Duncan Sheik to Perform and Share Stories at The Players

Tony Award-winning composer and musician Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening, American Psycho) will share stories and perform songs for an exclusive audience at the April 21st installment of Live From 16 Gramercy Park, the intimate, members-only music series at The Players, the historic private social club for actors and artists.

The series, which kicked off last October with a performance by Broadway star Alice Ripley (Next to Normal), showcases the leading lights of New York City theatre, cabaret, and beyond on select Fridays at 9:00 p.m. Exclusive to members of The Players, each 90-minute show takes place in the dining room of the club's Gramercy Park mansion, in a cozy theatre-in-the- round setting where special desserts and drinks are served.

Live From 16 Gramercy Park is the latest in a succession of initiatives that have sparked a renaissance for the 126-year-old club, which has recently expanded its cultural programming, enhanced its culinary services, made award-winning improvements to its landmark home, and added new membership levels.

Before the concert, members can enjoy fine dining at Edwin's, a pop-up restaurant that the club hosts for special occasions and events, and receive a $10 discount on tickets to see Duncan Sheik. Afterwards, guests can enjoy cocktails and music at #PlayersAfter, a monthly late-night soiree.

"We are thrilled to welcome Duncan Sheik, a brilliant musician whose career path is as fascinating as his songs, to a one-of-a-kind evening at The Players," said Michael Barra, President of The Players

Sheik launched his career as a pop musician in 1996 with his self-titled debut album, earning a Grammy nomination for the single "Barely Breathing," which spent 55 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. He won instant Broadway acclaim when he composed the music for the 2006 breakout hit Spring Awakening, which went on to win eight Tony Awards, including Best Original Score and Best Orchestration, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. He has since composed scores for acclaimed productions ranging from a staging of the children's book Because of Winn Dixie to the Broadway adaptation of American Psycho, for which he also wrote the lyrics.

The Players was founded in 1888 by a group of artists and thinkers led by Booth and colleagues like Mark Twain. The club is the oldest in New York still based in its original home, a Stanford White Gramercy Park mansion that houses a treasure trove of theatre-related artworks and artifacts including paintings by John Singer Sargent, drawings by Al Hirschfeld and James Cagney, and the human skull brandished by Booth in his legendary performances of Hamlet. Current and past notable members include Broadway luminaries such as Eugene O'Neill, George M. Cohan, Liza Minnelli, Angela Lansbury, Alfred Lunt, Tony Roberts, RoseMary Harris, Martha Plimpton, Jimmy Fallon, Ethan Hawke and many more.

Live From 16 Gramercy Park is a members-only event. The cover charge is $50, with no drink minimum. A special dessert and drink menu will be available. Members can make reservations online here.

To learn more about becoming a member of The Players or The Young Players Society (for members under 40), contact the club office at (212) 475-6116, membership@theplayersnyc.org or visit www.theplayersnyc.org.

About The Players

Founded in 1888 by actor Edwin Booth with 15 other incorporators including Mark Twain, The Players is New York City's premier social club for theatre, television, film, music, and publishing professionals, patrons of the arts, and business and civic leaders. Housed in the Booth mansion, a landmark Greek Revival townhouse on Gramercy Park, The Players celebrates the rich cultural life of New York City with exclusive membership events that include live performances, readings by leading authors and playwrights, film screenings, and special dining and cocktail experiences in its famous Grill Room. Presidents of The Players have included Jose Ferrer, Lynn Redgrave and Timothy Hutton.