Review: KT Sullivan Honors Songwriters with Cabaret Stars at 54 Below

Broadway + NYC

Broadway

Off-Broadway

Off-Off Broadway

Cabaret

Dance

Opera

Classical Music

Eastern

Central

Western

West End

WEST END

UK Regional

International

Canada

Australia / New Zealand

Europe

Asia

Latin America

Africa / Middle East

Entertainment

TV/Movies

Music

Ctrl + K to open · Esc to close

The Love Songs of Alan and Marilyn Bergman was a love letter to cabaret.

POPULAR

Get all the top news & discounts for Cabaret & beyond.

54 Below was all abuzz last night as the Mabel Mercer Foundation presented its gala benefit YOU MUST BELIEVE IN SPRING. Subtitled THE LOVE SONGS OF ALAN AND Marilyn Bergman , the event was, ostensibly, created for fundraising efforts for the organization, but it served an equally valuable purpose, as a happy byproduct: the showcasing of the exceptional talents that make up the cabaret community. And we’re talking about cabaret people here, ok? There are a lot of wonderful, exciting, valued artists who work in cabaret and concert who are also film and television actors, or Broadway thespians, and we love them and we go to their shows, and we are glad of their work in the venues of the art form. But last night every performer who tread the boards in the basement is an artist who makes their home in the cabaret rooms and concert halls. The whole thing was something akin to a Cabaret Convention amuse bouche, highlighting acts that have played the annual event in the past, and that are playing it again in 2026 and beyond. It was an elegant experience for the full house of patrons, many of whom are also industry stalwarts, Convention alumni, and MAC Award nominees and winners. It was a literal Who’s Who of Cabaret.

Get all the top news & discounts for Cabaret & beyond.

Karen Akers (with Alex Rybeck at the piano) performs "The Way We Were."

For the Mabel Mercer Foundation’s fundraiser, KT Sullivan organized a program of music by one of the music industry’s most famous songwriter duos, and probably its most enduring (and endearing) couples, Marilyn and Alan Bergman (the gentleman usually gets first billing, but it is often appropriate to put the Missus in first place). Famous for songs like “The Windmills of Your Mind” (Oscar win), “The Way We Were” (Oscar win), and “Nice and Easy” (which, eventually, became a jingle for a television commercial, the ultimate win), Alan and Marilyn Bergman were married for sixty-four years, until her death in 2022 (Alan died one year ago, on July 17th), and while there was much discussion of their work last night, there was also a good deal of talk about their love affair. Not every artist to hit the stage had anecdotes or histories - Ann Kittredge , Dorian Woodruff, and Craig Rubano preferred to let their musical storytelling carry their appearance, while Stephanie Pope and Michael-Demby Caine brought some terpsichore to the table, but the rest of the starry cast had stories of their own (like Bryan Eng joking about how astutely KT Sullivan guides him in his song choices for certain events), tales of the Bergmans (like Marieann Meringolo , who knows the trivia, as she has her own Bergman show), or musings on the work itself (like Jeff Harnar breaking down the appeal of “It Might Be You”). But whether the stars on the stage needed an intro to their number or hit the ground running, it was a night of extreme entertainment.

Eric Yves Garcia performs "That Face."

Observe the different vibes created by Eric Yves Garcia (so dashing), who played a breathtaking and bouncy “That Face” that couldn’t help but bring smiles to the face and toe tapping under the table, or Natalie Douglas (pure magic), acting her face off during the ubiquitous “Fifty Percent,” in so personal a way as to remind everyone just why she is the star she is. Consider the Yin and Yang that is Karen Mason lusciously and longingly pondering “What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?” stacked up next to Steven Brinberg bringing down the house with his Hi-Ho-Larious “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” as Barbra Streisand AND Neil Diamond . And speaking of Barbra Streisand , what a treat to have Nicolas King stunningly mash-up two songs from Yentl and Karen Akers perfectly close out the show with (maybe?) the most famous Bergman song of all, “The Way We Were” - it isn’t easy to go out and sing a Streisand song, but these two aces aced it. And since we all know that The Greatest Star was the greatest Bergman interpreter, it was a natural choice for KT Sullivan to sweetly open the night with “On My Way To You” (from the album What Matters Most), for Ann Kittredge to romantically reinvent “Ordinary Miracles” (from the album Barbra The Concert), for Dorian Woodruff to smoothly interpret “Love Like Ours” (from the album Love Like Ours), for Craig Rubano to prettily proffer that “You Must Believe in Spring” (from the album Love Is The Answer), and for Marieann Meringolo to do a three-song set of Bergman tunes that Streisand recorded. In fact, only three songs from the presentation have not been sung by Barbra Streisand - so what we have here is a collection of cabaret artists singing songs recorded by a woman that many consider to be the best singer, ever, and nailing it. The entire cast of YOU MUST BELIEVE IN SPRING brought their A-Game, and that includes Jon Weber , the Musical Director for the evening (at the piano), and Steve Doyle , whose bass became another character in the storytelling for a number of numbers. For a special treat, guest pianists were on hand to assist Ms. Meringolo ( Doyle Newmyer ) and Mr. Harnar/Ms. Akers ( Alex Rybeck , making his long-awaited and most welcome return to the stage after a much publicized surgery). It was a night to remember, and even though there was a strong sense of occasion, of something special in the air, there was also a warmth about it, a hominess arising out of the community feeling in the room. Here are some of the best in the business, both on the stage and in the seats, gathered together to support one another and The Mabel Mercer Foundation (an appropriate word, as KT Sullivan and her organization are a main foundation in the metaphysical house built for the industry). It is nights like this, events like this (and the Cabaret Convention) that signify what the industry and art form are all about, what they can be. It will be fun to see what Ms. Sullivan and co. have planned for those three nights at Rose Hall in October. This was a great teaser trailer… and, of course, tribute to Alan Bergman and the love of his life, Marilyn Bergman . They were, truly, our Ordinary Miracles.

Stephanie Pope and Michael-Demby Cain perform "A Song For Dancing."

Find great shows to see on the 54 Below website HERE.

Learn about the Mabel Mercer Foundation HERE and the 2026 Cabaret Convention HERE.

Photos by Stephen Mosher

KT Sullivan performs "On My Way To You."

Ann Kittredge performs "Ordinary Miracles."

Nicolas King performs "The Moon and I" and "The Way He Makes Me Feel."

Karen Mason performs "What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life?"

Bryan Eng performs "Nice and Easy."

Dorian Woodruff performs "Love Like Ours."

Steven Brinberg performs "You Don't Bring Me Flowers."

Marieann Meringolo performs "Windmills of Your Mind" and "Summer Me, Winter Me/How Do You Keep The Music Playing" with Doyle Newmyer at the piano.

Craig Rubano performs "You Must Believe in Spring."

Natalie Douglas performs "Fifty Percent."

Jeff Harnar (with Alex Rybeck ) performs "Theme From Maude" and "It Might Be You."

KT Sullivan bids the audience adieu.

Get an Alert Each Time Stephen Mosher Writes

Videos

Cabaret SHOWS

Recommended For You

Sign up for announcements, and exclusive discounts on tickets to your favorite shows!

© 2026 - Copyright Wisdom Digital Media , all rights reserved. Privacy Policy

_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/cabaret/article/Review-YOU-MUST-BELIEVE-IN-SPRING-at-54-Below-a-Glorious-Showcase-Of-Cabaret-Talent-20260605)._