Eda Sorokoff News

As Steven Reineke, music director and conductor pointed out in his toast after The New York Pops Concert dedicated to women female Composers . this concert was especially significant in these current times.

Julianne Boyd, artistic director of Barrington Stage Co. announced that the BSC/NYC sold out Benefit recently held at the Friars Club was the theatre company's most successful New York City event to date having raised $125,000 for the 2018 New Works Initiative. The evening featured performances by BSC actors and the presenting of the William Finn Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre to Joe Iconis.

Friars have socialized and been entertained by every major Broadway and Great American Songbook composer starting with Friar George M. Cohan, who in addition to writing over 50 Broadway shows and 300 songs happened to pen Over There at a table during lunch at the Friars Club. Last night continuing this tradition, and in the same building that Friar Irving Berlin, Sammy Cahn and countless luminaries have performed, musical theatre legends Richard Maltby Jr. and David Shire entertained The Friars with a major dose of Maltby & Shire music.

The invitation proclaimed An Evening of Pure Joy and the Barrington Stage Company's NYC Benefit held at The Friars Club last night surpassed all expectations. A star studded roster from the BSC actors bench filled the Friars Club with song as Tony Award Winning Composer/Lyricist William Finn presented Joe Iconis with the William Finn Award for Innovation and Excellence in Musical Theatre. Julianne Boyd, artistic director and founder of Barrington Stage Company, Mary Ann Quinson, Board Chair, and Marita O'Dea Glodt, opened the evenings festivities. The SRO guests in the legendary Friars Club were entertained by BSC performers, Jennette Bayardelle, Allison Blackwell, Ellen Harvey, Lauren Marcus, Kyle Dean Massey, Jeff McCarthy, Anastasia Mccluskey, Anne L. Nathan, Will Roland, Scarlett Strallen, Will Swenson,Jason Sweetooth Williams,Eric William Morris, and Stephanie Umoh. Musical direction was by Darren Cohen.

Last night Tony Award winner Frances Ruffelle performed her cabaret show titled Frances Ruffelle Live(S) in New York at The Green Room 42 and there was no doubt the audience was ecstatic this Englishwoman, Broadway and West End star lives in New York. The produces of the show promised a widely entertaining ride straight through the core of the most tender hear, fiery passion and loose comic confidence of a seasoned performer at the height of her game and they were spot on with that prediction. Francis created the iconic role of Eponine in Les Miserables and turned On My Own into one of Broadway's most beloved standards. She has made 5 solo albums and has performed countless West End Shows including her most recent critically acclaimed performance as Queenie in the U.K. Premiere of Michael LaChusa's infamous Wild Party .

The Bernie & Sid Show is one of the most popular Talk Radio programs in the tri-state area and they were joined by Rita Cosby, Television news anchor, correspondent, radio host and best selling author for an evening of talk at the Friars Club last night. As usual, what happens in the Friars stays in the Friars. Bernie & Sid had a lively discussion about current events that wouldn't make the censors cut on 77 WABC but the Friars didn't have a problem with in the Frank Sinatra Dining Room. Rita Cosby's beautiful complexion turned a little redder than usual as she steered the two provocative talk show personalities around many of the issues of the day. The Q&A was also a lively event with Mayoral Candidate Bo Dietl having some interesting comments about the recent New York City election.

There have been many 100 year birthday celebrations of singers this year and one of the best was Vivian Reed Sings Lena Horne at Feinstein's/54 Below last night.

Husband-and-wife duo John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey make their annual fall pilgrimage to Caf Carlyle with an all-new show, The Little Things You Do Together, November 7-18.

Critics J. Peter Bergman and Macey Levin once again hosted the ceremony, which saw top honors for Best Play go to the Berkshire Theatre Group's production of David Auburn's Lost Lake, and a tie between Barrington Stage Company's production of Stephen Sondheim's Company and the Mac-Haydn Theatre's production of Hello, Dolly! for Best Musical.

Barrington Stage Company (BSC), the award-winning theatre in Downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership of Artistic Director Julianne Boyd, will host its annual New York City Benefit, BSC/NYC, on Monday, November 13, 2017, to celebrate their New Works Initiative and honor composer Joe Iconis with the William Finn Award for Innovation and Excellence in Musical Theatre.

There was uncontrollable audience laughter as everything perfectly went wrong before and during the performance. It even went perfectly right after the show as Max von Essen, Geneva Carr, and one of the show's producers Jamie deRoy & her friends negotiated their way back stage through the disarrayed set in the Lyceum Theatre to congratulate the cast.

The voices of MasterVoices were gloriously heard in Carnegie Hall last night as Artistic Director Ted Sperling, orchestra and chorus brought a concert version of George & Ira Gershwin's Of Thee I Sing to Stern Auditorium.

The Actors Fund's Career Transition For dancers Jubilee gala was held in the New York Marriot Marquis last night and Broadwayworld was there. It was hosted by Tony & Emmy Award-winning Actress Bebe Neuwirth and honored Dancer Choreographer & Television dance Competion judge Carrie Ann Inaba, Academy & Tony Award-winning Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones and Tony Award nominee and New York City Ballet Principal Dancer Robert Fairchild.

After The New York Pops Season Opening Concert the excitement continued with Music Director and Conductor Steven Reineke and guests artists Ali Ewoldt and Matt Doyle at The Pops after party. The concert celebrated the the 35th season and the centennial of the birth of the orchestra's founder Skitch Henderson.

Last night in the beautiful Soho loft of internationally renowned artist/sculptor Edwina Sandys, granddaughter of Winston Churchill, the Gold Coast Arts Center and International Film Festival payed tribute to Rita Hayworth the iconic Hollywood film star.

Th Cafe Carlyle has the appropriate nightclub style low ceiling which adds to the rooms intimacy. Mandy Gonzalez a statuesque beauty raised the roof both physically and vocally in an exciting evening in her Carlyle debut with a song list to please all tastes in music.

TO LIFE was the theme of the event at Feinstein's/54 Below for the benefit of the LiveOnNY Foundation and it was wonderful to see Doctors, Surgeons, Hospital Administrators, officials of LiveOnNY and generous concerned New Yorkers take time off from their important work to enjoy an evening of Broadway & Comedy.

Marilyn Maye, who usually swings at night, showed the early afternoon crowd at the 92Y TALKS audience she can do it in the afternoon too.

Everyone knows Hugh Hefner, but the man at Hefner's side for all those ground-breaking Playboy years was Victor Lownes, who passed away January 11, 2017. A Celebration of this extraordinary man's life was organized by The Mabel Mercer Foundation and Victor's wife Marilyn Cole Lownes. It was quite fitting, since Victor Lownes and Hugh Hefner bonded at the beginning of Playboy Magazine because of their love of the cabaret artist Mabel Mercer.