On June 10 2008, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the German Forum, Karen was invited to perform for the Forum at the Dance New Amsterdam (DNA) Theater in NYC alongside German-born Actress-Singer Micaela Leon and Australian newcomer Kim Smith in It’s All a Swindle/Alles Schwindel: An Evening of Weimar Berlin Cabaretwith pianist Uli Geissendoerfer.

As a result of the show’s appeal, German Forum founder Henry Meyer-Oertel offered Karen the role of Cabaret Director and so began a 6-year tenure with the organization wherein Karen curated, staged and directed the following productions in NYC:

  • May 19, 2009 ~ Berlin Cabaret: An Evening with Lenya, Marlene and Zarah co-starring Micaela Leon, Olivia Stevens and Daryl Kojak on piano at Gotham Comedy Club.
  • Nov 8, 2012 – From Berlin to Vienna: Songs from the Golden Age of Cabaret co-starring Konstantin Zander, Christian Schleicher and Belush Korenyi on piano at Bohemian National Concert Hall.
  • Sep 24, 2013 – A Little Yearning: Operetta Meets Kabarett starring Olivia Delaure, Kim Smith and Laure Barras with Hans-Richard Ludewig on piano and Benjamin Ickes on accordion at The Players Club.
  • Sep 16, 2014 – Tickle My Funny Bone: Komisches Kabarett und Chanson with Lars Redlich, Lucie Pohl and Annika Krump at Gotham Comedy Club.
  • Sep 17, 2015 – In Dieser Stadt: Songs of Dietrich & Knef co-starring William Ludwig and Sebastian Stert, with Jed Distler on piano at The Cutting Room.