This coming Sunday and Monday, December 16 & 17 at 7pm, we're thrilled to finally welcome Broadway, television and recording artist Sam Harris to the Broadway at Birdland series! Harris will perform a mix of standards and stage favorites, as well as songs from his new upcoming CD, "Free." In the past few years, Harris' unusual perspective and comedy has become as much his signature as his legendary musical performances. Last season, on the CBS comedy "The Class," Liz Smith called Harris "the comic breakout of the television season." Liza Minnelli said, "Sam Harris is the best damn singer I've ever heard. Period!" Please call Birdland at 212.581.3080 or click on www.BirdlandJazz.com.
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December 13, 2007 Over this past week, we presented not one, not two, but NINE concerts at Birdland! What are we…crazy? OK, maybe. But it was one of the most rewarding times in recent memory for me and everyone who works at the best music room in the country. Christine Ebersole and Billy Stritch's fantastic week-long run brought out the most talented folks on the planet, including Matthew Broderick, Scott Wittman, Samual Ramey, Jennifer Lewis, Edward Hibbert, Shannon Stoeke, Douglas Wilson, Russ Titelman, Patti Austin, Alan Rickman, Celeste Holme, Linda Hart and Linda Lavin, among many others. It was an amazing way to usher in the holiday season with some sublime music. Sunday's Patrick DeGennaro concert was a sold-out mega-success, too. He's got an astonishing voice, and writes and plays better than almost anyone we know. Monday's Darius de Haas show, “Wonder: The Songs of Stevie Wonder” brought out more throngs to hear a brilliant voice sing brilliant material. We spied Tony winner Adriane Lennox (left with Darius), Natalie Douglas, Mark Hartman, Andy Bey, Jenny Burton and Dennis Stowe cheering and stomping for more. You can see photos of all those faces on Flickr: Photos from castpartynyc, thanks to Mark Rupp. |
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The following Cast Party was another one for the books. Twin sisters from Romania (you can't make that up) who call themselves Indiggo, came to show their musical stuff, which made everyone pretty happy. Singer/tapper extraordinaire Jonny Peterson killed, Eric Garbus sang Uncle Frank, George Mesterhazy burned up the keys, Chaz Langley made a great debut, Carrie Jackson, Martha Lorin and Mary Foster Conklin jazzed it up, and both Raina Dae and Spencer Day made our day. Tedd Firth and Steve Doyle couldn't have been more brilliant. I enjoyed almost every second, and so did the happy Party-ers. We'll do it again next week, too. It'll be our last Cast Party of 2007, since we're off on Christmas Eve and New Years' Eve. So don your gay apparel and holiday finery and join us! Presents accepted, of course. Click on Harry Winston for our registry of needs. |
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On Tuesday, December 18 at 8:30 and 11pm, Melissa Errico returns to Birdland with a fresh new show, Blue Skies and Lullabies, in which she will perform songs from her upcoming album Lullabies and Wildflowers, to be released Mother's Day 2008. Her new Birdland concert will feature classics and standards from songwriters including Judy Collins, Gershwin, Sammy Kahn, her brother Mike Errico, and, exclusively this evening, a special emphasis on the legendary Irving Berlin. Perfectly in tune with the holiday spirit, the one-night-only engagement will swing with gentle joy and Errico's trademark pop-jazz arrangements of theater and folk classics and original pop material.
Though Melissa first became enchanted with the theater at an early age, it wasn't until her freshman year at Yale University that she got her big break, when cast as Cosette in the first national tour of Les Miserables. The role paved the way for future Broadway star turns in shows as diverse as My Fair Lady, Anna Karenina, High Society, and, most recently, Dracula the Musical. However, it was her starring role in Michel Legrand's Amour for which she won a 2003 Tony Award nomination as Best Actress in a Musical. Errico also helped turn a 2004 Off-Broadway production of Finian's Rainbow into a runaway hit and was called "the voice of enchantment" (The New York Times). Don't miss these two very special shows at 8:30 and 11pm. Call the club at 212.581.3080 or www.BirdlandJazz.com. |
JAMIE DEROY & FRIENDS - 'TIS THE SEASON! A combination of cabaret and pop stylings of new and old Christmas songs. A must to any CD collection. This strong collection of new and old Christmas songs was picked by TimeOutNY as a HOLIDAY GIFT PICK and for good reason.
Sally Kellerman, The Accidentals, TONY AWARD WINNER Dee Hoty and a slew of talented performers do a dynamite job of presenting an eclectic array of Holiday songs.
No collection should be without it. Jamie deRoy & friends:'Tis The Season won the 2002 MAC AWARD for Various Artist Recording of the Year. 'Tis the Season, as well as Jamie's CD, Animal Tracks, are available at CDBABY.com.
"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!
JIM CARUSO...THE PARTY CONTINUES ON CD: Caruso: Live and In Person, with Billy Stritch on piano. "Jim is funny, facile and fabulous! He performs with charm, wit and style, and is vastly entertaining." -- Michael Feinstein. "A cabaret-lover's dream!" -- Chip Deffaa, New York Post. "An unbeatable act of jazz, pop, comedy and conversation that is different from anything else in town." -- Rex Reed, New York Observer.
"This impish, twinkling-eyed performer exudes the buoyant spirits of a conetmporary vaudevillian...with an extremely tart lemon tucked firmly in his cheek." -- Stephen Holden, New York Times.
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!
| 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
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