Broadway at Birdland!

August 18, 2006

Monday night's Marcy & Zina Show was one of their all-time best, thanks to their brilliantly clever original material, kick-ass band, packed room, and the extra-special vocals of Kate Weatherhead andScott Coulter. It was M&Z's 4th gig at Birdland, and we're so jazzed that they call our place home! We can't wait for their return! The following Cast Party was jammed with even more fun folks that usual. I was most thrilled to see Bob Martin (left, in a photo by Mark Rupp), the brilliant star and Tony-winning author of The Drowsy Chaperone, with his wife, Janet Van De Graaff. Our mutual pal, Michael Feinstein, told him about the Party, so he came and stayed until closing! And why wouldn't he, with talent like swingin' David Budwayat the piano, Mike Ockburn warbling 25 Rodgers & Hammerstein tunes in 3 minutes, Kassira wailing the blues, Jamie Metzl serving up some Gilbert & Sullivan, and David Friedman playing original country for Max von Essen and Jenny Powers?! Varied? I would venture to say so. We also spied the afore-mentioned Mr. Feinstein lurking in a corner with designer-to-the-superstars Nolan Miller. You simply have to click on FLICKR to see all the faces! Cast Party is really the most shockingly bizarre and musically diverse evening on the planet. Come visit soon!

YES -- there will be a Cast Party this coming Monday! Tedd Firth and Steve Doyle, as the Cast Party Symphony Orchestra, will be laboring away...and we hope to see YOU!

September 8, 2006

The Labor Day Cast Party found Tedd Firth, Steve Doyle and I laboring away with a bevy of talented folks on the Birdland stage! We heard one of the best pieces of special material ever by Kevin Ray, the cast of Oedipus For Kids entertained and disturbed us, Birdland Songbird Robin Lee warbled a swell standard, Mark Aaron Jameskicked rock 'n roll tuchas, Bob Dolphin was hilarious, Hilary Kolemade magic...you know...the usual! I was lucky enough to receive a mini-didgeridoo (left, photo by Mark Rupp) from the always funnyJanis and Bill Corsair, and serenaded everyone with the rudest sounds this side of a bus station restroom. Please click on Cast Party - a photoset on Flickr to see more pix from the night...and many other nights at Cast Party! Next week, after Jason Robert Brown's concert (see below), stick around for a Very Special Cast Party with Billy-Bob Stritch and Steve-Bob Doyle on pianny and bass. We'll be celebrating Dallas pal Wendy Welch's birthday with lots of Texas Talent. Yee haw! Sing something country. Or not.

If you were wondering how I spent my time before inflicting Cast Party on the general public, you can check out WISEGUYS! If nothing else, you will marvel at the many interesting fashion choices and coiffures (I think the sailor stripes and 80's Robert Downey Jr. hair are particularly fabulous!-- ed).

Broadway at Birdland!

Last week, I told you about the upcoming Jason Robert Brownconcert on 9/11, and you responded like crazy! The night is sold out, and we can't wait to hear Jason, The Caucasian Rhythm Kings, and special guests Alice Ripley and Kate McGarry. What I didn't tell you about was the upcoming TUESDAY, September 12 performance of the spectacularly spiffy Todd Londagin and His Big Band! Todd, his 17-pieces and vocalist Toby Williams will be swinging Birdland with two shows at 9 and 11pm. If you haven't seen or heard Todd before, you have to come! He grew up in a family jazz band playing trombone, singing and tapdancing for tips on the streets of the world. A busker comes to Birdland! Through all that, he became a pop vocalist with a jazz sensibility and deep understanding of the essence of popular songwriting from the 30's through the 50's. Todd's sound has matured thanks to his 15 years as co-founder of the Flying Neutrinos, and 8 years as band leader for the most prestigious event planners. Click on www.ToddLondagin.com to see a great site about a fantastic entertainer! And call Birdland now...212.581.3080 to make a reservation. If you come to the 9pm show…we happily invite you to stick around for the late show gratis! That's foreign for FREE!

September 15, 2006

Yee haw! It was a veritable hootenanny at Birdland on Monday night! After the sold-out Jason Robert Brown/Alice Ripley/Kate McGarryconcert, Cast Party fans stormed the place. Dallas diva Wendy Welch brought a slew of pals from the Lone Star State to help celebrate her birthday in style, and dozens of them serenaded her, along with Billy Stritch and Steve Doyle on piano and bass. It was great to see folks from my old stomping grounds...talented folks likeWillie Welch, Lois Leftwich, Michael Justis, Liz Reddick, Julie Anne Malone, Peggy Honea, Kassira, Steve Scarpetti, Donna Bullock, Micael Tina Turner Cline, and Connie Coit. That's all of us Texans in the photo on the left, with many thanks to photographerMark Rupp! Lots of other performers got into the act, including folk-star Christine Lavin, stride piano demon Jon Weber and...my mother. Check out many more pics of the evening onFlickr! The following night, Todd Londagin and His Big Band did us all proud by jamming the club for his Birdland debut! The place was boppin' and fingers were poppin' along with one of the best bands in the country! We can't wait for their return!

Broadway at Birdland!

You have to come see The Lascivious Biddies (left, in a photo byGeoff Smith) this coming Monday, September 18 at 7pm! This all-female cocktail pop quartet has been making headlines for having an energetic and tightly woven live show, full of humor, expert musicianship and a dash of sentimentality. Blending jazz, pop and cabaret with four part harmonies, they have carried their fresh, genre-defying sound all the way from Kennedy Center to a segment on theCBS Evening News. They've become Cast Party faves, and we know you'll want to call the club now for reservations! (212.581.3080)

Of course, Cast Party will follow, with Billy Stritch and Wayne Batchelor making up the Symphony Orchestra!

The following night, Tuesday, September 19, we have two shows that are so special, we can barely contain ourselves! At 8pm, The Nashville Connection - Broadway Meets Country (left, in a photo byRandy Lawson) do-si-do's onto the Birdland stage. Grammy Award winner Marcus Hummon (“Bless The Broken Road,” “Cowboy Take Me Away”) joins country star Sherrie Austin, and a plethora of theatre stars for an amazing night of music. First presented at theO'Neil Theatre Center, the evening is directed by Michael Bush. The Nashville Connection also features Erich Bergen, Cole Burden,Deven May (Bat Boy: The Musical), Brian Charles Rooney (Three Penny Opera), Nancy Slusser, and Louis Tucci (Buddy). The members of the show are also featured in Marcus Hummon's new musical Warrior, an upcoming 2006 New York Musical Theatre Festival production. As if that weren't a big enough Tuesday, we're following with Once Before We Go with Erich Bergen & Deven May at 10pm. Having recently been cast in an upcoming national tour, Erich Bergen and Deven May decided on one last Manhattan hurrah before seeing the country. Once Before We Go is a one-night variety show that will feature pop and theater music, plus a glimpse into Erich and Deven's off-the-wall imaginations. Again, call the club at 212.581.3080.

September 22, 2006

What a week! Since last I wrote this extremely personal message to only you, we've had three musical extravaganzas and one Cast Partyat Birdland. Monday's early show featured the adorable Lascivious Biddies, whom you can see at left, buffing, fluffing and puffing in our glamorous dressing room designed by Trading Spaces' Douglas Wilson. Cast Party followed, and it was a cabaret diva-filled evening with Baby Jane Dexter, Barbara Brussell, Valentine Ryder, Jenna Esposito, Sue Matsuki, Natalie Nadon, Paul Dyke, Maude Maggartand no less that the King of the Supper Club Set, Michael Feinstein. Lots of NYMF performers were in the house, too, like the casts of The Children and This Could Be Love.

We're always happy to help promote great local theater, that's for sure! Click on Flickr to see a bajillion new photos of the fun.

The Tuesday night early show was The Nashville Connection, with the cast of The Warrior, another NYMF production. It's composer,Marcus Hummon, just happens to be a Grammy-winner for last year's #1 song, “Bless The Broken Road,” recorded by Rascall Flatts. He and the cast sang lots more of his super-hits, along with some great old country standards. The crowd went wild, and I was in hog-heaven with all that great pickin' and grinnin'. Following that show was Once Before We Go, starring Erich Bergen and Deven May(left), which was an insane romp through bad taste and good music! We had a ball watching them cavort onstage before they zip off to do the National Tour of an un-named Broadway hit. (Time Out New Yorkhinted that the show's title might rhyme with “Schmerzy Goys,” but I'm not saying a thing.) Again, Flickr has more pix!

Oh, and by the by - thanks to the Siegels for saying such nice things about us (and true! 'Specially the "brilliant" part. --ed). Click here to see for yourself.

September 29, 2006

Were you at Cast Party on Monday night? Well, you shoulda been, if you weren't! The amazing Christine Lavin (left, photo by Mark Rupp), who is known far and wide as the Mother Teresa of folk music, absolutely killed. We're so proud that she's a regular! There were dozens of regulars in the house, as a matter of fact, includingToxic Audio's Rene Ruiz, Scott Coulter, Erich Bergen and LA's own Julie Garnyé (below left). Michael Winther, David Raleigh andApollo-winner Chris DeCristo all sang their heads off. SongwriterGrant Mitchell Hunter, along with singers Janet Glassford andJordana Jackson came all the way from Canada to serenade us, along with Tracy Stark at the piano. “Project Runway” designerMalan Breton was “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered.”

My high school prom date, Taffy McCarthy, sang the blues. (One thing had nothing to do with the other, mind you.) The entire scene was watched over by our favorite Oscar and Tony-winning composer, Stephen Schwartz...and not one person sang “Defying Gravity” from his mega-hit, Wicked. Billy Stritch and Steve Doyle composed theSymphony Orchestra, to the delight of the hoardes.

It was a great night…and we'll do it all over again next week, withTedd Firth and Wayne Batchelor on piano and bass!

Broadway at Birdland!

On Monday, October 2 at 7pm, I'm truly thrilled to present The Music of Deborah Abramson at Birdland! Deborah (pictured left), a frequent Broadway Musical Director (most recently Bernarda Alba), steps away from the piano and gives the stage to 2006 Tony nominees Manoel Felciano (Sweeney Todd) and Megan Lawrence(The Pajama Game), Sally Wilfert (Assassins, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer), Michael Winther (Drama Desk Nominee for Songs From An Unmade Bed), Charlie Brady (Les Miserables and Mamma Mia! tours) and special guest Theresa McCarthy (Floyd Collins,Titanic). The concert pairs Deborah's music with lyrics by William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin (Tony-winning lyricist and book-writer for…Spelling Bee), Peter Mills, Amanda Yesnowitz, and Nathan Tysen. Musical Director is Marco Paguia. Deborah is a graduate of the NYU Musical Theatre Program, and her composing credits include Travels With My Discontent (Barrington Stage Company),Songs of Innocence and Experience (with William Finn), Marco Polo (with Peter Mills) and Seasick (with Judson Pearce Morgan). Her musical director/associate musical director credits includeBernarda Alba, Dessa Rose, James Joyce's The Dead and My Life with Albertine. This is going to be a HOT TICKET, folks, because all the singers in town are trying to score a tune from this amazing composer. Call Birdland for reservations now...212.581.3080 or click on www.InstantSeats.com/Birdland!

This coming Thursday and Friday, September 28 and 29, Billy Stritch and I are bringing Cast Party to Austin, Texas! Yee haw! Check out Austin Cabaret Theatre for all the details...and if you have friends in the area, please send 'em in to see us! It's gonna be fun!

October 6, 2006

No one is allowed to say “they don't write good songs anymore” around me. This past week's “Broadway at Birdland” concert, The Songs of Deborah Abramson, was proof that smart, melodic, touching, funny songs are still being written in abundance for the stage. And what a cast to sing those tunes! That's our diva composer Ms. Abramson (left) in scarlet, posing with singers Manoel Felciano,Sally Wilfert, Megan Lawrence, Theresa McCarthy, Charlie Brady,Marco Pagula and Michael Winther. The place was packed with cheering show-folk like Chip Zien and the about-to-be-in-concert-at-Birdland Julia Murney. The following Cast Party was way fun, too, with lots of regulars, along with Wicked's Chelsea Krombach, Ruben Flores, Steven Scarpetti, and Fortune Esposito, who performed on guitar with daughter Jenna! Many thanks to Tedd Firth and Wayne Batchelor, on piano and bass, for keeping the music playing! Please check out our FLICKR page to see more photos of all the fun!

Billy Stritch and I had an absolute ball when we took Cast Party to the Austin Cabaret Theater last week. Stuart Moulton has created the best performance space in the Southwest, and we can't wait to go back! You can't believe the talent we got to hear...there's a lot of fantastic music in Austin! It was great to see some old Texas pals, like the amazing Sharon Montgomery (left with Billy and me), artiste extraordinaire Sherle Stevens, diva Hedda Layne and Bonnie Kudlicki, with whom I crashed an Osmond concert reception in 1978. Don't ask.

October 13, 2006

Who's luckier than us? Not only do we get to celebrate the theater and music scenes with some of the most talented people on the planet every single Monday night, but we get to have proof that it happened! Mark Rupp has been photographing Cast Party and all the Broadway at Birdland concerts for quite a while, and with brilliant results. Last week, he caught Harmony Keeney and Kassira (left and below) in action, charming the crowd with their voices and general dazzlement. Check out ourFLICKR site to see hunderds of gorgeous performance shots of all those brilliant, funny, bizarre moments that helped make Cast Party what CBScalled “Extreme Open Mic!” And while we're blowing our own horn, last week's Time Out New York said some really nice things about us! Many thanks to Adam Feldman for the constant support and kind words!

You can also read what Billy Stritch and I were up to in Austin if you click onAlice in Chains, Blackholicus, 'Jim Caruso's Cast Party'. (That's the first time those three acts have been mentioned in the same article...!) Phew. That's a lot of self-promotion, and I must lie down now. Luckily I can temper that with a toast to some brilliant songwriters on the latest Prying! Video Feature on TheaterMania.com. See what Larry O'Keefe, Alice Ripley,Anthony Rapp, Victoria Shaw, Lari White, Marcy & Zina, Ben Moore, andMarcus Hummon all told me when I asked what song they wished they would have written!

October 20, 2006

Belters, comics, legends, composers, folkies, jazzers, theater kids, reality stars, impersonators...you name it and we had it at Monday night's Cast Party! It was great to see the amazing Miss Marilyn Maye (left, photo byMark Rupp) walk through the Birdland doors...and even better to hear her sing! (She holds the record for most appearances on Johnny Carson's "Tonight Show"…75 times!) Her “Guess Who I Saw Today” was absolute magic, and proved beyond a shadow of a doubt why she was Johnny's favorite singer of all time. Another great performance was given by newcomer Haven Burton, who is currently starring in Rent on Broadway. Haven...come back soon! “Project Runway” designer Malan Bretonentertained us with his lovely voice and spooky laugh, and “Trading Spaces” bad boy Douglas Wilson cheered everyone onto great heights!

Remember when news anchors all looked like Walter Cronkite? Oh, how things have changed! My great pal Suzanne Sena is in town doing the overnight on-air slot for Fox News during the next few weeks. That's the blonde News-Hottie (left) posing with Jazz-Hottie Hilary Kole. You can't say we don't provide beautiful photos…and you can see many more on ourFLICKR site! Enjoy!

Broadway at Birdland!

Julia Murney's upcoming Monday night 7pm concert is sold-out, baby! As I always say, if you are desperate to see this divine Miss M and don't have a reservation, show up at Birdland around 6:30 to see if there are any no-shows. What a fabulous way to celebrate her brand new CD and homecoming from the Wicked tour! On Monday, October 23 at 7pm, Julia Murney (left) returns to the stage at Birdland, performing songs from her recently released CD, “I'm Not Waiting” (Sh-k-boom Records). Tom Kitt (composer of the upcoming High Fidelity and musical director of Laugh Whore) will act as musical director for the evening. There will be a $25 cover and $10 food/drink minimum. Julia is a celebrated actress whose stage performances have garnered critical and popular acclaim since starring as Queenie in the 2000 world premiere ofAndrew Lippa's The Wild Party, a role that earned her a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. Her other stage credits include the Broadway production of Lennon, as well as theManhattan Theatre Club's productions of A Class Act and Time and Again, for which she received a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress. For the past six months, Ms. Murney has been starring as Elphaba - the Wicked Witch - in the National Tour of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Wicked. “I'm Not Waiting” was produced by Grammy Award-nominee Andrew Lippa, with musical direction by Tom Kitt and Stephen Oremus. The album was recorded and mixed by Grammy Award winner Joel Moss. Included in the Birdland concert will be songs from the CD by pop composers Bobbie Gentry, John Lennon, Annie Lennox, Joni Mitchell, and Tom Waits, as well as theater writers Tom Kitt, Andrew Lippa and Stephen Schwartz.

Stick around after the concert for another Cast Party, with Billy Stritch andSteve Doyle on piano and bass. One NEVER knows who will show up to wow the crowd...and we LOVE it that way!

November 3, 2006

Monday night's Cast Party was an embarrassment of cabaret riches, with brilliant performances by Birdland's Natalie Douglas, the Algonquin's Paula West, our pal Annie Hughes, and the Queen of the Supper Clubs, Miss Julie Wilson (left). Julie's “But Beautiful” brought the packed club to a standstill, resulting in a standing-o for our favorite diva. Jamie deRoy (below left) stopped by to entertain us with the hilarious “Jews Don't Camp” and to discuss her upcoming country-themed extravaganza starring Larry Gatlin (see ad below for details). Both photos you're looking at were taken by Mark Rupp, and you can see many more on our FLICKR site! That's where you'll also see some gorgeous pix from Joe Marzullo, and if you click onBroadwayWorld.com, you'll see shots by Walter McBride. Thanks to all three for making us feel like movie stars!

Next Monday, come see what all the hoop-la is about, when Cast Party returns, along with Billy Stritch and Steve Doyle on piano and bass, respectively. You never know WHO will show up!

Broadway at Birdland!

Coming up at Birdland on Monday, November 6 at 7pm will be the brilliant cellist Peter Sachon (left) in “Strings Attached,” directed by Tony winner Victoria Clark, with special guests Kelli O'Hara,Michael Winther and Ms. Clark! Peter's diverse career has included performances with The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Audra McDonald, Deborah Voight, Victoria Clark, Pink Martini, and Dee Snider. He performed in and can be heard on the recordings of the Broadway productions of The Light in the Piazza and Fiddler on the Roof. This fall he will join the Broadway production of Tom Kitt andAmanda Green's new musical High Fidelity. Mr. Sachon has commissioned and premiered many new works for the cello by such composers as Stephen Schwartz (Wicked), Stephen Flaherty(Ragtime), Ricky Ian Gordon (My Life with Albertine), Jeff Marx(Avenue Q), Michael John LaChiusa (Marie Christine), and George Stiles (Mary Poppins). There will be a $25 cover and $10 food/drink minimum. Please call 212.581.3080 or InstantSeats.com/Birdlandfor reservations.

The following Monday, November 13, we're thrilled that superstar Jeff Daniels (at left) will return to Birdland for a 7pm concert! Best-known for such films as “Terms of Endearment” and “Dumb and Dumber,” the actor/singer/songwriter has been writing songs since the 1970's, something most people didn't know, because - unlike numerous other celebrities - he kept them to himself. A few years ago, someone suggested that he might raise funds for his pet project, the Purple Rose Theater in his hometown of Chelsea, Michigan, by going on stage and singing some of those songs. Lo and behold, a musical star was born! The subsequent CD, “Live and Unplugged,” is a collection of live performances, which humorously and often touchingly, reflect on his life and career. “If William Shatner Can, I Can Too” is Daniels' take on celebrities trying to be taken seriously as musicians. “The Dirty Harry Blues” describes the joy of being killed by Clint Eastwood on film. He bares his heart in “Kathy,” which describes his first date with his wife, and then thanks his mother for support and guidance in “Momma Never Left Her Oldest Boy Alone.” Make your reservations NOW...it's gonna be a sellout! (212.581.3080)

November 17, 2006

There were a trajillion major events happening on the theatrical scene Monday, and I'm so happy to tell you that, from all reports, each was jammed! Jeff Daniels' Birdland show was stupendous, and the followingCast Party, hosted by the utterly brilliant Christine Pedi (left, in a photo byMark Rupp) was a smash! She sings like a bird, and as an impersonator, has more celebs coming out of her than the parking lot at Spago. She tells me the evening held 'electronic thrills, musical massage and flatware stimulation.' This all sounds very fishy to me, but I do know that Janet Wright sang “All That Jazz” and played the spoons. (I bet the producers of the Chicago 10th Anniversary are quasi-suicidal that they didn't get her. But we did!)

Meanwhile...I was downtown, producing and hosting a terrific event calledBroadway Hits A High Note: Theater Stars Go Classical. We almost called it Fancy Songs Jim Doesn't Understand, but that had no ring. Anyway, it was a sell-out benefit for the Greenwich House Music School. Look at the cast we assembled! (left, photo by Jack Miller) That's (back row) Ben Moore, Michael Schiralli (director), Cathy Venable (musical director), Ray McLeod, Susan Powell, Nancy Anderson, Jeff Blumenkrantz, Jennifer Hope Wills, Preston Smith, Christiane Noll,Michael Slattery, Peter Sachon, Brian Childers, Sarah Rice, Glenn Seven Allen, (kneeling) Michael Winther, Eddie Korbich, me and Max von Essen. Stephen Schwartz even introduced an aria from the opera he's writing. Spectactular performances were given by the nicest and most talented performers on the planet, and I thank them all profusely.

Click on our FLICKR site to see more fotos of fabulous faces!

Broadway at Birdland!

It's always a bloomin' sellout when Jeff Blumenkrantz (left) books a show at Birdland. ALMOST every seat is sold for Monday's upcoming concert...so you better call the club now (212.581.3080) if you plan on joining us. Joining the Tony-nominated composer will be Broadway divasVictoria Clark (Tony winner/The Light In The Piazza), Liz Callaway (Tony nominee/Baby), Mary Testa (Tony nominee/42nd Street, On The Town),Alysha Umphress (XL Star) and the amazing Michael McElroy (Tony nominee/Big River). Mr. Blumenkrantz will host from the piano, with Peter Donovan on bass and Sean McDaniel on drums. Jeff began his career as an actor, performing in such Broadway shows as Into the Woods,Threepenny Opera, Damn Yankees, How to Succeed in Business..., andA Class Act. Although he joined the BMI Musical Theatre Workshop in 1987, it wasn't until 2000 when Audra McDonald recorded his song “I Won't Mind” (lyrics by Annie Kessler and Libby Saines) that his songwriting career was launched. Since then, Jeff received a Best Original Score Tony® nomination for his songs in Urban Cowboy, and he contributed the Rita Gardner song, “I Think,” to last year's Off-Broadway production, The Audience. His one-act pieces, Woman with Pocketbookand Precious Little Jewel, have been performed at several regional theatres, and he has been commissioned to write songs by Carnegie Hall and the Guggenheim's Works and Process program. Jeff is a recipient of the BMI Harrington Award and the Dramatists Guild Jonathan Larsen Memorial Musical Theatre Fellowship. He is a graduate of Northwestern University. The Jeff Blumenkrantz Songbook is available for purchase atwww.jeffblumenkrantz.com.

The following Monday, November 27, we're thrilled to have a triple-header in our Broadway At Birdland series! Jack Donahue at 7pm, and Euan Morton at 9 and 11pm!

November 24, 2006

Happy Thanksgiving! We are so thankful for all of you...from the loyal friends and fans to all of the brilliant talent who have made Birdland their musical home. We are working harder than ever to bring you the best entertainment we can find! Speaking of that, last Monday's Jeff Blumenkrantz Songbook was a sold-out, jammed-to-the-rafters hit! His incredible songs were performed by a cast that included Alysha Umphress, Liz Callaway, Victoria Clark, Mary Testa (left with Mr. B), andMichael McElroy. Broadway insiders flocked to the show, including the very tall, very talented Tommy Tune. The following Cast Party had some swells in the crowd, too! Lisa Lambert, who co-wrote the music and lyrics to The Drowsy Chaperone, is becoming a regular, and we're delighted. Michael Feinstein went back to his roots and performed “Isn't It Romantic.” There was folk and rock and jazz and pop and showtune and trombone and tap and guitar and trumpet-impression. Mark Bermanand Steve Doyle kept the music humming, and everyone had a ball. Click on our FLICKR site to see more purdy pix!

December 1, 2006

Jack Donahue and Euan Morton (pictured left, thanks to Linda Lenzi) both had packed houses for their brilliant concerts at Birdland on Monday night. From all reports, it was an amazing evening of great music! I can't believe I wasn't there to witness all the fun! I'm in Turks & Caicos, which is in the Caribbean. Billy Stritch, Steve Doyle, Hillary Kole and I are all doing a show, and will be back in New York on Sunday! It's gorgeous down here...but it sure doesn't feel like the holidays are around the corner! Hopefully, I'll get that all-important Christmas Tan, though!

Broadway at Birdland!

In continuation of “Broadway at Birdland,” Jim Caruso’s Cast Party andTheaterMania.com are proud to present Tony Award-winning Debbie Gravitte (pictured left), with the Russ Kassoff Big Band, in Big Band Broadway on Monday, December 4 at 7pm. This series features top Broadway performers and songwriters at the legendary music room, located at 315 West 44th Street in NYC. There will be a $25 cover, and $10 food/drink minimum. Debbie Gravitte won a Tony Award from her performance in Jerome Robbins’ Broadway. She made her Broadway debut in the original cast of They're Playing Our Song, and went on to appear in Perfectly Frank, Blues In The Night, Ain't Broadway Grand, Zorba(with Anthony Quinn), Les Miserables, and Chicago. Miss Gravitte is a recognized concert singer, having sung in venues including Carnegie Hall and Royal Albert Hall, and with hundreds of orchestras around the world. She has also released three solo albums including her latest, “Defying Gravity.”

The Russ Kassoff Big Band is led by Russ Kassoff, a jazz pianist, conductor, composer, orchestrator and arranger. Kassoff toured extensively with legends Frank Sinatra ('80-'91) and Liza Minnelli ('82-'01). For Debbie Gravitte and Big Band Broadway, Kassoff has written many new, swinging charts of Broadway favorites, including, “I Enjoy Being A Girl" “Let Me Entertain You,” and “My Ship.” Big Band Broadway also includes arrangements by Billy Byers, Sid Ramin, Marc Shaiman and Ron Abel, among others. For more information, please visitwww.DebbieGravitte.com or www.BigBandBroadway.com.

Call Birdland at 212.581.3080 or click www.instantseats.com/birdland for reservations!

December 8, 2006

There was no room for choreography when Debbie Gravitte, that gorgeous Tony-winning Broadway diva, stormed the Birdland stage Monday night, what with the extraordinary 17-piece big band backing her up. Debbie and the Russ Kassoff Big Band hosted one of the most thrilling nights of music we've heard, what with the wall of sound, the big, juicy arrangements, and that lusty voice! Debbie even had her old palMario Cantone introduce her. If you look to the left, you'll see them backstage, oohing and aahing over our sponsor Charlie Lapson's 'opening night' present! There were some theatrical heavy-hitters in the crowd, including Jerry Mitchell, David Zippell, Mark Sendroff, Barry Brown,Michael Kerker, Scott Coulter, Beau Gravitte, and our simply favoriteSteven Brinberg! The following Cast Party was equally starry and so musically varied, what with the many voices of Christine Pedi, Grammy winner Lari White, Tony winning-stud Jarrod Emick, trumpet dudeDomenic Farinacci, and original Manhattan Transfer gal Laurel Masse! Even Broadway's sometime-Grinch Michael Riedel looked cheerful and happy with the performances! (Check out more photos on Flickr!!) We do it all again next week, with David Budway and Steve Doyle making up the Cast Party Symphony Orchestra.

Just had to tell you a bit about our Caribbean adventure...if you've never heard of Turks & Caicos, you might check out Turks and Caicos and call the airlines immediately. The beaches were just named 'Most Beautiful In The World' by Travel & Leisure Magazine, and we couldn't agree more. Hilary Kole, Billy Stritch, Steve Doyle and I (left) were treated like royalty, and trust me when I say we can't wait for the next time! SO many thanks toRandy Swartz, Mark and Barbara Pankhurst, Peter Jakubowski, Betty & Alastair Dods, Wilma Dietsche, Ben Strogatz, The Somerset on Grace Bay and the Turks & Caicos Friends of the Arts Foundation. Our ownGianni Valenti, King of Birdland, went down for relaxation, and ended up doing yeoman's duty as our sound guy. We couldn't have been happier to have his ears and watchful eyes on us!

Broadway at Birdland!

We're so proud to present MELISSA ERRICO in her brand new show,then & now on Monday and Tuesday, December 11 and 12 at 7pm, in continuation of “Broadway at Birdland.” This series features top Broadway performers and songwriters at the legendary music room located at 315 West 44 Street in NYC. Call 212.581.3080 orwww.InstantSeats.com/Birdland for reservations.

Making her solo debut at the legendary jazz club, Melissa Errico will perform a fresh set of standards, theater music, original songs and lullabies. The song list includes: “I Remember,” “The Man That Got Away“ and “From This Moment On," as well as highlights from her first album “Blue Like That” (EMI) and her upcoming symphonic album with Michel Legrand, produced by Phil Ramone, featuring such Oscar-winning classics as “The Summer Knows” and “What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life?” The show will feature Andy Ezrin on piano and Tim Lefebvre on bass.

Tony-nominated for her work in Amour, Errico has also been seen on Broadway in Dracula The Musical, High Society, My Fair Lady, and Anna Karenina. Off-Broadway credits include Aunt Dan and Lemon and Finian's Rainbow, while she has also been seen at Encores! inOne Touch of Venus and at the Kennedy Center in Sunday in the Park with George.

Coming up: Christine Ebersole & Billy Stritch on Sunday, December 17 @8pm, Toxic Audio on Monday, December 18 @7pm,Jason Graae on Monday, January 15 @7pm and Cady Huffman on Monday, January 29 @7pm. Call Birdland - 212.581.3080 orwww.InstantSeats.com/Birdland.

December 15, 2006

Melissa Errico and her musicians gave us two nights of extraordinary music and packed houses! I'm so thrilled that the Broadway at Birdlandseries we do in association with TheaterMania.com is able to snag such brilliant performers! As you can see (left) there were some Broadway legends in the house...that's choreographer Donald Saddler and musical director Billy Goldenberg with gorgeous Melissa. We all agreed that her tribute to the ultimate leading lady, Julie Andrews, was a highlight of the show. (Even Julie's ex, scenic designer Tony Walton seemed thrilled by the idea!) The following Cast Party was packed with folks celebrating the holidays and the Great American Songbook we all love so much! David Budway and Steve Doyle, as the Cast Party Symphony Orchestra, kept the music hopping all night! Next week, we do it all again, with Billy Stritchand the afore-mentioned Mr. Doyle. Bring your upbeat ditties, your tap shoes, your fire batons, your puppets and your didgeridoos. We'll be waiting... In the meantime, be sure to check out the photos atFlickr!

Broadway at Birdland!

I'm happy to tell you that this Sunday's Christine Ebersole/Billy Stritchholiday concert is sold out! The reservations poured in as soon as we announced their return...we could have added 2 more shows! Of course, with Christine's 8 show-a-week Grey Gardens schedule, we were happy with what we got! If you're desperate to see one of the best acts in the business, drop by the club on Sunday at around 7pm, and try to snag a seat at the bar. The show starts at 8pm.

Toxic Audio is BACK with their holiday show! This Monday at 7pm, the finest vocal group in the hemisphere will be on the Birdland stage!! Rated #1 in the Wall Street Journal/Zagat Theater Survey, Toxic Audio showcased their unique vocal, comedic and improvisational skills at theJohn Houseman Theater in an Award-winning Off-Broadway run in 2004. Within the first two months, the show had won the 2004 Drama Desk Award for "Outstanding Unique Theatrical Experience." They have since performed as special guests at Gracie Mansion, for the New York Mets at Shea Stadium, the Tribeca Film Festival, and the Actor's Fund concert of Hair. Toxic Audio won the Acappella Album of the Year for their third CD entitled “Chemistry.” The five vocalists use no instruments other than the human voice to create complex sonic textures, rhythmic drumbeats, thumping bass lines and searing guitar-like solos in their performance of contemporary pop songs, timeless classics, jazz scat and vocally-orchestrated original compositions. The group features the varied talents of Jeremy James, Shalisa James, Rene Ruiz, Paul Sperrazza and Michelle Mailhot-Valines. Sound design is by John A. Valines III. Call Birdland at 212.581.3080 or click: www.InstantSeats.com/Birdland for reservations!

And you might want to reserve now for upcoming concerts by Jason Graae (January 15), Cady Huffman (January 29), Donna Lynne Champlin (February 12), Jeffry Denman (February 19) and Natalie Douglas (February 26)!