James Followell News

After making his critically acclaimed Carnegie Hall debut earlier this year with the Mabel Mercer Foundation's All The Things You Are & invited to be among the vocal artists at the final night of the 30th Anniversary Mabel Mercer Cabaret Convention at Jazz at Lincoln Center in October, Tim Connell returned to the NY cabaret stage in an intimate evening of song and musing on romance.

Artist Series Concerts of Sarasota launches its 24th season with the return of acclaimed vocalist Jennifer Sheehan in a?oeI Know a Place,a?? her tribute to favorite hits of the '60s. Sheehan and her trio, which includes noted Broadway pianist James Followell, guitarist Stephen Benson and percussionist Dan Gross, offers a rich, and dare we say, groovy, assortment of tunes covering everything from Broadway, the Beatles and Bossa Nova, to Bacharach, Blossom Dearie, Simon and Garfunkel and so much more. Guests are also encouraged to don their favorite '60s attire.

Broadway performer, and Willow Grove, PA raised, Tim Connell returns to The Celebrity Room with a new show at the Celebrity Room at Dino's Backstage in Glenside, PA. Fans can get a chance to see Connell's new show There's This Thing...a musical reflection of life's hoopla on October 20 and 21. Returning with him is musical director and accompanist James Followell with direction by Steven Petrillo.

Besides being an extraordinary and illustrious Broadway actor, singer, dancer, choreographer and director Lee Roy Reams is one of the best raconteurs you could ever spend an evening with.

The MITF Awards Return! John Chatterton's 17th Summer Fest yielded an amazing crop of productions. Award Ceremony will be directly after the current festival: MIDTOWN INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL: AUTUMN ARTS 2016 October 26 - November 20 at the Jewel Box @ The WorkShop 312 W 36th Street, NYC www.midtownfestival.org

The MITF Awards Return! John Chatterton's 17th Summer Fest yielded an amazing crop of productions. Award Ceremony will be directly after the current festival: MIDTOWN INTERNATIONAL THEATRE FESTIVAL: AUTUMN ARTS 2016 October 26 - November 20 at the Jewel Box @ The WorkShop 312 W 36th Street, NYC www.midtownfestival.org

The Midtown International Theater Festival (MITF) presents Insomnia with music and lyrics by Charles Bloom and book by Theo Wolf. Ovi Vargas directs a cast of seven, including Philip Skinner, Jesse Manocherian*, Anette Michelle Sanders*, Lauren Lukacek*, Chris Brick*, Tyler Milliron*, and Dennis Holland*. Insomnia is being staged at the Main Stage, 312 West 36th Street in New York City from August 2-7, 2016. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The Midtown International Theater Festival (MITF) presents Insomnia with music and lyrics by Charles Bloom and book by Theo Wolf. Ovi Vargas directs a cast of seven, including Philip Skinner, Jesse Manocherian*, Anette Michelle Sanders*, Lauren Lukacek*, Chris Brick*, Tyler Milliron*, and Dennis Holland* (Bway: The Music Man, Peter Pan). Insomnia is being staged at the Main Stage, 312 West 36th Street in New York City from August 2-7, 2016.

The Midtown International Theater Festival (MITF) presents Insomnia with music and lyrics by Charles Bloom and book by Theo Wolf. Ovi Vargas directs a cast of seven, including Philip Skinner, Jesse Manocherian*, Anette Michelle Sanders*, Lauren Lukacek*, Chris Brick*, Tyler Milliron*, and Dennis Holland* (Bway: The Music Man, Peter Pan). Insomnia is being staged at the Main Stage, 312 West 36th Street in New York City from August 2-7, 2016.

The York Theatre Company presentation of the New York premiere of PLAID TIDINGS, the holiday edition of the ever popular Forever Plaid, with book by Stuart Ross, original Forever Plaid vocal and musical arrangements by James Raitt, and vocal and musical arrangements by James Raitt, Brad Ellis, Raymond Berg and David Snyder, opened last night, December 13, 2015. BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening night festivities below!

The York Theatre Company, dedicated to the development of new musicals and preserving musical gems from the past, presents the New York premiere of PLAID TIDINGS, the holiday edition of the ever popular Forever Plaid, with book by Stuart Ross, original Forever Plaid vocal and musical arrangements by James Raitt, and vocal and musical arrangements by James Raitt, Brad Ellis, Raymond Berg and David Snyder. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below! 

York Theatre Company's New York premiere of PLAID TIDINGS, the holiday edition of the ever popular FOREVER PLAID, with book by Stuart Ross, original FOREVER PLAID vocal and musical arrangements by James Raitt, and vocal and musical arrangements by James Raitt, Brad Ellis, Raymond Berg and David Snyder, begins tonight, December 8, 2015.

Performances are begin tomorrow, Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. for a limited 3-week engagement through Sunday, December 27, 2015 at The York Theatre Company at Saint Peter's (entrance on East 54th Street, just east of Lexington Avenue).  Opening night is Sunday evening, December 13 at 6:00 p.m.

Below, meet the cast and creative team for The York Theatre Company New York premiere of Plaid Tidings, the holiday edition of the ever popular Forever Plaid, with book by Stuart Ross, original Forever Plaid vocal and musical arrangements by James Raitt, and vocal and musical arrangements byJames Raitt, Brad Ellis, Raymond Berg and David Snyder. 

BroadwayWorld is excited to announce the full cast for York Theatre Company's New York premiere of PLAID TIDINGS, the holiday edition of the ever popular FOREVER PLAID, with book by Stuart Ross, original FOREVER PLAID vocal and musical arrangements by James Raitt, and vocal and musical arrangements by James Raitt, Brad Ellis, Raymond Berg and David Snyder.

Urban Stages (Frances Hill, Founding Artistic Director, Peter Napolitano, Producer/Director of Musical Programming) today announced the line-up for this year's Award-Winning Musical event WINTER RHYTHMS 2015, which will begin Wednesday, December 2 and will feature some of New York's best musical performances through December 13, 2015 at Urban Stages Theatre. WINTER RHYTHMS 2015 marks the seventh year that Urban Stages has brought noted musical artists to its stage during the holiday period. The mission of Winter Rhythms is to bring the talents of known and unknown singers, musicians, lyricists and composers to the attention of the New York theater community while performing at Urban Stages Theater. Winner of the 2015 Ruth Kurtzman Benefit Series MAC Award, WINTER RHYTHMS benefits Urban Stages' acclaimed Outreach Program, which brings more than 200 free "arts in education" presentations to libraries and schools throughout the five boroughs. This year's event features 20 shows and more than 100 artists.

Urban Stages announces the line-up for this year's Award Winning Musical event WINTER RHYTHMS 2015, which will begin Wednesday, December 2and will feature some of New York's best musical performances through December 13, 2015 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30thStreet, just East of 8th Avenue). Tickets are $25 per show and may be purchased by visiting urbanstages.org or by calling (866) 811-4111. For complete schedule information, visit urbanstages.org.

On the second night of this year's 26th Annual Cabaret Convention, Jeff Harnar and Andrea Marcovicci hosted A Sentimental Journey: World War II Songs, inspired by Marcovicci's memorable Oak Room at The Algonquin show, I'll Be Seeing You--Love Songs of World War II. (The CD is highly recommended.) As always with this pair's Convention contribution, the show was a treat in part because of its singular glamour. Much of our audience was exceptionally familiar with and nostalgic about these songs. A few had to be politely quieted for singing along, more than a few took each other's hands. It seems I've heard that song before . . . the co-hosts begin, warming the room.

Evoking Rita Hayworth, a spot lit Jennifer Sheehan weaves through 54 Below towards the stage, long dark hair cascading above a body-skimming white gown replete with twinkling sequins. “I'll build a stairway to the stars . . .,” (Mitchell Parish/Matt Malneck/Frank Signorelli) she sings with stunning vocal clarity and investment that might conjure a Ziegfeld Girl. In her new show, Stardust: A Night in the Cosmos, Sheehan welcomes the “dreamers, romantics, stargazers, astrophysicists, and Trekkies” with “songs that flicker like the street lamps of eternity” with lyrics featuring stars, moons, and rose-colored hope. It's an appealing theme and one that suits the artist's fetching performance and transition from ingénue into a more mature cabaret entertainer.

54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, presents the multi-award winning performer Jennifer Sheehan in 'STARDUST: A Night in the Cosmos' -- a show that goes where no show has gone before, traversing a wide spectrum of great songs and stories that trace our life-long love affair with the magnificent and mysterious night sky!