Klea Blackhurst News

Additional casting has been announced for the one-night only concert presentation of the holiday classic Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol on Monday, December 16 at 7:30 pm at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College (524 W. 59th St.). The evening will be directed by Carl Andress with choreography by Nathan Peck, based on original choreography by Marcos Santana. Grammy Award and Emmy Award-winner John McDaniel has written new orchestrations for the score and will serve at the evening's music director, conducting a 28 piece on stage orchestra.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. That's a sentiment that has been expressed for many years, sometimes merely through the utterance of the sentence, but usually through the singing of the popular song written by Meredith Wilson in 1951. While many attribute the song to the 1963 Broadway musical Here's Love, it was actually written simply as a Christmas song and singers have been crooning the tune ever since.

A Swinging Birdland Christmas has become a New York City institution, a holiday tradition and a staple of the Birdland calendar. With three of the most popular talents of the cabaret community and, definitely, three of the hardest working people in the business, the annual Christmas concert gives fans a chance to spend a night with Klea Blackhurst, Jim Caruso and Billy Stritch, to sip on some eggnog or to skip the egg and go right to the nog, and to get into the holiday spirit without fighting the all-night crowds at Macy's. The trio of friends are each extremely popular in their own right, with Ms. Blackhurst spending the year going from show to show, Mr. Stritch playing in concerts and clubs around the world, and Mr. Caruso maintaining his place as Birdland's impresario and most fashionable host in town, so this event when the three of them join forces to spread cheer is something Birdland audiences look forward to for eleven months. 2019 saw a special happening to add to the season when the trio released the cd A SWINGING BIRDLAND CHRISTMAS. With the holiday music out on every platform, these chums jumped into rehearsals for their holiday show, which opens December 21st.

Tis the season for holiday tunes! From festive favorites to brand-new bops, Broadway isn't disappointing this year, with a huge variety of new holiday albums from your favorite artists to put under the tree. Check out a full list of 2019 holiday albums from Broadway best and brightest!

The Actors Fund in association with Universal Theatrical Group and Margaret Styne will present a one-night only concert presentation of the holiday classic Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol on Monday, December 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College (524 W. 59th St.). The evening will be directed by Carl Andress with choreography by Nathan Peck, based on original choreography by Marcos Santana. Grammy Award® and Emmy Award® winner John McDaniel has written new orchestrations for the score and will serve at the evening's music director.

The unprecedented success - and longevity - of Scott Siegel's BROADWAY UNPLUGGED is due to the hunger of theater audiences for the authentic experience of Broadway show music, performed from the soul, not from a soundboard. Every year, Siegel collects a cast of extraordinary entertainers who have the vocal chops and the talent to perform in a large hall and let their voices soar with a thrilling excitement. 

The revue NEW YORK: BIG CITY SONGBOOK may be a perfect musical guide for tourists, but anyone who loves NYC is going to love this show in residence at famed Birdland nightclub.

In a tribute show to famed Maestro Skitch Henderson, Lynn Henderson brings mirth and merriment to a grateful crowd at Don't Tell Mama.

After enchanting Broadway sophisticates with his fizzy entertainments of the 1920s and 30s, Cole Porter went decidedly middle-brow at the start of the next decade with a trio of musicals about average Janes and Joes, all including some swell comical characters serving in the U.S, military.

The third night of the Mabel Mercer Foundation's New York Cabaret Convention hosted by Judy Garland expert John Fricke and actor, singer, humorist Klea Blackhurst had many noteworthy performances during it's three hours last night at Rose Theater. However, the most touching and dramatic Judy Garland minute was not musical. It happened when Sidney Myer a New York City Cabaret superstar related a story from his youth. It seems that Sidney survived the stress of the 50's and 60's of being “different” in the all boy New Jersey Prep School he attended (which Sidney recalled was populated by boys who specialized in terrorism) by focusing on his love of music and his worship of Judy Garland. He described to a spellbound Convention audience of being brought to a Judy Garland concert by his parents, he had his sign “ We Love Judy” in hand and with thousands cheering her as she walked down the aisle in a twist of fate he accidentally came face to face with her. Judy shook his hand and he managed to get out a “thank you” even though he had rehearsed a speech for years if this kind of moment ever happened. . There wasn't a dry eye in the house after his story. The evening had many humorous and emotional moments as Emmy Award winning host John Fricke, who is considered the preeminent Judy Garland and Wizard of Oz authority related many stories about Garland. Klea Blackhurst is probably one of the most effective and beloved Convention hosts and she used her wit and music to make it as always one of the most enjoyable of Convention nights.

There was so much heart, love and entertainment on the stage of The Rose Theater last night, as The Cabaret Convention celebrated the legacy and the music of the legendary Judy Garland

Christmas at Birdland featuring Billy Stritch, Jim Caruso and Klea Blackhurst made a strong debut on the Billboard Jazz chart. The project currently claims the #7 spot on the chart, after having reached the #2 spot on the iTunes Jazz chart on its first weekend out.

It was a spectacular start to the four night 2019 Cabaret Convention at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Rose Theater Last night.

Celebrating Broadway's legendary Cole Porter! The York Theatre Company launches their 50th Anniversary Season with its acclaimed Musicals in Mufti series celebrating the legendary Broadway composer Cole Porter. The series honors the illustrious songwriter behind such classics as Anything Goes, Kiss Me, Kate, Gay Divorce, Silk Stockings, Red, Hot and Blue, and Can-Can, to name a few.

Celebrating Broadway's legendary Cole Porter! The York Theatre Company launches their 50th Anniversary Season with its acclaimed Musicals in Mufti series celebrating the legendary Broadway composer Cole Porter. The series honors the illustrious songwriter behind such classics as Anything Goes, Kiss Me, Kate, Gay Divorce, Silk Stockings, Red, Hot and Blue, and Can-Can, to name a few.

Amas Musical Theatre will present Duet For Three, a new musical with book by David Caudle, music by Kay Swift, and lyrics by Paul James, for three (3) performances only: Thursday, November 21 at 3pm & 7pm and Friday, November 22 at 7pm at A.R.T. /New York Theatres (502 West 53rd Street a?" 10th Avenue & 53rd Street) as part of its a?oeDare to Be Differenta?? Festival.

Deborah Grace Winer kicks off a new season of the monthly love letter to New York City, when the acclaimed musical revue 'NEW YORK: BIG CITY SONGBOOK' returns to Birdland Theatre on Sunday, November 3rd at 7 pm starring Klea Blackhurst, Nicolas King and Laurie Wells plus Joe Davidian on piano and Jay Leonhart on bass and vocals. Mark Waldrop directs with musical arrangements by John Oddo. Birdland is located at 315 West 44th Street, NYC. www.birdlandjazz.com

Celebrating Broadway's legendary Cole Porter, The York Theatre Company (James Morgan, Producing Artistic Director; Evans Haile, Executive Director), dedicated to the development of new musicals and rediscovery of musical gems from the past, continues their 50th Anniversary Season with its acclaimed Musicals in Mufti series celebrating the legendary Broadway composer. The series honors the illustrious songwriter behind such classics as Anything Goes, Kiss Me, Kate, Gay Divorce, Silk Stockings, Red, Hot and Blue, and Can-Can. 

Celebrating Broadway's legendary Cole Porter, The York Theatre Company continues their 50th Anniversary Season with its acclaimed Musicals in Mufti series celebrating the legendary Broadway composer. 

In a combined triumph for the Classic Popular Songbook, its purveyors and adherents, and the professionalism and perseverance of THE MABEL MERCER FOUNDATION, the unique organization presents its 30th Annual New York Cabaret Convention at The Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center, beginning Monday, October 28th and running through Thursday, October 31st. The four individual concerts will be offered at 6:00 PM each evening, and more than seventy-five vocalists and musicians are scheduled to perform. Tickets are now on sale at the Jazz at Lincoln Center box office and www.jazz.org.