ScheckOnCulture

As show business Cinderella stories go, it’s one of the best. In just a few short years, 26-year-old Laura Osnes has gone from unknown reality show competition winner to bona-fide Broadway star. After playing Sandy in the Broadway revival of Grease that was her prize for winning on TV’s Grease: You’re on the One That I Want, she’s gone on to starring roles in South Pacific, Anything Goes, and a Tony nomination for Bonnie and Clyde. Add to that acclaimed turns in the Encores! production of Pipe Dream, a concert version of The Sound of Music at Carnegie Hall, and the title role in the upcoming revival of Cinderella, and it’s easy to imagine what comes next.

A cabaret debut, of course, as has become de rigueur for Broadway leading ladies. And what better place than the swanky Café Carlyle, where the gorgeous, fresh-faced ingénue is delivering an evening that serves as both a showcase for her gorgeous soprano and an audition for upcoming starring roles.

Such as Marian in The Music Man, from which she sings “’Til There Was You.” Or Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, from which she not only belts out “Don’t Rain on My Parade” but also plays a tape of her singing it when she was just a child.

Although it contains touches of sensuality, such as an irony-free rendition of “Fever” and the skintight dress that shows off her perfect figure, the evening is mostly a wholesome one. Romantics certainly swooned on opening night when she brought out her equally adorable husband to sing with her on “A Whole New World” from Aladdin.

Accompanied by a first-rate quartet led by pianist/musical director Fred Lassen, Osnes alternates between selections from her theater repertoire--such as “How ‘Bout a Dance” from the ill-fated Bonnie & Clyde and a rewritten version of “I Have Confidence” from The Sound of Music—and such pop gems as Sara Bareilles’ “Bluebird,” Norah Jones’ “Sunrise” and a couple of songs by Randy Newman, including “When She Loved Me,” movingly dedicated to her late mother.

The opening night crowd was also treated to a special guest appearance by her Anything Goes co-star Joel Grey, who dueted on an endearingly ragged version of “Friendship” in which both forgot lyrics and an amusing “Pineapple Song” from Cabaret.

Although her crystalline voice shines, Osnes still has a ways to go in terms of lyrical interpretation and full emotional connection with her material. But give her some time—she’s still at the beginning of what is undoubtedly going to be a long and successful career.

Café Carlyle, 35 E. 76th St. 212-744-1600. www.thecarlyle.com.

Herb Alpert and his wife, singer Lani Hall, are delivering an evening of blissful nostalgia and superb musicianship at the Café Carlyle. Representing a rare concert appearance by the legendary trumpeter--and under wonderfully intimate circumstances at that--the show is not to be missed.

 In the course of the relaxed proceedings, Alpert frequently takes the opportunity to gab with the audience. Admitting that at this point in his highly successful career—he was also the co-founder of A&M Records—he doesn’t need the money, he explains the real reason for his return to live performances: “I need the energy.”

And even at age 76, that energy is on ample display. Playing a muted trumpet, his instrumentals were as joyous and precise as they were fifty years ago when he burst into international stardom with the Tijuana Brass.

The evening showcases Alpert’s jazzier side, with many selections taken from the couple’s Anything Goes CD. Accompanied by a superb three-piece band, Hall, formerly the original lead singer with Sergio Mendes’ Brasil 66, lends her lustrous pipes to standards by the likes of Berlin and Porter as well as several Brazilian numbers. Her consistently powerful vocals on such songs as “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” and “Anything Goes” display as much emotional desperation as joyous defiance.

Alpert frequently sings too, to charming effect. He delivered a charming medley of “This Guy’s in Love with You” and “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face” in a whispery but appealing voice that belied his protestation that “this is what you call chutzpah.” But it’s his instrumentals that truly shine, such as a Latin-style arrangement of the classic “Laura” and a “Night and Day” that amusingly included snippets of “If I Was a Rich Man.”

It’s when Alpert tapped into his hit-laden past that the audience truly swooned with delight. After a brief snippet from his monster hit, “Rise,” he performed a medley of Tijuana Brass favorites that was far too brief. Hearing his stirring trumpet on such classics as “The Lonely Bull,” “A Taste of Honey,” “Tijuana Taxi” and “Whipped Cream” was sheer baby boomer heaven.

“That was fun, I had a good time,” Alpert commented after the medley was done. So did we, Herb, so did we.

Café Carlyle, 35 E. 76th St. 212-744-1600. www.thecarlyle.com.

After his record-breaking run in the title role of The Phantom of the Opera, it’s a pleasure to once again encounter Howard McGillin without a mask. The 57-year-old, eternally youthful musical leading man--who has been performing on New York stages since 1984--is delivering a winning show at the Oak Room that shows off his lovely tenor voice, affable charm and sensitive way with a lyric.

Appropriately enough for this performer whose credits include She Loves Me, Anything Goes and The Mystery of Edwin Drood, the show—dubbed Isn’t It Romantic?—features a plethora of love songs. Clearly tired of his Phantom duties, he refrains from reprising that show’s signature number “The Music of the Night.”

Following a loosely autobiographical structure, McGillin begins the evening with an exuberant rendition of Arlen and Harbug’s “I Love to Singa,” made famous by Cab Calloway. His song selections loosely parallel his career credits: Jerry Herman’s “The Big Time,” prefaced with a story about his ill-fated Hollywood career as a contract player at Universal; a Puccini aria, recalling his New York stage debut in an English language version of La Boheme opposite Linda Ronstadt; a pair of Sondheim numbers, accompanied by an amusing anecdote about his run-in with the notoriously cantankerous composer after he turned down a role in one of his shows; “A Foggy Day in London Town” and “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square,” reflecting his joyous experience performing in the London production of Anything Goes, etc.

He wanders into more contemporary territory with such songs as Michael Buble’s pop hit “Haven’t Met You Yet”; “Time,” a new ballad written by his pianist Joseph Thalken; and, for an encore, James Taylor’s “Secret O’Life.” He also displays a comic bent with a raucous take on “How ‘Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em Down on the Farm?”

Although is voice is more pleasant than particularly distinctive, McGillin is such a warm, engaging presence that his show is a consistent delight. Spending an hour in his company while bathed in the warm glow of the Oak Room is an experience definitely to be recommended.

Oak Room, Algonquin Hotel, 59 W. 44th St. 212-419-9331. www.algonquinhotel.com.

‘60s era nostalgic bliss can currently be attained at Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, where Peter Asher is holding court for the rest of the week. This surviving member of the chart-topping British Invasion duo Peter & Gordon is delivering a wildly entertaining evening of music and stories aptly entitled A Musical Memoir of the 60s and Beyond.

Along with his late partner Gordon Waller, Asher enjoyed a string of hits between 1963 and 1967 that included “World Without Love,” “I Go to Pieces,” “True Love Ways,” “Woman,” “I Don’t Want to See You Again” and “Nobody I Know.”

All of these, as well as a few other classics from the era, are performed here. And while Asher was clearly not the chief vocal talent of the duo—Waller’s voice was far more rich and resonant—the 67-year-old delivers wonderfully fun renditions with the support of a four-piece band.

But more than the music, it’s the storytelling that makes the evening so memorable. Asher, who went on to become a hugely successful music producer and manager, seems to have been everywhere during the heady days of the ‘60s and ‘70s. He regales the audience with anecdotes involving the Beatles—Paul McCartney dated his sister Jane, and provided the group with several Lennon/McCartney compositions that became some of their biggest hits—as well as the Rolling Stones, James Taylor and many others.

The show ingeniously weaves video clips and photos into the presentation, including a riotously funny introduction by Eric Idle and a couple of beautifully synchronized virtual duets between Asher and his former partner, the latter filmed during a 2005 reunion concert.

Among the highlights are clips from the variety show Hullabaloo featuring Peter & Gordon singing “Eight Days a Week” with the Supremes and Frankie Avalon and an unintentionally hilarious appearance on The Red Skelton Show.

Asher, whose credits also include a stint as head of A&R for Apple, the Beatles’ record company, was there when John met Yoko and when Mick Jagger met Marianne Faithful. He also describes Lennon and McCartney sitting in his attic and performing a song they had just written—a little ditty called “I Wanna Hold Your Hand.”

 Although the evening features perhaps a little too much self-promotion--including footage of his winning a Grammy for Producer of the Year and endless plugs about current and upcoming projects—Asher’s winningly self-deprecating sense of humor more than compensates. And when he dons his original Buddy Holly-style glasses and leads the audience on a sing-along of “A World Without Love,” complete with lyrics projected on video screens, the baby boomer audience’s joy was palpable.

Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, 540 Park Ave. 212-339-4095. www.feinsteinsatloewsregency.com.

Opportunities to see Dave Frishberg are a rarity these days, so don’t delay in making your reservations for Do You Miss New York?, the terrific new show featuring the great jazz vocalist/composer and Broadway actress/singer Jessica Molaskey. The Oak Room provides the perfect setting for the duo, since their repertoire includes songs from The New Yorkers, a work-in-progress musical about the legendary members of the Algonquin Round Table.

The evening consists almost entirely of material from Frishberg’s extensive oeuvre, and it’s a pleasure to hear so many of them interpreted by the songwriter himself. His droll, understated delivery perfectly serves the sly, satirical humor of such songs as “Slappin’ the Cakes,” “I’m Hip” and “My New Celebrity,” the latter updated with amusing up-to-the-moment references to figures ranging from Charlie Sheen to Molaskey’s husband, guitarist/singer John Pizzarelli.

Most of his more sincerely emotive songs, such as the beautiful “Heart’s Desire,” are handled by Molaskey, whose smoky, jazz-inflected vocal stylings perfectly complement her co-star.

But she reveals some wicked humor of her own with such numbers as “I Won’t Scat,” a funny variation on the standard “I Won’t Dance,” and especially on his classic “My Attorney Bernie,” which the songwriter admitted was his most popular.

Frishberg demonstrated his accomplished pianism with his expertly intricate, fast-paced playing. Although he flubbed a few times and had to restart several songs, it’s quite excusable considering the complexity of the material and the fact that he’s in his late seventies.

Now based in Portland, Oregon, Frishberg’s visits to the Big Apple are few and far between. Don’t miss this opportunity to see this legendary jazz figure at this wonderfully intimate venue.

The Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel, 59 W. 44th St. 212-419-9331. www.algonquinhotel.com