Jenna Esposito News

Are you trying to plan your entertainment for the week or looking for a fun show to see this weekend? We have you covered with a few top picks for cabaret, comedy, drag shows and more! NYC has so many incredible events, but here are a few top picks to consider this week including Patti LuPone, tributes to Chita Rivera and more.

When Susie Mosher says a show was epic, she ain't just improvising.

A beloved tradition with roots back to the early 1900s returns to South Philadelphia this coming weekend. The Annual St. Nicholas of Tolentine Authentic Italian Festival will bring out thousands of people on Sunday, October 1, 2023, to the 1700 Block of South 9th Street.

Now in it’s twenty-first year, “Jim Caruso’s Cast Party” continues to be a wildly popular Open Mic Night/Variety Show that runs every Monday at the legendary Birdland in New York City. Showbiz superstars hit the stage alongside up-and-comers, serving up jaw-dropping music and general razzle-dazzle. It’s the ultimate spot to mix and mingle with show folk and the people who love them! See photos from the show!

On Monday, July 24, Birdland Jazz Club celebrated the landmark 20th Anniversary of its wildly popular weekly open mic night/variety show “Jim Caruso’s Cast Party.” The evening featured regular favorites, as well as special surprise guests. As usual, music director Billy Stritch held court at the ivories, along with Steve Doyle on bass and Daniel Glass on drums. Check out photos here!

It is a true wondrous achievement to have a show every week lasting 20 years, with over 1040 shows and 1840 performers.

The maestro of Manhattan’s Monday evenings (Caruso) continues to wow an audience. He and the crew played host to a packed crowd on Monday night who were treated to some great performances by stellar individual talents.

The May 9th installment of THE LINEUP WITH SUSIE MOSHER was a special one for the ladies.

Jim Caruso’s Cast Party, which is about to celebrate two decades at the iconic Birdland in NYC, seems to be entering a Golden Age of entertainment! Over the past few months the room has been packed with audiences eager to cheer the impromptu open mic/variety show made up of Broadway performers, cabaret divas, jazzers, and a few acts impossible-to-describe!

As the Four Seasons once said, 'Oh, What a Night!'

Each week, the club shines a spotlight on both up-and-coming and established performers, all taking a turn on the stage for an impromptu song with the Cast Party Symphony Orchestra, led by Billy Stritch, with Daniel Glass on drums and Steve Doyle on bass. Check out photos here!

The well-known, hilarious musical-comedy sister duo, Vickie & Nickie, are back live and in person with their seasonal show, Vickie & Nickie's Holiday Sleigh Ride! The high energy, offbeat act pulls into The Cutting Room in NYC for one night only on Saturday, December 10th at 6pm.

It was an especially festive week at THE LINEUP on October 11th and Matt Baker's got the proof.

Every Monday, showbiz superstars hit the stage alongside up-and-comers, serving up jaw-dropping music and general razzle-dazzle on the Birdland stage. Showman Jim Caruso guides the entire affair with razor-sharp humor. Musical director Billy Stritch holds court at the ivories, along with Steve Doyle on bass and Daniel Glass on drums. But the real fun starts when the audience participates in the onstage festivities. Broadway legends, jazzers, cabaret divas, starry-eyed tourists, and kids right off the bus storm the stage to entertain each other. If you have a voice, a dream, and some sheet music, your Cast Party moment awaits. See photos from the show!

The traditional gift for those celebrating a 19th Anniversary is bronze. Not surprisingly, no bronze was given during Jim Caruso’s Cast Party anniversary celebration, but the packed house was certainly entertained by performers with hearts of gold. Check out photos from the night here!

Every single Monday for the past eighteen years, host Caruso, along with the Cast Party Symphony Orchestra led by Billy Stritch (Daniel Glass on drums and Steve Doyle on bass) hosts Jim Caruso’s Cast Party shining a spotlight on an awe-inspiring variety of talent.

Jim Caruso and Billy Stritch know how to throw a party. They’ve done it at Birdland every Monday for eighteen years, thanks to their uber-successful Cast Party, an open mic/variety show extravaganza.  But this past week, the musical duo had something extra to celebrate…the release of their latest cd on the Club44 Record label, “The Sunday Set.”

Susie Mosher puts the focus on the cabaret community this week at THE LINEUP.

MetropolitanZoom creator Bernie Furshpan will be joined by Mrs. Furshpan, Joanne, in a fee online celebration of the fans that have MetropolitanZoom a hit.

Historically, Monday night has been known as a dark night on the show biz scene, but Cast Party changed all that eighteen years ago.  That’s when host Jim Caruso decided to shine a bright spotlight on Broadway, jazz and cabaret stars, all the while thrilling the people who love those folks!