Jeff Harnar

Infobox musical artist
Name = Jeff Harnar


Img_capt = Jeff Harnar from his "Dancing In The Dark" CD |
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Jeffrey Dean Harnar
Born = birth date|1959|7|27|mf=y
Manhattan Beach, California, USA
Genre = Pop standards
Showtunes
Label = PS Classics
URL = [http://www.jeffharnar.com/ www.jeffharnar.com]

Jeff Harnar is an American, New York-based cabaret singer and recording artist with an unusually smooth, baritone voice and a fondness for the Broadway musical repertoire.

Jeff Harnar was born in Manhattan Beach, California, on July 27, 1959. His family moved during his childhood to Dearborn, Michigan; Riverside, Connecticut; and to Kenilworth, Illinois. He attended New Trier East High School in Winnetka, Illinois, and Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He graduated from New York University with a BFA in Acting.

Jeff's performing career began in Chicago at age 10 as a television commercial jingle-singer. He performed in various community theater productions (Winthrop in "The Music Man", Artful Dodger in "Oliver!"), and majored in theater studies throughout his schooling. Jeff's early career included performing at Opryland USA in "I Hear America Singing". He was Little Chap in "Stop the World - I Want to Get Off" at Fairlane Mansion Dinner Theater in Dearborn, Michigan.

Jeff currently lives in Manhattan with his partner.

Theme shows

In 1983, Jeff's cabaret career blossomed in showcase rooms such as Mr. Sam's, Broadway Baby, Don’t Tell Mama, and Eighty Eights, working with musical director Alex Rybeck. Together with director Sara Louise Lazarus, Harnar and Rybeck created a series of theme shows whose critical success took them to major Manhattan venues such as The Ballroom, The Oak Room at the historic Algonquin Hotel, the Russian Tea Room, The Firebird Café and The Café Carlyle.

Jeff's signature cabaret shows include “Carried Away: Jeff Harnar sings Comden & Green,” “The 1959 Broadway Songbook,” “Easy to Love: Cole Porter,” “Dancing in the Dark: Vincente Minnelli's Hollywood,” “Because of You: Fifties Gold,” “Gershwin's Hollywood,” “The Warner Brother's Songbook,” and “Sammy Cahn All The Way.”

Appearances

Jeff has toured the USA extensively, notably in Chicago (Davenport's), San Francisco (The Plush Room), Palm Beach (The Colony Hotel), Dallas (The Fairmont Hotel), St. Louis (The Grandel Theater). Jeff has also performed in Paris (The Piaf Awards), Norway (The Oslo Concert House) and London (Pizza on the Park).

Jeff can also be seen with Broadway star Shauna Hicks in “I Got Rhythm: Mickey & Judy's Hollywood,” appearing most recently with The San Diego, Spokane and Albany Symphony Orchestras.

Television appearances include “The 1959 Broadway Songbook” (PBS), “Remember: Songs of the Holidays” with KT Sullivan (PBS) and as the singing narrator of “Gershwin on Ice” starring Dorothy Hamill (A&E).

Jeff has appeared at Carnegie Hall in both the Cole Porter and Noel Coward Centennial Galas, his own solo concert at Weill Recital Hall, “A Talent to Amuse” with Andrea Marcovicci and Steve Ross, and most recently as Michael Feinstein's special guest in a tribute to Jule Styne at Zankel Hall.

A personal career highlight was appearing with The McGuire Sisters during their reunion tour. Jeff has also brought his performances to the high seas on such ships at the QE2, QM2, Crystal and Holland America Lines.

Awards

Harnar is a two-time winner of the Manhattan Association of Cabaret Award (MAC) as Best Male Vocalist and three times been honored with the BackStage Bistro Award (Newcomer, Male Vocalist, Best Show).

Discography

Albums

* "1959 Broadway Songbook" (1991)
* "Because of You: Fifties Gold" (1995)
* "Sammy Cahn: All the Way" (2001)
* "Dancing In The Dark" (2005)

Featured on

* "Finishing the Act" (1999)
* "Jule Styne in Hollywood" (2006)

External links

* [http://www.jeffharnar.com/ Jeff Harnar's home page]