The Skivvies with Lin-Manuel Miranda, Fyvush Finkel and More Set for 54 Below this Week

By: Mar. 10, 2014
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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:

JARROD SPECTOR, March 10 at 7PM:
Back by popular demand! Jarrod Spector, who is starring in the new Broadway hit Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, returns to 54 Below to celebrate his brand new album "A Little Help From My Friends: Live at 54 BELOW"! This acclaimed musical outing traces the legacy of the great male singers whose vocal prowess made them the rock stars of their generations, even before rock was born. After starring as Frankie Valli for six years in Broadway's smash hit musical Jersey Boys, Jarrod wraps his critically-praised voice around the songs that have made superstars out of more than a century of tenor legends from Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson to the great Enrico Caruso himself. In anticipation of Broadway Records' official release of the album on March 25th, CDs will be available for purchase at all four performances with a chance to have copies autographed. $30-40 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

LINDSAY MENDEZ & DEREK KLENA, March 10 at 9:30PM:
Known to New York audiences for playing Rose and Birdlace in Dogfight, and fresh off a run as Elphaba and Fiyero in Wicked, Lindsay Mendez and Derek Klena join forces once again, this time on the stage of 54 Below. The two will perform a rousing, eclectic evening celebrating the music they love and their genuine friendship. Directed by Dogfight bookwriter Peter Duchan. Musical direction by Dogfight and Wicked's Bryan Perri. $35-45 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

ITHACA COLLEGE POST-SHOWCASE PARTY, March 10 at 11:30PM:
Join the students and alumni of Ithaca College as they celebrate the class of 2014's senior showcase! $20 admission includes choice of 2 delicious Ithaca-themed cocktails or appetizer with non-alcohlic beverage. Late-night a la carte and cocktail menu available as well. $20 cover charge. Cover charge includes two Ithaca-themed cocktails or appetizer with non-alcoholic beverage.

YOUR DINNER WITH ANDRÉ, March 11 & 12 at 5PM-8PM:
Executive Chef André J. Marrero and his culinary creations take center stage at Your Dinner with André, a celebration of the 54 Below dining experience featuring favored offerings from Chef André's repertoire plus tantalizing glimpses of new spring menu additions. With a four-course prix fixe menu titled Glimpses of Spring ($65), along with optional wine pairings ($45), guests can look forward to a unique evening of great food, stimulating conversation and casual entertainment. An à la carte menu will also be available. Chef André will be joined by Cady Huffman, Tony Award winner for The Producers and a judge for ten years on the Food Network's "Iron Chef America." Together they will describe new dishes, regale guests with inside stories of life in the culinary world and answer questions. With Michael Garin at the piano, and several 54 Below performers as dinner guests, Your Dinner with André will stimulate and satisfy appetites on all levels. $65-110 prix-fixe.

ERICA LUSTIG: NYMF'S NEXT BROADWAY SENSATION, March 11 at 9:30PM:
The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) comes to 54 Below as they proudly present the winner of 2013's "Next Broadway Sensation," Erica Lustig, in a special one-night-only concert. The talented Florida native and swing-dancing enthusiast took the competition by storm when she walked away as the winner of this highly competitive program, which has become not only a highlight of the NYMF season, but a New York musical theatre tradition amongst those in the know. In her NYC cabaret debut, Erica presents This is 30, the musical tale of a girl with the eating habits of a toddler, the backaches of an old-timer, and the spirit of a teenager who has unexpectedly found herself trapped in the body of a 30-year-old. In this intimate evening full of wit, heart, comedy (and of course, fierce belting), Lustig will venture on a light-hearted journey featuring some pop favorites, jazz and Broadway tunes, as well as a few special self-penned originals. Whether you've yet to hit your 30th year or you're long past, you'll want to laugh along with this incredible talent! www.ericasings.com. Joining Erica will be Grand Finalist Jacob Keith Watson, who will share a few songs inspired by the move to his dream home, New York City. www.jacobkeithwatson.com $25-35 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

RYAN SCOTT OLIVER & LINDSAY MENDEZ'S ACTOR THERAPY, March 11 at 11:30PM:
ACTOR THERAPY goes 54 Below! Hosted by award-winning composer-lyricist Ryan Scott Oliver (35mm, Darling) and Broadway actress Lindsay Mendez (Wicked, Dogfight, Godspell), ACTOR THERAPY, is a series of masterclasses for performers looking to improve their auditions, build a better book, and expand their understanding of what it means to be an actor and song interpreter in New York today. Join us as we celebrate the alumni of this awesome program! Featuring: Morgan Assante, Brandon Beynon, Carolyn Caton, Laura Darrell, Ian Fairlee, Salvador Garcia, Sara Glancy, Christian Lane Green, Kelsey Lake, Mary Malaney, Amy Marik, Scott Montgomery and Cassidy Stoner. $15 cover charge. Two alcoholic drink or $20 food & beverage minimum.

MAMIE PARRIS, March 12 at 9:30PM:
Having graced the stages of Broadway (Ragtime, The Drowsy Chaperone, 110 in the Shade) and national tours (Elphaba in Wicked, Judy Bernly in 9 to 5, Legally Blonde), Mamie Parris is going "back to her roots" in her New York City solo concert debut. Audiences can expect to hear the music of Dolly Parton, Carole King, the Carpenters, Stephen Sondheim, Willie Nelson, Ahrens & Flaherty and more. Born and raised in the South and Midwest where entire histories are told through story and song, Mamie shares through her own stories and songs a journey that will not only make you laugh and cry-but one that will leave you inspired to take your own journey "home." Direction by Will Nunziata. $25-35 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

WEBSTER UNIVERSITY POST SHOWCASE PARTY, March 12 at 11:30PM:
In the midst of Webster Conservatory's Senior Showcase week, current students and alumni gather together at this historic spot for an open mic event. Join us as we bring together new faces and old friends for a night of good old fashioned fun around the piano! See you there! $10 cover charge. Two drink minimum or $20 food & beverage minimum.

MARISSA MULDER, March 13 at 7PM:
54 Below welcomes New York's sunny and engaging 2013 break out vocalist Marissa Mulder! Just named Time Out New York's Rising Star of the Year, Marissa will debut her new show "Speak To Me", after winning the Mabel Mercer Foundation's Noel Coward Competition and the New York Cabaret Convention's Julie Wilson Award. Enjoy the new shapes and textures Marissa lends to the music of Harold Arlen, Cole Porter, Tom Waits, John Prine and more ... $25-35 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

ZOE SARNAK, March 13 at 9:30PM:
In her 54 Below debut, Zoe Sarnak will premiere songs from The Years Between: an exploration of New York's millennials as the latest lost generation, set to a score of rock, folk, pop, and soul. To celebrate this piece's debut, she's inviting favorite performers from concerts past and recording the night for a LIVE CONCEPT ALBUM. Joining Zoe are Aaron Albert, Allison Case (Hair), Laura Dreyfuss (Once), Meghann Fahy (Next to Normal), Jason Gotay (Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark), Marcus Paul James (Rent), Rebecca Naomi Jones (American Idiot), Grace McLean (Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812), Taylor Noble(A Lasting Impression), Preston Sadleir (Next to Normal), Kacie Sheik (Hair), Julia Mattison (Godspell), and more special guests still to be announced. Mia Walker (Assistant Director, Pippin) will direct the evening and Jen Hoguet is producing. Zoe Sarnak is an award-winning composer and songwriter whose musicals include A Lasting Impression, Mixtape and Painless, co-written with Michael Kimmel (The Last Goodbye). Zoe's music has been featured at concert venues throughout the city including Joe's Pub, the Highline Ballroom, NYTW and more. $25-35 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

FYVUSH FINKEL, March 14 & 15 at 8PM:
Just on time to celebrate Purim, 91-year-old Fyvush Finkel debuts at 54 Below to celebrate the great songs and humor of show business. Fyvush is accompanied by his two sons Ian Finkel, the World's Greatest Xylophonist and Elliot Finkel, concert pianist extraordinaire. Fyvush and sons offer a first-hand account of his incredible career spanning English and Yiddish roles, from Second Avenue to modern-day television stardom. A musical celebration of a life on stage, the performance is filled with songs, stories, jokes and ample evidence of Finkel's undiminished mastery of show business razzle dazzle. Fyvush Finkel began his career over 80 years ago playing the numerous Jewish theatres along Second Avenue. When he was 43 he began touring in Fiddler on the Roof playing the Innkeeper, then the Butcher and eventually Tevye. His other theatre credits include Cafe Crown (Obie Award) and Little Shop of Horrors, as well as Finkel's Follies and From Second Avenue to Broadway. The latter two shows also featured Finkel's sons, Ian and Elliot. Recently, Fyvush Finkel Live! was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. The actor won an Emmy Award for his role as Douglas Wambaugh on Picket Fences and has also been seen on screen in Boston Public, Nixon, For Love or Money, Mobsters, Seize the Day, Q&A, Fantasy Island, Early Edition, One Life to Live, Evergreen, Prime of Your Life, Harry's Law, Blue Bloods, A Serious Man, and The Simpsons. $40-50 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

THE SKIVVIES, March 14 & 15 at 11PM:
This "musically thrilling" undie-rock, comedy-pop duo don't just strip down their musical arrangements, they literally strip down to their underwear to perform their distinctive mashups and eccentric originals for cello and ukulele, with touches of glockenspiel, melodica, and a surprising array of under-used instruments. Award-winning singer-actors Lauren Molina (Marry Me a Little, Sweeney Todd, Rock of Ages) and Nick Cearley (All Shook Up) became YouTube sensations as The Skivvies, with living room videos that displayed their powerful harmonies as well as their powerful abs. Those clips led to live shows that The Wall Street Journal called "smart, sophisticated...ingenious," and Out Magazine, "The Skivvies have managed to carve out a niche that we never knew needed to exist: part Weird Al- parody and part sexy burlesque...and unusual explosion of satire and sultry." They also have a single and music video directed by Augusten Burroughs, bestselling author of Running With Scissors. They will be joined by special guest stars who will strip down and rock out. Expect a hilarious evening of genre-hopping pop perfection. www.theskivviesnyc.com. March 14 guest starring: Leslie McDonel, Jason Michael Snow, Randy Harrison, Morgan James, and Nancy Anderson! March 15 guest starring: Lin Manuel Miranda, Rob Morrison, Aaron Lazar, Mark Price, and Hannah Shankman! $25-35 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

THE SOUND OF THEIR MUSIC: RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN AT 54 BELOW, March 16 at 7PM:
"Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'!" The time has come for 54 Below to salute the two men who paved the way for modern musical theatre with hit after hit, including The Sound of Music, South Pacific, Carousel, Oklahoma!, The King & I and Flower Drum Song, among others. Not only are tunes such as "Hello, Young Lovers," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair," "If I Loved You" and "Edelweiss" part of the lexicon of popular music, the indelible stamp they left on Broadway redefined the American musical. Join us as, each month, we present four of Broadway's most intriguing voices singing their favorite R&H tunes, with musical direction by the extraordinary Andy Einhorn (Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella). Featuring Liz Callaway, Marcus Paul James, Elizabeth Stanley, John Treacy Egan. $40-50 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

WELL-STRUNG, March 16 at 9:30PM:
Well-Strung, the singing string quartet, has quickly gained national and international attention for their unique mash-up of string quartet and boy band. The foursome features classical musicians who sing, putting their own spin on the music of Mozart, Vivaldi, Ke$ha, P!nk, Adele, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears & more. They've been featured in venues ranging from London's Leicester Square to Provincetown to NYC's Highline Ballroom, including their starring role in Tony winner Joanna Gleason's recent sold out run at 54 Below. Well-Strung consists of Edmund Bagnell (first violin), Christopher Marchant (second violin), Daniel Shevlin (cello) and Trevor Wadleigh (viola). Conceived by Mark Cortale & Christopher Marchant, directed by Donna Drake (A Chorus Line). www.Well-Strung.com $35-45 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

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



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