I am so excited to be catching up with Actress, Singer, Recording Artist, and 14-time MAC Award Winner Karen Mason whom I last interviewed in 2022. At that time Karen was celebrating her 3-decade career with a series of concerts!

Now Karen just released her latest album, Karen Mason and All That Jazz!, celebrating the music of John Kander & Fred Ebb, who has written some of the most iconic music for Broadway including Cabaret, Chicago The Musical, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, and many others. Barbra Streisand, Kristin Chenoweth, and now Karen Mason have recorded their hit single “My Coloring Book.”

Throughout her career, Karen has recorded many Kander & Ebb songs, but this is the first time she has recorded an album dedicated to their songbook. Karen is breathing new life into these iconic songs and hidden gems.

In this NEW interview, Karen once again answered my call, but this time around she shares:

• The creative process in putting this album together
• What made now the right time to release a full album of Kander & Ebb music
• What she is looking forward to about performing these songs live in concert
• Her favorite New York haunts
• So much more

Connect with Karen: Website, Facebook, Instagram

Karen Mason and All That Jazz! is available everywhere you stream music. Physical CDs are available through Karen’s website. 

Produced and mixed by Paul Rolnick with arrangements by Christopher Denny and Barry Kleinbort, Karen offers a fresh look at these classic songs. You will recognize the melodies, but you will be dazzled by Karen’s magnificent vocals allowing you to fall in love with these songs all over again.

In support of the album, Karen will be performing at 54 Below in NYC on November 10, 2024!

1. Throughout your career, you have recorded a Kander & Ebb song here and there. What made now the right time to release your album Karen Mason and All That Jazz!? You know, with every passing year, I feel more pressure to accomplish my wish list. Time is precious and not guaranteed. I am reminded of that every day. I love working and creating new things. So….why not now?!

2. With recording some of their songs on previous albums, how did you stop yourself from resorting to how you previously sang them for these new arrangements? Well, hopefully with each passing year, I learn something new about myself. And I hope I am able to bring new experiences to the songs. Sometimes you succeed and sometimes you don’t….but I always try. And I work with such brilliantly inspired and inspiring people like Barry Kleinbort and Christopher Denny, who do not settle for the same old thing. These are beautiful searchers!

3. What was the first song you knew had to be on this album? Hmmm, I am not totally sure which was the first…but I am in love with the arrangement of NEW YORK,NEW YORK and ALL I NEED IS ONE GOOD BREAK. I love all these songs…but this one combination of songs speaks to me.

Karen Mason
Photo Credit: Gene Reed Photography

4. Why does that song mean so much to you? Well, lately, I have been thinking a lot about when I moved to NY….all that passion and determination! All that blind confidence! Which you have to have to make the move to NY! There is a part of me that misses that unbridled determination. There is also a part of me that knows that is very tiring! haha

5. To celebrate the album’s release, you are going to be performing at 54 Below in NYC on November 10. What are you looking forward to most about sharing this music with your audience? I love this music! I love singing to an audience! And I love getting dressed up! We are gonna make this a special event!

For these next several questions, let’s play with some of the song titles to find out more about you.

6. “Maybe This Time” - What is something that you want to happen that makes you sing “It’s gotta happen, happen sometime, Maybe this time, I’ll win”? Every role I audition for! I am doing self-tapes and Voice Over auditions at home (like every other actor), which is a lot of work! I always want that investment of time and energy to pay off….and get the job!

7. “Theme From New York, New York” - What are your favorite New York City hidden gems that made you glad to live here? The skyline is not hidden but boy do I love the skyline. I love seeing it when flying home; I love seeing it when driving into the city, and absolutely any chance I have to see the fabulous skyline of NYC…..well, I know I am home. 

Also there is an elevated parking lot at one of our supermarkets that has a fabulous view of the skyline. I love when I can sit in my car and just stare at all the buildings and wonder about all the great things happening in them. Sometimes, during the summer, a musician will be practicing in this parking lot…..the sax is my favorite.

8. “Ring Them Bells” - What is something that has recently made you want to “Ring Them Bells”? I don’t know if you heard, but I have a new album out? haha! I want to ring whatever I can to have people hear this wonderful album. Also, I am wanting to ring the travel bell! Travel for fun! I want to see as much of the world as I can!

9. “Sorry I Asked” - Has there ever been a time in your career when you asked for something because you felt it would add to a role or song, but it got turned down and made you say to yourself, “Sorry I Asked”? Well, of course, Adam! But if I am honest, I am always glad I asked. If you don’t ask…..you will never know the possibilities!

BONUS QUESTIONS:

• Pancakes or waffles? Pancakes with blueberries
• Go to emoji when texting? Heart
• Favorite candy? Twizzlers
• Favorite fruit? Pineapple
• Glinda or Elphaba? Wanna be Glinda; wanna sing Elphaba

Karen Mason
Photo Credit: Gene Reed Photography

More on Karen Mason:

Karen Mason has starred on Broadway, Off-Broadway, television, in concert, and in the recording studio. She’s been praised for her “fierce emotion” by The New York Times, her “innate comic ability” by Playbill and her “delightful instrument” by the Daily News. Karen has been called “immensely appealing” by The Chicago Tribune, “a towering talent” by TheaterMania and “a dynamic performer” by Time Out New York.

She is a 14-time MAC Award winner, most recently she was the recipient of the 2019 MAC Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2023 Major Artist Album of the Year, and was honored with the MAC Award for Major Female Vocalist of the Year for six consecutive years. She has also won the 2006 Nightlife Award for Major Female Vocalist and has three Bistro Awards.

Karen was recently seen as “Madame Giry” in the North American premiere of Love Never Dies, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Glenn Slater’s epic sequel to The Phantom of the Opera. Karen also starred in Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz at Paper Mill Playhouse as Kay Koverman. She previously garnered rave reviews starring as The Queen of Hearts in Wonderland on Broadway. She originated the role of Tanya on Broadway in ABBA’s Mamma Mia!, and was awarded a 2002 Drama Desk nomination as Best Actress. Her other leading roles include: Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, which she performed to critical acclaim and standing ovations on Broadway and in Los Angeles for three years; Velma Von Tussle in the final Broadway company of Hairspray; “Mr. Monotony” singer/Mazeppa in Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, and Rosalie in Carnival (another Drama Desk nomination); plus featured roles in Broadway’s Torch Song Trilogy and Play Me a Country Song.

She won the Outer Critics Circle Award for her performance in And the World Goes ‘Round, and starred Off-Broadway in her own show Karen Mason Sings Broadway, Beatles and Brian. Her television appearances include Ryan Murphy’s Halston on Netflix, where she played "Mrs. Marsh" opposite Ewan McGregor, in addition to the hit dramas Ed and Law & Order: SVU. Her film credits include Sleeping Dogs Lie and A Chorus Line.

Karen has headlined Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Feinstein's at the Regency, Rainbow & Stars, the Algonquin, Arci’s Place, The Supper Club, and The Ballroom in NYC; The Cinegrill and the UCLA/ASCAP Concert Series in Los Angeles; The Plush Room in San Francisco; and Davenport’s in Chicago. Karen has given concerts in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Brazil, Scotland, Tokyo and Osaka. Her starring symphonic performances include The Long Beach Symphony Orchestra with Maestro Michael Berkowitz, the Philly Pops with Peter Nero, The New York Pops with Skitch Henderson, the Oklahoma Philharmonic with Joel Levine, the premier performance of The Chicagoland Pops, the Indianapolis Philharmonic, and the St. Louis Symphony with John McDaniel.

Her acclaimed recordings include her latest MAC Award-winning album and single, Let the Music Play, written by Paul Rolnick and David Friedman, her 2017 MAC Award-winning album It’s About Time; the 2009 MAC Award-winning Right Here/Right Now, 2005’s The Sweetest of Nights, the MAC Award-winning When the Sun Comes Out, as well as three other CDs: Christmas! Christmas! Christmas!, recorded live at the West Bank Café; Better Days, featuring songs by her longtime composer/arranger Brian Lasser (including the 1998 Emmy Award-winning song “Hold Me”); and Not So Simply Broadway.