Bill West News

Birdland Jazz Club has announced its lineup for March 23 - March 29, featuring the John Abercrombie Quartet, Anika Larsen with Jessie Mueller & Jerrod Spector, Barbara Carroll, Peter Mazza and more. Scroll down for details!

Birdland Jazz Club just announced its March 2015 schedule, featuring Mike Stern and Bill Evans Band, Barbara Carroll, John Abercrombie Quartet, Sheila Jordan with the Steve Kuhn Trio, Kevin Mahogany, Anika Larsen featuring Jessie Mueller and Jarrod Spector, Jim Caruso's Cast Party, and more. Scroll down for details!

Birdland Jazz Club has announced its February 2015 schedule, featuring John Pizzarelli Quartet, Marilyn Maye, Sarah Gazarek, Billy Childs Jazz Quartet, The 5th Annual Broadway Belts for PFF, Jim Caruso's Cast Party, and more. Details below!

Jim Caruso's Cast Party will return to the West Coast for one night only, tonight, December 17at 10pm. The 'extreme open mic' will take place at The Dave Koz Lounge at Spaghettini 184 North Canon Drive in Beverly Hills.

Jim Caruso's Cast Party will return to the West Coast for one night only, Wednesday, December 17at 10pm. The 'extreme open mic' will take place at The Dave Koz Lounge at Spaghettini 184 North Canon Drive in Beverly Hills.

Kitchen Cafe Dallas will present the return of Jim Caruso's Cast Party on Thursday and Friday, September 11 & 12 from 7:30 - 10:30pm. Called an "extreme open mic" by ABC-TV, Jim Caruso's Cast Party is a wildly popular event that has been bringing Broadway glitz and urbane wit to the legendary Birdland in NYC every Monday for the past eleven years. The hilarious impromptu evening has also been celebrating local talent in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago, Austin, and on the high seas. Now, for the second time, Caruso and Stritch are bringing the fun to Dallas, their old stomping grounds! Their May booking was a smashing success, packing a record number of audience members into Kitchen Cafe Dallas.

Second Stage Theatre's 35th Anniversary Gala celebration will honor Carole Rothman, Artistic Director of Second Stage Theatre, for her 35 years of supporting new works and artistic development in New York City theatre. This year's rock n' roll themed gala will be attended by over 250 Second Stage Alumni who have worked at Second Stage Theatre during the past 35 years, from Brooke Adams and Polly Draper who appeared in the very first season, to cast members from the currently running The Substance of Fire and the upcoming American Hero which will make its New York premiere this summer at Second Stage Uptown. Special guests participating in the evening's festivities include Lynn Nottage, Cynthia Nixon, Tony Goldwyn, and more. Co-Chairs for this year's gala are Tony James, Tony Kiser, and George Loening.

The Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel, is pleased to welcome Jim Caruso & Billy Stritch back to Bemelmans Bar for an extended Sunday night residency. The upcoming performances will build upon their recent run of shows in the intimate, storied New York City lounge, favorites not only of music fans and critics, but also of fellow artists. Jim Caruso & Billy Stritch shows are a place where some of the city's foremost entertainers go to commune with their own-and sometimes sit-in for a song or two-on their nights off. The pair will be at Bemelmanswith their evening of swinging standards Sunday nights, April 6 - May 25.

Lincoln Center has announced its February 2014 lineup, including the American Songbook series with Michael John LaChiusa, Jessica Molaskey, and more, as well as Great Performers' 'Art Song on Film', Target Free Thursdays and Meet the Artist Todays. Details below!

Lincoln Center has announced its February 2014 lineup, including the American Songbook series with Michael John LaChiusa, Jessica Molaskey, and more, as well as Great Performers' 'Art Song on Film', Target Free Thursdays and Meet the Artist Saturdays. Details below!

BIRDLAND RECORDS has just announced the release of 'A Swinging Birdland Christmas' CD. The CD was recorded live in winter 2012 during a performance of this annual holiday show at historic Birdland Jazz Club in Midtown Manhattan. 'A Swinging Birdland Christmas,' stars Birdland regulars Klea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso and Billy Stritch with special guest jazz violinist Aaron Weinstein. In the tradition of beloved seasonal specials, Blackhurst, Caruso and Stritch perform swinging arrangements by Billy Stritch of Kay Thompson's classics 'It's The Holiday Season,' 'Sleigh Ride,' and 'I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm,' among other favorites. The record also features Billy Stritch on piano, John Hart on guitar, Paul Gill on bass, Carmen Intorre on drums. The album is executive produced by Birdland's Gianni Valenti.

Tonight, October 5th, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) will host their 18th annual Spotlight Gala, The Enchanted Oz, at the center in Newark.

Performers Jim Caruso & Billy Stritch return to their regular spot at Bemelmans at The Carlyle Hotel with their evening of swinging standards tonight, September 1 then running every Sunday in September, from 9pm - 12 midnight.

Performers Jim Caruso & Billy Stritch return to their regular spot at Bemelmans at The Carlyle Hotel with their evening of swinging standards on Sunday, September 1 then running every Sunday in September, from 9pm - 12 midnight.

BroadwayWorld has confirmed that Erich Bergen will reprise his critically acclaimed portrayal of Bob Gaudio in the film version of Jersey Boys, directed by Clint Eastwood. Bergen played the role in the First National Tour, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas casts of the Tony Award-winning Best Musical.

Last night, the Producers Guild of America honored nine Innovators, Visionaries and Producers (V.I.P.) who have made significant contributions to the advancement of digital entertainment and storytelling in the past year.

The Academy launches a slate of events focused on the breakthroughs in visual effects, beginning with a special advance screening of 'Jurassic Park 3D' on April 2, and concluding with an exploration of the groundbreaking VFX techniques used in 'Life of Pi' on May 6.

Julie Halston attacked the Birdland stage with an animalistic energy that caught even the most fanatical of her admirers off-guard. The opening night of her four-show run, 'Classical Julie,' was a who's who of the showbiz scene, and included Tyne Daley, Lisa Lampanelli, Charles Busch, James Lecesne, Danny Visconti, Shirley Herz, Peter Bartlett, Dan Butler, Klea Blackhurst, Natalie Douglas and Ed Windels, among many others. BroadwayWorld has photos from the concert below!

The Academy Awards for outstanding film achievements of 2012 will be presented tonight, notoriously dubbed as 'Oscar Sunday,' at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center, and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries worldwide. The telecast kicks off at 7 p.m. EST, and BroadwayWorld will be bringing you live-updates of the winners all night!

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts were held today in the UK, and once again, ARGO took home the top two prizes: 'Best Film,' and 'Best Director' for Ben Affleck.