Zipper Factory Adds New Stars to Summer Line-Up

In the coming weeks, The Zipper Factory will feature the following artists and acts:

·         Todd Almond
With Special Guests Laura Benanti and Steven Pasquale
Sunday, May 13 at 8:00 p.m.
"Acclaimed composer/performer Todd Almond, is joined by Broadway's Laura Benanti and Steven Pasquale for an evening of Almond's original music...Almond is known for his poignant song-writing (People Like Us, WTC View) and his adventurous re-interpretations (Theater Mitu/NYU's Hair, Juilliard's The Odyssey, and Theater Mitu's Ahraihsak." Tickets are $15.00.

·         Sherie Rene Scott. . . "a work in progress"
Monday, May 14 at 9:00 p.m.
Tuesday, May 15 at 8:00 p.m.
"Before Sherie Rene Scott becomes Ursula the Sea Witch in The Little Mermaid, come see her as herself: Sherie Rene Scott . . . a work in progress, as told to Dick Scanlan with music direction by Tom Kitt."  Tickets are $25.00 in advance /$35.00 at the door.

·         NYMF: "Broadway Battle of the Bands"
Presented by The New York Musical Theatre Festival
Featuring Old Springs Pike, the Tom Kitt Band, The Petersons and Tastiskank
Friday, May 18 at 10:00 p.m.
"'Broadway Battle of the Bands' is presented by the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) as part of its new spring program of one-of-a-kind concerts.  The evening features the bands of Spring Awakening star John Gallagher Jr.'s Old Springs Pike, High Fidelity composer's Tom Kitt Band, the 'infamous' family band The Petersons (Adam Stein, Keira Naughton, Pete Simpson, Matt Saldivar and Evan Robertson), and TastiSkank, the racy musical duo comprised of Kate Reinders and Sarah Litzsinger (from Broadway's Wicked and Beauty and the Beast).  The audience will vote for the 'Best Band' of the evening."  Tickets are $15.00.

·         The Wau Wau Sisters in Turning Tricks From the Streets
Saturday May 19 at 10:00 p.m.
Also: Saturday June 9 and July 21 at 10:00 p.m.
"After a year of touring and residencies from London to Los Angeles, Peoria to P-Town, and most recently down under in New Zealand, THE Wau-Wau Sisters, NYC's bravest and bawdiest burlesque duo, return with a new full-length show featuring the tricks they've turned on the streets of the entire world!..Double entendres mix with irreverent circus routines and guilty pop culture pleasures as these saucy sisters fly through their trapeze routines with all the adrenaline and abandon of a rock concert.  They also deconstruct the humor and paradigms of country music while playing matching guitars (and barely sitting on one another's shoulders), all the while re-defining sisterhood for a whole new generation."  Tickets are $25.00.

·         Va Va Voom Room 
Sunday, May 20 at 8:00 p.m.
"The infamous Va Va Voom Room, the acclaimed den of iniquity for vaudeville and burlesque, returns for one night only in its first full length show in two years.  Featuring a cavalcade of stars including World Famous *BOB*, Dirty Martini, Bambi, Bradford Scobie and many more!  With your emcee, Miss Astrid.  Accompanied by Brooks 'Babyface' Hartell and his Band.  This performance is a benefit to support the first-ever Burlesque Hall of Fame and Museum in Las Vegas.  Help keep the memory of past burlesque starlets alive and fan the flames for tassel twirlers of the future!"  Tickets are $20.00.

·         Dolly or Bust
A 'Special' Benefit for ASTEP (Artists Striving To End Poverty)
Monday, May 21 at 8:00 p.m.
"Performers from Broadway, the downtown scene and the recording industry will sing, hoot and holla' in this one night only tribute to the lady who taught us all how to be 'a little bit country': Miss Dolly Parton. The line-up will be announced shortly.  All Proceeds from this evening will benefit ASTEP, whose programs take place in communities with populations of impoverished children who have limited access to arts education.  ASTEP creates safe spaces in which artists interact with children."  Tickets are $30.00.

·         "Creation Nation: A Live Talk Show"
Wednesday, May 23 at 8:00 p.m.
"Join hosts Billy Willing and Robin Lord (as played by creators Billy Eichner and Robin Taylor, respectively) for this critically acclaimed variety show, in this special one night only appearance at The Zipper.  Complete with comedy sketches, stand-up, original musical numbers, filmed segments and a live interview with a special celebrity guest, 'Creation Nation' features musical director Eli Bolin at the keyboard, with Lee Overtree on drums.  Directed by Benjamin Salka."  Tickets are $20.00.

·         Jason Danieley
"Love: A Work In Progress"
Monday, May 28 at 9:30 p.m.
The Broadway star and a heralded concert performer returns to his musical roots with an eclectic collection of Blues, Country, Folk, Standards and Broadway songs backed by a Folk-Pop band headed by pianist Dan Lipton.  Danieley and Lipton have arranged familiar and new songs, putting a fresh twist on the bluegrass/folk sound he grew up hearing in his hometown of St. Louis...Currently starring in Curtains on Broadway, Jason has been a theatrical staple in New York for over ten years.  His work in shows like Candide and The Full Monty (Broadway), Floyd Collins and Dream True (Off -Broadway), South Pacific (Carnegie Hall/PBS) and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (City Center's Encores) have brought him great acclaim by audiences and critics alike."  Tickets are $20.00 in advance / $25.00 at the door.

·         Justin Bond with the Lost References
A Song Cycle of the Carpenter's "Close To You" Album in its entirety
Wednesday, May 30 at 9:00 p.m.
"Join Justin Bond (Broadway's Kiki and Herb and John Cameron Mitchell's Shortbus) as he rocks out The Zipper with The Lost References.  This collaboration, inaugurated during Justin Bond's Talk/Show, became so powerful that we knew it had to be visited again . . . and again.  With Lance Horne on piano and vocals, Randy Redd on keys and vocals, Teal Wicks on vocals and tambourine, Michael Croiter on drums and guitar and Mike Jackson on bass and guitar."  Tickets are $25.00.

·         Lance Horne & The One Night Stands
Monday, June 4 at 9:00 p.m.
"Lance Horne & the One Night Stands, having played from the West Coast to the Far East, return to NYC with new tunes . . . With Lance singing and on the keys, Chris Jago on drums, Malcolm Gold on bass, Randy Redd on keys and vocals."  Tickets are $15.00.

·         Sheri Sanders
Monday, June 11 at 8:00 p.m.
Sheri Sanders (Urinetown national tour, The Screams of Kitty Genovese, BETTY Rules), under the direction of DJ Salisbury and Music Direction of Todd Almond, presents an evening of rock songs and original tunes by Mr. Almond, in addition to the classical musical theatre repertoire.  Tickets are $20.00.

·         NYMF: "Undercover Showtunes"
Presented by The New York Musical Theatre Festival
Monday, June 18 at 7:00 p.m.
"Some of the best musical theatre songs aren't from musicals at all, but the pop/rock cannon.  Come to a night featuring the best characters and story songs from diverse singers and songwriters like Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Joni Mitchell, Rufus Wainwright, Stephen Merritt, and dozens more."  The line-up wil be announced shortly

·         Gay Marshall 
Tuesday, June 19 at 8:00 p.m.
Also: Tuesday, June 26 at 8:00 p.m.
Gay Marshall, "who recently starred in the long running hit revival of Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, brings her solo show back to the Zipper Factory.  Singing an eclectic array of songs with the accent on Piaf and Brel, Ms. Marshall, accompanied by the outstanding trio of musicians from Brel, describes the pros and cons of living on both sides of the ocean and the challenge of trying to fit in with the French in excerpts from her one woman show If I Were Me."  Tickets are $25.00.

·         "Above the Belt"
Sunday, June 24 at 7:00 p.m.
"An evening of risky, powerful, often-astonishing aerial performance, 'Above the Belt' returns to The Zipper.  The only show of its kind, 'Above the Belt' features an ever-changing line-up of aerial artists from the U.S., Canada and Europe performing new work, signature pieces, works-in-progress, traditional circus, and experimental aerial dance on a trapeze, fabric, and rope.  Performers include Cindy "Spindy" Abrahamson, Carla Cantrelle, Andrea Damian, Michelle Dortignac, Pam Sanders, Britt Nhi Sarah and Kelley Shaw, among others."  Tickets are $15.00.

·         Bob Stillman
Monday, June 25 at 8:00 p.m.
Two-time Tony nominated actor/composer/musician Bob Stillman (currently in Grey Gardens on Broadway) presents a concert of his original material.  Currently appearing on Broadway in the acclaimed musical Grey Gardens as pianist/ songwriter George Gould Strong, Stillman appeared on Broadway in Kiss of the Spider Woman, Grand Hotel and Dirty Blonde, for which he received a Tony Award nomination as Best Featured Actor. He received a second Tony nomination for his contributions to the score of Urban Cowboy.  Tickets are $20.00.

"The Zipper Factory presents an eclectic line-up of theatrical events, concerts, burlesque, comedy and cabaret.  Since 2001, The Zipper has become known as one of New York's preeminent entertainment destinations, a desired venue for the city's most gifted artists, both renowned and up-and-coming.  Located at 336 West 37th Street on the site of a renovated zipper factory, this unique spot has offered New York audiences top-notch entertainment in an environment that is at once hip and urban yet casual and relaxed."

"Inspired by London's growing trend of mixing pub culture with playhouse art, The Zipper Factory has added a new tavern and balcony bar to the complex.  The tavern is directly accessible to/from the theatre space.  The factory complex share three bars - two on the main floor and one the wraparound Balcony Bar, which seats 80 with its own street entrance.  In addition, there is an outdoor patio bar, which seats 25 (weather permitting).  As always, drinks are allowed into the theatre."

For advance tickets to all Zipper Factory Events, call Ovation tickets at 212-352-3101 or visit online at www.zippertheater.com.

Photo of Jason Danieley by Barry Gordin