Johnny Mercer News

On April 6, 2012 at 8:00 pm, the Kupferberg Center for the Arts presents Bill Cosby in an exclusive NYC performance at the Colden Auditorium at Queens College. On Saturday, May 4th the Kupferberg Center presents An Evening with Michael Feinstein in the Colden Auditorium at 8:00 pm as part of the Kupferberg Center's Best of the Best Series.

Cabaret Icon Michael Feinstein returns to the McCallum Theatre with 'The Sinatra Project,' for two performances - tonight, March 1 and Saturday, March 2 -- dedicated to the great Frank Sinatra. Michael reflects Sinatra's sensibility by interpreting the songs in conceptually different styles from Sinatra's own renditions. The results are fascinatingly unique and memorably beautiful. Billed 'The Sinatra Project', the concert is presented in two parts on these consecutive evenings. In the second concert, Michael reinterprets songs by such greats as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peggy Lee, and more. 'The second volume is really about Sinatra and his friends,' says Michael. 'It's about the people he influenced and who influenced him.'

Superman finds his Lois Lane! Joining Edward Watts (Superman) in the New York City Center Encores! production of It's a Bird…It's a Plane…It's Superman will be Jenny Powers as Lois Lane and David Pittu as the evil Dr. Sedgwick, along with Erich Bergen, Alli Mauzey, James Saito and Will Swenson. Superman will play at City Center for seven performances, March 20 - 24, and will be directed by John Rando with choreography by Joshua Bergasse and music direction by Rob Berman.

PlaidBird Productions and The Metropolitan Room will present "Bird Amongst the Blossom-A Tribute to the First Blossom Dearie Songbook" at The Metropolitan Room on Thursday, March 21st, 2013 at 9:30pm. Reservations recommended. Featuring Jaye Maynard (vocals), Jon Delfin(Musical Director/piano) and Leon Lee Dorsey (upright bass). Additional Direction: Mary O'Brady. Tickets are $20.00 and available at 212-206-0440 or http://metropolitanroom.com.

Broadway's 'Golden Couple', husband and wife team Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley, will bring their newese show He Said/She Said to The Annenberg Theatre for one very special performance tonight, February 23 at 8:00 pm.

Today, February 23 and February 24 and 25 Lyrics & Lyricists tours Miss Peggy Lee's hip musical landscape with guest artistic director Billy Stritch and vocalists Barbara Fasano, La Tanya Hall and Gabrielle Stravelli. Cabaret legend Marilyn Maye, who frequently includes Peggy Lee classics in her shows, joins the show as a special guest.

Ghostlight Records will release the Original Cast Recording of the musical, DOGFIGHT later this spring. The show - which debuted Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theatre last year - features music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (A Christmas Story), a book by Peter Duchan (IFC Films' Breaking Upwards) and directed by two-time Tony Award winner Joe Mantello (Wicked, Glengarry Glen Ross).

One month ago, 35 gifted lyricists, composers and librettists took up residency at Goodspeed Musicals in East Haddam, CT for the first ever Johnny Mercer Writers Colony to participate in an environment of discovery and inspiration. Working in teams and housed in specially constructed quintessential New England two story cottages each equipped with a piano, the teams worked on over 30 musicals during the course of the month. On Saturday February 16, the residency program concluded with a Salon as had been done each week featuring a sparkling sampler of new musicals that were worked on throughout the month. Scroll below for photos from the event!

PlaidBird Productions and Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal will present 'Bird Amongst the Blossom-A Tribute to the First Blossom Dearie Songbook' at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal tonight, February 18th, 2013 at 7pm. Reservations Required, Seating 5:30-6pm. Featuring Jaye Maynard (vocals), Nick Fryman (Musical Director/piano) and Chris Conner (upright bass).

On April 24, American Theater Group, New Jersey's newest professional theater company, will present, direct from its success at the 2012 New York Musical Theatre Festival, Jonathan Brielle's new musical Himself and Nora at its new home, Hamilton Stage in Rahway, New Jersey.

Cabaret Icon Michael Feinstein returns to the McCallum Theatre with 'The Sinatra Project,' for two performances - Friday, March 1 and Saturday, March 2 -- dedicated to the great Frank Sinatra. Michael reflects Sinatra's sensibility by interpreting the songs in conceptually different styles from Sinatra's own renditions. The results are fascinatingly unique and memorably beautiful. Billed 'The Sinatra Project', the concert is presented in two parts on these consecutive evenings. In the second concert, Michael reinterprets songs by such greats as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peggy Lee, and more. 'The second volume is really about Sinatra and his friends,' says Michael. 'It's about the people he influenced and who influenced him.'

At last year's Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC) Awards, two of the big winners were T. Oliver Reid (photo left) for Male Debut and Eric Michael Gillett for Major Artist, Male (and both could very likely be MAC nominees again this year). Almost a year later, two of New York cabaret's leading men performed new shows one night apart at 54 Below; Reid on February 6 with Drop Me Off in Harlem, and Gillett the next night with Careless Rhapsody: An Evening Dedicated to the Lyrics of Lorenz Hart. Ironically, what the shows had in common--besides being a fairly good fit of material to singer--was that the majority of their sets featured songs written in the 1930s but in very different styles. With Reid it was the jazz, swing and blues of Harlem; with Gillette it was the romantic Broadway musical sensibility of Hart's lyrics (paired with the timeless melodies of Richard Rodgers). While neither Reid's 'Harlem,' nor Gillett's 'Hart' were stirring or spectacular shows, they were both solid and entertaining enough that both could be nominated for BroadwayWorld.com Awards in 2013.

According to Leslie Uggams' website, she will be playing Lena Horne in STORMY WEATHER: THE LENA HORNE STORY on Broadway this fall.

Edward Watts will star as Superman in the New York City Center Encores! production of It's a Bird…It's a Plane…It's Superman, runningMarch 20- 24 at City Center. Stay tuned for the identities of the actors portraying Lois Lane, the evil Dr. Sedgwick and other inhabitants of the city of Metropolis.

The Old Globe today announced the complete cast and creative team for the world premiere of A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, a new musical comedy with book by Robert L. Freedman, music by Steven Lutvak and lyrics by Freedman and Lutvak. Former Old Globe Co-Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak returns to the Globe to direct the production. Based on the novel Israel Rank by Roy Horniman, the musical also features choreography by Peggy Hickey. A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder will run March 8 - April 14, 2013 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run March 8 - March 12. Opening night is Wednesday, March 13 at 7:00 p.m. A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder is a co-production with Hartford Stage. Single tickets go on sale Sunday, Feb. 3 at 12 noon. Tickets can be purchased online at www.TheOldGlobe.org, by phone at (619) 23-GLOBE or by visiting the Box Office at 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park.

Jon Lind, an award-winning songwriter who has collaborated with Madonna, Demi Lovato, Vanessa Williams, Selena Gomez and other singing greats, is the newest master teacher to lead the 2013 Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project at Northwestern University.

Warner Bros. Records has announced that it has signed vocalist and award-winning actress Emmy Rossum to its roster. The New York City native will release her first album for the label, a collection of covers of classic songs that span the '20s to the '60s entitled SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY, today, January 29th, 2013.