Past shows

 American Songbook Series:

Always: The Songs and Love of Irving Berlin

Pangea, February 8, 2025

Let’s Fall in Love: The Songs and Love of Cole Porter

Pangea, September 13 and November 30, 2024

Let’s Do It Again: The Songs and Love Affairs of George Gershwin

Pangea, May 10, June 7, 2024, and October 26, 2024

Other shows:

Songs of Love and Cheatin’ with Gitesha

Pangea, April 25, 2025 

Deana Kirk Sings Jacques Brel and Michel Legrand

Pangea, December 12, 2024, and April 5, 2025

Creative Spirits: Celebrate Poetry and Song

Michiko Studios, May 16, 2024

Lessons Learned from Jobs I Can Never Put on My Resume

Pangea, September 29, 2023

Laughter without Borders 

Pangea, July 18 and August 24, 2023

Songs of Love and Adultery 

Pangea, November 26, 2022, January 28 and February 25, 2023

Yours in Song with Mariah Bonner

Pangea, September 16, 2022

Jazz and the City with Verena McBee

Pangea, September 2, 2022

Make America Laugh and Sing Again

Pangea, February 27, 2020, May 17 & September 19, 2022

Cornelia Street Cafe Underground

The final night of the legendary Cornelia Street Cafe Underground, January 1, 2019

Faith in Love 

Cornelia Street Cafe Underground, March 27, 2018 and May 15, 2025 

Drink, Blaspheme, F*ck, Cornelia Street Cafe Underground, January and May 2009, 

Savvy Secrets of Successful Mistresses, Cornelia Street Cafe Underground, June 16, 2014,

How to Be a Bad Girl, Cornelia Street Cafe Underground, February 14, April 12, June 29, 2010 

7 1/2 Habits of Highly Effective Mistresses - list to come

Thank you all who came for our George Gershwin shows on May 10, June 7 and October 26, 2024.

Praise for our first Gershwin show:

“Great show, Lisa! I really enjoyed it. You brought George to life. What a story!”  “Great show, Lisa! I really enjoyed it. You brought George to life. What a story!”  

“Congratulations, Lisa on an amazing show last night!”
 

“You are just so much fun! I had the best time!!!”
 

“Lisa, you’re absolutely wonderful!!! I loved it!” 

Join us as Lisa Faith Phillips dishes up stories of George Gershwin’s rich love life against the backdrop of his great love songs in this “wildly entertaining” show with wonderful singer Deanna Kirk and marvelous John Di Martino on piano.

Saturday, October 26, 2024 7:00 pm at Pangea

Award-winning writer and performer Lisa Faith Phillips weaves funny and touching tales of George Gershwin’s love affairs and the songs they inspired. From the adorable Adele Astaire to married composer Kay Swift, and his last love Paulette Goddard, Charlie Chaplin’s wife, and many others (often at the same time), women and men found him irresistible. All the while his shy, retiring brother Ira transformed George’s escapades into clever lyrics, blending perfectly with his unforgettable melodies, to create some of the great love songs of the American Songbook. 

Join us for an evening of inspiration and fun as we celebrate the power of creativity in shaping our lives and inspiring joy, friendship, and community.

When: Thursday, May 16th from 6:00-8:00

Where: Chita-Chita Room, Michiko Rehearsal Studios, 15 W 39th St, 7th Floor, NYC

Poet Dana Robbins will read from her beautiful poetry and I will share stories of Ira Gershwin's light verse as lyrics from my new Gershwin show. Then we’ll invite others up to the mike who would like to share their writing, read a poem, or short piece.

Dana Robbins ‘78 is a widely published and prize-winning poet, and author of three books published by Moon Pie Press of Westbrook, Maine, The Left Side of My Life, After the Parade, and Frida's Boots. Her poem, To My Daughter Teaching Science, was featured on the Writers Almanac. On April 3, 2024, her poem River Study, With Hawk was read on the radio station WNYC. Dana is excited to read from her most recent book, Frida's Boots as well as poems from her upcoming book, Birds of the Bronx. Her books will be available for sale.

Dear friends,

I'm excited to let you know we'll be back at Pangea to create a new show - Lessons Learned from Jobs I Can Never Put on my Resume.

We had so much fun developing the new show and sharing the evening with the marvelous, funny storyteller Jennifer Rawlings on July 18th and August 24th. The audience loved the show so the fabulous composer-songwriter Ellen Mandel and I are coming back Friday, September 29th! See more details below.

Lessons Learned from Jobs I Can Never Put on my Resume

Version 2.0 on Friday, September 29th at 7:00

Doors open at 6:00 - Come for a delicious dinner!

East Village's beloved Pangea Restaurant and Bar, 178 2nd Ave (bet 11th & 12th), NYC, 10003

You will love it or be punished!

 “Wildly entertaining” one special evening – two great shows by the “incredible storytellers” Jennifer Rawlings and Lisa Faith Phillips with Ellen Mandel on piano.

Award-winning writer, performer, filmmaker, Jennifer Rawlings, presents her hilarious new show AFTER THE WAR, COMES THE DISHES, True Stories from the Front Line and the Home Front.

Award-winning writer and performer Lisa Faith Phillipsis developing a new show of comedy and song LESSONS I LEARNED FROM JOBS NOT ON MY RESUME (Version 1.0). Laugh out loud at the lessons from working as a stripper, performing phone sex, being a back-up dancer for Bette Midler and Mick Jagger, a night in jail and being sued for her comedy musical, 7 1/2 Habits of Highly Effective Mistresses.

The marvelous composer and songwriter Ellen Mandel will be on piano.

Bios: Jennifer Rawlings has appeared on TV, in the film “I AM BATTLE COMIC” and in three TEDx talks. Using her humor as a way to tackle serious subject matter, she was named as one of the “21 Change makers of the 21st Century” by Women’s E News. She has performed entertaining the troops in over 350 military shows in dozens of countries including Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti, Bosnia. Jennifer’s powerful directorial debut: “Forgotten Voices: Women in Bosnia” received critical acclaim and screened at film festivals worldwide, prompted her award-winning solo show “I ONLY SMOKE IN WAR ZONES “.  Jennifer Rawlings.com

Lisa Faith Phillips: On her Linked-in resume, Lisa admits to working on Wall Street, in publishing at Time Warner, Hachette and Random House, where she was Vice President and General Manager, at the Council on Foreign Relations, and the China-US Women’s Foundation. Lisa has written and performed solo and two-person shows in NY, DC’s Capital Fringe Festival, Dublin and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Her two plays At All Times and All-Nude College-Girl Revue had sold out runs in New York. She is currently studying music theory at Juilliard and has just finished her first novel Love in the Russian Tea Room.  Lisafaithphillips.com

Ellen Mandel has written many songs to poems by E.E. Cummings, Seamus Heaney, W.B. Yeats, and others, and music for over 90 plays. She’s released six song CDs and a theater music collection, and received many best music nominations for her theater work. Her songs have been performed all over the USA, and in England, Ireland, Scotland, and Germany. The Royal Conservatory of Toronto and Trinity College of London have published her songs. Ellen just completed a 14-song cycle inspired by Edward Hopper’s paintings. ellenmandel.com

Back by popular demand! We had a special birthday celebration for our very special guest Lilla Crawford and our director Todd Stuart Phillips at our “wildly funny” burlesque show Songs of Love and Adultery, Birthday Celebration! at East Village beloved cabaret, Pangea Restaurant & Lounge.

Comic storyteller and singer Lisa Faith Phillips was back to weave her hilarious new show of songs, stories & fascinating facts on the highs and lows of love and adultery. From a Marlene Dietrich tribute “Falling in Love Again” (she had affairs with both men and women!) and “Diamonds are a Girl Best Friend” to a funny new take on “Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray”.  Lisa gave the skinny on dishy affairs!  It will be a delicious evening of laughter and delicious musical joy.

Lilla shared her amazing voice with us, with the marvelous Sean Mahony on piano.
 

About Lilla Crawford: An acclaimed actress and singer - some her career highlights include the lead in Annie on Broadway, wowing audiences as Little Red Riding Hood in the film Into The Woods with Meryl Streep, and now in Pretty Little Liars on HBO. She is currently working her first film as a writer/director in her senior year at NYU Film School.

It was a very special night!

You made it a truly special night of laughter, song and creativity! Everyone enjoyed it so much, Lisa Faith Phillips is returning with her new burlesque show Songs of Love and Adultery for two Saturdays, January 28th and February 25th, 2023 at 7:00!

Please join us at Pangea, the charming East Village cabaret, for laughter, song and revelations!

Lisa weaves hilarious stories, songs, and fascinating facts on the highs and lows of love and adultery. For the January 28th show, Lisa is thrilled to have our favorite Mariah Bonner as her special guest. With the terrific Sean Mahony on piano, it will be a magical musical evening.

It's been so wonderful to bring together old and new friends to enjoy shows live at Pangea, East Village's beloved cabaret. We hope you will join us for this "wildly entertaining" evening!

The show: Songs of Love and Adultery

Where: Pangea, the East Village alt-cabaret, 178 2nd Ave, bet 11th & 12th St, NYC, Pangeanyc.com

Praise for previous shows:

Five Stars and Best of the Fringe! 

“An incredible storyteller, her show is fascinating to watch and to listen to. - Mariya Danilenko, DC Metro Theater Arts 

“Wildly funny… mixes absurdism and social satire to hilarious results”- Jaime Lubin, The Huffington Post

“Outrageously funny…devilishly clever and wildly entertaining” Carolyn Smith, Newyorkcool

After a terrific show in May, we were asked back and had another wonderful show on July 19th. An evening of hilarity and song to support Pangea, the beloved East Village supper club! 

Thank you all who came out and made it such a special night!

Comedian Lisa Faith Phillips weaves a hilarious new monologue “Lessons I Learned from Jobs Not on my Resume” as she brings together terrific performers to help us laugh and sing again.

From the captivating chanteuse Mariah Bonner with songwriter and pianist Marcus Dagan to the beguiling music of Ellen Mandel with French mezzo soprano Emma Lavandier and the haunting songs of singer/songwriter T. Spoon Phillips, it will be a terrific night of laughter and musical joy! 

“Outrageously funny…devilishly clever and wildly entertaining” – Newyorkcool  

Photos, clockwise from upper left: T. Spoon Phillips, Lisa Faith Phillips, Ellen Mandel, Mariah Bonner, and Marcus Dagan.  Mariah Bonner’s photo by Nikk Monton.

After over two years of COVID, I was thrilled to bring a new Make America Laugh and Sing Again! show back to support Pangea, the marvelous alt-cabaret club in the East Village, back in May. Now we're back by popular demand on July 19th, 2022.  

In May, we had a full house of laughter, song, cheers and applause! It was a very special evening of hilarity and song with the charming chanteuse Mariah Bonner, composer, singer, and pianist Marcus Dagan, raconteur Robin Hirsch, composer, songwriter and pianist Ellen Mandel, songwriter and guitarist T Spoon Phillips, and comic storyteller and emcee Lisa Faith Phillips.

We look forward to seeing you at our next show!

In December 2020 writer/performer/producer Lisa Faith Phillips wanted to bring people together to celebrate the joy of laughter and song to lift spirits against the grim daily onslaught of the political news. So, she asked her talented friends to get together and put on a show. Everyone said "Yes!" The result was MAKE AMERICA LAUGH AND SING AGAIN! 

On February 27, 2020, everyone came together for a sold-out "wildly entertaining" evening of hilarity and song to benefit CommonCause.org at Pangea, the East Village Alt-Cabaret Supper Club. 

What a great night it was. With the sold-out house, we raised money for a good cause and enjoyed a wonderful evening.

It was such a success we were planning to do a monthly MAKE AMERICA LAUGH AND SING AGAIN show bringing in new performers and raising money to get people out for the 2020 election. But then Covid hit, and NYC locked down on March 15, 2020.

We give big thank you to the performers who donated their time and talent to make it such a marvelous show: the hilarious Stan Baker, the charming chanteuse Mariah Bonner, legendary musician/songwriter/writer Michael Lydon, uber-talented composer and pianist Ellen Mandel, and the comic writer, producer, and emcee Lisa Faith Phillips. The marvelous singer/songwriter/actress Natalie Smith was scheduled to perform, but she was held up shooting Law and Order SUV. 

Thank you, Jon Waldman, for the excellent stills and video of the show!

Join us to keep MAKE AMERICA LAUGHING AND SINGING! Now it's needed more than ever! 

I'm excited to let you know we'll be back at Pangea to create a new show - Lessons Learned from Jobs I Can Never Put on my Resume.

We had so much fun developing the new show and sharing the evening with the marvelous, funny storyteller Jennifer Rawlings on July 18th and August 24th. The audience loved the show so the fabulous composer-songwriter Ellen Mandel and I are coming back Friday, September 29th! See more details below.

Lessons Learned from Jobs I Can Never Put on my Resume

Version 2.0 on Friday, September 29th at 7:00

Doors open at 6:00 - Come for a delicious dinner!

East Village's beloved Pangea Restaurant and Bar, 178 2nd Ave (bet 11th & 12th), NYC, 10003

You will love it or be punished!

Join us for an evening of inspiration and fun as we celebrate the power of creativity in shaping our lives and inspiring joy, friendship, and community.

Poet Dana Robbins will read from her beautiful poetry and I will share stories of Ira Gershwin's light verse as lyrics from my new Gershwin show. Then we’ll invite others up to the mike who would like to share their writing, read a poem, or short piece.

Dana Robbins ‘78 is a widely published and prize-winning poet, and author of three books published by Moon Pie Press of Westbrook, Maine, The Left Side of My Life, After the Parade, and Frida's Boots. Her poem, To My Daughter Teaching Science, was featured on the Writers Almanac. On April 3, 2024, her poem River Study, With Hawk was read on the radio station WNYC. Dana is excited to read from her most recent book, Frida's Boots as well as poems from her upcoming book, Birds of the Bronx. Her books will be available for sale.

Praise for our first Gershwin show:

“Great show, Lisa! I really enjoyed it. You brought George to life. What a story!”  “Great show, Lisa! I really enjoyed it. You brought George to life. What a story!”  

“Congratulations, Lisa on an amazing show last night!”
 

“You are just so much fun! I had the best time!!!”
 

“Lisa, you’re absolutely wonderful!!! I loved it!” 

Join us as Lisa Faith Phillips dishes up stories of George Gershwin’s rich love life against the backdrop of his great love songs in this “wildly entertaining” show with wonderful singer Deanna Kirk and marvelous John Di Martino on piano.

Saturday, October 26, 2024 7:00 pm (doors open at 6:00) at Pangea

Award-winning writer and performer Lisa Faith Phillips weaves funny and touching tales of George Gershwin’s love affairs and the songs they inspired. From the adorable Adele Astaire to married composer Kay Swift, and his last love Paulette Goddard, Charlie Chaplin’s wife, and many others (often at the same time), women and men found him irresistible. All the while his shy, retiring brother Ira transformed George’s escapades into clever lyrics, blending perfectly with his unforgettable melodies, to create some of the great love songs of the American Songbook. 

Thank you all who came and sold-out both Cole Porter shows. We'll be back in 2025 for more!

Join us for stories of Cole Porter’s life against the backdrop of his great love songs in this “wildly entertaining” show with Lisa Faith Phillips, Deanna Kirk and John Di Martino on piano.

Let’s Fall in Love: The Songs and Loves of Cole Porter

Show Date: Saturday, November 30, 2024 

Show time: 7:00 pm, Doors open at 6:0

Pangea, 178 2nd Ave (between 11th and 12th St) NYC

Award-winning writer and performer Lisa Faith Phillips weaves funny and touching tales of Cole Porter’s life, loves and the songs which they inspired. From his wealthy childhood in Peru, Indiana through Yale and Harvard Law School, to his marriage to Linda Thomas who accepted that he was gay, he lived in Paris for 20 years, and traveled the world, eventually moving to New York and Hollywood. In 1928 at 37 Cole’s Broadway career took off with the success of Paris, followed by many more popular shows. He wrote the music and lyrics for over one thousand songs. 

Deanna Kirk is an American jazz singer, pianist and songwriter based in New York City. She also owned Deanna's, a jazz club in downtown Manhattan. Deannakirksings.com

John Di Martino is a composer, arranger, jazz pianist, producer, and educator, based in New York City. johndimartino.com

Praise for past shows:

“Great show, Lisa! I really enjoyed it. You brought George to life. What a story!”  

Five Stars and Best of the Fringe! “An incredible storyteller, her show is fascinating to watch and to listen to. - Mariya Danilenko, DC Metro Theater Arts  

“Wildly funny…mixes absurdism and social satire to hilarious results”- Jaime Lubin, The Huffington Post

“Outrageously funny…devilishly clever and wildly entertaining” Carolyn Smith, Newyorkcool

“An incredible storyteller” DC Metro Theater Arts