September 9, 2005

Monday's Labor Day Cast Party was filled to the brim with songbirds and composers all wearing their summer whites, seersuckers and coulottes for the last time. OK. No coulottes. But you get the general idea. There was an abundance of Great American Songbook-heralding cabaret dudes, including Jeff Harnar, David Staller, Eric Hoffman, Mark Brignone, and the super-est star of them all, Michael Feinstein. Michael (seen above, with Birdland owner Gianni Valente, Hilary Kole and Terrence Flannery) has done so much to honor popular songs, so of course we were delighted to celebrate his pre-birthday at Birdland! I'd also like to give special thanks to Christine Lavin for absolutely NOT singing her “Jeopardy” theme song parody. We never heard it. And it was hilarious...

Jamie deRoy & Friends! It's about time Jamie brought one of her extravaganzas to the Birdland stage! This coming Monday, the four time MAC Award-winning variety show brings Strings Attached at 7pm. The one-night-only show will benefit The New York City Police Foundation. Performers scheduled to appear at this stringed extravaganza include Broadway's Ann Crumb and Leenya Rideout (violin, guitar, mandolin), comedian/ guitarist Demetri Martin, violinist Todd Sullivan, singer/ songwriter Randi Driscoll and Margaret Dorn of The Accidentals. The evening will also include a rare performance from David Buskin with his former collaborator Robin Batteau (guitar, mandolin, violin, piano). Strings Attached features direction by Barry Kleinbort and musical direction by Lanny Meyers. There will be a $25 cover and $10 food/drink minimum.

I'm so proud of our very own Julie Garnye, who has orchestrated Ten-in-Ten, in order to raise $10,000 in 10 days for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The great news is that Barry Manilow has offered to TRIPLE whatever she raises, so PLEASE peruse the website and write a check to the Red Cross NOW! Julie has been a busy bee…bedazzling Cast Party t-shirts, which were succesfully auctioned off for $150 apiece! The Red Cross thanks her, and we thank her! That's Julie (above) modeling her glam design for VH1's fashion expert, Casey Paul. A definite fashion-do, if you ask me.

"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

No cover - $10 food/drink minimum 

Click here for the official Cast Party website!

And now, a word from our sponsors:

Again, many thanks to our corporate and private sponsors 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! For those interested; it's tax deductible!
Woo hoo!

• The official Cast Party website
• Jim Caruso's website
• Send Jim Caruso an e-mail
• Subscribe to the Cast Party Newsletter
• Unsubscribe from the Cast Party Newsletter
• Contact the Administrator