You just won't believe the rich six-part harmonies and dynamic personalities of The Broadway Boys, who are making their triumphant return to the Birdland stage on Monday, December 3 at 7pm! The group was assembled by Jesse Nager in order to create a new sound for theater and non-theater audiences alike. By mixing pop, jazz, gospel, and funk elements to Broadway standards, The Broadway Boys have created what has been called, “A Symphony of Sound.” “The Broadway Boys” include Jesse Nager (Mary Poppins), Maurice Murphy (Spelling Bee), Daniel Torres (The Pirate Queen), Danny Calvert (Altar Boyz), Steve Morgan and Josh Strickland (Tarzan). Justin Paul will be musical director, and his compositions with Benj Pasek will be featured. Special guests will include a pair of real Wicked performers…Julia Murney (“Elphaba”) and Chelsea Krombach (Broadway and National tour). Please call Birdland at 212-581-3080 or click on www.BirdlandJazz.com for reservations.
last
week...  |
November 29, 2007 Hooray! The stagehand strike is over! We're so happy that everyone has come to an agreement, so that Broadway can get back to business. It certainly brought New York theater to it's knees, but thankfully, didn't affect the fun at Birdland! Nancy Anderson's fifth “Ten Cents A Dance” concert on Sunday was spectacular, with many thanks to her very special guests, Dee Hoty, Melissa Errico and Jillian Louis, along with Ross Patterson and his Little Big Band. On Monday, Peter Eldridge packed the club with throngs of admirers. Some of them were totally gorgeous and talented, too! He duetted with songbirds Kate McGarry and Jane Monheit, and we spied Hilary Kole and Jessica Molaskey swooning over Peter's first-class jazz vocals. Of course that's Hilary and Jane at left, with much appreciation going to Mark Rupp for photgraphic heroism. Of course you can click on Flickr: Photos from castpartynyc to see more fotos of fabulous faces. |
 |
The following Cast Party was teeming with talented show folk. Tedd Firth and Steve Doyle kept the piano and bass swinging and swaying as the Cast Party Symphony Orchestra, and we were all privy to some impromptu performances by newcomers like Andrea Wittgens, KJ Denhert, and someone who looked strangely like Phyllis Diller. Old friends like Whistling Marion Steiner, KT and Tim Sullivan, Nancy McGraw, Nate Lombardi and Ray Jessell outdid themselves. It was so fun to celebrate the Broadway cast of Grease, too! We finally got to meet Laura Osnes (left), who stars as Sandy, and she's as nice, pretty and talented as we hoped she'd be when we voted for her on “Grease: You're The One That I Want!” Many thanks to John Samorian for putting such a great crowd of cast members together, and we can't wait to see him, along with Laura, Matt, Emily, Lindsay, Kim, Amber and Kristina back at our soiree! Thanks, also, to Nate Smythe and Eric Frasier for percussing on and off all night! It was all shockingly like showbusiness! |
 |
|
 |
Boy, do we have a remarkable holiday present for you: four special nights with our beloved Christine Ebersole, accompanied by Mr. Billy Stritch. Chris hasn't appeared in concert on our stage since she won the 2007 Tony for her a-ma-zing tour-de-force in Grey Gardens, and we're more than thrilled to welcome her back home. Ebersole and Stritch will perform a special seasonal showcase entitled Winter Wonderland, featuring classic holiday & wintertime standards including “White Christmas,” “All I Want For Christmas Is You” and Kay Thompson's “The Holiday Season,” mixed with more-recent favorites. Additionally, Ebersole will be debuting songs from her upcoming CD, “Sunday In New York.”
Christine Ebersole was last seen on Broadway with her tour-de-force dual-role performance as both ''Little'' Edie Beale and Edith Bouvier Beale in the critically-acclaimed musical Grey Gardens, for which she won universal critical raves and the 2007 Tony Award® for Best Actress in a Musical, her second in this category. Ben Brantley of The New York Times called it, “Possibly the greatest performance I've ever seen in a musical.” Of course, at the piano will be Billy Stritch. One of the premier pianists and singers on the New York jazz and cabaret scene, he made his Broadway debut in the 2001 Tony®-winning revival of 42nd Street and continues to dazzle audiences in nightclubs and concert halls around the world. A "musician with chameleon-like skills" who "sings and plays the piano with real drive" (The New York Times), Stritch is also a gifted composer, who continues a longtime association with Liza Minnelli, as a producer and arranger of her work. You can't miss this show…which will be running Wednesday & Thursday, December 5 & 6 at 8:30pm, and Friday & Saturday, December 7 & 8, with shows at 8:30 and 11pm. Call Birdland at 212.581.3080 or click on www.BirdlandJazz.com |
JAMIE DEROY & FRIENDS CELEBRATE THE SEASON OF GIVING with a special musical performance Wednesday, December 5th, 6:00 P.M. at Barnes & Noble Lincoln Center (located at 1972 Broadway). Join Jamie deRoy & friends as she celebrates the holiday season with her acclaimed CDs, ‘Tis The Season and Animal Tracks. Part of “The Any Wednesday at B&N series”, the evening is free and open to the public. Featuring: The Accidentals, Lisa Asher, Scott Coulter, Dee Hoty, Karen Mason and Jay Rogers. The event will also supply attendees the chance to “give” some adorable orphan cats and dogs an opportunity to find new owners and a new loving home, thanks to Jamie's favorite charity, Animal Haven. All proceeds from this event will go directly to supporting these efforts, and contributions are tax-deductible. Director: Barry Kleinbort. Musical Director: Paul Greenwood. Both CDs are available at cdbaby.com and will also be available for purchase in the B&N store on the day of the performance. For further information call 212-595-5859.
ONE SHOW ONLY! LYNN LOOSIER: CHRISTMAS FOR MY FRIENDS. Lynn Loosier has been a featured soloist at Lincoln Center & Jazz at Lincoln Center. She has had the pleasure to sing backup for Jennifer Holliday, Sam Harris, & local favorite Julian Fleisher. Lynn has also shared the stage with Broadway & television actor, Tom Wopat. But it is perhaps the advice from the legendary Patti Labelle that inspires Lynn's passion for sharing her gift of music, "Never stop singing,
'cause girl, YOU CAN SING." Click: http://www.lynnloosier.com/jazz.
Where: Metropolitan Room : 34 West 22nd Street : 212.206.0440
When: December 2nd at 4:00: $15 cover, 2 drink min
Where: Metropolitan Room : 34 West 22nd Street : 212.206.0440
When: December 2nd at 4:00: $15 cover, 2 drink min
JIM BRICKMAN HOMECOMING HOLIDAY CONCERT with special guests Richie McDonald, Anne Cochran and David Klinkenberg. When: Saturday, December 8th. Two shows! 3:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. Where: The Allen Room, located at Frederick P. Rose Hall,
Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Broadway at 60th Street, New York, NY.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Box Office:
Broadway at 60th Street, Ground Floor.
Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm, Sunday 12pm-6pm.
CenterCharge 212.721.6500. Click: www.jalc.org
"FINN-TASTIC! UPROARIOUS AND MOVING" - VARIETY. Over twenty hits from one artist's exceptional career unite in splendid harmony in Make Me A Song: The Music of William Finn. Effortlessly woven together, these treasured tunes by the composer of the acclaimed Falsettos series and the Tony Award®-winning smash hit The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee tell personal, haunting, and often hilarious tales from Finn's rich and touching human songbook. Make Me A Song brims with spectacular highlights sure to delight both fans and newcomers. Tickets available at Box Office located at 340 West 50th Street, through telecharge.com or by calling 212-239-6200. Playing at New World Stages!
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!
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 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!
| November 29 | Palm Desert, CA | McCallum Theater |
| January 12 | Providence, RI | Providence PAC |
| January 16 | Friant, CA | Table Mountain Casino |
| January 19 | Lake Tahoe | Harrah's |
| January 25 | Guadalajara | Telmex Auditorium |
| February 23 | Palm Springs, CA | |
| March 14 | Ft. Lauderdale, FL | Hard Rock Hotel |
| March 16 | Jacksonville, FL | Times Union Center |
| March 28 | Ft. Myers, FL | Barbara Mann PAC |
| March 30 | Melbourne, FL | King Center |
| May 25 - 27 | London | English National Opera House |
| May 30 | Nottingham | Nottingham Royal Concert Hall |
| June 2 | Manchester | Bridgewater Symphony |
| June 4 | Birmingham | Birmingham Symphony |
| June 6 | Glasgow | Clyde Auditorium |
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!
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, 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
This newsletter brought to you each week by Jim Caruso and Traverse City Web Design.
-
Hang out with Cast Party and Friends on MySpaceSubscribe to the Cast Party NewsletterVisit the Cast Party Newsletter ArchiveThe official Cast Party WebsiteJim Caruso's WebsiteSend Jim Caruso an e-mail
-
Contact the Administrator