last
week...
We're thrilled that Scott Siegel's Cast Party guest hosting brought out his own Broadway by the Year fans and Birdland was packed, with folks being turned away at the door. In addition to Party regulars like Jenna Esposito and her guitar-playing dad, Fortune, Siegel also brought to Birdland -- for the first time -- Tony Nominee Emily Skinner (left, thanks to Mark Rupp) who wowed the crowd singing "Sister, Sister" from The Color Purple. Ms. Skinner was also there to see one of her AMDA students and one of Siegel's Rising Stars who recently performed at Town Hall, Reggie Headon. He's a comer, as are two other Rising Stars who performed at Birdland on Monday night, Stephen Bel Davies and Lauren Marcus. The former has been on our stage before, singing with Malcolm Gets a few weeks ago. The latter, singing a Kleban Award winner Joe Iconis number, with Iconis at the piano, also scored big. Iconis had come in with Nightlife Award winner Lorinda Lisitza, who is fast becoming famous in some circles for singing his songs; she jazzed the crowd bigtime with her rowdy version of Iconis' "Yolanda at the Bottom of the Stairs." Then Iconis performed one of his own songs (fictional, we hope) about a former girlfriend who is now in skin flicks. Dark funny stuff. The Cast Party Symphony Orchestra was comprised of David Budway, who sang a spirited "Obla-di Obla-da," and our own Count Bass, Steve Doyle. Taking it all in at a corner table was cabaret legend Michael Feinstein. The evening had it all, including the announcement of Cast Party superstar Bob Dolphin's 83rd birthday, followed by his usual impressive tap dancing display. There was a trumpet player, a young lady making her final Cast Party appearance as she's off to the Netherlands to work on her thesis (we have a very smart crowd), and then there was the afore-mentioned Mr. Siegel, resplendent in his totally orange, Riker's Island Cabaret ensemble. He later stunned the crowd with an unexpected costume change to an all-lime outfit. Is he gay or European? Or just crazy? He opened the evening singing the Hebrew prayer over the wine. Another first for Birdland and Cast Party. You have to come next week to see the ultra-dazzling Christine Pedi host the evening while Jim Caruso is cavorting with Liza Minnelli in the South of France (he loves typing that...)! Tedd Firth and Steve Doyle will be gettin' busy at the piano and bass, respectively.
JAMIE DEROY & FRIENDS WILL PRESENT AN EVENING WITH "MODERN MAN" in celebration of their new CD "Assisted Living". Jamie deRoy will present a special evening featuring the award-winning trio Modern Man on Wednesday, August 15th (7:30PM) at The Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street between 5th & 6th Avenues). The evening will also serve as a gala CD release launch for their new recording "Assisted Living." A cross between Crosby, Stills & Nash and the Marx Brothers, Modern Man----David Buskin, Rob Carlson and George Wurzbach are three celebrated singers and songwriters who have come together to bring entertainment, laughter and delight to audiences. Modern Man's clever song parodies are a litany of lunacy, interweaving themes that range from God to Godzilla, manliness to cluelessness --- they have been characterized as "filling the void between The Three Tenors and The Three Stooges."
DONALD SMITH AND THE MABEL MERCER FOUNDATION WOULD LIKE YOU TO JOIN Marilyn Maye, Steve Ross, Billy Stritch, KT Sullivan and James Followell for the Fourth Cabaret Convention at Sea, April 30 - May 14, 2008! This cabaret crossing will take place on board the luxurious Regent Seven Seas Voyager, leaving from Ft. Lauderdale, and making stops in Bermuda, the Azores, Madeira, Valencia and Barcelona. This spectacular ship offers all-suite accomodations (with private verandahs), open dining, four spectacular restaurants, all wine, spirits and gratuities included! The event will be hosted by Arie Boris, Editor-in-Chief of CruiseGourmet.com Magazine. Fares for this special 14-night Cabaret Crossing start at $5,170 per person. As a special welcome to all our patrons, there will be a one-category upgrade for any reservation made before September 1, 2007. Please call Hartford Holidays Travel (800-828-4813) and mention Promotional Code JIMC. A portion of each fare will be donated to the Mabel Mercer Foundation. Check out 
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
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 
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 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. 
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
(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 
