'Fred Barton Presents...' Plays the Metropolitan Room, 9/18

Fred Barton, the award-winning orchestrator/arranger, pianist-singer-actor, songwriter, TV composer and theatrical musical director, with numerous credits on Broadway, Off Broadway, in cabaret, symphonic music and television, has literally done it all! Or has he?

Barton believes he can still do more and has created an exciting new cabaret show that he believes will take him to new heights. In Fred Barton Presents - And Thinks You're Gonna Love It!, Fred hosts, sings and plays with his 9-piece Broadway Band, bringing back classic Broadway show music, with some swing on the side. The show will be presented monthly at The Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd Street, with one or two of Fred's favorite singers featured at each performance.

The show debuts on Sunday, September 18, 9:30 - 11:00 PM, with guest singer Karen Wilder and a guest appearance by Jesse Luttrell.

"This is something I've wanted to do for a very long time," he says. "Classic show music has fallen into a bit of disrepute and disuse around town. I just don't hear enough of it to suit me, in the piano bars, the cabarets, and, of course, on Broadway. My friends know I've been bitching about this for years. I love show music. I love a good band. I love great singers. And I especially love a great singer singing a great show song with a great band.

"I know a bunch of great old-style Broadway singers who don't have a place to strut. I know a bunch of great songs that aren't being heard. I know a bunch of show music fans like me, who are staying home on the internet. Tell you what. Why don't we all get together with a great band at The Metropolitan Room?"

Fred says, "Karen Wilder is a great performer with whom I've worked since our days in the original Forbidden Broadway, and her voice can be heard on numerous Broadway cast albums. Mr. Jesse Luttrell is the best young Broadway-style singer in town. I can't wait to show them off."
A sampling of the show tunes featured in the show include: "Penniless Bums" (Styne/Merrill, from Sugar), "The People In My Life" (Styne/Merrill, cut from Sugar), "The Woman For The Man" (Strouse/Adams, from It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's Superman), "Look At ‘Er" (Merrill, from New Girl In Town), "My Dream For Tomorrow" (Sherman Brothers, from Over Here!) and "Make Someone Happy" (Styne/Comden/Green, from Do, Re, Mi).

Fred Barton is a performer, arranger, songwriter, conductor and TV composer. His previous cabaret revues include Forbidden Broadway (Drama Desk, Tony Award, 27-year run); Miss Gulch Returns (Bistro Award) and Whoop-Dee-Doo! (Drama Desk Award). He's conducted numerous Broadway shows, composed numerous TV shows, and his symphonic orchestrations are played almost weekly by orchestras around the country.

As Jerry Herman wrote: "There's no tune like a show tune!"
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Fred Barton Presents - And Thinks You're Gonna Love It!, starring Fred Barton and his 9-Piece Broadway Band; featuring Karen Wilder and Jesse Luttrell. Premiere Performance: Sunday, September 18, 9:30 - 11:00 PM, at The Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd Street. Tel: 212-206-0440. http://metropolitanroom.com/show.cfm?id=95561&cart