The Gardenia

ILENE GRAFF's SINGERS' WORKSHOP SHOWCASE
2025-11-15 18:00 - 23:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | The Gardenia, 7066 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90046, United States
Sat., Nov. 15. Door opens at 6 p.m., Show is at 8 p.m.
Ilene Graff’s Making The Song Your Own—Vocal Performance Workshop. In its 13th year of helping to perfect the joy of singing, Ms. Graff’s workshop presents students, who have participated in 7 weeks of no-stress study, to showcase their progress in a much-anticipated Gardenia performance. Ms. Graff herself is perhaps best known for her long run on the ABC-TV family comedy, Mr. Belvidere, but she started her career as a Broadway musical theater performer (Grease; Promises, Promises; and I Love My Wife,) She is also a Grammy-nominee for her album, Baby’s Broadway Lullabies, which was arranged and co-produced by her late husband, Ben Lanzarone.

MARK WINKLER
2025-11-16 18:00 - 22:30
Sun., Nov. 16. (Door opens at 6 p.m., Show at 8 p.m.) MARK WINKLER. Mr. Winkler has had over 250 of his songs recorded and/or sung by such artists as Liza Minnelli and Bob Dorough, and has written lyrics for such jazz luminaries as Wayne Shorter and David Benoit. His CD, Late Bloomin’ Jazzman, has “climbed to the top of the charts” and garnered stellar reviews from JazzTimes. This outing represents his last show of the year, with Steve Sieck guesting. —“If Mark Murphy is the reigning king of vocal hipsterism, then Mark Winkler ranks directly behind Kurt Elling among heirs apparent.”—Chris Loudon—Jazz Times. “Mark Winkler is a musical marvel and a true original! At last, a writer who sings and a singer who swings!” – Rex Reed

The GARDENIA's SINGERS' OPEN MIKE, with KERI KELSEY, Host
2025-11-18 19:00 - 23:30
Tuesdays, Nov. 4, 11, & 18. The Gardenia’s OPEN MIKE, with Keri Kelsey, host. Starting at 8:30 p.m., Keri Kelsey hosts a Singers’ Open Mike Night—the best in town, now in its 26th year. For those for whom Gardenia history may be of interest: the first Gardenia Open Mike was conducted by MaryJo Mundy and the late Clifford Bell on July 11, 2000. Clifford Bell’s involvement soon fell by the wayside. By 2008, Keri Kelsey and MaryJo Mundy were co-hosts, and Keri Kelsey assumed solo hosting duties in 2009. There have been no other hosts.
Sign-up, libations, and noshing begin at 7 p.m.

JEFFREY GIMBLE and LIZ COLE
2025-11-21 19:00 - 22:30
Fri., Nov. 21. JEFFREY GIMBLE and LIZ COLE. Perhaps the only professional actor who, upon moving from New York to L.A, quit acting to instead enter the world of jazz vocals, Mr. Gimble won that gamble by first workshopping songs at The Gardenia’s Open Mike, then winning critical acclaim for his performances all around the Southland and beyond, and for his recording Beyond Up High, featuring pianist Tamir Hendelman. Les Traub, writing for Cabaret Scenes Magazine, praised his “imaginative phrasing, swinging rhythms, scat, and vocalese,” and Jack Goodstein, writing for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, proclaimed “Jeffrey Gimble deserves to be noticed.” “I love Jeffrey Gimble—he’s smart, sassy, and sensitive…–-Billy Stritch. This show also introduces Liz Cole, vocalist partner, to The Gardenia; and also features Josh Nelson on piano, Lyman Medeiros on bass, and Aaron Serfary on drums.

KAREN BENJAMIN's SINGERS' WORKSHOP SHOWCASE
2025-11-23 18:00 - 23:30
Sun., Nov. 23. Door opens at 6 p.m. Show at 8 p.m.
KAREN BENJAMIN’s SINGERS’ WORKSHOP SHOWCASE
Karen Benjamin, who was featured in the original L.A. cast of Phantom of the Opera, has been performing with her husband, KUSC radio host, Alan Chapman, for over 30 years. She has an active private voice studio and runs vocal workshops at her home throughout the year. This production features the efforts of her most recent class of students.

The GARDENIA's SINGERS' OPEN MIKE, with KERI KELSEY, Host
2025-12-02 19:00 - 23:30, 2025-12-09 19:00 - 23:30
Tuesdays, Dec. 2 and 9. The Gardenia’s OPEN MIKE, with Keri Kelsey, host. Starting at 8:30 p.m., Keri Kelsey hosts a Singers’ Open Mike Night—the best in town, now in its 26th year. For those for whom Gardenia history may be of interest: the first Gardenia Open Mike was conducted by MaryJo Mundy and the late Clifford Bell on July 11, 2000. Clifford Bell’s involvement soon fell by the wayside. By 2008, Keri Kelsey and MaryJo Mundy were co-hosts, and Keri Kelsey assumed solo hosting duties in 2009. There have been no other hosts. Sign-up, libations, and noshing begin at 7 p.m.

NIC CHAMBERLAIN & SONS
2025-12-04 19:00 - 23:00
Thu., Dec. 4. NIC CHAMBERLAIN (and SONS.) Every so often The Gardenia hosts a not-to-be-missed emerging talent whose budding career deserves to blossom. Although he lived in Southern Utah his entire life, Mr. Chamberlain has performed all around the U.S. and Canada for over a decade, but moved to Southern California in June, 2018. In 2016 he recorded a debut album of original material, playing all of the instrumentals as well as singing all of the vocals. He describes his songs as “Roots music,” “equal parts rock and old country.” Known for his expertise with guitar, mandolin, and banjo, and even a “punishing force behind the drum kit,” he is perhaps most remembered for his “high and lonesome” vocals. His Gardenia debut a few years ago turned heads and gave notice that a major talent was emerging, armed with original material not only lyrically compelling and melodically and harmonically interesting—but also commercially “accessible,”—a creative combination rare to find wrapped up in a single individual. Even his style is rare for, albeit perfect for, The Gardenia, with moments recalling Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Dylan, John Denver, and even the later Beatles, but infused with a rock sensibility suitable for this millennium.
In August Mr. Chamberlain gifted the Gardenia audience with an additional rare treat: His backup trio (Nic himself plays a mean electric guitar with his vocals,) consisted of his three sons on piano, bass, and drums, ages ranging from 13 to 25. To say that their awe-inspiring professionalism, musicianship, and talent belie their age is a gross understatement, and we would challenge any listener to detect a difference between them and more “seasoned” musicians whose “experience” is much greater (except that maybe his sons are “fresher.”) Clamoring for more, patrons of The Gardenia have been patiently but eagerly awaiting a “home-for -the-holidays” interval to materialize before this well-deserved repeat booking could be realized. Don’t let the Thursday night dissuade you. Talent blooms whenever…

IAN DOUGLAS
2025-12-05 19:00 - 23:00
Fri., Dec. 5. IAN DOUGLAS, ONE! NIGHT! ONLY! An accomplished singer, songwriter, and satirist originally from the Pacific Northwest, Mr. Douglas cut his teeth in the Seattle indie rock scene, where his first therapist described his voice as “sexy and sad.” He describes an early failed comedy sketch in which he “died on stage, emerged from his own coffin as a zombie, [then] ate the brains of a fellow performer.” No longer undead, he has become a Los Angeles transplant, toggling between acting and singing, and his “sad, sexy” tenor has caught the attention of the habitués of The Gardenia’s Open Mike. “ONE! NIGHT! ONLY!” is his first cabaret show, featuring favorite songs from disparate genres, patched together through banter and storytelling. He is joined by Wayne Wilentz on piano, Dori Amarilio on guitar, and Jonathan Kirsh on bass.

ANNIE REINER
2025-12-06 19:00 - 23:00
Sat., Dec. 6. ANNIE REINER. The multi-talented daughter of Carl and Estelle has inherited Estelle’s brilliant timing, musicianship, and way with a lyric, and has been persuaded to share these gifts through performances at The Gardenia, to which we always look forward with much anticipation. This show will be Annie’s twelfth such outing at The Gardenia. For this show, she promises “Jazz, Blues, & Rock ‘n Roll,” backed by Charlie Harrison and Combo. Those who loved Estelle and her musical sensibilities have been delighted to discover how securely that torch has been passed.

MAUDE MAGGART
2025-12-07 18:00 - 22:00
Sun. and Mon., Dec. 7 & 8. Dinner service begins at 6 p.m. Showtime is 8 p.m. MAUDE MAGGART, in “A Tiny Match.”
Part of the fun in anticipating a Maude Maggart show involves the mystery created by knowing the show’s title but then guessing how the material and its presentation will support it. “A Tiny Match” is full of intrigue—a tease on many different levels—but the real (and extended) frisson hits only during the actual show when all reveals itself…and, truth be known, we’d rather not know the “set list” in advance. Why chance the frisson with a spoiler alert?
Gerald Sternbach accompanies.
In addition to her outings at The Gardenia, Miss Maggart has graced the stages of Feinstein’s at The Regency and of The Carlyle and The Algonquin Hotels in New York, attained national radio exposure by appearing with Garrison Keillor at the Town Hall broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion, charmed Keillor so much that he invited her to appear with him again at The Hollywood Bowl, appeared on the cover of Time Out New York, and has been the recipient of the Time Out New York MAC Award for “Special Achievement in Cabaret,” AND the MAC Award for “Best Female Debut.” She made her Carnegie Hall debut with Michael Feinstein, (with whom she performed earlier this year at the Pasadena Pops.) sang with John Lithgow on his children’s CD, broke the summer attendance record at The Colony in Palm Beach, sang with jazz great Dick Haymes and his orchestra at the Oregon Jazz Festival, and was listed by Entertainment Weekly as one of the top 100 Summer picks. She has also performed in London, Chicago, and Australia. Our favorite endorsement of her comes from Jim Bruce: “If you have not yet heard Maude Maggart sing, I envy you the moment of discovery because there is nothing quite like the very first time you realize what a talent she is. Then again there is also nothing quite like every single time after.”

MAUDE MAGGART
2025-12-08 18:00 - 22:00
Sun. and Mon., Dec. 7 & 8. Dinner service begins at 6 p.m. Showtime is 8 p.m. MAUDE MAGGART, in “A Tiny Match.”
Part of the fun in anticipating a Maude Maggart show involves the mystery created by knowing the show’s title but then guessing how the material and its presentation will support it. “A Tiny Match” is full of intrigue—a tease on many different levels—but the real (and extended) frisson hits only during the actual show when all reveals itself…and, truth be known, we’d rather not know the “set list” in advance. Why chance the frisson with a spoiler alert?
Gerald Sternbach accompanies. This show will also travel to Birdland in New York City.
In addition to her outings at The Gardenia, Miss Maggart has graced the stages of Feinstein’s at The Regency and of The Carlyle and The Algonquin Hotels in New York, attained national radio exposure by appearing with Garrison Keillor at the Town Hall broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion, charmed Keillor so much that he invited her to appear with him again at The Hollywood Bowl, appeared on the cover of Time Out New York, and has been the recipient of the Time Out New York MAC Award for “Special Achievement in Cabaret,” AND the MAC Award for “Best Female Debut.” She made her Carnegie Hall debut with Michael Feinstein, (with whom she performed earlier this year at the Pasadena Pops.) sang with John Lithgow on his children’s CD, broke the summer attendance record at The Colony in Palm Beach, sang with jazz great Dick Haymes and his orchestra at the Oregon Jazz Festival, and was listed by Entertainment Weekly as one of the top 100 Summer picks. She has also performed in London, Chicago, and Australia. Our favorite endorsement of her comes from Jim Bruce: “If you have not yet heard Maude Maggart sing, I envy you the moment of discovery because there is nothing quite like the very first time you realize what a talent she is. Then again there is also nothing quite like every single time after.”

KAREN CELESTE KRUZ
2025-12-11 19:00 - 22:30
Thu., Dec. 11. KAREN CELESTE KRUZ. Jazz a constant in her childhood home in Connecticut, Ms. Kruz also derived influences from the unique musical sounds and culture of her primarily Hungarian family in Bridgeport. But her neighborhood was more diverse—and she counts Broadway, R & B, blues, and Latin styles among her influences as well. She holds degrees in English and Counseling from the University of Connecticut and the University of LaVerne, respectively, but she also studied music, voice, and Latin percussion here in Los Angeles, where previously she has sung in many local venues. Her three-octave instrument takes on many textures—from clear and precise to smoky, bluesy, and even growly; Ella Fitzgerald-esque to Janis Joplin-esque; big and open—to delicate as filigree— This marks her 3rd Gardenia return since “the pandemic.”

CAROLYN MARTINEZ
2025-12-13 19:00 - 23:00
Sat., Dec. 13. CAROLYN MARTINEZ.
Influenced by the “West Coast Cool” singers of the 1950s, as well as the Bossa Nova movement of the 1960s, Ms. Martinez’s repertoire covers the best of the American Songbook from Jerome Kern to Antonio Carlos Jobim and Sergio Mendes.
Los Angeles jazz critic, Scott Yanow, has written, “Carolyn is one of the best singers to grace the Los Angeles jazz scene.”

BRANDON MAGGART
2025-12-14 18:00 - 22:00
Sun., Dec. 14. Doors open at 6 p.m. for dinner and/or drinks. Show begins at 8 p.m. BRANDON MAGGART’s 92nd Birthday Bash. Although longtime Gardenia patrons know Brandon Maggart best as the Dad of Maude Maggart (and Fiona Apple,) Mr. Maggart himself had a storied career on Broadway, and was connected with The Gardenia even before either Maude or The Gardenia were born, having starred on Broadway in Applause! when Tom Rolla, founder of The Gardenia, was that show’s assistant choreographer. Nominated for a Tony Award as “Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical” for his portrayal of “Buzz Richards” in the show, Mr. Maggart can also count among highlights of his prolific theatrical career that he was an original cast member on Sesame Street; that he portrayed “Lou,” the eldest of the three titular brothers on TV’s Brothers (for Showtime;) that he was featured as one of Broadway’s “New Faces of 1968;” and that he appeared on film in The World According to Garp. Already an artistic painter, Mr. Maggart has taken up the pen as a writer and poet, but returned to his musical roots two years ago with a unique cabaret show celebrated on the actual date of his 90th birthday. We are all so pleased that he is choosing to celebrate his 92nd birthday with us this year as well.

The GARDENIA's SINGERS' OPEN MIKE, with KERI KELSEY, Host
2025-12-16 19:00 - 23:30
Tuesday, Dec. 16. The Gardenia’s OPEN MIKE, with Keri Kelsey, host, (the last Open Mike of the year,) including Holiday Toy Drive. Starting at 8:30 p.m., Keri Kelsey hosts a Singers’ Open Mike Night—the best in town. Sign-up, libations, and noshing begin at 7 p.m.

BRUCE GOLD
2025-12-18 19:00 - 22:30
Thu., Dec. 18. BRUCE GOLD, in “A Little Touch of Holiday Magic & So Much More.” Paying homage to some of the best songwriters of all time, Mr. Gold makes his Gardenia return with a program chosen from “The Great American Songbook” and from Broadway, which also includes “some fun Holiday songs.” Selected at age 9 to be the youngest Junior Canor at his Temple, Mr. Gold went on to play Don Quixote in Man of la Mancha and to appear in productions of Bye, Bye, Birdie. His show is supported by the John Rodby Trio (John Rodby worked “for years” with Dinah Shore and with Al Martino,) featuring bassist Jeff Littleton (who played with Herbie Hancock, Nany Wilson, and Joe Williams) and drummer Don Wilson.

LINDA ZULAICA
2025-12-19 19:00 - 23:00
Fri., Dec. 19. LINDA ZULAICA, selected from The Gardenia’s Open Mike hosted by Keri Kelsey.

DONN MOLZAHN
2025-12-20 19:00 - 23:00
Sat., Dec. 20. DONN MOLZAHN. A stand-out at The Gardenia’s Open Mikes, Mr. Molzahn’s solo debut at The Gardenia in June veritably demanded this repeat booking. His nearly 70 years of voice performance started with solo and choral work as a church musician and choir director—and a Bachelor of Music degree, collecting many roles in plays, musicals, and operas along the way. While still in high school he recorded and toured with the Young Americans, appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show and Kraft Music Hall Specials. His professional career, however, has been in education, during which he drew heavily upon his music and performance skills. His shows reflect upon moments from his musical life, and feature material from The Great American Songbook and Big Bands as well as from Classical Music and Musical Comedy.

KERI KELSEY
2025-12-21 18:00 - 23:00
Sun., Dec. 21, Doors open at 6 p.m. Show begins at 8 p.m. KERI KELSEY. The irrepressible, irreplaceable, implacable, fearless, gorgeous, perfect host of the Tuesday night Gardenia Open Mikes closes out December with her own show. She comes from a background that includes a degree in Theater Arts, but in addition to roles in regional musical theater, her life experience includes having run away with The Big Apple Circus (and its man on the flying trapeze) to assume roles as clown, popcorn seller, juggler’s assistant, and Ring Mistress. She has worked as a radio news reporter, hostess for QVC, literary agent, signer for the deaf, teacher of the art of cabaret performance—and she has swung 35 feet in the air from a float in the Rose Bowl Parade! With inspiration from Julie Wilson, Nancy Wilson, and Ann Hampton Calloway, she has performed in New York at Tavern On the Green and Danny’s Skylight Lounge, in San Francisco at The Plush Room, and of course many times in Los Angeles at The Gardenia.
This show, “MishMosh and Memories,” provides an eclectic mix of music and amusing stories about some of the crazy and fun things that have happened at Open Mike over the years. She is supported by a magnificent band comprised of Andy Langham on piano, Lyman Madeiros on bass, Dori Amarilio on guitar, and Steve Hass on drums. Special guest singers round out the night.
