Jane Monheit News

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts (www.usdan.com), the renowned Long Island summer arts day camp whose 48th season kicked off today, features award-winning and fast-rising professional artists of music, dance and theater on its unique Festival Concerts series.

?GABRIELLE STRAVELLI - the celebrated pop/jazz vocalist called an "outstanding singer" by The Wall Street Journal and "hotter than the equator" by The Village Voice, will debut at The Cornelia Street Cafe (29 Cornelia Street in New York) on Monday, July 13 at 8:30 PM.

54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents MARCUS GOLDHABER in "FREE & EASY: LIVIN' ON SWING STREET" on SATURDAY, JULY 25 AT 9:30 p.m.

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, the renowned summer arts day camp, announces that Lauren Brandt Schloss will become Usdan¹s third Executive Director this fall. She will be Usdan¹s first female Executive and the first whose background is in the visual arts. Ms. Schloss will join the staff in June following her tenure as Executive Vice President at New York¹s Studio in a School and her previous position as Director of Education at the Queens Museum. She will succeed Dale Lewis, who following 36 years at Usdan will be leaving in September to direct the new Arts Reach Fund at Long Island Community Foundation.

GABRIELLE STRAVELLI - the celebrated pop/jazz vocalist called an 'outstanding singer' by The Wall Street Journal and 'hotter than the equator' by The Village Voice, will preview songs from upcoming album at Cafe Noctaubulo at Pangea Restaurant (178 Second Avenue, between 11th and 12th Streets) tonight, June 20 at 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM. For reservations please call (212) 995-0900. Stravelli will be joined by Art Hirahara on piano and Pat O'Leary on bass.

Acclaimed songwriter Scott Alan returns to London for a two-week residency at The Hippodrome Casino. Featuring a different guest each night, the nine concerts will celebrate Alan's work in nights filled with heartfelt songs, the stories behind them and many surprises.

GABRIELLE STRAVELLI - the celebrated pop/jazz vocalist called an 'outstanding singer' by The Wall Street Journal and 'hotter than the equator' by The Village Voice, will preview songs from upcoming album at Cafe Noctaubulo at Pangea Restaurant (178 Second Avenue, between 11th and 12th Streets) on Saturday, June 20 at 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM. For reservations please call (212) 995-0900. Stravelli will be joined by Art Hirahara on piano and Pat O'Leary on bass.

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will return to OASIS (298 Eleventh Street, San Francisco CA) on Saturday, August 1 at 7:00 PM after a sold out debut show in April.

Michael Feinstein, Melissa Errico, Liz Callaway, The Skivvies, Michael McElroy, Lauren Worsham, Cyrille Aimee, Rachel York, Adam Kantor, Randy Graff, Kim David Smith, Danielle Grabianowski, Jonah Verdon, Julie Hill, Molly Pope, Josh Sharp, Aaron Jackson and Brendan Maclean headline the fifth annual 'Night Of A Thousand Judys' - presented by The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre - tonight, June 1.

Brendan Maclean - the acclaimed Australian singer/songwriter - will join Michael Feinstein, Melissa Errico, Liz Callaway, The Skivvies, Michael McElroy, Lauren Worsham, Cyrille Aimee, Rachel York, Adam Kantor, Randy Graff, Kim David Smith, Danielle Grabianowski, Jonah Verdon, Julie Hill, Molly Pope, Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson to headline the fifth annual 'Night Of A Thousand Judys' - presented by The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre - on Monday, June 1.

Michael Feinstein, Molly Pope, John Early and Jonah Verdon will join the previously announced headliners Melissa Errico, Liz Callaway, The Skivvies, Michael McElroy, Lauren Worsham, Cyrille Aimee, Rachel  York, Adam Kantor, Randy Graff, Kim David Smith, Danielle Grabianowski, Julie Hill, Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson to headline the fifth annual "Night Of A Thousand Judys" - presented by The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre - on Monday, June 1. The Pride concert to benefit The Ali Forney Center will take place at Merkin Concert Hall at the Kaufman Center (129 West 67th Street in Manhattan). Called "a rambunctious, uproarious, unpredictable all-star concert" by The Wall Street Journal, "Night Of A Thousand Judys" will honor the iconic Judy Garland with special skits, tributes and songs from her legendary career as movie star, recording artist and stage performer. There will be a pre-show VIP reception at 6:30 PM and the performance at 8:00 PM.

Billy Stritch and Jim Caruso return to Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle Hotel on Sunday, June 7 with their evening of swinging standards, and run every Sunday in June, from 9pm - 12 midnight.

NiCori Studios and Productions in association with the Oakeside Bloomfield Cultural Center announces a new installment of the monthly concert series, Music at the Mansion, on Sunday, May 31, at 3pm. Performers include Tracy Stark, FORTE and Richard Holbrook. Lydia DeLuca will be the 'Young Musician Moment" performer.

The Skivvies, Cyrille Aimee, Adam Kantor, Julie Hill, Josh Sharp and Aaron Jackson will join the previously announced headliners Melissa Errico, Liz Callaway, Michael McElroy, Lauren Worsham, Rachel  York, Randy Graff, Kim David Smith and Danielle Grabianowski for the fifth annual "Night Of A Thousand Judys" - presented by The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre - on Monday, June 1. The Pride concert to benefit The Ali Forney Center will take place at Merkin Concert Hall at the Kaufman Center (129 West 67th Street in Manhattan). Called "a rambunctious, uproarious, unpredictable all-star concert" by The Wall Street Journal, "Night Of A Thousand Judys" will honor the iconic Judy Garland with special skits, tributes and songs from her legendary career as movie star, recording artist and stage performer. There will be a pre-show VIP reception at 6:30 PM and the performance at 8:00 PM.

SPARKLE & CIRCULATE with JUSTIN SAYRE - the official monthly podcast of the International Order of Sodomites - has posted the seventh episode, which features an in-depth conversation with Carl Siciliano, founder of the Ali Forney Center, which provides shelter and services for homeless LGBT youth. The show is available on iTunes here.  Every June, Sayre's event Night of a Thousand Judys honors Judy Garland for Pride and raises money for the organization. Carl explains how the center was formed, who Ali Forney was and the challenges they face with fundraising. The first six episodes of the show - featuring interviews with Randy Harrison, Michael Musto, Frank DeCaro, Kim David Smith, Jeffery Self and R&B legend Sarah Dash - are also available. SPARKLE & CIRCULATE is produced by Dan Fortune and Tyrus Emory.

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will return to JOE'S PUB at The Public Theater on Sunday, May 17 at 9:30 PM to conclude the Spring 2015 Season. The Meeting* has been called 'delicious and delightfully droll' by The New York Post and 'hilarious and sardonic' by The Village Voice. A story for Slate.com called the evening 'so deliciously icy that it left me shivering with fear and delight.' The Fall 2014 shows sold out after a New York Times 'Arts & Leisure' piece ran last September. The May show will be a celebration of The Scissor Sisters with special guests Amber Martin, Edgar Oliver, Tammy Faye Starlight, Michael Cavadias, Bridget Barkan, Jamie Wright, Angela DiCarlo, Philip Taratula and Brendan Michael. David Nagler serves as the show's Music Director.

The work of 23 visual arts students from Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, the nationally renowned summer arts day camp, will be exhibited today, May 7, through May 25 at the 7th floor gallery of the UJA-Federation at 130 East 59th Street (between Park-Lexington Avenues). The show, titled On Hope and Humankind, will feature painting, drawing, sculpture and multi-media work. It is the third and final exhibit in the largest series of off-site exhibits ever shown by the Long Island center, which for several years has displayed the work of its visual arts students on Long Island and New York City. The artists to be displayed were ages 10-18 when the works were created during the 2014 (the information included below are their current ages) season.

Bay Area Cabaret, the organization dedicated to presenting world renowned artists who expand the definition of cabaret, presents the concert debut of rising musical theatre star Bobby Conte Thornton.

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts (www.usdan.com), the nationally acclaimed summer arts day camp whose alumni include Natalie Portman, Mariah Carey, Jane Monheit, Jackie Hoffman, Olivia Thirlby, Taylor Dane and many others, will hold its final Open House for the 2015, 48th season on Sunday May 17 from 11 AM to 2 PM. The Center will feature new program options that will add breadth to Usdan's renowned offerings, while new calendar options will accommodate more family summer plans.

Bay Area Cabaret, the organization dedicated to presenting world renowned artists who expand the definition of cabaret, will conclude its season by welcoming Tony winner Lillias White with music director/performer Billy Stritch.