Johnny Mercer News

Sundance Institute today announced the seven artists selected for its 2014 Playwrights Retreat at Ucross Foundation. The 15th annual writing colony at the 20,000-acre working cattle ranch outside of Sheridan, WY takes place February 3-21. Under the supervision of Artistic Director Philip Himberg and Producing Director Christopher Hibma, the Playwrights Retreat is made possible through the generosity of Ucross Foundation.

Coming up this week, 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:

Celebrity Series of Boston will present What Makes It Great? With Rob Kapilow today, November 3, 2013, at 3pm at NEC's Jordan Hall, 30 Gainsborough Street, Boston. Sponsored by Amy and Joshua Boger. Celebrity Series of Boston has presented What Makes It Great? with Rob Kapilow 33 times since its Boston debut in 1997.

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers/book by Lawrence Kasha and David Landay/music by Gene De Paul/lyrics by Johnny Mercer/new songs by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn/based on the MGM film and 'The Sobbin' Women' by Stephen Vincent Benet/directed and choreographed by Janet Renslow/Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre, Claremont/through November 24

Join two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy nominated Michael Feinstein as he rings in the New Year with two special performances on Tuesday, December 31 at 7:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. at Feinstein's at the Nikko (222 Mason Street, San Francisco).

Some people, especially some cabaret reviewers and cabaret fans, might think it's lazy or a copout or both for a performer to keep recycling previous shows. But when the Café Carlyle comes a'callin' you: A) May not have enough time to create a totally new show or B) Want to pitch the big game with your best stuff or C) All of the above. Since I only started reviewing cabaret in late 2010, I missed the Laurie Beechman Theatre debut of Jennifer Sheehan's 2009 show You Made Me Love You: Celebrating 100 Years of the Great American Songbook, and missed it again when she brought it to the Metropolitan Room in 2010. So I, for one, am not complaining that she dusted off the critically praised set again (with the new slug 'Timeless Classics and New Treasures' from said Songbook show) for her debut last Saturday night at the prestigious Café Carlyle. Sheehan may have been booked for the room's new 10:45 late night series and not the prime time slot, but at least the Carlyle is giving opportunities to exciting young cabaret performers like Sheehan (and Marissa Mulder, who will make her debut at the room on November 7). With You Made Me Love You, Sheehan made everything old new again-at least for me.

"If he weren't such a superb musician, Peter Nero might be easy to dismiss as a mere great entertainer" (Philadelphia Inquirer). Harris Center at Folsom Lake College welcomes the legendary Peter Nero to Stage One for two separate programs over two nights with bassist Michael Barnett. Hailed as one of the premier interpreters of Gershwin, will perform The Gershwin Project, and Classic Connections, an evening dedicated to showing how jazz and classical standards are more closely related than people might think.

Cafe Carlyle, the New York City bastion of classic cabaret entertainment, just presented the historic venue's debut of multi-award winning singer Jennifer Sheehan, continuing Friday, Oct. 25, when she performs her critically acclaimed show 'YOU MADE ME LOVE YOU - Timeless Classics and New Treasures from the American Songbook.' Check out photos of Sheehan in actio nbelow!

Chicago Children's Theatre is tuning up to present the world premiere of Mr. Chickee's Funny Money, an all-new, rhythm and blues family musical based on the book by Christopher Paul Curtis, featuring music and lyrics by Motown legend Lamont Dozier and his son, co-music writer/lyricist Paris Dozier, book by David Ingber, directed by Derrick Sanders, musical supervision by Brian Usifer.

54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, presents Cabaret and Broadway favorites Jeff Harnar, Linda Hart, Nicolas King and Jennifer Sheehan in 'COME FLY WITH ME' on November 21, 2013. The evening is a centenary celebration of the lyrics of Sammy Cahn and the music of Jimmy Van Heusen and was conceived and directed by Grammy and Emmy Award winner, John McDaniel, during his first season as artistic director of the O'Neill Theater Center's Cabaret and Performance conference. Mr. McDaniel makes his New York directorial debut with this show.

Laura Benanti - the Tony Award-winning actress and singer, also known for her TV roles on 'Go On,' 'The Playboy Club' and 'Law & Order: SVU' - will follow the recent release of her debut album, In Constant Search of the Right Kind of Attention with a slate of projects through the next year.

The National Alliance for Musical Theatre's (NAMT) 25th Annual Festival of New Musicals takes place tomorrow, Thursday, October 17 and Friday, October 18 at New World Stages (340 West 50th Street). Below, meet the writers of the 25th Annual Festival of New Musicals shows!

Amas Musical Theatre will present three free staged readings of 'Bleeding Love, a post-apocalyptic new musical comedy', book by Jason Schafer, music by Arthur Lafrentz Bacon, lyrics by Harris Doran, directed by Michael Bush. The readings will take place tonight, October 15th at 3:00pm and 7:00pm, and Wednesday, October 16th at 1pm at The Theatre at the 14th Street Y, 314 East 14th Street.

Rollingstone.com reports that Tony Award winner Cyndi Lauper is among this year's nominees for the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The 2013-14 national tour of ELVIS LIVES 'THE ULTIMATE ELVIS TRIBUTE ARTIST EVENT' launches in Folsom, Calif. today, October 7. Dean Z, the newly crowned 2013 winner of EPE's Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest joins the touring cast of ELVIS LIVES during its winter 2014 engagements.

Celebrity Series of Boston will present What Makes It Great? With Rob Kapilow on Sunday, November 3, 2013, at 3pm at NEC's Jordan Hall, 30 Gainsborough Street, Boston. Sponsored by Amy and Joshua Boger. Celebrity Series of Boston has presented What Makes It Great? with Rob Kapilow 33 times since its Boston debut in 1997.?

Single tickets are now available for The Grand 1894 Opera House's Simply Irresistible 2013-2014 Performing Arts Season. Located in historic downtown Galveston, The Grand will open its new powerhouse season with the internationally-acclaimed and award-winning music legends, The Beach Boys. This world- renown group will present two spectacular performances - tonight, October 5at 8pm and Sunday, October 6, at 4pm.

Judy Garland. Frank Sinatra. Fred Astaire. Ginger Rogers. These are just a few of the stars of the silver screen thatChristine Pedi and Johnny Rodgers will be bringing to life in their performance "Heartthrobs & Bombshells" on Friday, October 18th at 8 p.m. atStamford's Palace Theatre. The performance is the second in the Courtyard by Marriott Stamford Broadway/Cabaret/Jazz Series "Perfect Pairs at The Palace." The series is also sponsored by Norman Drubner. Tickets are available at www.SCAlive.org.

A photo shoot in the summer of 1962. As screen icon Marilyn Monroe poses for her photographer she finds herself wondering what it might be like if she had it to do all over again. In Marilyn: Forever Blonde, the legendary actress reveals much of what we know - but even more about what we don't know - of the roller coaster ride she took from the orphanage to the silver screen. It is a fascinating and provocative journey.