If you're reading this on Thursday, Friday or Saturday, drop everything and head to Birdland to catch Lucie Arnaz in “Lulu's Back In Town!”  Yes, she's back on our stage July 16th/17th at 7pm and July 18th/19th at 8:30pm and 11:00pm, as part of the long-running, Nightlife Award-winning concert series Broadway at Birdland.  Lucie, along with her musical director/arranger of 20 years, Ron Abel, make their magnificent return to Broadway at Birdland with very special guests Arnaz' daughter Katherine Luckinbill and son Joe Luckinbill.  As if I had to tell you, for the past four decades, showbiz royalty Lucie Arnaz has captivated audiences with her triumphant performances on both stage and in film.  Lucie got her equity card playing many of the best women's roles in the theatre including Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Daisy Mae in L'il Abner, Princess Winifred, opposite Kaye Medford, Rudy Vallee, Christine Andreas and Don Amendolia in Once Upon a Mattress, Goodbye Charlie, and A Place to Stay, opposite John Ritter.  She recently starred in WItches of Eastwick in London and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels on Broadway.  After growing up, quite literally, on television with her mother Lucille Ball, Broadway beckoned and Lucie auditioned for and won the coveted role of the wacky, Sonia Wolsk, in the Neil Simon/Marvin Hamlisch/Carole Bayer Sager musical They're Playing Our Song, for which she received The Los Angeles Drama Critic's Circle, Theatre World and Outer Critic's Circle Awards.  On the big screen, Lucie has starred opposite Neil Diamond and Sir Laurence Olivier in “The Jazz Singer” (for which she received a Golden Globe nomination), opposite Tom Laughlin in “Billy Jack Goes to Washington,” alongside Ken Howard in “Second Thoughts,” and opposite Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Henry Winkler in “Down to You.”  Most recently Lucie costarred with Richard Roundtree, Robert Loggia and Bob Forster in “Wild Seven,” and in a controversial new film about second hand smoke from writer/director Alyssa Bennett entitled, “The Pack” that debuted at Sundance this fall.  Call Birdland at 212-581-3080 for reservations, or go to www.BirdlandJazz.com.

On Monday, July 21, Jim Caruso's Cast Party and TheaterMania.com are proud to present Valarie Pettiford at 7pm.  Valarie will give you the reasons why she is grateful, as she puts her thoughts to music in her new show entitled "Thankful."  The multi-talented, Tony nominated actress appears for one night only at Broadway at Birdland, blending a mixture of jazz, classic standards and musical theatre, with a stellar band musically directed by the brilliant Ron Abel.  Valarie was thrilled to start 2008 with a recurring role on the hit comedy series “House of Payne” as Sandra Lucas. Last year she opened the 2007 Summer Concert Series with The Pasadena Pops, conducted by Rachel Worby. She went on to shoot the pilot “Anatomy of Hope” for HBO as Deanna Rivers, directed by JJ Abrams. In February 2006, Pettiford completed her fourth season of the hit TV series “Half & Half” (now in Syndication) that earned her three NAACP Image Award nominations for her portrayal as Big Dee Dee Thorne. She guest starred as Dr. Lana Whitford in “CSI Miami” (Spring 2006), Ellen Laskow in “Bones” (Spring 2007) and as Aunt Jackie in the number one film for 3 weeks, and now the number one DVD, “Stomp the Yard,” (A Sony Screen Gems production 2007).  Valarie's Broadway and tour credits include Fosse, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award and recognizes by the Drama League, Chicago (opposite Chita Rivera) London West End debut, Sophisticated Ladies, original cast and understudy for Judith Jamison.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS:

WHEN:  Monday, July 21, 2008 at 7:00p.m.
WHERE: Birdland, 315 West 44th Street (between 8th & 9th Aves), NYC
TICKET INFO:$25.00 + $10.00 Food/Drink Minimum (Per Person)
www.BIRDLANDJAZZ.com
212.581.3080

BILLY STRITCH AND KLEA BLACKHURST: "DREAMING OF A SONG: THE MUSIC OF HOAGY CARMICHAEL." Klea Blackhurst and Billy Stritch are two powerhouse performers, honoring the music of one of America's most treasured songwriters. For their new CD on Ghostlight Records, Blackhurst & Stritch have mined the Carmichael catalogue to unearth lesser known gems as well as beloved treasures such as "Skylark," "Georgia On My Mind" and "Stardust." It has “all the Heart and Soul of the legendary composer himself."(Theatre Scene.net) "Blackhurst and Stritch are as compatible as caviar and champagne." -- Cabaret Scenes. Listen to song samples, buy the CD, and learn about all things Billy Stritch at http://www.billystritch.com.

BROADCAST YOURSELF…BEFORE SOMEONE DOES IT FOR YOU. Introducing…"I." An ongoing collaborative web series. A story told in snippets. At www.youtube.com/ichannel -OR- www.connectwithi.com. "I." (also referred to as "iChannel") is an ongoing interactive web series in which a man's life is taken over by an online audience - YOU. Together, Sebastian Arcelus (Jersey Boys), Craig DiFolco, and Michael Izquierdo (New Jerusalem) have forged a path into the world of truly interactive television by directly linking the "subject" to his "audience" in this comically existential adventure. With 34 episodes already filmed and more on the way, they invite you to join in and connect with "I." Is your life worth watching? Check out "I." PLEASE NOTE: Texts that appear in "quotes" within the episodes are actual user comments. If you comment or post a video response, it may very well appear in a future episode.

THE BROADWAY SEASON IS IN FULL SWING and one of the most exciting new openings of the year is the official launch of Audience Rewards, the only experiential rewards program created for theatergoers and patrons of the performing arts. Audience Rewards is proud to offer premiere experiences and entertainment benefits to the loyal fans of Broadway. All you have to do is join. Membership is FREE. And, as a fan of Jim Caruso's Cast Party and Broadway at Birdland, we will give you a gift of 500 points to get you started toward earning Broadway tickets, unique memorabilia, special experiences and tickets to arts and entertainment events. Membership also includes invitations to VIP receptions and special offers on dining, travel and, of course, Broadway shows. Visit www.AudienceRewards.com to sign up to get many exciting benefits including special presentations and offers brought to you by Jim Caruso and Audience Rewards.

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.

ELAINE PAIGE , THE "FIRST LADY OF BRITISH MUSICAL THEATRE," HOSTS AN ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS WEEKLY RADIO SHOW on BBC Radio 2 every Sunday night. The program is devoted to musical theatre and film music from Hollywood, Broadway and the West End. The celebrated star of Evita, Cats, Chess and Sunset Boulevard has interviewed a host of stars including Angela Lansbury, Sir Elton John, and Michael Feinstein, and continues to delight audiences with a unque mix of show music and juicy interviews. Click on BBC: Elaine Paige on Sunday to hear the current show.

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 my amazing friend Liza Minnelli quite a bit this next year! We're celebrating 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, Tiger Martina and I are working hard to approximate the blend and unique sound that Bob, Dick, Don and Andy Williams brought to Kay's ingenius vocal arrangements. With dazzling direction and choreography by Ron Lewis, and old pal Billy Stritch at the piano, this project is an absolute dream come true!

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

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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