Psst - after you've read all of the Cast Party scoop, be sure to spend a moment with our fabulous sponsors at the end of the page!

May 12, 2006

Lots of Broadway movers and shakers were on hand Monday night cheering the debut of Dick Scanlan's incredible one-man-show! If they were expecting another "and then I wrote..." cabaret act, they were pleasantly surprised when Dick took to the stage and told stories for 90 minutes! And what stories! The piece is funny, smart, touching and life-affirming, and folks like Sutton Foster, Edward Hibbert, Jeanine Tessori, David Drake and Michael Mayer were all standing and stomping for more. Congrats to Mr. Scanlan! Later, Cast Party was equally jammed with an abundance of great and varied talent! Michael Feinstein and Lodi Carr (above, photo by Mark Rupp) talked music, JoAnna James sang Aretha with the Cast Party Tabernacle Choir, Grammy-winner and Ring Of Fire star Lari White jazzed it up with Billy and Steve, while costumer-to-superstars Nolan Miller surveyed the scene!

I was also thrilled to finally meet the other Jim Caruso! I've seen his name on CDs for years, since he's produced everyone from Madonna to C&C Music Factory to the cast of Rent!...definitely the hipper JC! (You're at least as hip as the other-other Jim Caruso, though. --ed.)

All in all, just another Monday at Birdland, the best music room in the country! Is it any wonder ABC-TV called Cast Party “Extreme Open Mic?”

Euan Morton (right, photo by Joan Marcus) is coming to Birdland! This coming Monday, May 15, the Tony-nominated star of Taboo sings reinterpreted Broadway standards and splashy songs from his brand new album, NewClear. He also let me in on a little secret...he's going to sing some songs recorded by his beloved Karen Carpenter! The show is almost sold-out, but if you call the box office (212.581.3080) or click on InstantSeats.com/Birdland now, you just might snap up the last seat! It's going to be a rocking evening and we don't want you to miss it! There's a $30 cover and $10 food/drink minimum…so come eat, drink, and be dazzled! Stick around for Cast Party after the show. Tedd Firth and Steve Doyle will be swinging at the piano and bass, I will be annoying on the mic, and rumor has it that the cast of Ring Of Fire will be there to celebrate their Broadway run before everyone scatters to the showbiz winds. Coming up on Monday, May 22, we celebrate the PS Classics release of "Jule Styne in Hollywood," a recording of both standards and forgotten gems from Styne's illustrious film catalog. Performers from the recording who will be singing in the Birdland concert include Maria Friedman, Leslie Uggams, Norm Lewis, Jeff Harnar, Eric Comstock, Johnny Rodgers, Klea Blackhurst, Sara Zahn and The Lascivious Biddies (cast subject to change, of course). The fabulous cast will sing Styne standards like "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend," "Some People," "It's Been A Long, Long Time,” “I'll Walk Alone," "You Make Me Dream Too Much" and "Put 'em In A Box, Tie 'em With A Ribbon," among many others. Call Birdland now!

"The Party simply glows with New York nightlife ambiance. It feels like a throwback to another era but it has this era's top-notch entertainers dropping in to schmooze, sing, eat, and drink. Caruso consistently provides a flow of exciting singers, and he's definitely hip, cool and classy all by himself."

-THEATERMANIA

When:

Every Monday at 9:30pm!

Where:

BIRDLAND
315 West 44th Street (between 8th & 9th)

212.581.3080

Click here for the official Cast Party website!

Ligeti Artists LLC
Peter Ligeti
mrligeti@aol.com
212.396.1111

For online booking information, click: The Show Store

THE JEFF RIEBE FUND. We need your support!
May 20th at 1:00 p.m.
Territory Studio
153 West 27th Street, Suite 1001 New York, NY

On April 21, 2006, 40-year-old Jeff Riebe was hit by a drunk driver, as he walked down a New York City street. Jeff is currently in a coma, with extensive brain and bone injuries. To support Jeff and his family, events are being hosted in NYC, Minneapolis and San Francisco. Monies raised will be used for rehabilitation expenses and travel costs for the family during Jeff's hospitalization period. We're asking for your support. Jeff is a loving friend, brother, son, actor, event planner and all around great guy. For more information on how you can help, click here (.pdf format, 188K). For a fact sheet about Jeff, click here (.pdf format, 50K).

STEVE ROSS SEXTET SWINGS AND SINGS ASTAIRE
Sundays, April 30, May 7, 14, 28, June 4 : All Shows 7 PM
Iridium Jazz Club
1650 Broadway @ 51st Street, NYC

www.Theshowstore.com presents Cabaret legend Steve Ross in his return to Broadway with his Sextet at the Iridium Jazz Club in his new show, FRED! Singing and Swinging Astaire. Steve Ross, "The suavest of all male cabaret performers..." (Stephen Holden, New York Times), brings his unique sytle and his new sextet to the New York landmark Iridium Jazz Club in a sparkling show featuring classic hits such as "Cheek to Cheek", "Night and Day", and "Let Yourself Go" and "Stepping Out with My Baby ".
To book tickets online, click here.

OUR UPDATED T-SHIRT is now available in Tootsie-Roll brown with safety-cone orange trim, as seen at left, where Jim reveals his secret identity as -- Superhost! Show your love for a certain Monday night Open Mic extravaganza by wearing this 100% cotton, Peruvian-made, American-printed piece of art! The wry "Got Mic?" logo is on the front, and our logo is on the back. They're only $20 and available if you click http://www.castpartynyc.com/merchandise.htm.

WHAT DO MICHAEL C. HALL, KERRY BUTLER, CHEYENNE JACKSON, ESTELLE PARSONS, JULIA MURNEY, DEVEN MAY, HUNTER FOSTER, MICHAEL ARDEN, JAMES BLUNT and the GOO GOO DOLLS all have in common? Their secret weapon -- voice teacher Liz Caplan! Her student ANA GASTEYER (upcoming Threepenny Opera) says, “Studying with Liz has changed my approach to singing on every level. In the two years we have worked together, she has combined phenomenal technique with tailor-made specifications to meet a huge variety of professional demands. Her tireless enthusiasm and expertise have empowered me physiologically and emotionally to become a better singer than I had ever imagined. It's like physical therapy and good, old-fashioned psycho-therapy for your vocal chords!” Visit http://www.LizCaplan.com for more information, but tell Liz you heard about her at Cast Party!

As always, many thanks to our corporate and private sponsors:
Gianni Valente & Hilary Kole, Randy Swartz & Stage Step, Jamie deRoy & friends, Michael Estwanik, Piper-Heidsieck Champagne, Todd Forman, Steven Minichiello, Matthew Gilbert and Wild Oats Productions, as well as our Birdland sound guru Jody Dobson and Brian Wilson at SoHa Media. We can't do it without you!

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