The New Year will kick off Jan. 2 and 3, 2009, with four shows by Wesla Whitfield and her pianist husband Mike Greensill. Whitfield has titled her latest offering, Love Walked In. The year will continue Jan. 6-31 with Steve Ross performing I Remember Him Well: Songs of Alan Jay Lerner. Tony DeSare's Moon River, Mercer and Me will be presented Feb. 3-21, and Sheera Ben-David will exclaim Let Me Sing and I'm Happy Feb. 24-March 7.

Theatre favorite Tom Wopat will take to the intimate stage of the Oak Room March 10-21, and he will be followed by KT Sullivan, who will offer the songs of Dietz and Schwartz in Dancing in the Dark, March 24-April 11.

Maude Maggart will return to the famed venue April 14-May 23, and she will be followed by Claire Martin and Sir Richard Rodney Bennett (May 26-June 6) and Jack Jones (Sept. 9-19).

Cabaret favorites Karen Akers and Andrea Marcovicci will also play lengthy engagements in 2009. Akers will offer her Cole Porter evening Sept. 22-Oct. 17, and Marcovicci will return with her newest show Nov. 10-Dec. 26. Also scheduled is Paula West (with George Mesterhazy) for Oct. 20-Nov. 7.

The Algonquin Hotel is located in Manhattan at 59 West 44th Street. Call (212) 419-9331 for reservations; visit www.algonquinhotel.com for more information.