Christopher Denny News

Though The Paper Mill Playhouse has just opened Master Class and still has productions of 1776 and The Full Monty geared up for their current season, plans are zipping along for the four musicals and one straight play that will make up their 2009-10 campaign. The official announcement comes this Friday afternoon, but they've released these five pictorial clues as hints. See if you can guess what the gang at Millburn has in store next season.

Though Julie Wilson was certainly not the first and by all means not the last great singer to have her heart stomped upon by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht's 'Surabaya Johnny,' there is no one I can name more deserving to claim it as their signature song.  (Okay, maybe Lotte Lenya, but you know that's a special case.)  Though for many years now the 83-year-old beloved cabaret star has been singing songs less and less and speaking them more and more, there are few who can match her for painting vivid word pictures and bringing complex dramatic subtext to a lyric.  With pianist Christopher Denny doing a marvelous job of softly supporting her many pauses and tempo changes, Wilson's crushing performance of Marc Blitzstein's translation, played to a pin-drop silent crowd on opening night of her new show at The Metropolitan Room, is an emotionally striking portrayal of a woman who can explode with anger at the mistreatment she endures from her faithless lover while moments later barely control a sob at the admission that she still loves him.  Through the years I've seen Julie Wilson sing 'Surabaya Johnny' many times but her performance that night was the best I've ever seen or heard from anyone.  (And as is typical of her modesty, she actually introduced the song by complimenting Donna Murphy's performance of it on Broadway in LoveMusik.)  She follows it with a devilishly humored 'Mack the Knife' (also Blitzstein's translation) that builds so slowly and precisely that she goes through the entire song twice in order to hit the climax.  I heard no complaints.

TOMMY FEMIA, the 7-time Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs (MAC) Award-winning impersonator, kicks off his 20th season at the popular midtown club Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues), with his acclaimed portrayal of the legendary Judy Garland in 'JUDY GARLAND LIVE!' with two shows a month beginning with a special preview on Monday, September 21 at 6:30 p.m. and the official opening on Saturday, September 26 at 8:30 p.m.

TOMMY FEMIA, the 7-time Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs (MAC) Award-winning impersonator, continues the celebration of his 20th season at the popular midtown club Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues), with his acclaimed portrayal of the legendary Judy Garland in 'JUDY GARLAND LIVE!'

On Monday, October 5, Broadway's Tony Award-winning hit musical CHICAGO will welcome back Broadway favorite Brent Barrett as Billy Flynn for an eight-week return engagement (through Sunday, November 29).

On Monday, October 5, Broadway's Tony Award-winning hit musical CHICAGO will welcome back Broadway favorite Brent Barrett as Billy Flynn for an eight-week return engagement (through Sunday, November 29).

TOMMY FEMIA, the 7-time Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs (MAC) Award-winning impersonator, kicks off his 20th season at the popular midtown club Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues), with his acclaimed portrayal of the legendary Judy Garland in 'JUDY GARLAND LIVE!' with two shows a month beginning with a special preview on Monday, September 21 at 6:30 p.m. and the official opening on Saturday, September 26 at 8:30 p.m.

On Monday, October 5, Broadway's Tony Award-winning hit musical CHICAGO will welcome back Broadway favorite Brent Barrett as Billy Flynn for an eight-week return engagement (through Sunday, November 29).

TOMMY FEMIA, the 7-time Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs (MAC) Award-winning impersonator, kicks off his 20th season at the popular midtown club Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues), with his acclaimed portrayal of the legendary Judy Garland in 'JUDY GARLAND LIVE!' with two shows a month beginning with a special preview on Monday, September 21 at 6:30 p.m. and the official opening on Saturday, September 26 at 8:30 p.m.

TOMMY FEMIA, the 7-time Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs (MAC) Award-winning impersonator, kicks off his 20th season at the popular midtown club Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues), with his acclaimed portrayal of the legendary Judy Garland in 'JUDY GARLAND LIVE!' with two shows a month beginning with a special preview on Monday, September 21 at 6:30 p.m. and the official opening on Saturday, September 26 at 8:30 p.m.

TOMMY FEMIA, the 7-time Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs (MAC) Award-winning impersonator, kicks off his 20th season at the popular midtown club Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues), with his acclaimed portrayal of the legendary Judy Garland in 'JUDY GARLAND LIVE!' with two shows a month beginning with a special preview on Monday, September 21 at 6:30 p.m. and the official opening on Saturday, September 26 at 8:30 p.m.

The Art of Cabaret was presented by the Perry-Mansfield performing arts school in a special one-night-only cabaret concert to benefit its scholarship fund hosted by Broadway veterans and cabaret singers Andrea Marcovicci and Karen Mason.

Today's Broadway Blogs on BroadwayWorld.com from Monday, March 9, 2009.

Perry-Mansfield, the most legendary of all performing arts schools in the nation, will present a special one-night-only cabaret concert to benefit its scholarship fund, it was announced by Executive Director June Lindenmayer. 'The Art of Cabaret' scholarship fund benefit concert will be hosted by Andrea Marcovicci and Karen Mason, and will feature performances by Barry Kleinbort and Terri Ralston (Perry-Mansfield master teachers), and musical directors Christopher Denny, Shelly Markham, and David Gaines.

Perry-Mansfield, the most legendary of all performing arts schools in the nation, will present a special one-night-only cabaret concert to benefit its scholarship fund, it was announced by Executive Director June Lindenmayer. 'The Art of Cabaret' scholarship fund benefit concert will be hosted by Andrea Marcovicci and Karen Mason, and will feature performances by Barry Kleinbort and Terri Ralston (Perry-Mansfield master teachers), and musical directors Christopher Denny, Shelly Markham, and David Gaines.

Julie Wilson, the legendary theatre and cabaret star, will make a guest appearance at Steven Brinberg's A Simply Barbra Holiday Spectacular.She joins the previously announced Tituss Burgess and The Broadway Boys. The event will benefit The Ali Forney Center, New York's primary emergency housing resource for homeless LGBT youth. A Simply Barbra Holiday Spectacular will play at Symphony Space (2357 Broadway at 95th Street) on Saturday, December 20 at 8 pm.

Julie Wilson, the legendary theatre and cabaret star, will make a guest appearance at Steven Brinberg's A Simply Barbra Holiday Spectacular.She joins the previously announced Tituss Burgess and The Broadway Boys. The event will benefit The Ali Forney Center, New York's primary emergency housing resource for homeless LGBT youth. A Simply Barbra Holiday Spectacular will play at Symphony Space (2357 Broadway at 95th Street) on Saturday, December 20 at 8 pm.

MAC and Bistro Award-winner Steven Brinberg brings his acclaimed show Simply Barbra to the New York stage for 'A Simply Barbra Holiday Spectacular' along with Tituss Burgess, The Broadway Boys, and other special guests in a concert benefitting The Ali Forney Center, New York's primary emergency housing resource for homeless LGBT youth.

Celebrated cabaret performer Karen Mason brings a little holiday cheer to The Big Apple with 'Karen Mason and Friends: Christmas in the City,' a festive holiday concert featuring special guests Liz Callaway, Gregg Edelman, and The Accidentals.

Steven Brinberg in celebrated the holidays in 'Simply Barbra: A Christmas Show' playing 4 performances only at the Metropolitan Room. With Chris Denny at the piano, a special guest star will appear at each show.