Broadway Cabaret Festival Plays Town Hall Oct. 16-18

By Andrew Gans
October 16, 2009

The fifth annual Broadway Cabaret Festival — created, written and hosted by producer-critic Scott Siegel — kicks off at Manhattan's Town Hall Oct. 16 with an evening titled A Tribute to David Merrick.

The 8 PM concert features the talents of Corbin Bleu, Marc Kudisch, Stephanie J. Block, Lee Roy Reams, Robert Cuccioli, Stephen Bogardus, Jim Caruso, Elizabeth Stanley, Sharon McNight, Kendrick Jones, Carleton Carpenter and eight Broadway gypsies. The evening celebrates fabled showman Merrick, whose six-decade career gave Broadway the original productions of Gypsy; Oliver!; Hello, Dolly!; 42nd Street; Mack & Mabel; and I Do! I Do!

Linda Eder will take centerstage Oct. 17 at 8 PM with her newest concert act, All of Me. The singing actress will be backed by a seven-piece orchestra led by Billy Stein with Dave Mann on saxophone and Dave Finck on upright and electric bass. In addition to new arrangements, expect such signature songs as "Vienna" and "Someone Like You" as well as tunes from Eder's new "Soundtrack" CD.

The series will conclude Oct. 18 with Broadway Originals. The 3 PM concert will boast original Falsettos stars Michael Rupert, Stephen Bogardus, Barbara Walsh, Chip Zien and Jonathan Kaplan. The afternoon will also feature the talents of Stephanie J. Block, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Manu Narayan, Kerry O'Malley and Sharon McNight, who will revisit the songs they made famous on the Broadway stage. Expect tunes by Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg.

Tickets are $55 and $50 and are available through Ticketmaster.com, (212) 307-4100 or the Town Hall Box Office (123 West 43rd Street). For more information visit www.the-townhall-nyc.org.