Johnny Mercer News

Miami, 1986. Divorced and over 60, substitute teacher Dorothy Zbornak is spending another lonely Friday night playing Scrabble with her mother, Sophia. With the help of her roommates, the slutty Blanche Devereaux and the phenomenally stupid Rose Nylund, she is determined to land herself a man, or at the very least, a date. But with the revelation that Rose's idiot exterior is actually a cover for a cocaine distribution mastermind, the ladies are suddenly plunged into a blood-soaked world of drugs, guns, and cheesecake.

The Tabard Theatre Company swings and swoons into the New Year with a three-tenor salute to the magical music of Tony Bennett. Just nine performances will be offered January 18 through 27 in this limited engagement at Theatre on San Pedro Square in downtown San Jose.

By the last August, I had fallen so far behind on writing reviews of cabaret shows from the spring and early summer (I guess it's a positive when there are more performers and shows in New York than days in the week) that I decided to play catch up by combining a bunch of critiques into one big column. I hadn't planned on doing that again, but this fall there were so many shows that once again I couldn't keep up. but at least I've beaten my self-imposed deadline New Year's Eve deadline of posting these reviews of 12 shows, all staged between September-December by lovely, attractive women (okay, so one is a gender-bender) of varying talents and levels on the cabaret depth chart, from established stars to MAC and Bistro Award-winners to comeback 'kids' to interesting beginners and occasional performers who are in the game to follow their bliss. Whether their performances were rave-worthy, earning of qualified praise, or not quite up to snuff, they all deserve kudos for taking the plunge.

The debut of 'The Phat Pack' to Las Vegas this month signified a wonderful gift to the city.

Broadway Records and 54 BELOW announced in October that they joined in partnership to create a series of albums recorded live at the brand new venue, 54 BELOW, located just steps away from the heart of Times Square.

Cousins - The Songs of Beck & May featuring James Snyder, Todrick Hall, Allie Trimm, David Burnham and more, is set for digital release tomorrow, Dec. 21st.

Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) announced that legendary entertainer Regis Philbin will return as the special guest host of 'Bing Crosby Christmas Radio,' a limited-run holiday channel celebrating Crosby's life and legacy by airing his beloved, classic radio broadcasts from 1942 -1962 brimming with celebrity guests and musical performances, plus a rare recording of Crosby reciting the iconic poem 'The Night Before Christmas.' This year for the first time, SiriusXM's 'Bing Crosby Christmas Radio' will feature special presentations of 'Bing's Basement,' a collection of Christmas-related outtakes, rarities and obscurities from the personal Crosby vault.

Weddington Street Productions in association with Summerwind Productions presents Christmas My Way - A Sinatra Holiday Bash! starring Luca Ellis, Jason Graae, Heather Lee and Beth Malone; directed by David Grapes with musical direction by Vince di Mura. The holiday celebration will be tonight, December 15 - December 31, 2012, with a special New Year's Eve performance on December 31, at the historic El Portal Theatre Mainstage in the NOHO Arts District, North Hollywood, CA.

Emmy Rossum is a double threat. The Award-winning actress will be releasing her first album with Warner Bros. Records on January 29th. The album, titled Sentimental Journey, will feature a collection of covers done of classic songs spanning the 1920's to the 1960's.

Goodspeed Musicals begins its 50th Anniversary Season with the announcement of a major new four-week residency program for musical theatre writers. The Johnny Mercer Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals is the first of its kind in the country as it is dedicated solely to the creation of new musicals. In partnership with the Johnny Mercer Foundation, Goodspeed will proudly offer established and emerging writers the unique opportunity to research, develop, and create new musicals.Michael Price, Executive Director of Goodspeed Musicals, says of the ground-breaking initiative, "Goodspeed Musicals' unique focus is musical theatre so it is fitting that we are finally able to realize the long-held dream of establishing a home for the creators of new musicals. Thanks in part to our expanded campus and our good fortune in finding such a perfect partner in the Johnny Mercer Foundation to help fund it, this safe haven for artists will launch in 2013."

Goodspeed Musicals begins its 50th Anniversary Season with the announcement of a major new four-week residency program for musical theatre writers. The Johnny Mercer Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals is the first of its kind in the country as it is dedicated solely to the creation of new musicals. In partnership with the Johnny Mercer Foundation, Goodspeed will proudly offer established and emerging writers the unique opportunity to research, develop, and create new musicals. Michael Price, Executive Director of Goodspeed Musicals, says of the ground-breaking initiative, "Goodspeed Musicals' unique focus is musical theatre so it is fitting that we are finally able to realize the long-held dream of establishing a home for the creators of new musicals. Thanks in part to our expanded campus and our good fortune in finding such a perfect partner in the Johnny Mercer Foundation to help fund it, this safe haven for artists will launch in 2013."

The Recording Academy (www.grammy.com) announced its Special Merit Awards recipients today, and this year's honorees are: Glenn Gould, Charlie Haden, Lightnin' Hopkins, Carole King, Patti Page, Ravi Shankar andthe Temptations as Lifetime Achievement Award recipients

We all come from Gilbert," said Johnny Mercer. And if you've seen a musical, watched film or TV, read a book, participated in political discourse or have partaken in any aspect of popular culture during the past 125 years, you've likely been influenced by W. S. Gilbert too. On January 12, 13 and 14 Lyrics and Lyricists presents The Very Model of a Modern Major Lyricist: W. S. Gilbert and the Broadway He Inspired.

Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings announce the release of She's Got A Way: Love Songs, a new collection of 18 essential love songs drawn from three decades of recordings by music legend and composer/singer songwriter, Billy Joel. This collection comes just in time for Valentine's Day.

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, on January 29th, 2013.