Anthony Rapp, Alice Ripley, Laura Benanti & More Set for 54 Below this Week

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. 54 Below also launched its series of late night events. Joining Tuesday nights' popular "Backstage" with Susie Mosher is 15:54, and more:

Frances Ruffelle, September 16 at 7PM & September 18 at 9:30PM:
Back by popular demand after her sold out debut here in May, Tony Award winner Frances Ruffelle returns with her hit show Beneath The Dress. Frances is not only well known for creating the role of the iconic waif Eponine in Les Miserables but also for her outrageously playful cabarets around the world. As well as recording four solo albums, Frances has worked extensively in London's West End theatres and has acted in many movies. Frances has a fun cameo in the Les Miserables movie and leading roles in Hide and Devil's Tower released next year. Beneath the Dress is an honest reveal of the true Frances Ruffelle. The songs are inspired by woman who simply loves to entertain! "She doesn't just use the space, she crushes it under her high heels!" -Scotsman. Cover charge $35-45. $25 food & beverage minimum.

John Tartaglia, September 16 at 9:30PM:
One of Broadway's most singularly unique talents makes his 54 Below debut! Expect fan favorites as well as new songs & stories that represent a more adult side to this versatile performer. Acclaimed for his Tony-nominated performance in Avenue Q, the Great White Way has also embraced John inBeauty & The Beast, and who could forget his chillingly funny performance as the Magic Mirror inShrek The Musical? Audiences world-wide know him from TV's Johnny & The Sprites, Sesame Street and the touring John Tartaglia's ImaginOcean. Now, get up close and personal with this distinctively creative talent (and some surprise guests) when he brings his special kind of magic to 54 Below. Cover charge $40-50. $25 food & beverage minimum.

LATE NIGHT: THE CALLBACK: PRELIMINARIES, September 16 at 11:30PM:
Join Emily McNamara and accompanist Benjamin Rauhala at this week's The Callback: Preliminaries! Watch contestants Sophie Brown, Lexi Duffy, Anthony Fett, Sara Linger, Daniel Mullin, Gloria Rice, Steven Edgar Ross, and Jonah Verdon duke it out by singing their favorite tunes for the chance to progress to The Callback: Semi-Finals and eventually win their own show at 54 Below. For more information on "The Callback" rules or how to submit an audition video, please visitwww.54Below.com. No cover charge. $20 food & beverage minimum.

WBGO JAZZ SERIES: JOE LOCKE GROUP, September 17 at 7PM & 9PM:
With a special one-night-only appearance at 54 Below, prolific vibraphonist Joe Locke is celebrating the release of Lay Down My Heart - Blues & Ballads Vol. 1, his third album on the Harlem based Motéma Music label. Joe Locke is widely considered to be one of the major voices of his instrument, long known to be a soloist capable of stunning physical power and broad emotional range. He had already played with Dizzy Gillespie, Pepper Adams and Mongo Santamaria before he was out of high school. His more than 30 CDs as a soloist have solidly established him as the exhilarating composer, band leader and conceptualist that he is considered today. For Lay Down My Heart, he has surrounded himself with a group of players that bring an incredible range of experience and talents to the mix: Motéma label-mates pianist Ryan Cohan and drummer Jaimeo Brown, as well as long-standing collaborator, bassist David Finck. At 54 Below on September 17, the Joe Locke Group will be joined by special guest, jazz vocalist virtuoso Kenny Washington. Since the 2010 release For The Love of You, the collaboration between the two artists has found its natural reprise with Locke's new Blues & Ballads infused project. Cover charge $25-35. $15 food & beverage minimum.

LATE NIGHT: BACKSTAGE, September 17 at 10:30PM:
Each week, Broadway cast members and audiences alike gather to mix and mingle at 54 Below, Broadway's most intimate haunt, located in the heart of the theatre district. Musical Director Brad Simmons keeps the house jumping from the piano, while host Susie Mosher (the love child of Joanne Worley & Paul Lynde) guides the crowd through an evening of music, mayhem and full throttle belting, with special guests from Broadway and beyond dropping in to perform. NPR had this to say: "The best thing happening right now might just be the weekly Backstage. Hosted by the ridiculously funny Susie Mosher and pianist Brad Simmons who clearly is the man, it's two feel-good hours among New York's theater people, who seem like they're having a really fine time. Can't recommend it highly enough!" At this week's Backstage is Robin De Jesus (Tony nominee La Cage Aux Folles, Patti Issues), Carly Sakolove (Mamma Mia, NEWSical), Alice Ripley (Tony Winner Next To Normal), and Michelle Dowdy (Hairspray). No cover charge. $20 food & beverage minimum.

LATE NIGHT: THE STUDIO: Eric Anderson AND Amber Iman, September 18 at 11:30PM:
Critically-acclaimed stars of Broadway's Soul Doctor, Eric Anderson and Amber Iman step away from their roles as Shlomo Carlebach and Nina Simone, respectively, for a special one-night performance at 54 Below. Backed by their very own Holy Beggar Band, witness as this duo blends their eclectic love of tasty music into an hour of soulful bliss. Featuring a rich gamut of grooves spanning from Quincy Jones to The Lumineers, this set promises to be a captivating fix of suave melodies and tuneful magic for the ears and heart. Just what the Doctor ordered. Cover charge $15. Two drink minimum or food totaling $20.

Laura Benanti, September 19 at 7PM, September 20 at 8PM & 11PM, September 21 at 8PM:
She's back! Celebrating the release of her brand new, "Live at 54 Below" CD, Laura Benanti, the star of stage and screen who starred as Maria in The Sound of Music on Broadway at the age of 18, makes a triumphant return to our stage. A Tony winner for her acclaimed performance as Gypsy Rose Lee in the recent Broadway revival of Gypsy, Benanti garnered Tony nominations for her work in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Into the Woods and Swing, and starred in NBC'sThe Playboy Club in addition to guest starring on The Big C for Showtime, Law & Order: SVU and many other roles in film and television. Laura recently starred in NBC's Go On opposite Matthew Perry. Cover charge $50-60. $30 food & beverage minimum.

Alice Ripley, September 19 at 9:30PM:
Following her recent sold out appearance at 54 Below, Tony Winner Alice Ripley returns with her brand new evening of your favorite music in Ripley Reflects. Expect a carefully crafted sampling of songs from shows in which she was an original Broadway cast member, as well as a healthy serving of melodies that cover a wide range of genres, including her own original tunes! Ripley's recent award-winning turn in Next to Normal (Best Actress in a Musical) took place long after Broadway had already fallen in love with Alice in shows such as Side Show (Tony and Drama Desk Nominations),Sunset Boulevard, The Rocky Horror Show and The Who's Tommy. Ripley Reflects will be captured on a new recording, to be released November 2013! Cover charge $30-40. $25 food & beverage minimum.

LATE NIGHT: 15:54, September 19 at 11PM:
"In the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." 15:54 unlocks the doors on a weekly Thursday Party at 54 Below featuring the best of New York City's cutting edge nightlife. Unearthing the magic of Studio 54, resident artists, performers, and DJ's will serve you 15 minute sets at 54 Below. Produced by Jacob Langfelder and Lance Horne with Errickson Wilcox, the series has already featured performances by Bridget Everett, Molly Pope, Cristin Milioti, Elizabeth A. Davis, Corey Tut, Will Connolly, Michael Moritz, Kiyan, Emma Dean, Amber Martin, Drew Brody, Scott Thompson, Amy G., Trapper Felides, Trey Files, Tori Scott, and many more. This week, hostBridget Everett welcomes DJs Andrew Andrew, Topher the Contortionist, Emma Craig andEmma Dean.$15 cover includes your first drink (well, wine, or beer).

Charlie Rosen'S BROADWAY BIG BAND, September 21 at 11PM:
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! A full sized jazz orchestra composed of seventeen musicians all play bandleader Charlie Rosen's re-imagined arrangements of an eclectic mix of tunes from Broadway's past, present and beyond! Both modern and classic showtunes are on display in this hugely unique and winning evening, sung by the best and brightest of Broadway's young generation of leading performers in the timeless tradition of a big band. Featuring Nick Blaemire (Godspell, Dogfight), Tony Award Nominee Daniel Breaker (Passing Strange, Shrek, Love's Labour's Lost), Ariana DeBose (Bring It On, Motown), Hannah Elless (Godspell, Somewhere In Time), Jason Gotay (Bring It On, F#%king Up Everything), Caissie Levy (Ghost, Hair, Murder Ballad), Monet Julia Sabel, and Alysha Umphress (On A Clear Day..., American Idiot). Directed by Max Friedman. Cover charge $20-30. $25 food and beverage minimum.

Adam Pascal, September 22 at 7PM:
54 Below favorite Adam Pascal, star of Broadway's Rent, Aida, Chicago, Cabaret & Memphis,triumphantly returns with a brand new evening of music! With musical partner Larry Edoff, look for the duo's signature versions of classic Broadway tunes, along with original compositions and pop rock standards. Cover charge $45-55. $25 food & beverage minimum.

Anthony Rapp, September 22 at 9:30PM:
One of Broadway's most celebrated rock and rollers, Anthony Rapp (Broadway's Six Degrees of Separation, Rent, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, etc.) brings his new Unplugged evening of stories and songs at 54 Below, with musical director Dan Weiss. Unplugged audiences can expect to hear some of the great songs that have inspired Anthony: Elvis Costello's "Allison," "Creep," "Losing My Religion," and many others. And what evening with Anthony Rapp would be complete without hearing some iconic songs from Rent and Hedwig & The Angry Inch? Cover charge $35-45. $25 food and beverage minimum.

To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com or call (866) 468-7619.

Photo by: Jennifer Broski