Broadway Vets Join Michael Colby for ALGONQUIN KID Reading at National Arts Club Today

Journey with us through the illustrious history of New York's Algonquin Hotel, as told by a man who grew up there. Michael Colby's grandparents, Ben and Mary Bodne, owned the hotel from 1946 to 1987. Though he missed, by roughly twenty years, the legendary figures who made up the Algonquin Round Table, Michael was nevertheless surrounded by famous literary and cultural figures such as Ella Fitzgerald, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, and Leonard Cohen.

He has now written of his adventures in the new book, The Algonquin Kid. Lerner and Loewe wrote My Fair Lady at the Algonquin. Marilyn Monroe flashed Michael's grandmother on the corner. Bellmen scrambled to find an Oscar winner's missing bag of marijuana. As a real-life equivalent of Eloise, Michael eventually moved into the hotel, and as a writer, found his own place in the world of Broadway theatre and musicals.

Michael Colby will read passages from the book and share photographs while discussing the famed hostelry's history he observed firsthand.

A quartet of acclaimed Broadway veterans - Bethe Austin (Whoopie!), Eric Michael Gillett (Kiss Me, Kate), Jeff Keller (Phantom of the Opera), and Christine Pedi (Forbidden Broadway) - will perform songs written by famous Algonquin denizens.

Time Out NY Associate Editor Adam Feldman will host the event, alongside music director Michael Lavine, who regularly fills the role of musical director for Broadway and cabaret. This will be a fabulous evening of memories shared by the gifted actor/songwriter/author, Michael Colby at The National Arts Club on June 18, 2015.

Link to article on Michael in NJ.com.

The National Arts Dress Code: Proper attire is encouraged for ladies and gentleman at all times. Please refrain from using electronic devices during the event.