SAD NEWS: JUDY KRESTON, CABARET SINGER & CLUB OWNER DIES (obituary)

MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR JUDY KRESTON DECEMBER 28th

The memorial service for Judy Kreston will be held on Monday, December 28th at 11:30 am at the FRANK E. CAMPBELL FUNERAL CHAPEL (1076 Madison Avenue at 81st Street), NYC).

SAD NEWS - JUDY KRESTON PASSED AWAY THIS MORNING

It is with great sadness that we report that Judy Kreston-Lahm died early this morning, Wednesday 23, 2009. A performer for many years, she also was the owner of JUDYS restaurant/cabaret - first located midtown on West 44th Street and later in Chelsea on Eighth Avenue.

Plans for the funeral are being made w/ the Frank Campbell funeral home in NYC to be held on Monday afternoon.

More details as received.

NYC: TIM DICKINS BRINGS AUSTRALIAN HIT SHOW TO THE DUPLEX

After a knockout headline season at the 2009 Melbourne Fringe Festival, and two sold-out runs at Melbourne's famed BUTTERFLY CLUB, 2009 Under Our Wing award winner Tom Dickins brings his acclaimed show "Where Was I?" to LA, San Francisco, Seattle, New York and Boston. The New York show will be on one night only at THE DUPLEX CABARET THEATRE (61 Christopher Street, NYC - 1-212-255-5438) on Tuesday, December 22nd at 7:00 pm. In his semi-autobiographical, fully fantastical cabaret, "Where Was I?" Tom Dickins runs, stumbles and stalls on a scattered trip around the world, in search of answers to the question: "Are you running away from something - or toward it?" Tom runs to and from love, identity, sex, debt, the South Korean National Male Cheerleading Squad and a myriad of mad travelers, accompanied by travelling companion, anima, and 'ravishing redhead' Jennifer Kingwell on piano. There is a $15 cover plus a 2-drink minimum.

ANDREA LEVITT WANTS TO BE YOUR "CABARET PLANNER!" (ADV)

Andrea Levitt wants to be your "Cabaret Planner!" She understands-you just want to sing and not be overwhelmed with all the arrangements, so she has started a new business: you sing and she'll organize! Andrea's experience in the performing and business world qualify her as the perfect person to help you with your next cabaret show. She can help with the selection of performance venues, photographers, videographers, printers, graphic artists. She can help coordinate rehearsal schedules, press kits, mailing lists etc. "Just Leave Everything (logistically speaking) To Me!" For more information, contact Andrea Levitt at 917-7546737 or 718-8526215 or alevitt8@nyc.rr.com

NYC: WINTER SINGS VAN HEUSEN IN DECEMBER

NYC: WINTER SINGS VAN HEUSEN IN DECEMBER
MEMBER DISCOUNT $5 OFF THE COVER

2009 Bistro Award winner Susan Winter returns to THE METROPOLITAN ROOM (34 West 22nd Street, NYC - 212-206-0440) with her all new show, Susan Sings Van Heusen with one more performance in December: Tuesdays, December 22nd, all shows at 7:00 pm. Jimmy Van Heusen was one of the most accomplished songwriters in history, winning four "Oscars" and one Emmy award among his many credits. But the favorite composer of Frank and Bing was not just about ring-a-ding-ding! Susan puts her own special stamp on a wide array of material that Van Heusen has written for stage and screen, television and recordings. She'll be joined on stage by the incomparable Tedd Firth at the piano, Tom Hubbard on bass and Tony Jefferson on drums. Multi-award-winning Lina Koutrakos is the director. There is a $20 cover plus a 2-drink minimum.

CABARET CONFERENCE AT YALE ANNOUNCES 2010 DATES

Erv Raible, Executive Director/Artistic Director, takes great pride in announcing the Eighth Annual CABARET CONFERENCE AT YALE UNIVERSITY. The Cabaret Conference at Yale University is being developed in conjunction with the Yale School of Drama/Yale Repertory Theater (for information call the Cabaret Conference Hotline at 212-629-2000, please do not call YSD/YRT); and several conference sessions will be held in the facilities of the Yale School of Drama/Yale Repertory Theater, including the recently opened New Theater. The Eighth Annual Cabaret Conference At Yale University will be held July 23rd through August 1st, 2010, and is an internationally focused, nine-day teaching program that offers an intensive look at the art of cabaret performance technique, and trains professionals for the live entertainment industry in the 21st century. The Great American Songbook will be addressed and promoted in its entirety, from its origins in the late 19th century through the classic pop standards of the 1930s and 40s to today's contemporary cabaret, musical theater, jazz and pop music. For more information see http://www.thecabaretconferenceatyale.com/ .

THOUGHTS & PRAYERS FOR TWO CABARET FAVORITES

Two more folks need your thoughts and prayers right now - we just heard that cabaret favorite and former club owner Judy Kreston is seriously ill - I don't have more details than that, and I also hear that Claiborne Cary, who moved to California last year, is ailing as well. Since there won't be another regular issue for a full week, you might want to check the CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE MESSAGE BOARD on the website, or this CABARET HOTLINE ONLINE BLOG for updates that I might receive. If you follow me on TWITTER at http://twitter.com/cabarethotline I will alert you to any blog or message board updates.