The Central Park Café is bringing the finest in New York cabaret to their restaurant across the street from Carnegie Hall. les chanteuses de cabaret featuring Meg Flather, Karen Mack, Rosemary Loar and Tracy Stark will be presented in an inaugural event produced by Marcello Rollando & Jay Michaels

The event will take place on Saturday Night, March 9 at 7:00 p.m.

Sidney Myer, a legendary figure in Cabaret, told the NewYork Times recently, “Cabaret has always offered performers an opportunity tobe themselves… In cabaret, it’s all your vision, your dream. Barbra Streisandwas a cabaret star before she was a star in movies or theater.” With that in mind, the Central Park Café has brought together legendary names from the New York cabaret scene and Broadway to launchits new venue. Each a visionary performer with a story, a vision, a dream.

Maestra Tracy Stark, a definitive name in the cabaret world brught together for this event three of the genre’s most visisble names. Meg Flather, Karen Mack, and Broadway alum, Rosemary Loar.

Rosemary Loar tells a stunning and inspriation story.

“I went to school for opera but realized that I wanted to do all styles of music so I  came to NYC eager to do Broadway as I was raised on Broadway music (my mother went to the matinee of all the big Broadway shows and would bring back a cast album)” she related this with wistful joy. “I trained with the best vocal and acting teachers and learned how to dance at the late age of 24. By the way, that’s how I met my late husband, Robert W. Atwood. He was my ballet teacher.”

One can almost hear music as she tells her life story. 

“I was blessed and was cast in six Broadway shows and 3 national tours. But even while I was in these Broadway shows here in NYC and on the road, I was performing my cabaret act. I love to sing and I really love to entertain. Period. I also really enjoy teaching. I spent 10 years at NYU teaching classes and private lessons. Now I teach on-line and privately in the city at Ripley Grier Studios.”

In just the few seconds it took for the luminary Ms. Loar to offer an introduction, we were wisked away on her journey, eager to hear more.  

How were you introduced to cabaret?

I have been in the cabaret world for so long (forty years)  almost since the first day I stepped foot in New York City .I don’t really remember being “introduced” to cabaret; it was just always in my NYC life.  My picture is on the wall of Don’t Tell Mama along with Karen Mason and Nancy La Mott. 

Who or what inspires you?

I take my inspiration from everything. Recently my direction is pointed toward jazz and so I listen to a lot of the great jazz improvisers both singers and horn players. But I also listen to pop composers (like Sting or Annie Lennox) and create arrangements that fit the jazz cabaret style of music that I perform. 

What influences your song choices?

If my heart is moved or if my fancy is tickled or if I want to challenge myself vocally or musically. Or if I’m working on a theme for a show, I’ll look for a song that moves that theme along. 

Do you or have you written your own music?

Yes, I have written a lot of music that I have included in my shows. I release two pop CD’s in 2020 and 2022 and all the songs were written by myself . I also have written music and lyrics for two musical theatre shows that have had off-Broadway productions. 

What is your fondest cabaret memory? 

Every time I am on a cabaret stage …that’s my fondest memory. 

In this post-pandemic cyber obsessed world – what does the future hold for the artform of cabaret?

Great question. I really don’t know what the future holds for any of the arts. It’s a challenge to get people to leave their homes and their screens. I don’t even know how much people even read anymore. I spend a lot of time going out to see all kinds of live entertainment to support my friends, my students, and composers. 

What’s next for you? 

I have a new CD being released on May 3rd at Chelsea Table and Stage. I’m very excited as I have my jazz trio this time: Frank Ponzio, Tom Hubbard and Vito Lesczak. And added musicians, John DiPinto on accordion and  Gary Schriener on chromatic harmonica. We are arranging the tunes among all of us. I’ll bring in an idea, then Frank puts his spin on it, then Vito etc. My musicians are so world class that everyone has something special to add to the mix.  It is so satisfying and thrilling in every way.