Broadway at Birdland
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Jerry Mitchell (left) with cast member Mo Rocca and Mr. O'Keefe.

Septermber 28, 2007

There was an embarrassment of showbiz riches at Birdland this past week, what with Nancy Anderson's great “Ten Cents A Dance” concert of 20's and 30's songs, and Laurence O'Keefe's show of totally original and outrageous material. Both brought out throngs of fans - that's Tony Award-winning director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell (left) with cast member Mo Rocca and Mr. O'Keefe. Jerry just happened to direct Larry's Broadway hit, “Legally Blonde.” If you missed the fun, you can catch it again this coming Monday (details below), when the bevy of Broadway beauties warbling the O'Keefe oeuvre will include Jill Abramovitz, Annaleigh Ashford, Miguel Cervantes, Gaelen Gilliland, Andy Karl, Orfeh, Kevin Pariseau, Mo Rocca and Noah Weisberg. We can't wait!



Gareth Keegan and Robert Kole Monday's Cast Party was shockingly star-studded, too! Dame Shirley Bassey made quite an entrance, escorted by daughter Sharon and our old friend, Lionel Casseroux. The still ravishing-at-seventy singer turned down an offer to perform, but seemed to have a special affinity for Cast Party performers Marilyn Maye, Todd Londagin and Robert Kole. Kole (who is proud father to jazz siren, Hilary) knocked everyone out with his vocal chops. Back in the day, he took over for Larry Kert as 'Tony' in West Side Story, and he sounds just as brilliant today. He was happy to chat with some talented students of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, the stellar school in Perth, Australia. Gareth Keegan just played the role of 'Tony' in the school's production, so he was especially excited to grill Robert about his experiences (left)! You can check out Flickr! for more photos of all the merriment, with many thanks to Mark Rupp for catching so many great moments! You've got to admit, we DO have some of the best, most interesting performance photographs on the web!- Jim!
 
 
Donna Lynne Champlin
This Sunday, September 30 at 7pm, Donna Lynne Champlin, who recently starred in the Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd, as well as James Joyce's The Dead, By Jeeves and Hollywood Arms, is bringing her one-woman show “Finishing The Hat,” back to Birdland! The show is an inspired pairing of stories and songs from Donna Lynne's professional and personal adventures (such as 'Stalking Brian D'Arcy James' and 'The Worst Audition Ever') that the audience picks randomly from a hat. David Hurst of Cabaret Scenes Magazine calls the evening 'hilarious, heartbreaking and brilliant,' and Peter Filichia of TheaterMania asks 'Why can't all cabarets be as wonderful as “Finishing The Hat?”' We feel the same way, and so will you, if you call Birdland and reserve seats! (212.581.3080 or www.BirdlandJazz.com)


Laurence O'Keefe On Monday, October 1 at 7pm, Laurence O'Keefe, the co-composer of the Broadway hit, Legally Blonde, returns to Birdland to celebrate his brilliant and hilarious material. A bevy of Broadway stars, including Jill Abramovitz, Annaleigh Ashford, Miguel Cervantes, Gaelen Gilliland, Andy Karl, Orfeh, Kevin Pariseau, Mo Rocca and Noah Weisberg will be on hand to sing his praises and songs. Once again, dial 212.581.3080 to reserve your seat, or click on www.BirdlandJazz.com.

Watch this section for our upcoming Broadway at Birdland schedule, which will include concerts by Sam Davis, Jeffry Denman, Klea Blackhurst, Jason Graae, Nancy Anderson, Jeremy Schonfeld, Jeff Blumenkrantz, Lucie Arnaz, Peter Eldridge, The Broadway Boys, Christine Ebersole, Patrick DeGennaro, Darius de Haas, Sam Harris and Melissa Errico!
 
 
Gretchen ReinhagenGRETCHEN REINHAGEN RETURNS TO DON'T TELL MAMA WITH HER BRAND NEW SHOW, "Back to Basics". She is joined once again by Musical Director Steven Silverstein at the piano. The show is a collection of some of the most loved standards and a few not so standard gems thrown into the mix. In this show, Reinhagen gets down to the basics of just singing good tunes. Don’t miss an evening of songs you’ve always loved, and a singer you’re going to love hearing them from. 10/10 @ 9:15pm; 10/15 @ 9pm; 10/21 @ 8:15pm; 10/30 @ 7pm. $15 cover/2 drink minimum. Reservations: 212.757.0788 www.gretchenreinhagen.com
AFTER A SUCCESSFUL RUN THIS SUMMER, SUZANNE CARRICO IS BACK IN NEW YORK CITY by popular demand for a return engagement at The Metropolitan Room in THE ART OF THE CAHN: Music from the Sammy Cahn Songbook. AFTER A SUCCESSFUL RUN THIS SUMMER, SUZANNE CARRICO IS BACK IN NEW YORK CITY by popular demand for a return engagement at The Metropolitan Room in THE ART OF THE CAHN: Music from the Sammy Cahn Songbook. Please join us Sunday, September 30th at 9:30 PM to hear Suzanne with Special Guest Don Rebic on piano & Steve Doyle on bass  in an intimate evening of music Cabaret Hotline described as "dazzling" and "perfection" arranged by Tedd Firth & directed by Mary Cleere Haran. Take advantage of the Cast Party Discount and call for your reservation today: 212.206.0440 www.suzannecarrico.com


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!  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. 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 MINNELLI & CARUSO: TOGETHER AGAIN... I'm beyond excited to tell you that I'll be performing on the road with myamazing 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!
  • 09/22/2007 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

DAVE KOZ
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 showbiz! www.squigsink.com - this week's pic - Christine Ebersole as Little Edie in 'Grey Gardens'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: Style fit for a star!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!


Jim Caruso ferociously models the official Cast Party t-shirtOUR 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.


The Cabaret Exchange


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?).

 
 

Look at all the illustrious people!"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.

 
 

Copyright Jim Caruso's Cast Party®, All Rights Reserved, 2006. Newsletter by: Traverse City Web Design