Jeff Harnar is an American

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...

singer, director, and recording artist.

Early life and education

Harnar's family relocated often when he was a child, living in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

and elsewhere. During this period of his life he was "dreaming and planning for a career in musical comedy". He transferred from

Southern Methodist University Southern Methodist University (SMU) is a Private university, private research university in Dallas, Texas, United States, with a satellite campus in Taos County, New Mexico. SMU was founded on April 17, 1911, by the Methodist Episcopal Church, ...

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...

. Harnar's early hopes of Broadway roles were met with scarce opportunities, so he transitioned to cabaret.

Career

Harnar has performed for over four decades at cabaret venues in New York: the Oak Room at the

Algonquin Hotel The Algonquin Hotel (officially The Algonquin Hotel Times Square, Autograph Collection) is a hotel at 59 West 44th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, United States. The 181-room hotel, opened in 1902, was designed by architect Goldwi ...

, Feinstein's 54 Below, Feinstein's at the Regency, The Firebird Cafe, The Ballroom, The

Russian Tea Room The Russian Tea Room is an Art Deco Russo-Continental restaurant, located at 150 West 57th Street (between Sixth Avenue and Seventh Avenue), between Carnegie Hall Tower and Metropolitan Tower, in the New York City borough of Manhattan. ...

, the

Laurie Beechman Theatre The Laurie Beechman Theatre (formerly the West Bank Cafe Downstairs Theater Bar) is a 90-seat dinner theater in the basement of the West Bank Cafe at 407 West 42nd Street in the Manhattan Plaza apartment complex in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, N ...

, and Birdland; in Los Angeles and San Francisco: the

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, also known as Hotel Roosevelt, is a historic hotel located at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California. History Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel was built in 1926, in what is known as t ...

and the Plush Room at the York Hotel; and The Pheasantry in London. Harnar has collaborated with cabaret, jazz, and musical theatre artists including KT Sullivan,

Liz Callaway Liz Callaway (born April 13, 1961) is an American actress, singer and recording artist, who is best known for having provided the singing voices of many female characters in animated films, such as Anya (Anastasia), Anastasia in ''Anastasia (1997 ...

, Nicholas King, Nicole Zuraitis,MOIPEI Trio, Jon Weber,

Sondra Lee Sondra Lee (born Sondra Lee Gash, September 30, 1930) is an American former actress and dancer who performed on Broadway, on television, and in films. Early years The daughter of David and Belle Gash, Lee was born in Newark, New Jersey, and grew ...

Clint Holmes Clinton Raymond Holmes (born 9 May 1946) is a British-born singer-songwriter and Las Vegas entertainer, and TV announcer. He had a hit single in the US with " Playground in My Mind". Bio He was born in Bournemouth, England, the son of an Afri ...

, Sally Mayes, Gabrielle Stravelli, Julie Wilson, and

The McGuire Sisters The McGuire Sisters were a singing trio in American popular music. The group was composed of three sisters: * Ruby Christine McGuire (July 30, 1926 – December 28, 2018) * Dorothy "Dottie" McGuire (February 13, 1928 – September 7, 2012) * P ...

(opening act). Directing cabaret, he has worked with

Tovah Feldshuh Terri Sue "Tovah" Feldshuh (born December 27, 1948) is an American actress, singer, and playwright. She has been a Broadway star for fifty years, earning four Tony Award nominations. She has also received two Emmy Award nominations for ''Holoca ...

Rita Gardner Rita Gardner ( Schier; October 23, 1934 – September 24, 2022) was an American actress and singer. Career Gardner made her stage debut Off-Broadway in Jerry Herman's musical review ''Nightcap'' (1958) before her breakout turn as Luisa in the ...

, Dawn Derow, Josephine Sanges, Renee Katz, Margo Brown, Judi Mark,

Anna Bergman Anna Bergman (born 5 May 1948) is a Swedish retired actress. She is the daughter of film and theatre director Ingmar Bergman and choreographer-director Ellen Lundström, sister to Eva, Jan, and Mats Bergman (twin); and half-sister to Daniel ...

, Becca Kidwell, and Ari Axelrod.

Critical reception

Reviewer

Stephen Holden Stephen Holden (born July 18, 1941) is an American writer, poet, and music and film critic. Biography Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963. He worked as a photo editor, staff writer, and eventually be ...

commented that while Harnar fit the mold of

Robert Morse Robert Alan Morse (May 18, 1931 – April 20, 2022) was an American actor. Known for his gap-toothed boyishness, he started his career as a star on Broadway acting in musicals and plays before expanding into film and television. He earned numero ...

, the dearth of Broadway musical comedy roles led to Harnar's emulating

Michael Feinstein Michael Jay Feinstein (born September 7, 1956) is an American singer, pianist, and music Revivalist artist, revivalist. He is an archivist and interpreter for the repertoire known as the Great American Songbook. In 1988, he won a Drama Desk Spec ...

instead. In 1991, Holden observed Harnar's evolution from an overly emotive performance style to a more controlled manner with both comic and lyrical strengths. When Harnar performed

Vincente Minnelli Vincente Minnelli (; born Lester Anthony Minnelli; February 28, 1903 – July 25, 1986) was an American Theatre director, stage director and film director. From a career spanning over half a century, he is best known for his sophisticated innovat ...

's songs, Holden perceived Harnar's pop

baritone A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...

as a "hybrid between

Larry Kert Lawrence Frederick Kert (December 5, 1930 – June 5, 1991) was an American actor, singer, and dancer. He is best known for his role of Tony in the original Broadway production of the musical ''West Side Story''. He was nominated for a Tony A ...

and

Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer. Starting his 69-year career with singles of standard (music), standard music, Mathis is one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century and became highly popular as ...

". In 2008, Holden added that Harnar and

Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became Standard (music), standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway the ...

were a "perfect fit", while Harnar's earlier performance of

Cy Coleman Cy Coleman (born Seymour Kaufman; June 14, 1929 – November 18, 2004) was an American composer, songwriter, and jazz pianist. Life and career Coleman was born Seymour Kaufman in New York City, to Ashkenazi, Eastern European Jewish parents, an ...

's songbook showed their stylistic differences. In Harnar's 2013 show, Holden identified a tone of self-lacerating critique and a style of humor that was "lightly dusted with arsenic", versus Harnar's more chipper manner in decades past. Holden noted that Harnar's 2014 performance with KT Sullivan subverted gender roles, bending familiar songs to "reflect the era of same-sex marriage, gender fluidity and the dissolution of traditional roles". Regarding Harnar's performance of

Sammy Cahn Samuel Cohen (June 18, 1913 – January 15, 1993), known professionally as Sammy Cahn, was an American lyricist, songwriter, and musician. He is best known for his romantic lyrics to films and Broadway songs, as well as stand-alone songs premie ...

's songbook,

Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli has received numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, ...

reportedly said “I wish Sammy could have heard this; he would have loved it. I certainly did.”

Awards

Harnar has won

MAC Awards The MAC Awards, established in 1986, are presented annually to honor achievements in cabaret, comedy and jazz. They are administered by the non-profit Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs (MAC), founded in 1983, and voted on by the MAC member ...

(Manhattan Association of Cabarets) for best male vocalist, major male artist, celebrity artist, outstanding

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...

, major recording, and best director. He received

Bistro Awards Backstage is a prominent global casting platform and entertainment industry publication that connects performers, content creators, and behind-the-scenes professionals with casting directors and production teams across film, television, theater, ...

for best newcomer, best male vocalist, outstanding show, outstanding revue, and best director. Harnar has won five

BroadwayWorld BroadwayWorld is a theatre news website based in New York City, New York. Launched in 2003, the site covers Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional, and international theater productions, with sections devoted to particular countries, cities, or regi ...

Cabaret Awards as a performer and two as a director. He was awarded the Mabel Mercer Foundation

Mabel Mercer Mabel Mercer (3 February 1900 – 20 April 1984) was an English-born cabaret singer who performed in the United States, Britain, and Europe with the greats in jazz and cabaret. She was a featured performer at Chez Bricktop in Paris, owned ...

Award in 2022, received the Donald F. Smith Award in 2015, and received the

Noel Coward Noel or Noël may refer to: Christmas * , French for Christmas * Noel is another name for a Christmas carol Places * Noel, Missouri, United States, a city *Noel, Nova Scotia, Canada, a community *Noel Park, a suburb in Greater London, Engla ...

Cabaret Award in 2012. He became the National Honoree of the Chicago Cabaret Professionals in 2022.

Discography

Albums

*''Jeff Harnar Sings Sammy Cahn: The Second Time Around'' (PS Classics 2024) *''A Collective Cy: Jeff Harnar Sings Cy Coleman ''(PS Classics, 2023) *''I Know Things Now: My Life in Sondheim's Words'' (PS Classics, 2022) * ''Dancing In The Dark'' (PS Classics, 2005) * ''Sammy Cahn: All the Way'' (Jerome Records, 2001) * ''Because of You: Fifties Gold'' (Varèse Sarabande Records,1997) * ''1959 Broadway Songbook'' (Original Cast Records, 1991)

References

External links

Jeff Harnar's home page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harnar, Jeff American jazz singers American male singers New Trier High School alumni American LGBTQ musicians Tisch School of the Arts alumni Living people 1959 births Musicians from Manhattan Beach, California Nightclub performers Singers from California People from Kenilworth, Illinois Jazz musicians from Illinois American male jazz musicians Jazz musicians from California