The three-night event, titled Celebrating Donald Smith, plays 6 PM Oct. 17-19.

The Oct. 17 Gala Opening Night, hosted by KT Sullivan (named in April as the Foundation's artistic director), features the annual presentations of The Julie Wilson Award (to newcomer Shana Farr) and The Noel Coward Award (to Jeff Harnar). Performers include Emily Bergl, Barbara Carroll, Tony DeSare, Ms. Farr, Lauren Fox, Gregory Generet, Edward Hibbert, Valerie Lemon, Amanda McBroom, Mark Nadler, Catherine Russell, Sullivan and Amra-Faye Wright.

A Salute to Cole Porter (Smith's favorite composer), held Oct. 18, includes performances by Karen Akers, Anna Bergman, Ann Hampton Callaway, Jeff Harnar, Clint Holmes, Marilyn Maye, Andrea Marcovicci, Maude Maggart, Colleen McHugh, Todd Murray, T. Oliver Reid, Steve Ross, Jennifer Sheehan, Daryl Sherman and Billy Stritch. Marcovicci and Harnar host.

Thanks for the Memory, held Oct. 19, spotlights the talents of Christine Andreas, Klea Blackhurst, Carole J. Bufford, Jim Caruso, Natalie Douglas, Nicholas King, Karen Mason, Beckie Menzi and Tom Michael, Sidney Myer, Lee Roy Reams and Craig Rubano. Blackhurst will host. The Mabel Mercer Award and the first annual Donald F. Smith Award will be presented to, respectively, Andreas and Blackhurst.

Click here to read about the recent memorial concert tribute to Donald Smith. The Rose Theater at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall is located at Broadway at 60th Street.

Tickets are priced $25, $50 and $100. There are also 50 seats per concert priced $500, which includes the performance and a post-show cocktail reception with that evening's artists.

For more information visit www.MabelMercer.org.

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Produced by the Mabel Mercer Foundation, the first annual Cabaret Convention was mounted in 1989. Since that time similar events have been produced in Chicago, Palm Springs, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.