Kelly Wohlford is the Chief Technical Director at Don’t Tell Mama. She brings to the table over 30 years of creative and technical experience in the entertainment industry, the bulk of which was spent at Long View Farm Studios, the world-class residential recording facility in central Massachusetts. As a staff audio engineer and producer, Kelly worked on recording projects ranging from major-label artists to regional bands to session work for Bose Corporation, and an eclectic array of genres from heavy metal and classic rock to jazz, folk, and more. She is currently the Creative Producer for CGMM, Inc. a non-profit entertainment company whose mission is to utilize music to empower young people to create a more sustainable existence on this planet.
Carolyn Montgomery is a multi MAC, Bistro and Nightlife award-winning singer/songwriter, who has performed in major venues across 36 states, Montreal, and London. She is the Executive Director of American Songbook Association, a 501(c)3 nonprofit arts organization that promotes and preserves classic American musical legacies through education programs, senior enrichment, live events, and Cabaret Scenes magazine. Montgomery’s latest show, girlSINGER, a Celebration of Rosemary Clooney, opened in January, 2024, and sold out Birdland, 54 Below and London’s Crazy Coqs. She will return to 54 Below in November by popular demand, after touring the show on the East Coast during the summer. Forbes recently featured Montgomery in an in-depth article about her work with the ASA and her performance career. She lives on the west side of Manhattan with a tall son and a small dog.
Cheo Bourne is an actor, singer, and cabaret artist who toured for 3 years with the famed singing group The Platters, as well as performing his own cabaret works and theater in and around New York City, where he lives with his husband and daughter. Cheo’s cabaret works include the twice MAC Award—nominated Moy-Borgen and Bourne’s Office Party, The Bucket List, Touché, HELLO, Never Far From Home, You and I, Journey Home and Get Ready. He was first runner-up in 2016’s Mama’s Next Big Act competition at Don’t Tell Mama. Cheo’s regional theater credits include Shine! and The Water Dream (NYMF); The Battles (The Gym at Judson); Xanadu, Jerry Springer – The Opera (SpeakEasy Stage Company); Passing Strange, Hot Mikado, Cabaret (New Repertory Theater); Of Mice and Men, Animal Farm (New Rep On Tour); Harriet Jacobs (Underground Railway Theater); HONK! (Wheelock Family Theatre, Best Actor IRNE and Broadway World Award nominations); and The Comedy of Errors (Commonwealth Shakespeare Co.).
Meg Flather has won two Bistro and three Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC) Awards as a performer, a MAC and BroadwayWorld Award as a songwriter, the 2020 Special Production MAC Award for Meg Flather Songs/A Cabaret Sisterhood, and the 2023 United Solo Award for Best Storytelling Show for her original solo musical, Hold On Tight . . . a love story. Hold on Tight also was nominated for 2023 MAC and BroadwayWorld Awards. Meg’s recent Hammerstein & Sondheim: CAREFULLY TAUGHT won the 2024 Best Show BroadwayWorld Award, and Meg was awarded the 2024 Major Female Artist MAC Award. Meg has released eight CDs of her original music and has authored two books: Home Shopping Diva. . . Lessons, Lyrics and Lipstick and Hold On Tight . . . a love story. Meg proudly serves as the North American Brand Ambassador for StriVectin Skincare. Meg continues with The Brick Room Tour—her series revisiting five shows she has performed in Don’t Tell Mama’s Brick Room— on September 22nd at 4 pm with her critically acclaimed show, Rodgers & Hammerstein TODAY.
Barry Kleinbort has earned the prestigious Edward Kleban Foundation Award for Lyric Writing, two Gilman-Gonzalez Musical Theatre Awards, the Second Stage Theater Writers Award for New Musicals, the Jamie deRoy/ ASCAP award, two Back Stage Bistro awards and twelve Manhattan Association of Cabarets (MAC) awards for his directorial and songwriting efforts. He recently wrote the book for the hit revue Cheek to Cheek: Irving Berlin in Hollywood at the YORK theater. He has written music, book and lyrics for many musicals both regionally and off-Broadway including WAS (with Joseph Thalken) and 13 Things About Ed Carpolotti starring Penny Fuller at 59E59. Also off-Broadway and on tour, he co-conceived and directed Len Cariou in his acclaimed one-man show Broadway and the Bard. He provided scripts for eight PBS-TV specials, and was an artistic consultant for “Cathouse: The Musical” for HBO. He has directed and/or written special material for a glorious roster of cabaret artists: Karen Mason, Brent Barrett, Petula Clark, Marvin Hamlisch, Kaye Ballard, Rita Gardner, Regis Philbin, John Barrowman, Lorna Dallas, Liz Robertson, John Epperson, Jason Henderson, Tony Roberts, Anita Gillette, Sylvia McNair, Jeff Harnar, Hechter Ubarry, Eric Michael Gillett, Gretchen Reinhagen, Loni Ackerman, Harolyn Blackwell, Heather MacRae, and many, many others.
What makes Scott Barbarino one of the most sought-after experts in the field of cabaret and piano bars? Longevity, experience, and the savvy to apply that rich background to the present realities of the entertainment world. Scott has been immersed in the cabaret business for over forty years––as a club manager, booker, producer, promoter, and performer, entrepreneur, industry consultant, and publisher of the acclaimed NiteLifeExchange.com web-based magazine, “Where Broadway and Cabaret Meet,” as well as Producer of the Award Winning internet show PianoBarLive! In 2002, Scott joined the management team at Ellen’s Stardust Diner on Broadway, where he continues as Artistic Director, mentoring the singing waitstaff, The World Famous Stardusters, among other responsibilities. In association with the Iridium, downstairs at Ellen’s, he has produced “New Faces of Broadway” to showcase the Starduster’s talent. Among the many other shows, Scott has produced at the Iridium are an open mic night called The Follow Spot, tribute shows to cabaret legend Julie Wilson and songwriter Ervin Drake, and the 100-show run of Terese Genecco and her Little Big Band. During much of these early successful ventures in the business of cabaret, Scott was also performing as the founder and lead singer of “Scott Barbarino & The Bev-Naps,” a retro-vocal comedy a cappella doo-wop group that won two MAC Awards (1999––Vocal Group and 2000––Musical Comedy Group).
Sidney Myer is the booking manager at Don’t Tell Mama.
Richard Skipper is an entertainer, singer, story teller and host. He has appeared in legendary venues from The Taj Mahal in Atlantic City to Carnegie Hall and has shared stages with some of the biggest names in show business from Carol Channing to Lesley Ann Warren to Jo Anne Worley. New York theatre credits include Richard Skipper Celebrates, featuring the biggest names in cabaret and theater. He can be seen in the film Carol Channing: Larger Than Life. His most recent solo project, Still Going Strong: Richard Skipper Celebrates 60 Years of Hello, Dolly! celebrates the audiences, people, places, and events that have shaped the legacy of this landmark musical. He is a member of Actor’s Equity.
Yasuhiko Fukuoka, known as Yaz, is an in-demand pianist, music director, composer, and producer. He has performed at prestigious venues such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the Cannes Film Festival. A recipient of the BMI Award, Roland Award, BroadwayWorld Award, and a nominee for a Drama Desk Award, Yaz collaborates with Broadway and cabaret luminaries. His recent works can be heard in Broadway and network TV shows, as well as on major streaming platforms.
William (Bill) Zeffiro is the winner of eight Manhattan Association of Cabaret (MAC) Awards, two for Best Special Musical Material and six for Best Singing Instrumentalist. He is also the winner of the Midtown International Theatre Festival award for Outstanding Cabaret Performance. His opera Truman and Nancy, based on the graphic novel Capote In Kansas by Ande Parks and Chris Samnee, was workshopped in 2021 at The Seagle Festival and will receive its debut through Opera Vermont at the Barn Opera this November. He also composed the score for Houdini Among The Spirits in collaboration with librettist/lyricist Chris Ceraso; it will receive its debut at The York Theatre in the Fall of 2025. His play Frame 313 was produced at The Midtown Theatre Festival. Appearances include the Café Carlyle, Town Hall and The Algonquin. He wrote book, music, and lyrics for The Road To Ruin which was directed by Broadway legend Pat Birch and made the Talkin’ Broadway Top Ten Best Cast Albums. A CD of all original material, Better Than Nothing: The Music Of Bill Zeffiro (remastered) is available on all platforms. www.billzeffiro.com
Scott Coulter is one of New York’s most honored vocalists. For
his work in cabaret, Scott has received five MAC Awards, five Bistro Awards and two Nightlife Awards for Outstanding Vocalist, and has performed at most of NYC’s top rooms including Birdland, 54 Below, The Oak Room at the Algonquin, and Feinstein’s at The Regency where he spent a record-setting eight months performing the revue 11 O’CLOCK NUMBERS AT 11 O’CLOCK which he also co-created, directed and musically arranged. His self-titled debut CD won the 2003 MAC Award for Outstanding Recording and was chosen as the best recording of the year by TheatreMania and Cabaret Scenes magazine which pronounced it “quite simply, the best these ears have ever heard.” Since 1997, Scott has performed around the country with award-winning songwriting duo Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich in their many revues. While singing with Goldrich and Heisler he was discovered by Oscar and Grammy winning composer Stephen Schwartz who then invited him to join the revue STEPHEN SCHWARTZ & FRIENDS. That revue (starring Schwartz and Coulter along with Liz Callaway and Tony Award-winner Debbie Gravitte) has been performing all over the world since 1999. Schwartz has said, “One of the greatest things that can happen to a composer is to have his music interpreted by Scott Coulter.”
Lisa Viggiano is a certified speech and voice therapist, having earned her MA in Speech Pathology and Audiology at NYU Steinhardt School of Education. As a vocal coach, she combines a traditional and a therapeutic approach which combines neuroscience and somatics. Having traversed many paths of her own as a speech-language pathologist, a vocal coach, and an award-winning performer, Lisa provides her clients with personalized techniques for expanding and elevating their vocal performances. Seasoned performer and a first-time singer alike can benefit from Lisa’s integrated approach, which she adapts to each singer’s unique vocal path.
Hannah Jane is a double first namer, actress, singer-songwriter, and an award winning cabaret artist. Originally from West Virginia, HJ made New York City her home in 2014. Taking the cabaret stages by storm, some of her shows include Hey Y’all & Yee Haw and Women of an Era. Her first two shows, On My Way and Lady Legends, each played to multiple sold-out audiences across Manhattan, and were met with critical acclaim. In addition to her cabaret career, Hannah Jane has a budding stage career. Past credits include Francine Valli in the White Plains Performing Arts Center’s production of Jersey Boys, Emcee (Girl understudy) in Once the Musical, and Woman 2 in Heartbeat of America, both at Bristol Valley Playhouse in Naples, NY. You can also catch her in Season 5 of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Named the 2019 Julie Wilson Award Recipient, Hannah Jane has become a regular on many cabaret and theater stages across NYC. You can follow her on Instagram @hannahjanenyc or visit her website www.hannahjane.nyc.
John Forster’s songs encompass the worlds of cabaret, theater, satire, singer/songwriter, and children’s music. He is a four-time Grammy nominee, the 2022 Dottie Burman Award Winner, as well as the winner of the 2023 MAC Award Best Comedy Song for “The Zoom Song.” His theater pieces include How To Eat Like A Child, Freaky Friday, Eleanor: An American Love Story, Mariel, Both Barrels (Off Broadway), Pretzels (Off Broadway), Into the Light (Broadway) and many shows for TheaterWorks/USA. Other scores include Bill Irwin’s The Happiness Lecture and a symphonic A Christmas Carol, starring Kathleen Turner. John’s songs have been recorded by Faith Hill, Rosanne Cash, Dave Van Ronk, Judy Collins, among others – including the one and only Christine Lavin! John’s solo albums include the recent Location, Location, Location!, Entering Marion, Helium, and Broadsides (his satirical songs for NPR’s “Morning Edition”). Among his many major label recordings for children are Family Tree, This Pretty Planet, and over a dozen other albums for such artists as Tom Chapin, The Olsen Twins and Rosenshontz. Two recent children’s books from Simon & Schuster are based on his songs. John’s satirical debut album, Entering Marion, prompted legendary satirist Tom Lehrer to remark, “You don’t need me anymore. Now you’ve got John Forster to kick around.” For more info visit www.johnforster.com
Christine Lavin started her professional life as a waitress/bread baker at the Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, in 1975, where she met Dave Van Ronk who encouraged her to study guitar with him in NYC. She took his advice and is now a singer/songwriter/guitarist/recording artist/author/videographer based in New York City. Her latest solo album, her 25th, ON MY WAY TO HOOTERVILLE, includes 10 new song. In 2024 she is completing her 26th solo album, DRUM SCHOOL DROPOUT. In May 2021 Christine received an Honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts from her alma mater, the State University of New York at Brockport. In April 2019 she was inducted into the Rochester, NY, Music Hall Of Fame along with Al Jardine of The Beach Boys. She received a 2012 Nightlife Award given annually to the best concert and cabaret performers in New York City. Her book COLD PIZZA FOR BREAKFAST: A MEM-WHA?? (Tell Me Press, New Haven) won the 43rd Annual ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for excellence in writing about music, and is available in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook formats. Christine has also won five ASCAP Composer Awards, The Kate Wolf Memorial Award, and her album Good Thing He Can’t Read My Mind won Album Of The Year from the National Association Of Independent Record Distributors. For four years she hosted “Slipped Disks” on XM Satellite radio, playing CDs slipped to her backstage by compatriots. Christine performs concerts all over the US, Canada, and points beyond (Australia, Germany, Israel), often hosting knitting circles and Downton Abbey—style napkin-folding workshops backstage. Her songs have been performed by artists as diverse as Broadway stars Betty Buckley, Sutton Foster, Karen Ziemba, and Klea Blackhurst, cabaret divas Andrea Marcovicci. Barbara Brussell, and Colleen McHugh, the a cappella Dartmouth Decibelles, and The Accidentals, winners of the National Harmony Sweepstakes Championship.
Jennie Litt is a cabaret performer, director, performance coach, lyricist, playwright, fiction writer, and audiobook narrator based in NYC. She performs and writes with her husband, pianist-composer David Alpher. Together they have recorded two CDs of original cabaret songs, Two Apples (2014) and Songs For Sapiosexuals (2019) (available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music), and are developing a musical, The Mitfords At War, based on the lives of the notorious Mitford sisters, British aristocrats who used their beauty, wit, intelligence, and connections to become intimate with the men who power-brokered World War II. With David Alpher, she created the Cabaret Performance Workshop at SummerKeys in Lubec, Maine, now in its ninth year; they also co-direct an annual student cabaret at Vassar College, in addition to working with private clients in NYC and beyond. Jennie is a longtime member of MAC’s Board of Directors.
Steven Ray Watkins has been playing the piano for 47 years, and has been a working musician for 43 years. He attended Shenandoah Conservatory of Music with a focus on Musical Theater and Piano. In the ‘80s, Watkins was the lead singer of the techno-pop band Ampersand, who had a top 20 Billboard single with the song “Traction.” After their disbandment, Watkins returned to musical theater performance, performing in the national tours of big, Singin’ In the Rain, and Showboat. Regionally he performed in Falsettos, Jesus Christ Superstar, 42nd Street, Evita, They’re Playing Our Song, The Last Session, and Witness For the Prosecution, among others. In 2000, Watkins turned his attention back to music, and quickly became one of the most sought-after musical directors and pianists in NYC. As a theater MD, he has worked on A Chorus Line, Funny Girl, The Last Five Years, Once On This Island, etc. As a musical consultant and vocal coach he has worked with a myriad of different performers, including Patti LuPone, Hugh Jackman, Beyoncé, Anne Hathaway, Cynthia Nixon, Bonnie Franklin, Amanda McBroom, Louise Pitre, and Karen Mason. He consulted on the 2009 Oscars, has musical directed the MAC Awards 3 times, and has been involved in many benefits and concerts in NYC and around the country, including performances at Town Hall and Carnegie Hall. As a composer, he has written specialty material for many cabaret acts, the MAC Awards, and his song “Give Me A Voice” appears on Lennie Watts’ CD “I Want….You Want.” Currently, Watkins teaches a cabaret performance class at Marymount College of Manhattan plus many private classes, all with Lennie Watts.