free for all.
Visit symphonyspace.org or call (212) 864-5400.
