Frank Sinatra News

The legendary Friars Club featured a night of Brazilian Jazz and cuisine in the Frank Sinatra Dinning Room last night. Produced by Howard Leder and Hosted by Stan Gilbert it was a typical Friars evening of good comedy, good music, and good food. Guitarists Vic Juris (USA) and Romero Lubamba (Brazil) provided the rhythms of Brazil and the Friars kitchen created some special delicacies for the evening. The Stone Brothers supplied the always available Friars humor for the event.

Coming up at 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. 54 Below also launched its series of late night events. Joining Tuesday nights' popular "Backstage" with Susie Mosher is the "54 Piano Bar," a new vocal competition - 'The Callback," and more, including: stage and television star Laura Benanti, High Fidelity in Concert, WGBO Jazz Series: Karrin Allyson Quartet, Tony winner Frances Ruffelle, Charlie Rosen's Broadway Big Band, Sondheim Unplugged and Simply Streisand.

As part of the 'A Moment in Time' Series, The Capitol Center Orchestra, under the direction of Clayton J. Poole, will pay tribute to Count Basie today, May 19th at 4:00pm. The tribute features drummer and Basie alumnus Butch Miles. The performance will be held at the Capitol Center for the Arts with tickets starting at $20.

Setting the stage as the perfect preshow for a Broadway matinee, Madame Tussauds New York (234 W. 42nd Street between 7th & 8th Avenues) is offering theatergoers free admission to the wax attraction for kids (ages 12 and under) when accompanied by a full-paying adult and presentation of a Broadway show ticket. The offer starts Wednesday, May 22, and can be redeemed each Wednesday until June 26.

No Exit Cafe (6970 N Glenwood Avenue, Chicago) presents A COLE PORTER SONGBOOK on Thursday, June 6 at 7:30 pm.

The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center presents one of the most exciting vocalists of our time, Ms. Julie Budd, making a long anticipated return to Los Angeles after an eight year hiatus. This special, one-night-only concert appearance presents a rare opportunity to see Ms. Budd (who has thrilled audiences in such venues as Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center and the London Palladium) in the intimate setting of the Center's beautiful Renberg Theatre.

Town Hall was the setting in 1968 of the legendary dual concert of America's leading cabaret performers, the great international club and recording artist Mabel Mercer and the reigning prince of cabaret Bobby Short. In a tribute to these great artists, The Mabel Mercer Foundation presented a lineup of today's leading practitioners of the intimate and enduring art of cabaret. Check out photos from the concert below!

No Exit Cafe (6970 N Glenwood Avenue, Chicago) presents A COLE PORTER SONGBOOK on Thursday, June 6 at 7:30 pm.

After the six million dollar sale of part I, Profiles in History, run by Joe Maddalena, is proud to announce the auction of The Property of a Distinguished American Private Collector Part II on May 30th. This collection of letters and manuscripts is one of the greatest collections ever amassed. In the first sale a letter by Vincent van Gogh sold for $336,000 and a Thomas Jefferson letter sold for $300,000, Part II promises to be even bigger.

Maurice Hines puts his passion for tap, his late brother Gregory, and classic Big Band music on display in TAPPIN' THRU LIFE: AN EVENING WITH MAURICE HINES. Backed by the Berklee College of Music Select Big Band, under the direction of drummer Sherrie Maricle, Hines tells his story, shows off his vocal chops, and delights the audience with his warm, relaxed presence. The program is stingy with his dancing, but The Manzari Brothers ratchet up the excitement and kick up a lot of dust in their turn in the spotlight.

Jazz at Lincoln Center concludes a milestone 25th anniversary concert season with Swinging With The Big Bands, special concert events in The Allen Room on June 12 at 7pm and June 13 at 7pm & 9pm. Swinging With The Big Bands celebrates the 1930s, an era when singers like Frank Sinatra, Billy Eckstine, Ivie Anderson, Dan Grissom, and Dick Powell inflamed hearts around the globe.

The Centenary Stage Company will host a tribute to one of the most exciting musical artists of our time, Ray Charles, with 'Forever Ray', a stellar 13-piece lineup of powerhouse musicians. Members of the band have toured or recorded with Ray Charles, Alicia Keys, Rod Stewart, Levon Helm, Christina Aguilera, Stevie Wonder, Kelly Clarkson, Patti LaBelle and Frank Sinatra to name a few.

Town Hall was the setting in 1968 of the legendary dual concert of America's leading cabaret performers, the great international club and recording artist Mabel Mercer and the reigning prince of cabaret Bobby Short. In a tribute to these great artists, The Mabel Mercer Foundation will present a lineup of today's leading practitioners of the intimate and enduring art of cabaret. KT Sullivan, Artistic Director of the Foundation, will host the evening.

Southern Rep Theatre concludes its 26th Season Mainstage Series with NEXT TO NORMAL with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt. Directed by Blake Coheley and musical direction by Jefferson Turner. Featuring: Leslie Castay, Richard Hutton, Madison Kerth, Clint Johnson, Matthew Thompson and Michael Krikorian.

From stem to stern, the crew of Lyric Stage Company's ON THE TOWN serves up a boatload of thrills. Leonard Bernstein's glorious score, book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and Jerome Robbins' idea fuse into a terrific voyage to end the season. Director Spiro Veloudos, Choreographer Ilyse Robbins, Music Director Jonathan Goldberg, a creative design team, and a shipshape ensemble put on one helluva show.

The Broadway production 'Old Jews Telling Jokes' came to the Friars Club last night for an evening full of laughter produced by Michelle Slonim. Creators Sam Hoffman and Peter Gethers gave an interesting talk and video presentation about the shows formation. Marilyn Sokol and Lenny Wolpe from the cast of 'Old Jews' told some side splitting jokes from the show. Stewie Stone 'head comic' at the Friars had some of his own hilarious stories and also introduced various Friars who contributed to the joke telling.

From the producers of the recently nominated tour of The King and I (UK Theatre Awards 2012) comes a dazzling new production of Cole Porter's timeless classic, High Society. This brand new theatre production will tour the UK in 2013 opening at Venue Cymru in Llandudno in January before arriving at Birmingham Hippodrome from today 14 - Saturday 18 May 2013.

The Phoenix Symphony announces their 2013/14 season, which promises to bring some of the biggest music and names of the orchestral world to Symphony Hall and beyond. This season marks The Phoenix Symphony's 66th anniversary since its founding in 1947. The Phoenix Symphony also continues its search for a Music Director, bringing in the best and brightest of the orchestral world to Arizona.

The Bucks County Playhouse in New Hope, Pennsylvania will begin their season with MAME starting May 23, 2013. The show will star Andrea McArdle in the role of Mame and Lea DeLaria as Vera Charles. DeLaria is a multi-talented performer, she is known as a comedian, jazz musician, actress and author. On stage, DeLaria is best known for her role as Hildy Esterhazy in ON THE TOWN in which she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award, and won a Theatre World Award.