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October 19, 2007
Somewhere, somehow, Ethel Merman must have felt properly feted on Sunday and Monday. The legendary Broadway belter would be 100 years young this year, so we were thrilled that Klea Blackhurst decided to celebrate the occasion at the Broadway at Birdland series! Her loving tribute, “Everything The Traffic Will Allow,” absolutely packed the club with a fabulous array of legends, plus a lot of regular folk like you and me. That's Klea giving the ol' one-two to the original “Raging Bull,” boxing great Jake LaMotta (left, thanks to Mark Rupp). We were also excited to see movie diva Marilyn Hanold Neilson and my personal Broadway fave, Jennifer Smith, cheering Klea and her band, led by the amazing Michael Rice. Click on Flickr! to see more visuals from the night!
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Monday's Cast Party was another winner, packed to the walls with talent, tourists, triumph and tragedy! Perennial favorite Jenna Esposito (left) brought her whole band to show off a cut from her brand new CD! Many congrats to Jenna and company, and we hope sales go through the roof! (PS: I'm very excited…my CD just went pewter!) Toxic Audio's boomity-boom-meister Rene Ruiz reminded us what a gorgeous voice he has, and Cast Party Gold Club Member Julie Garnyé dropped in all the way from Los Angeles to warble a Maltby-Shire tune. The brilliant Andy Ezrin was spectacular on his first Cast Party Symphony Orchestra outing! Of course, bassist Steve Doyle kept everything bopping along, as he is wont to do. Next week, come see Mark Berman and Mr. Doyle on piano and bass!
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Speaking of Ms. Garnyé, she'll be taking part in a swell concert this coming Friday night, honoring Broadway and movie composer Stephen Schwartz, as part of The Third Annual Broadway Cabaret Festival. Top talent from the theater and cabaret scenes will be gathering at Town Hall to celebrate our pal Stephen, who happened to write Godspell, Pippin, and the crazily successful Wicked. Beyond Julie Garnyé (and do you need more?) the cast will include Jane Olivor, Marc Kudisch, Liz Callaway, Jason Graae, Lari White, Chris DeCristo, and me, television's Jim Caruso. (That's me to the left, Fosse-ing it up in Pippin at the Dallas Repertory Theater in 1977!) Scott Siegel produces, Scott Coulter directs, and Alex Rybeck musical directs. Tickets, $50, are available through TicketMaster at 212.307.4100, or by visiting the Town Hall box office between noon and 6 p.m. at 123 W. 43rd St. Or you can click on www.the-town-hall-nyc.org. |
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Yay! Jason's back! This coming Sunday and Monday, October 21 and 22 at 7pm, Jason Graae, who won the 2006 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award and the 2006 New York Nightlife Award, brings “ Graae's Anatomy” back to Broadway at Birdland! You might know that he was cheered by The New York Times as “an Al Jolson-like singing and dancing clown who executes lyrics with perfect comic flourishes.” Jason also won the Bistro Award for 'Best Major Engagement' and was named one of Time Out New York's 10 Best Cabaret Shows Of 2004.
What IS " Graae's Anatomy?” It is a show where Jason sings from the heart, breathes through his nose, touches a nerve, and tickles the funny bone. It includes Jason's somewhat twisted and sometimes even humorous take on songs by Bucchino, Sondheim, Mercer and more. Come see the man who the New York Times said is "in the twilight of his potential as a Broadway juvenile lead"!
Jason Graae has appeared on Broadway in A Grand Night For Singing, Falsettos, Stardust, Snoopy! and Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up? and off-Broadway in Forever Plaid, All In The Timing and Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah, for which he received a Drama Desk Award nomination as Best Actor in a Musical. His many TV credits range from “Six Feet Under,” 'Friends” and “Frasier” to several PBS specials, and his films include Disney's “Home on the Range,” “On Edge,” “Gepetto,” and “The Dukes of Hazzard in Hollywood.” For 5 years Jason was the voice of Lucky the Leprechaun for Lucky Charms Cereal, but lost the job when he moved to L.A. He made his Metropolitan Opera House debut as featured vocalist in Twyla Tharp's Everlast with American Ballet Theatre and made his Los Angeles Opera debut as Njegus in The Merry Widow, repeating the role with the Houston Grand Opera and New Orleans Opera. He played Frosch in the San Francisco and Washington National Opera productions of Die Fledermaus and he was featured as Offenbach in the LA Opera's The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein with Frederica Von Stade, directed by Garry Marshall. Jason has recorded over 40 CDs, including and his two solo CDs: “You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile - Jason Graae Sings Charles Strouse” and “Jason Graae LIVE At The Cinegrill." There will be a $25 cover, and a $10 food/drink minimum for this show. Call Birdland at 212.581.3080, or click on www.BirdlandJazz.com.
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GRETCHEN 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
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SING LIKE YOU MEAN IT! So, you sing pretty- so what? If you don't know what you're singing about...no one cares. Be ready for your next audition -- come to my class. With the help of pianist and coach, Jamie Reed, we will make sure you are ready and relaxed enough to rock your auditions.
Mondays, 4pm to 7pm at Ripley Grier Studios;
4-week session =$240 (we’ll start as soon as we fill the class)
for more information, write me at singmeanit@aol.com
for more information about me- www.nancyanderson.name
for more information about Jamie- jamieRB326@aol.com
P.S. -- If you have scheduling conflicts, write and we can work it out!
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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!
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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, Brian Lane Green 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!
- 10/27/2007 08:00 PM - Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, Baltimore, Maryland
- 11/29/2007 08:00 PM - McCallum Theatre, Palm Desert, California
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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 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
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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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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.
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As always,
many thanks to our corporate and private sponsors:
Gianni Valente & Hilary Kole, Randy Swartz
& Stage Step, Jamie deRoy & friends, Michael Estwanik, 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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