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June 9 , 2006

A note on this Newsletter Special Edition:
Our beloved Jim Caruso is Caru-sing the high seas at the moment, and sent us the following dispatch:

While I'm in the Mediterranean being all-at-sea, Cast Party will be in the very capable hands of Christine Pedi (right)! If you don't know her, you have no idea what you're missing! She's famous for her long association with Forbidden Broadway, and her brilliant impressions and comedy have earned her a Drama Desk nomination and an LA Ovation Award. She made her Broadway debut in Rob Marshall's revival of Little Me, and can be heard daily on Sirius Satellite Radio's "Broadway's Best" station, playing showtunes and interviewing theatre legends. "Sopranos" fans may recognize Christine as the dearly departed Mrs. Bobby Baccala... It was a brief but pivotal role, essential to plot developments -- he loved her so much he couldn't bare to defrost her ziti! Billy Stritch and Steve Doyle - on piano and bass - will be on hand to keep the evening swinging, so you know it will be an amazing evening!

And now, ladies and gentlemen, we give you our first-ever Guest-Penned Cast Party Newsletter, direct from our new favorite Hostess-with-the-Mostess:

Christine Pedi here.

My first Cast Party (as host) was great fun but exhausting. I came straight from the Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgender Center of 13th Street benefit entitled Broadway Backwards where all the performers sang songs NOT written for their gender. I gave the Cast Party a taste of my contribution, "Once In Love With Amy" with Michael Lavine at the piano (he played the benefit). That's Lavine with an 'e' at the end. When I e-mail him and forget the 'e' my messages often get misdirected to Christine Lavin (no "e"), who also happened to be at the Cast Party on Monday dedicating her song to a woman she met in the ladies room and her mother. Christine instructed her new ladies room friend to call her mother on her cell and have her listen to the song.

Funny Chuck Prentiss sang an original tune and the lines "alleys of bialeys" and "I dream of sour cream" keep running thru my brain...it's ALL about the food.

Barry Leavitt accompanied the cast of HER SONG performing at Birdland on Saturdays and Sundays @ 5:30 these days.

The ageless Bob Dolphin sang and danced to "Kansas City", played sassily by Tedd Firth and Steve Doyle. I asked Bob his secret to such gorgeous youthful skin..."moisturizer and vigorous massage"...he neglected to add tap dancing.

Lari White, from RING OF FIRE and 3-time Grammy winner, did a duet with Steve Doyle that was hot and gorgeous. She'll be part of Broadway by the Year 1978 on Monday, July 19th at Town Hall (along with Yours Truly).

David Goldman accompanied himself on guitar singing an italian art song in honor of the cast of Light in the Piazza who'd performed at the 7pm show. Cast member Prudence Wright Holmes stuck around and sang a sweet and silly soprano ditty about a "Cuckoo".

Instrumentalists included Trevor Exter who accompanied himself on the cello and Nile, fresh out of Julliard School of Music this month - he did a jazz tune with Steve Doyle and finished with the cutest scatting I've ever heard.

I closed out the night with Tedd singing a selection from Judy & Liza Live, a show I'm doing at Don't Tell Mama the next two Saturdays. I chanelled Liza singing a medley from Mamma Mia!

Then I had a large lemon drop martini.

I can't wait to come back next week!!!!

cheers
cp

ps: Other performers were

Allison Newsbom
Janine Alondres with Shelley markum
Val Rider
Michael Quinn
Jenna Esposita
Shelly Sweeney
Mark Elliot
Marieanne Meringolo
Jaqueline Ester
Robin Lee
Mardie Millit
Dani Rhodes
Lodi Carr
Michael Garin

Thank you so much, Christine! We can't wait to see you again!

He's back! Jason Robert Brown (right) will make a triumphant return to Birdland this coming Monday, June 12 at 7pm. He and his band, The Caucasian Rhythm Kings, will be joined by some very special guest performers. Jason has been hailed as "one of Broadway's smartest and most sophisticated songwriters since Stephen Sondheim" (Philadelphia Inquirer), and his "extraordinary, jubilant theater music" (Chicago Tribune) has been heard all over the world, whether in one of his musicals or in his own incendiary live performances. The New York Times refers to him as "a leading member of a new generation of composers who embody high hopes for the American musical." Jason is the composer and lyricist of the musical, The Last Five Years, which was cited as one of Time Magazine's 10 Best of 2001 and won Drama Desk Awards for Best Music and Best Lyrics. He won a 1999 Tony Award for his score to Parade, a musical written with Alfred Uhry and directed by Harold Prince, which premiered at Lincoln Center Theatre in December 1998, and subsequently won both the Drama Desk and New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards for Best New Musical. The last time Jason played Birdland, it was so sold out that we were pulling chairs from the dressing room, so you might want to call the club for reservations now! (212.581.3080) There is a $35 cover and $10 food/drink minimum.

"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 JUNE ISSUE of Cabaret Scenes Magazine contains a fantastic feature on the history of Cast Party, and you've gotta check it out! Many, many thanks to Peter Leavy for the wonderful words, and to Keith Meritz and Frank Dain for making it all happen!

TONY-NOMINATED CAROLEE CARMELLO, 3-time Grammy winning star of Ring of Fire LARI WHITE, Hairspray Original Star MARY BOND DAVIS added to Town Hall's BROADWAY MUSICALS OF 1978 cast!

The Monday, June 19th Broadway by the Year concert also includes Bryan Batt (who is also directing), Chuck Cooper, Felicia Finley, Julie Garnye, Nancy Opel, Noah Racey, Christine Pedi, and Lennie Watts. They’ll sing songs from shows like Ain’t Misbehavin’, Ballroom, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Eubie, On the Twenthieth Century, Runaways, Working, and others! Tickets are $45 and $40. Tickets can be purchased at The Town Hall Box Office or through http://www.TicketMaster.com or at 212.307.4100.

BROADWAY CAFE SOCIETY.com is a fansite that celebrates theater and movie showtunes of yesterday, today and tomorrow. We also pay tribute to all the artists -- past and present -- that make the genre the unique art form that it is. Features include entertainer profiles, jukebox, news and more. Become a member and receive our colorful monthly e-newsletter and other mailings. Membership is free. Join us at Broadway Cafe Society.com...where showtunes come to play!

JENNA ESPOSITO, a Cast Party regular for over a year, romps through the ups and downs of her relationships with the other half in her new show I Hate Men: Songs for the Scorned. It runs Tuesdays in June (6/6, 6/13, 6/20, 6/27) at the Duplex (61 Christopher St.). All shows at 7 p.m. $15 cover charge + 2 drink minimum, but wait – there’s a Cast Party discount - $10 cover for Cast Partyers! Music Director is Fortune Esposito, Director is Erv Raible. With Fortune Esposito, guitar; David Crone (6/7 & 6/20) and Richard Schacher (6/14 & 6/27), piano, Steve Doyle, bass, and guest singer Kelly Esposito-Broelmann. Reservations: 212-255-5438. Click: http://www.jennaesposito.com

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/Goods.htm.

Bill Westmoreland's photography has been artistically informed by his experience in the fashion/advertising world, where he has worked as a hair and makeup artist for the past 25 years. He has photographed legendary musicians (David Bowie, Michael Stipe, Dido, The Marley Brothers), and renowned actresses (Sigourney Weaver, Susan Sarandon and Drew Barrymore). Speaking of Drew, Bill really enjoyed photographing Tony DeSare (left) for his CD, "Want You," which includes a song from the film, "My Date With Drew." Bill explains, "When you have someone as handsome and easy-going as Tony, it makes my part of the job very easy...I just have to push the buttons and it all comes together!" Bill has also photographed Broadway and cabaret performers Ann Hampton Callaway, Liz Callaway, Stephanie J. Block, Sally Mayes and Linda Lavin. Since his website is currently under construction, you can reach Bill at bwphotography@aol.com.

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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