Jim Caruso's Cast Party Radio Show with Stephanie J. Block 2006/03/19

Jim Caruso's Cast Party is a joyous celebration of the showbiz scene, featuring live musical performances by New York's most dazzling Broadway and cabaret personalities. Like any successful soiree, though, the chat won't take a back seat to the music! You'll be privy to dishy conversations with your favorite stars about anything and everything they might have on their brilliant minds. Historic or hysterical�Jim Caruso's Cast Party is always entertaining! Tune in every Tuesday and Friday night at 8pm exclusively on BroadwayWorld.com!

Visit Cast Party's web site at www.castpartynyc.com.

Cast Party is available on the site in both streaming and downloadable form, and new episodes of Cast Party - The Radio Show can now also automatically be download via Apple's iTunes Service. Joining leading streams of all natures, you can now subscribe to the Cast Party podcast by searching for the show on iTunes. This further expands the reach of Cast Party to an untapped, tech savvy audience. Go subscribe!

Our great pal Stephanie J. Block is back from a year on the road as Elphaba, the extremely green gal in the National Tour of Wicked. She has thrilling news about her upcoming career-making gig, and we're delighted that she's chosen to announce all the details on Cast Party - The Radio Show! You'll get some Wicked history, hear about the rigors of touring, and learn the advantages of local honey!

Listen to This Week's Episode of Cast Party!

Jim Caruso's Cast Party Archives

Click here to listen to Johnny Rodgers
Click here to listen to Stephanie J. Block (Boy From Oz)
Click here to listen to Lawrence O'Keefe (Composer, Bat Boy)
Click here to listen to composer John Bucchino
Click here to listen to Toxic Audio
Click here to listen to Cast Party Highlights! (Jim Caruso, Billy Stritch, Julie Garnye, Toxic Audio, Natalie Douglas and more...)
Click here to listen to Cast Party Highlights (Laura Michelle Kelly, Michael James Leslie, Roz Ryan, Peter Howard, BJ Crosby, Toxic Audio and more...)
Click here to listen to Cast Party Highlights (Julia Murney, BJ Crosby, Jai Rodriguez, Stephanie J. Block, Billy Porter, Mandy Gonzalez, Eddie Varley and more...)
Click here to listen to Jim Brickman
Click here to listen to Stephanie D'Abruzzo (Avenue Q)
Click here to listen to Kate Shindle, Eric Millegan, Toxic Audio, Stephanie J. Block, Kate Botello, Tony DeSare, BJ Crosby and Delisco...
Click here to listen to Diva Week...with Karen Mason, Stephanie J. Block, Ruth Hastings, Victoria Shaw, Kate Shindle, Amanda Green, Hilary Kole, Natalie Douglas, and Phoebe Kreutz (the puppet wrangler from Avenue Q!). You'll hear a few divo's, too...like Spencer Day, Jason Paige and Song of Singapore composer Michael Garin.
Click here to listen to Jim interview Linda Lavin! Also on this week's show, some recent Cast Party hightlights from Hilary Kole, Jonny Peterson, Betty Migler, Tony DeSare, Natalie Douglas, Erich Bergen, Julie Stirman and the legendary Peter Howard!
Click here to listen to the All-Pals-Of-Jim Extravaganza! Mr. Caruso introduces you to some of his most talented friends�some of whom you know extremely well, others you may not. Hear some unabashedly thrilling warbling by Sam Harris, Sally Mayes, Kristin Chenoweth, Billy Stritch, Jessica Molaskey, John Pizzarelli, Johnny Rodgers, Marty Thomas, Kay Thompson, Billy Porter, John Bucchino, Brent Barrett, Liza Minnelli, Julia Murney and Brian Lane Green.
Click here to listen a few samples of why Stephanie J. Block's concert had the Birdland crowds shrieking for more! Also, a rousing "Children, Go Where I Send You" from Natalie Douglas' upcoming To Nina...A Tribute to Nina Simone. You'll get to hear LaTanya Hall, (who plays young Lena Horne in the Broadway-bound bio), Randi Driscoll's moving tribute to Matthew Shepard, Wicked's Marty Thomas, Hilary Kole, and Lynn Loosier!
Fiddler on the Roof's Nancy Opel joins Jim on the web version of Cast Party this week and discusses her career, her new hobbies, and falling down on the job as Evita. You'll hear some of her Broadway performances, along with a screamingly funny song from last summer's Fringe hit, For the Love of Tiffany: A Wifetime Original Musical
Hear Jim's one-on-one conversation with Joanne Bogart, the lyricist and co-star of The Musical of Musicals: The Musical! The York Theatre Company's production has been held-over time and time again�you'll hear cuts from the brand new CD and find out why this show has audiences screaming for more every night!
This week's Cast Party Radio Show runs the gamut from Michael Arden singing John Bucchino to Michael Garin singing "Rosh Hashanah"! You'll also hear amazing live performances by Christiane Noll, Jack Noseworthy, Hilary Kole, Erich Bergen, Drea Hancock, Dean Lotherington & Martin Croft, Christine Lavin and Toxic Audio!
A loving tribute to an iconic lyricist, Fred Ebb. Calling him a pal was a delight and honor beyond compare. Listening to his ingenius words�even more so. Tune in this Friday and Tuesday at 8pm to hear some K&E jewels sung by Liza Minnelli, Barbra Streisand, Catherine Zeta Jones, Renee Zellweger, Ann Hampton Callaway, Debbie Gravitte, Jonny Peterson, Harry Groener, Karen Mason, Brent Barrett, the cast of And The World Goes 'Round, John Kander and even Freddy himself
Between Kate Botello, Julie Garnye, Alexandra Haas, Ray Jessell, Mark Berman, Donna Lynn Champlin, Hilary Kole, Ted Firth, Bobby Syvarth, Gregg Gerson, Jonny Peterson, Chris Dilley, Marilyn Maye, Steve Doyle and Billy Stritch, you'll be privy to an eclectic hour of thrills and chills!
This week, the radio version of Cast Party on BroadwayWorld.com will celebrate the recordings on the Sh-K-Boom label, which bridges the gap between pop music and theater! And what a cast! Sherie Rene Scott and Norbert Leo Butz! Malcolm Gets and Melissa Errico! A little Alice Ripley, a dash of Christine Ebersole and a cut or two from Finian's Rainbow! THEN, you'll hear Jim's one-on-one chat with Bare's Michael Arden...they'll discuss the latest scuttlebut regarding the future of the show.
This week's Cast Party radio show stars Christine Ebersole, who was nice enough to chat with Jim about her career, her most memorable Saturday Night Live appearance and the shattering arrangement of "Lullaby of Broadway" on her new CD. (It was arranged by John McDaniel and Marc Shaiman for her appearance on the Rosie O'Donnell Show the week after 9/11.)
Jim talks with Max von Essen, who is currently taking LA by storm starring in Dorian. A shower-fresh Max chats with Jim about the show, his Dance of the Vampires experience and living the Hollywood life! You'll hear a tune from Dorian, along with a live performance from Max's Ars Nova concert last year! Then, John McDaniel, talks about his Brooklyn experience on Broadway. He also brings Jim a brand new cut from the upcoming cast recording that NO ONE has heard! Finally, Alice Ripley discusses her upcoming gig at Birdland, and all the other things going on in her life!
After seeing the magnificent Judy Kaye as Florence Foster Jenkins in Souvenir at The York Theatre, Jim thought it was time to celebrate some unsung, and unsingable, song stylists. In Jim's one-on-one conversation with Judy, you'll hear about the excruciatingly wonderful Ms. Jenkins, her mystique, and just what to say backstage after an awful performance. You'll also be privy to several cuts from the Jenkins ouevre, along with some music from Wing, the magical Mrs. Miller and Jonathan & Darlene Edwards. This is a Cast Party you will love, but your neighbors won't�so keep the volume low!
Listen in on Jim's chat with songwriter extraordinaire Amanda Green! She and her writing partner, Tom Kitt, are getting ready for their triumphant return to Birdland on Monday, January 31st. You'll have two chances to hear their brilliant and hilarious material live and in person, sung by some of Broadway's brightest stars! On The Radio Show, Jim will play some never-heard recordings of Green/Kitt tunes sung by Julia Murney, Christine Ebersole, Nancy Opel, Jenn Colella, Tara Simon, Norbert Leo Butz, Sherri Rene Scott and the songwriters themselves!
Listen now to Julie Halston, currently in Hairspray and Danny Gurwin, currently in Little Women, who tells us about opening the new show plus demos of the score!
This week, I talk with Hilary Kole, currently co-starring in Singing Astaire, and getting ready for her late-night Valentine's Day concert at Birdland. If you haven't heard this girl swing, you've gotta tune in� you'll be a fan! Then, I chat with composer David Friedman, whose songs have been recorded by Diana Ross, Barry Manilow, Petula Clark and the late, great Nancy LaMott. Since his Listen To My Heart revue ran Off-Broadway, he's been busy producing the first posthumous LaMott CD, recorded live at Tavern On The Green in 1995.
This week Jim chats with Brent Barrett, who is currently back on Broadway in the role of Billy Flynn in Chicago. We'll hear some cuts from his recent "Alan Jay Lerner Album," and get some scoop on his upcoming risqu� wardrobe in "The Producers" film! Then, theater/cabaret songbird Sally Mayes discusses her new "Valentine" CD, and we hear a sneak preview of this beautiful new project! He'll also play a few cuts from New York Voices jazzer Peter Eldridge, who will be going solo at Birdland on Monday, February 21 at 7pm.
Special Episode Features Interview with Liza Minnelli, including Birthday Greetings from Carol Burnett, Bruce Vilanch, Tony Danza, and Carol Channing. .
WAKE UP! After a three-month siesta, Cast Party - The Radio Show, returned to BroadwayWorld.com with a new lease on life, a stack of dazzling new live performances and a chat with one of our all-time favorite stage stars! This week, you'll be a fly on the wall at Jim's weekly show-biz bash at Birdland in NYC�where up-and-comers, already-theres, dreamers and fans entertain each other at the piano. Then, Stephanie J. Block, who plays the lean, green and mean Witch of the West, calls in to update Wicked fans on the massively successful Hollywood production. You'll hear about her celebrity sightings, the gravity mishap, and the glamour of the dry-erase board. It's only on Cast Party - The Radio Show!
On this episode, you'll hear Linda Lavin (August 29), Ann Crumb and David Buskin (appearing in Jamie DeRoy's "Strings Attached," September 12), Johnny Rodgers (September 19), Capathia Jenkins and Louis Rosen (September 26), Randi Driscoll (hosting "A Night of Music Celebrating the Matthew Shepard Foundation" October 10), Amanda Green and Tom Kitt (October 17), Audra McDonald singing a Steve Marzullo composition (October 24) and Christine Lavin (October 31). Then, Jim dishes the Broadway dirt with Avenue Q star Stephanie D'Abruzzo, who will be one of the headliners in an "Avenue Q Swings" concert at Birdland on October 3.
It's raining men at Cast Party - The Radio Show! This week, host Jim Caruso chats it up with Avenue Q superstar John Tartaglia, who is currently knocking 'em dead at the glossy new Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas! Find out if Sin City is flipping over Q, if John is performing topless and if Celine has caught the show! We also get the scoop on his upcoming Disney series! Then, Altar Boyz' Ryan Duncan discusses his upcoming return to the show after his recent visit to The A-Train Plays! You'll also hear cuts from new recordings by John Pizzarelli, Jeff Harnar, Brian Lane Green and Philip Chaffin!
Host Jim Caruso chats with Broadway/cabaret superstar, Karen Mason about her brand new cd, "The Sweetest of Nights," and an upcoming 2-week run at The Encore in New York City. You'll also be the first to hear two gorgeous tracks from the cd! Listen as Karen discusses her perfect Diva Day, onstage gun problems in Sunset Boulevard and a memorable wardrobe malfunction! We'll also play never-before-heard live recordings of Broadway performers Max von Essen , Christopher Sieber and Amanda McBroom , all singing their hearts out at Birdland.
Cast Party has become known for showcasing an awesome array of musical styles. Show tunes, jazz, punk and country�this particular episode is extra schizophrenic�just like it's host! We'll bring you a chat with the amazingly versatile Kevin Cahoon , who is currently starring as The Childcatcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, is rehearsing for The Wedding Singer, and along with his band, Ghetto Cowboy, has just released a new cd called "Doll." You'll get to hear a few cuts from that recording, as well as a handfull of live performances from the Birdland stage!
From Broadway stars to R&B legends, from Jerry Herman show tunes to Stevie Ray Vaughan blues, Jim Caruso's Cast Party has become one of the most varied evenings of music on the entertainment scene. This episode of Cast Party - The Radio Show sets out to prove that statement with a unique combination of live recordings from the weekly open-mic and Broadway concert series, which takes place every Monday at the legendary Birdland. Theater stars Susan Egan, Rebecca Luker, Keala Settle, Jeff Blumenkrantz, Julie Halston, Charles Busch, Marion Seldes, Brian Childers, and Christine Pedi show their stuff, Christine Lavin ("The Queen of Folk") gets screams of laughter, "The Willows" lead singer Tony Middleton stops the show, and David Ippolito sings about�us! It's just another night at Cast Party�and you're invited!
Tune in for an all-new show with all-new live performances by John Tartaglia, Andrea McArdle, Mike McArdle, Christine Ebersole, Hilary Kole, Chelsea Krombach, Mathilde Santig, Franz Bloem, and Mylinda Hull and Her Lucky 7! Jim also chats with Darius de Haas about his upcoming Birdland concert, his jazz roots and Vanessa Williams!
It's Broadway stars-on-parade this week at Cast Party Radio! I'll chew the theatrical fat with three of the working-est folks on the scene today�Marin Mazzie, Julia Murney and Barrett Foa. Marin is currently in rehearsals for the Encore Series production of Kismet, starring as Lalume. Julia is about to go green and defy gravity as Elphaba in the National Tour of Wicked. Barrett is celebrating his one-year anniversary starring in Avenue Q!
Hear host Jim Caruso's one-on-one conversation with the hilariously devilish and oh-so-talented Euan Morton. The TONY-nominated star of Taboo is in previews for Measure For Pleasure at The Public Theater, and has just released a brand new CD called "NewClear." The recording, on the Lyric Partner label, contains 10 tracks consisting of both new songs and covers of favorite tunes. Cast Party listeners will also be privy to never-heard recordings from recent concerts, including live performances by Andrea McArdle, BJ Crosby, Terri Klausner, Nina Hennessee, Deborah Tranelli and Jeff Blumenkrantz.

Special thanks to Brian Wilson of SoHa Media for Production Services