Eda Sorokoff News

You didn't have to know French to understand that Christine Andreas created the magic of Edith Piaf last night au-dessous de Rue 54.

Senator Elizabeth Warren and the rest of the Opening NIght Audience at Shakespeare & Co's production of Cymbeline didn't have to fill the suggestion box labeled 'Tell Us Why You LIke Shakespeare'  in the lobby of the Tina Packer Playhouse with answers to that question.  They did it with their many standing ovations for the 9 actors and director Tina Packer at the conclusion of a magnificent and energetic performance of the complex plot driven play by Shakespeare.   There are a lot of exciting things going on at Shakespeare & Co. in Lenox MA. and artistic director Allyn Burrows in his toast at the jubilant after party stated 'first to the unknown and to the road ahead'!

The security was tight in the Monastery last night as politicians, tennis legends, celebrities and Friars gathered in the Frank Sinatra Dining Room to pay tribute to David Dinkins on his 90th birthday.   The security protection wasn't good enough however to stop one of the greatest comedians on the planet, Dean Emeritus Freddie Roman (MC) to have some fun with the former Mayor.  As a matter of fact Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who made a special trip down from Albany to be at the Friars got some laughs himself during his heartfelt tribute to Mr. Dinkins.  There was much love, laughter, joy, and a few tears in the club during the evening, as there always is in the Friars Club.  I couldn't help thinking as I watched all the Democrats and  Republicans in the room enjoying each others camaraderie, how great it would be if all our representatives in Washington would become Friars, meet in The Monastery, feel the love, and solve the nations problems. 

Longtime communications director of the Friars Club was given a heartfelt Bon Voyage in the Milton Berle Room yesterday and many show business notables were present and in video to honor the man who has written most of the published words and history of The Friars for the last 25 years.  Barry Dougherty's words...

When you're marketing a spectacular SoHo Penthouse that has a Steinway B piano and you come from the world of cabaret what do you do?  Super Real Estate impresarios Tom Postilio and Mickey Conlon filled it with the music of songstress Allyson Briggs with her band Fleur Seule, (a favorite of The Rainbow Room) and have a party for your eclectic group of friends.

A historic 1904 building was transformed into an elegant space by  the Gala's producers, and for you theatre folks used to those  exciting NYC Actors Fund  Events think Barrington Stage Gala 2017 in Pittsfield MA.  

Opening night theatre goers celebrated with the Elizabeth Stanley Darnell Abraham, Hunter Ryan Herdlicka, David Harris, J. Anthony Crane, Zurin Villanueva, Cast, Creative, Lynn Ahrens, and the staff of Barrington Stage Co. last night and Broadwayworld was there for the festivities.  

Union Street in Pittsfield MA had all the excitement of a Broadway Opening as the Tony Award Winning Ragtime opened on the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage of Barrington Stage Co. and Broadway and lyricist Lynn Ahrens were there.  

Tony Danza is the 'Peoples Choice' not only because he won that award (among many).  He is also the choice for hundreds of New York City kids for whom he is a role model  in his capacity as Board Member of the NYC Police Athletic League (PAL).  Tony recently launched PAL's first acting program under the philosophy  'when you teach a kid how to act, you teach them how to act.' Alongside PAL's other athletic, academic, and artistic programs, the Acting Program has become an instant favorite.  Last night students were showcased in their stage debut at the Gerald w. Lynch Theater in Manhattan in a variety show which was developed over the last few months.

Bernie Fusrhpan, managing partner of the Metropolitan Room moved his club into the Friars Club last night and BroadwayWorld was there for the entertainment super special. 

'The Birds' by Irish playwright Conor McPherson and directed by Barrington Stage Companies founder and artistic director Julianne Boyd landed on BSC's Second Stage yesterday and BroadwayWorld was nestled in with the rest of the opening night Pittsfield audience. 

The piano at at Berkshire Theatre Group's  Unicorn Theatre will never be the same after Jerry Lee Lewis (Gabriel Aronson) of MIllion Dollar Quartet finished playing and gyrating on it last night at the opening of this Tony Award-Winning Musical, and Broadwayworld was there.

It's one thing to be able to act and sing like Brian Stokes Mitchell, but in addition, there is a whole other level of musicianship Brian possesses that enabled him to conceive and create his opening number, 'There's No Business Like Show Business'.  As 'Stokes' pointed out, his musical mind is in sync with his brilliant music director, Tedd Firth.  The two of them have produced an arrangement of this Irving Berlin standard that takes you on a roller coaster ride of meter and key changes.  A little bit of math proficiency was also probably needed because the Stokes/Firth arrangement starts off as a ballad and then weaves it's way through a variety of tempos which include 7/8 & 5/4. It certainly was indicative of the title of his cabaret show, 'Playing With Music.'  

Inside Broadway presented it's Beacon Awards last night at it's 35th anniversary season Gala  and BroadwayWorld was inside the JW Marriot Essex House for the festivities.

Tin Pan Alley on 28th street in Manhattan was where many songs were composed in the early 20th century.  Young composers like George Gershwin wrote many of the tunes we are still singing today.  Now, a lot of the creative music and lyrics are coming out of William Finn's Master Class at The NYU Tisch Graduate Program in Musical Theatre Writing.  Instead of these young songwriters displaying there work on the cheap upright pianos that gave Tin Pan Alley it's name, Mr. Finn who is also the Artistic Head of the Musical Theatre Lab at Barrington Stage Company  puts on a show on Barrington's Main Stage in PIttsfield Massachusetts.

There are not too many places in the world where you can see and hear music performances like the concert/shows produced in Jazz at Lincoln Center's Appel Room.  Before the music starts you get to see one of the most exciting views NYC has to offer of Central Park & Columbus Circle.  Then just as you're silently singing 'can't take my eyes off of you'  the off-stage announcement is made 'and now ladies and gentlemen, the one and only Michael Feinstein.'

Everybody Loved Somebody at The Friars Club last night as Dean Martin was celebrated in song and toasted by his fellow Friars. 

The celebrities turned out for Haley Swindal's last show at Feinstein's/54 Below last night and BroadwayWorld was there.

Paulo Szot breathtakingly answered the question last night.  Can one of opera and Broadway world's most magnificent and powerful voices be harnessed to create an intimate cabaret experience? If you have a preconceived notion of a barrel chested, non swinging, duck out of water performer, you are a 100 percent wrong. 

Photographs of America's most treasured composers are on the walls of the Friars Club. By some oversight David Friedman's is not.  After an evening of David and friends performing his music he will take his rightful  place among the music greats who have had their music echo through the hallowed rooms of the club.