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June 22 , 2007
Songwriters Amanda Green and Tom Kitt (left) rocked the house on Monday night! They brought a 9-piece band and some of the best singers on earth to the Birdland stage to celebrate the release of their High Fidelity cast recording. Lots of the Broadway cast was there to take part, along with singers Julia Murney and Amy Spanger, singing some of the cleverest material heard on the stage in a long, long time. It was a starry audience, too, what with Allison Janney, Grey Gardens' Bob Stillman, Amanda's mom Phyllis Newman, and on and on! Lots of CDs were signed by the writers and stars - and we were thrilled to toast to their success. Please check out Mark Rupp's photos of the entire affair on Flickr!.
The following Cast Party was fantastic, with many, many thanks to the brilliant Christine Lavin, who hosted a fun-filled and musically diverse evening. The big surprise was Phoebe Snow (middle left)! Yes, she showed up, and ripped the place apart with "You Send Me,” along with David Budway on piano and Steve Doyle on bass. She was later coaxed onstage for a group jam of James Taylor's "You've Got A Friend,” supported by the Phoebettes (Ms. Lavin, Janet Fanale and Tina Jensen). Another highlight was Ms. Jensen's performance of “It's An Art,” an ode to table-waiting. Kind of appropriate, since she's one of our favorite Birdland staffers. Then came a moment out of left field...Pavel Dawson, a Russian instrumentalist, did some dazzling jazz guitar work. A few moments later, he was in tears when NY1's Budd Mishkin did a traditional Russian folksong. All the Russians in the house (count 'em...three) cried and sang along. Then, Christine Pedi showed off some hilarious impressions, including her newest...Christine Ebersole's Tony Award-winning performance as Little Eydie Beale in Grey Gardens. Ms. Pedi decided Eydie should belt “And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going,” which you're not gonna hear often. Michael Winther then led a singalong of Elton John's "Rocket Man.” Who knew that everyone at Cast Party would know the words to that song? At midnight, it was Birdland owner Gianni Valenti's birthday, so a cake was brought out, and everyone sang the requisite "Happy Birthday" to our favorite nightclub impressario. The evening ended with Phoebe Snow and David Budway having an impromptu, and totally unplugged performance of standards...proving that sometimes, if you stay till the very end of Cast Party, there's a great reward!
Next Monday, we do it again, if that's possible. I'll be back from my South American travels with Liza - and I'll have many stories to tell! Between the scenery, the great food, and the thrill of performing onstage with a living legend, this trip has been utterly fantabulous! That's me (smiling at left) with Susana, the Oprah of Argentina. We performed on her tv show, to a studio audience of people dressed as clowns, and a television audience of millions. And get ready...she's coming to Cast Party soon! You can see more of our antics on The Kay Thompson Project - a photoset on Flickr.
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Broadway's Capathia Jenkins (Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, Caroline Or Change, The Civil War) and award-winning composer Louis Rosen (left) will be offering a "sneak preview" of the new songs Rosen has composed using the words of the renowned poet Nikki Giovanni. They will also perform songs from their highly acclaimed debut CD "South Side Stories," which was released this past November. Pianist Kimberly Grigsby and bassist Dave Phillips will be joining the duo. There will be a $25 cover and $10 food/drink minimum. Please call 212-581-3080 or click on www.BirdlandJazz.com for reservations! Coming up next...the return of Nancy Anderson, Ross Patterson and His Little Big Band on July 2!
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Vincent Wolfe: A Canadian Crooner Returns to NYC! His velvety vocals lie “somewhere between Chet Baker and Mel Tormé…” and according to the Detroit Metro Times, “his tender and resolute voice uncannily captures the ebb and flow of the human heart”. Find out for yourself why this Canadian crooner has been getting a lot of attention. Vincent Wolfe will take you on an eclectic musical journey: from well-known jazz standards and pop gems to original compositions from his two critically acclaimed CDs. Saturday, June 23rd @ Helen’s (www.helensnyc.com) with Alex Levin (piano) and Ryan Berg (upright bass). 7 p.m. Admission: $20. ($15 for Cabaret Hotline and MAC members). For more information visit www.vincentwolfe.com.
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 JOIN JAMIE DEROY & FRIENDS THURSDAY, JUNE 28TH AT 7:30 P.M. AT THE METROPOLITAN ROOM. Nancy Anderson, Donna Lynne Champlin, Jim David, Xanthe Elbrick, Lorinda Lisitza sings Maddock & Iconis, Heather Mac Rae, Lennie Watts. Musical Director: Paul Greenwood. Director: Barry Kleinbort. Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St. between 5th and 6th aves. For reservations, call: 212.206.0440.
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 KEN KLEIBER'S OFFERING VIDEOGRAPHY SERVICES. You have the talent, you booked the room and the crowds came. But what about that sought-after agent who was escorting his star client to a premiere? Or that family member who got stuck out-of-town due to inclement weather? Or that best friend who got the 24-hour flu? They can all re-live your shining performance through the magic of digital video. Videographer Ken Kleiber (host of TV, internet & radio’s “That’s Kentertainment!”) not only interviews the stars, he films them too. With over 6 years of videotaping experience, Ken has filmed hundreds of hours of cabarets, concerts, live theatre, dance recitals, comedy sets, interviews, on-tape auditions, parties and more. For more information on Ken’s videotaping, copying and transferring services, please contact Ken at kentertain@yahoo.com. Don’t let that once-in-a-lifetime moment be…just once!
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 "here! on broadway," A PODCAST HOSTED BY JIM CARUSO, is a joyous celebration of the showbiz scene featuring music and conversation with Broadway's most dazzling personalities. Click on www.myspace.com/hereonbroadway to subscribe.
Jim's guest this week is the incomparable Stephanie J. Block, currently starring in the Broadway production of The Pirate Queen. Listen in as these two great friends dish the dirt about the show, the nightmare of moving apartments and Ms. Block's upcoming nuptuals!
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 MINNELLI & CARUSO: TOGETHER AGAIN... I'm beyond excited to tell you that I'll be performing on the road with my amazing friend Liza Minnelli quite a bit this next year! We're re-creating Kay Thompson and the Williams Brothers' historic nightclub act that took the world by storm in the late 40's and early 50's. Cortes Alexander, Johnny Rodgers, Clarke Thorell and I are working hard to approximate the blend and unique sound that Bob, Dick, Don, and Andy Williams brought to Kay's ingenious vocal arrangements, with Billy Stritch will be at the piano. Watch this space for details...hopefully we'll be coming to a theater near you!
- June 21 : Vivo Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
- July 19 : South Shore Music Circus, Cohasset, MA
- July 21 : Cape Cod Melody Tent, Hyannis, MA
- August 8 : Marbella Tennis Club, Spain
- August 10 : Festival Jardins de Cap Roig, Barcelona, Spain
- August 12 : Cuartel del Conde Duque, Madrid, Spain
- August 15 : Festival Internacional de San Tander, Spain
- August 17 - 18 : Sporting Club, Monte Carlo
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ON THE CD, AT THE MOVIES, DAVE KOZ, A MULTI-GRAMMY NOMINATED SAX PLAYER with two gold albums and ten top 5 hits to his credit, takes center stage on eight instrumentals: "Over The Rainbow," " As Time Goes By," " The Pink Panther," "Summer of '42," " Cinema Paradiso," " Schindler's List," " It Might Be You" and " The Shadow of Your Smile." The 40-piece orchestra enlisted by Koz and producer Phil Ramone provides a majestic, sweeping soundscape for the saxophonist and his guest vocalists, including Vanessa Williams, who contributes an exquisite version of " The Way We Were," and Johnny Mathis, who perfectly captures the bittersweet quality of " The Shadow Of Your Smile," from The Sandpiper. Other highlights include Anita Baker's elegant rendering of " Somewhere," from West Side Story and Donna Summer's shimmering version of " A Whole New World," from Disney's Aladdin. Barry Manilow duets with Koz on a hip arrangement of Henry Mancini's " Moon River," and India.Aire delivers a deeply personal performance of " It Must Be You," from Tootsie. At The Movies is a must-have for music and film lovers everywhere. Disappear into another world and spend some time At The Movies.
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 SQUIGS DRAWS THE STARS. Justin 'Squigs' Robertson is well known in the
Los Angeles theatre community for capturing show biz folks in pen and
ink, and his acclaim is quickly spreading across the country. He loves
sushi. His favorite song is 'It's Only A Paper Moon'. And he
genuflects upon merely hearing the name of Al Hirschfeld. His
whimsical illustration and design is aided and abetted by his parallel
career as an actor and entertainer. You can visit www.squigsink.com for a look at Squigs' take on such talented friends of Cast Party as
Jeff Blumenkrantz, Julia Murney, Christine Ebersole, Victoria Clark,
Kelli O'Hara, Bob Martin and Liza Minnelli.
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 CHARLIE
LAPSON'S SIGNATURE COLLECTION is the culmination of years of training, world travel, and professional
experience as one of Hollywood's top designers. His luxurious
handbags and men's wallets are produced by factories in Tuscany, Italy
made of fine Italian leather. Lapson's handbags and clutches have
been worn by the elite of Hollywood to numerous red carpet events
and on camera as well.
Celebrities such as Felicity Huffman, Eva
Longoria, and Debra Messing can be seen
at award shows adorned with Charlie
Lapson Jewelry. The collection is created by using the
most brilliant diamonds and precious gemstones mixed with 18 kt gold,
and molding them into works of art. Celebrities dazzle with glamorous
bold statement pieces. Look for large colored gemstones and mixes
of textures with unique shapes.
Style fit for a star!
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 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!
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 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. |
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 Sean Corcoran and
Brian Wilson at SoHa Media. We can't do it without you!
Click
here to advertise with us. It costs
less than the average banner ad, and you're guaranteed to be seen by
tons of fabulous people (look, you're reading this right now,
yes?).
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 "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), NYC
212.581.3080
Bookings for Jim Caruso's
Cast Party® for theaters, arts presenters,
corporations and private events:
Ligeti Artists LLC
Peter Ligeti
mrligeti@aol.com
212.396.1111
For online booking information, click: The
Show Store
This newsletter brought to you each week by Jim Caruso and Traverse City Web Design.
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