On Monday, January 7, composer Scott Alan is celebrating his star-packed “Dreaming Wide Awake” CD with a concert starring some A-list pals. Lots of Broadway's biggest stars will join Scott onstage, including Shoshana Bean (Wicked), Stephanie J. Block (Wicked), Liz Callaway (Miss Saigon), Danny Calvert (Altar Boyz), Eden Espinosa (Wicked), Jonathan Groff (Spring Awakening), Cheyenne Jackson (Xanadu), and Carly Jibson (Hairspray). Jesse Vargas will serve as Musical Director for the night. The show has been sold out for weeks, but come early and snag a coveted bar stool…this is one of the don't-miss shows of the season!
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December 20, 2007 Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you beloved Cast Party Newsletter readers! We have a few weeks off from the joys of bringing you weekly supah-stars and supah-fun at Birdland, but resume the insanity on Monday, January 7 with the sold-out Scott Alan concert (read below) and the first Cast Party of 2008! Until then, we hope you have a ball with your family and friends and miss us just a little bit! |
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Look at that happy quartet in the photo at the left, taken by Linda Lenzi! That's me (who clearly didn't get the black-wardrobe memo), technical genius Matt Berman, headliner Sam Harris and Musical Director Todd Schroeder. We were all feelin' good after Sam's Birdland debut, which was packed to the rafters with fans and friends. I, myself, used to give Sam Harris Updates when I was singing at a Dallas club called Bentley's in 1980-something. I'd watch him on “Star Search,” then run to my gig and approximate his performance, several octaves lower. So it was a particular joy to present him in our Broadway at Birdland series, and he certainly didn't disappoint. Hilarious stories, gorgeous arrangements and musicianship, and the most jaw-dropping vocals this side of Ed McMahon. No kidding…I was thrilled, and he will return…soon! |
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Melissa Errico also made a triumphant return to the Broadway at Birdland series with two shows. Again - there were beautiful crowds (including composer Steve Marzullo left), and thoroughly exquisite vocals. Melissa's show, “Blue Skies, Lullabies and Wildflowers,” was filled with songs we love, plus a few we didn't know. I'm so happy Melissa is part of our Birdland family! The following Cast Party was just as festive as we had hoped, with Christine Pedi impersonating every woman in showbusiness during “The Twelve Days of Christmas!” One of our faves, Ms. Karen Mason, favored us with some big-time belting…and oh, how happy she made us! Nate Birkey brought the room to a standstill (in the best way) when he performed a Chet Baker-style “What Are You Doing New Years Eve,” with his moody trumpet. Baby Jane Dexter teased us with a tune from her upcoming cabaret run. Angela Bingham and I reprised our Donny & Marie song, much to the annoyance of everyone. And Rocco Fiorentino proved that he's still one of the most talented kids in the world…and one of the nicest. This perfect-pitched 11 year-old dude sings like Sinatra, plays piano, drums and sax, and charms the pants off of the crowd. He's also been blind since birth. Recently, he's dazzled hard-to-impress folks like Tony Bennett and Stevie Wonder with his musicianship and good deeds. Click on THIS to read about him, and for heaven's sake vote him your hero in the Volvo For Life Awards! He sure is ours!  |
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Huge news! The much-whispered about fundraising extravaganza I'm producing at 7pm on January 14 called, “Chita Loves Broadway Cares,” starring the beyond-amazing Chita Rivera, sold-out before we had time to announce it. I've never seen anything like it in my 92 years in showbusiness. I just put a call into Chita, and she has agreed to do a late show at 10pm that same night! SO…we're cancelling Cast Party in order to raise more money and have more fun. This will be an up-close-and-personal performance inspired by and intended for what Chita calls her “Broadway family.” All proceeds from the evening will go to benefit Broadway Cares, the nation's leading industry-based, not-for-profit AIDS fundraising and grant making organization. Says Chita, "I have been so fortunate to have found such unbelievable family, love and support within the Broadway community. I'm thrilled to team with Broadway at Birdland for this special show to support the truly essential Broadway Cares, especially in these challenging weeks following last month's strike. I can't wait…it's going to be a really great night!" In this evening of intimate music, RIVERA will sing songs from some of her most celebrated Broadway performances, including numbers from West Side Story ("America"), Sweet Charity ("Where Am I Going?" and "Big Spender"), Chicago ("All That Jazz" and "Nowadays"), and The Rink ("Chief Cook and Bottle Washer"). Joining Chita will be Music Director Carmel Dean on piano, Michael Croiter on drums and Jim Donica on bass.
Tickets for the 10pm show are going fast, but if you call Birdland NOW (212.581.3080), you can be part of this historic evening! Tickets are $40 and $100, and there is a $10 food/drink minimum. Click on www.BirdlandJazz.com to reserve the new-fangled online way. |
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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