"The Leading Men IV,' a benefit concert for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, was held Monday, May 11, at 7pm at Birdland, 315 W. 44th St. As part of the long-running Broadway at Birdland series, it featured top singers from Broadway and cabaret. John Tartaglia (Avenue Q, Shrek The Musical) once again hosted, and Emmy-nominated writer, host and comic Seth Rudetsky returned as musical director, along with director Alan Muraoka (NAATCO's Falsettoland).
"The Leading Men IV" concert series is produced by Wayman Wong, who edits entertainment for the New York Daily News. He originated and wrote 'The Leading Men" column for Playbill from 2003-2006. Since 2005, the "Leading Men' concerts have raised thousands of dollars for Broadway Cares, and alumni from the three previous soldout shows include: Matt Cavenaugh, Cheyenne Jackson, Aaron Lazar, Matthew Morrison, Hugh Panaro, Daniel Reichard, Jai Rodriguez and Christopher Sieber.
Monday night's concert also set a record as the highest-grossing 'Leading Men' benefit ever (over $2,000 more than last year). It raised $10,100 in ticket sales and another $1,000 in autographed posters and contributions.
Song List:
Tony Yazbeck: "Marry Me a Little" ("Company") by Stephen Sondheim
Michael Kadin Craig: "More" by Michael Patrick Walker
Nicholas Rodriguez: "Just in Time" ("Bells Are Ringing") by Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Jule Styne
Tom Andersen: "Let It Be Me" by Gilbert Becaud, MAnn Curtis and Pierre Delanoe
Graham Phillips: "Giants in the Sky" ("Into the Woods") by Stephen Sondheim
Jim Caruso: "A Song for My Friends" by Glen Kelly
Nick Adams: "Come to Me, Bend to Me" ("Brigadoon") by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe
Jack Donahue: "But Not for Me" ("Girl Crazy") by George and Ira Gershwin
Paolo Montalban: "Close Upon the Hour" ("The King of Hearts") by Peter Link and Jacob Brackman
Tom Postilio and Mickey Conlon: "Me and My Shadow" by Billy Rose, Al Jolson and Dave Dreyer
Jonathan Groff: "The Sound of Music" medley by Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rodgers
Zak Resnick: "The Streets of Dublin" ("A Man of No Importance") by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty
Cody Green: "The Best Is Yet to Come" by Carolyn Leigh and Cy Coleman
Kevin Earley: "This Nearly Was Mine" ("South Pacific") by Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rodgers
Seth Rudetsky: "Deconstructing Broadway: Leading Ladies' Songs vs. Leading Men's"
James Barbour: "If I Can't Love Her" ("Beauty and the Beast") by Tim Rice and Alan Menken
Norm Lewis: "Moon River" by Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini
The Broadway at Birdland series is presented by Jim Caruso's Cast Party, an open mic/variety show, which follows each concert.
Photos by Linda Lenzi
John Tartaglia (Host)
Jonathan Groff
Nick Adams
Tony Yazbeck
Michael Kadin Craig
Jim Caruso
Zak Resnick
Cody Green
Jack Donahue
Paolo Montalban
James Barbour
Kevin Earley
Nicholas Rodriguez
Graham Phillips
Tom Postilio
Tom Andersen
Norm Lewis
Wayman Wong (Producer)
John Tartaglia, Jonathan Groff and Nick Adams
Michael Kadin Craig, Jim Caruso and Zak Resnick
Cody Green and Tony Yazbeck
Cody Green and Wayman Wong
Cody Green and Tom Andersen
James Barbour and Paolo Montalban
Tom Andersen and Jack Donahue
Tom Andersen and Wayman Wong
Graham Phillips and Nicholas Rodriguez
Frank Conway and Alan Muraoka
Tom Andersen, Graham Phillips, Nick Adams and John Tartaglia
Cody Green and Nick Adams
Tom Andersen, Jonathan Groff, Cody Green and John Tartaglia
Tom Andersen, Tom Postilio and Jack Donahue
Jonathan Groff and Paolo Montalban
Jonathan Groff, Yolanda Culler and Nick Adams
John Tartaglia and Nick Adams
John Tartaglia, Jonathan Groff, Nick Adams and Cody Green
John Tartaglia, Jonathan Groff, Nick Adams and Paolo Montalban
John Tartaglia, Jonathan Groff, Nick Adams, Alix Caps (Stage Manager) and Paolo Montalban
Norm Lewis, Nick Adams, Cody Green and Paolo Montalban
Mickey Conlon and Tom Postilio
Graham Phillips and Wayman Wong
Norm Lewis and Zak Resnick
Norm Lewis and Jonathan Groff
Zak Resnick, Nick Adams and Michael Kadin Craig
Kevin Earley and James Barbour
Graham Phillips and Ariana Grande
John Tartaglia, Seth Rudetsky (Musical Director) and Alan Muraoka (Director)
James Barbour and Wayman Wong
Nick Adams and Tony Yazbeck
Henry Hodges, Ariana Grande, Graham Phillips
Henry Hodges, Ariana Grande, Graham Phillips and John Tartaglia
Nick Adams and Michael Kadin Craig
Henry Hodges, Seth Rudetsky and Jonathan Groff
Daniel Seth (Assistant Stage Manager) and Michael Kadin Craig
Henry Hodges and Jonathan Groff
Daniel Seth and Cody Green
Tom Postilio, Tom Andersen and Mickey Conlon
Seth Rudetsky, Tom Postilio, Jonathan Groff and Mickey Conlon
Alan Muraoka and Paolo Montalban
Zak Resnick and James Barbour
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