The words and stories of William Shakespeare have been cherished, imitated and immortalized in song by artists for generations - musicals like West Side Story, Kiss Me Kate and The Boys From Syracuse all draw their inspiration from the writer's most timeless plays. On Sunday, August 26 at 7pm, three young guys make their New York cabaret debut at Birdland with an original, hilarious and ultimately compelling look at the world of music based on the Bard's work. Some you'll know, some you won't - from hits, flops, the unreleased and even the unfinished, join the GUYTUNES for an unforgettable night, as they Sing Shakespeare! The GUYTUNES (left) are a unique new cabaret act comprised of Nick Blaemire (Off Broadway's Altar Boyz), Justin Keyes (Broadway's The Apple Tree) and Jason Michael Snow (Goodspeed Opera House's The Pirates of Penzance). These three fresh, up and coming performers are making quite a joyful noise on the cabaret circuit, full of "strong, clear voices," "adventurous choices in material," and "sharp stage presence." After selling out a critically acclaimed, extended run at the prestigious Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA, the GUYTUNES are ready to take New York by storm. There is a $25 cover and a $10 food/drink minimum. Call Birdland for reservations at 212-581-3080 or click on www.BirdlandJazz.com!
Then, on Monday, August 27 - we're beyond thrilled to bring Stephanie J. Block (left) back to our stage! Most recently seen starring on Broadway as Grace "Grania" O'Malley in The Pirate Queen, she will be bringing her dazzling one-woman show to Birdland for the fourth time. You might have also seen Stephanie as Liza Minnelli opposite Hugh Jackman in The Boy From Oz, or as Elphaba in the National Tour of Wicked. Of course, she'll be singing standards and beloved Broadway songs, along with a seldom-heard ballad cut from Wicked, swinging duets with musical director Billy Stritch, and a duet with hubby-to-be (and current star of Wicked) Sebastian Arcelus! There are literally a handful of seats left - so call Birdland NOW! 212.581.3080.
There was heartbreakingly sad news in the cabaret community last week when John Wallowitch (left) passed away at age 81. He was a treasured friend and a brilliant, witty and urbane performer who constantly tickled our fancy. When he'd appear at Cast Party, I knew the audience was having one of the the ultimate sophisticated New York experiences. They don't make 'em like John anymore, and we'll miss the hell out of him. To me, he'll always be 27.
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August 24 , 2007 Laura Bell Bundy did it again...she packed Birdland with friends, fans, and famous co-workers, including Broadway superstar Michael Cerveris (left), who couldn't get enough of our favorite blonde's original country sound.Also seen in the crowd were Legally Blonde's Christian Borle, Kate Shindle, Noah Weisberg, and Asmeret Ghebremichael. See BroadwayWorld or our very own FLICKR! site for more photos of the evening taken by Mark Rupp! The following Cast Party was another winner, with many, many thanks to the fabulous Christine Pedi. She is a superb guest-host, and I can't thank her enough for keeping the fun-bag inflated in my absence! Pianist Tedd Firth and bass-dude Steve Doyle kicked major open-mic ass, and with talented folks like Janine Alondres, Terril Baker, Tony DeSare, Erin & Her Cello, and Vinny Lopreto showing their stuff, everyone had a ball! I'm home from my Liza travels, and am raring to get back to Birdland and Cast Party this coming Monday, August 27. My partner-in-crime, Billy Stritch (left), will be at the Bosendorder, and we can't wait to regale you with stories of our fancy Cote d'Azur travels. Just pronouncing it should be fun. Steve Doyle will be on bass, too, so our little family will be back together! Wheee! Oui?  |
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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 CruiseGourmet Magazine!
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!
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!- 09/16/2007 08:00 PM - Grand Casino, Hinkley, Minnesota
- 09/22/2007 08:00 PM - Pfeiffer Hall, Naperville, Illinois-
- 09/28/2007 08:00 PM - Morristown Community Theatre, Morristown, New Jersey-
- 10/05/2007 08:00 PM - Hard Rock Hotel, Orlando, Florida
- 10/06/2007 08:00 PM - Tampa Performing Arts Center, Tampa, Florida
- 10/13/2007 08:00 PM - C.W. Post College, Long Island, New York
- 10/27/2007 08:00 PM - Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, Baltimore, Maryland
- 11/29/2007 08:00 PM - McCallum Theatre, Palm Desert, California
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.
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. www.squigsink.com
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!
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 http://www.LizCaplan.com for more information, but tell Liz you heard about her at Cast Party!
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?).
"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:
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
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