Klea Blackhurst News

The York Theatre Company, dedicated to the development of new musicals and preserving musical gems from the past, will present an unforgettable one-night only benefit, The 100 Musicals in Mufti Concert Celebration. The evening will honor the acclaimed Musicals in Mufti Series and its landmark 100th production, on Monday evening, March 30, 2015 beginning at 7:30 p.m. in The Sanctuary at Saint Peter's Church (619 Lexington Avenue at the corner of East 54th Street). All proceeds will benefit The York Theatre Company and the Musicals in Mufti Series.

There are eight million stories in the Naked City-and a song to go with each of them.

54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, presents '54 Sings A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE,' the Outer Critics Circle Award winner for 2003 Best Off-Broadway Musical on Sunday, March 15, 2015 at 7PM and 9:30PM.

This March, 54 BELOW presents an exciting lineup of the brightest talent from Broadway and beyond. Located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street. Below, find the schedule for upcoming events over the next month.

Klea Blackhurst (A Tree Grows in Brooklyn) leads the cast of today's February 26th staged reading of Jim Piazza's new play Reading Angie.

For more than 70 years, composer and lyricist Ervin Drake had a remarkably varied career but we will remember him for his music.With hits like 'Tico Tico', The Rickety Rickshaw Man', 'It Was A Very Good Year', 'Good Morning Heartache' and 'I Believe', Ervin Drake had man 'very good' years. Join us Friday, March 6, 2015 at 7pm with an all- star cast including KT Sullivan, Stacy Sullivan, Klea Blackhurst, Tom Moore, Carole J. Bufford, Carol Woods, Jeff Harnar, Eric Yves Garcia, Tony Award winner DeeDee Bridgewater and many more. Featuring Jon Weber on piano and Ray Kilday on bass.

Klea Blackhurst (A Tree Grows in Brooklyn) leads the cast of the February 26th staged reading of Jim Piazza's new play Reading Angie.

The Ziegfeld Society of New York City will present ZIEGFELD FOLLIES OF 2015: A Spectacular Celebration of Florenz Ziegfeld's World Famous Revue starring Michele McConnell (THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA), and Duane McDevitt, today, February 21st, 3:30pm at Lang Hall at Hunter College (69th Street between Park and Lexington Ave.).

On Thursday, February 12, Birdland was the place to celebrate! Not only were Marilyn Maye and Billy Stritch halfway through their wildly successful week-long engagement at the historic music room, but Stritch celebrated a birthday. Scroll down for photos from the evening!

Author/director Billy Mitchell brings monthly performances of his comedy whodunit Villain: DeBlanks, to The Laurie Beechman Theatre beginning February 18.

The Ziegfeld Society of New York City will present ZIEGFELD FOLLIES OF 2015: A Spectacular Celebration of Florenz Ziegfeld's World Famous Revue starring Michele McConnell (THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA), and Duane McDevitt, Saturday, February 21st, 3:30pm at Lang Hall at Hunter College (69th Street between Park and Lexington Ave.).

Author/director Billy Mitchell brings monthly performances of his comedy whodunit Villain: DeBlanks, to The Laurie Beechman Theatre beginning February 18.

KANDER AND EBB AND ALL THAT JAZZ comes to 54 Below tonight, January 15 at 7PM & 9:30PM.

Joe's Pub at the Public has announced its nightly performances, January 14 - 25, 2015. Details below!

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com or call (646) 476-3551.

The four-night Mabel Mercer Foundation's annual Cabaret Convention at Lincoln's Center's Rose Hall in late October has become arguably the most important cabaret event of the year. For the most part, it is a star-studded affair featuring celebrated veteran performers and exciting young newcomers. Night four of this year's 25th Convention featured a 'Songs of Irving Berlin' theme hosted by the popular Klea Blackhurst, and starring acclaimed cabaret entertainers such as Anita Gillette, Karen Mason, Sidney Myer, Karen Oberlin, and Stacy Sullivan. Also in the lineup was a relatively unknown vocalist named Celia Berk.

Broadway's 40 theatres aren't the only places to catch performances from your favorite stars! Well after Broadway orchestra's begin their overtures, ensemble members take their dance breaks, and performers belt out their eleven- o'clock numbers, the party continues at various cabaret venues throughout New York City. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you some cabaret highlights for this week as picked by our theatre editors, including: The Mamma Mia! Dads in Concert; Kander and Ebb and All That Jazz; Sondheim Originals: Old Friends; Donna Vivino: The Friends and Family Plan; and Band Geeks in Concert.

Joe's Pub at the Public has announced its nightly performances over the next couple weeks, January 6 -18. Details below!

The Meeting* hosted by Justin Sayre, the acclaimed comedy/variety show, will return to JOE'S PUB at The Public Theater on Sunday, January 18 at 9:30 PM to open the Winter/Spring 2015 Season. The Meeting* has been called 'delicious and delightfully droll' by The New York Post and 'hilarious and sardonic' by The Village Voice. A story for Slate.com called the evening 'so deliciously icy that it left me shivering with fear and delight.' The Fall 2014 shows sold out after a New York Times 'Arts & Leisure' piece ran in September. The January show will include a tribute to Broadway legend Ethel Merman, with special guests Klea Blackhurst, Erin Markey, Nora Mae Lyng, Molly Pope and Ben Rimalower. Tracy Stark serves as the show's Music Director.

If you've been a regular reader of this particular reviewer's musings, you know that every year there are long stretches of time where I just haven't been able to critique all the shows I've seen that deserve commentary. So I end up playing what they call in sports, 'Catch-up ball,' and post a mash up of belated reviews from past shows. It's kind of like a critic's version of the song 'Six Months Out of Every Year,' from Damn Yankees. Give or take a month or two, that's usually the time period during which I store unpublished reviews in my fevered brain and then unload them all in one seemingly endless column-like this one is going to be. If my cabaret-show reviewing days will be over (as chronicled here), I might as well go out with a bang-and relieve my procrastination guilt during holiday season. Now I can scratch one New Year's resolution off the list.