Who Are the Darlings of NYC Society?

It all depends on what part of NYC society one is speaking of. Different sectors of NYC society favor different people - but one class of people that almost everyone in NYC society can agree on are those talented entertainers known as cabaret performers.

Cabaret is not unique to the Big Apple, and members of NYC society are not the only ones who appreciate this unique form of nightclub entertainment. However, the same members of NYC society who appreciate Broadway musicals are likely to appreciate its "little sister," cabaret.

For this is the essence of cabaret: a scaled-down version of a big Broadway musical review, performed by as many as five or six to as few as a single performer; cabaret entertainers who play to NYC society may be accompanied by a small combo of six or seven players, or a single pianist.

One thing is certain; you cannot call yourself a member of NYC society unless you've experienced this delightful form of entertainment at least once.

The charm that members of NYC society find in cabaret is its intimacy. Unlike a full-scale Broadway musical, cabaret performances usually take place in small venues, permitting direct interactions between performer and audience that is impossible in a large theatre. The result is something that more like the evening musicales people once held in their front rooms before the advent of recorded sound.

When NYC society comes to a cabaret performance, they find they are not only entertained, but educated as well. A cabaret performer crafts his or her "set" - the list of songs performed - around a particular theme. Most often, this theme is around a particular songwriter; the late Bobby Short's performances of Cole Porter's music and his insightful commentary were legendary.

Another darling of NYC society is Michael Feinstein, whose performances of the songs of George and Ira Gershwin (also native New Yorkers) can definitely be classed as "authoritative" and "definitive." As a youngster, Michael Feinstein worked closely with Ira Gershwin, catalogueing his vast collection of works in the years before his death in 1983 at the age of 86.

You can join other members of NYC society who enjoy Feinstein's performances at his Manhattan club, Feinstein's at the Regency, where other cabaret acts perform as well - but book early, especially for his holiday show, because virutally no member of NYC society wants to miss it - and it's virtually always sold out.

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