Richard Lewis News

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. 54 Below also launches its new series of late night events this March. Joining Tuesday nights' popular "Backstage" with Susie Mosher will be the "54 Piano Bar," a new vocal competition - 'The Callback," and more, including Telly Award winner Jamie DeRoy & Friends, Broadway star Chester Gregory, singing sensation Marilyn Maye, Late Night at 54 Below, Tony nominee Adam Pascale, actor/screenwriter/playwright Charles Busch, Broadway's Caissie Levy, Walking the Line - Music of Johnny Cash.

Winner of the 2013 Nightlife Legend Award cabaret and theatre legend Marilyn Maye, Broadway veteran and Tony Award winner and one of the stars of "Unsung Menken" Debbie Gravitte, and Tony Award Nominee, master humorist, illusionist and camp icon Charles Busch will play 54 Below in the coming weeks. Just yesterday the whole gang met the press and you can check out video footage of them in action below!

Special guest stars tonight, February 26th include performances by Katie Thompson (From The Public Theatre's Giant and Broadway's upcoming Big Fish, composer/lyricist/recording artist - Original songs featured on FOX's 'So You Think You Can Dance'), Dani Spieler (from Broadway's Legally Blonde and the National Tour of West Side Story), Kevin Ray (singer / songwriter of Central Avenue Breakdown, New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) award winner and MAC Award nominee for his holiday album - 'Seasoned Greetings'), Anna Steele (three-time MAC Award winner and two-time Bistro and Nightlife Award winning cabaret artist), Freddie Kimmel (from the National Tour of Billy Elliott and Superfly The Musical).

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, including two-time Tony nominee Tom Wopat, Broadway star Elizabeth Stanley, BACKSTAGE award-winning vocalist, director and Broadway actor Eric Michael Gillett, singer/songwriter Tony Desare, singing sensation Hilary Kole, and multiple award-winner Sarah Rice.

For those craving a show after the show, 54 BELOW, the new performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, offers its Tuesday night cocktail party/songfest, "Backstage." Special guest stars on February 26th include performances by Katie Thompson (From The Public Theatre's Giant and Broadway's upcoming Big Fish, composer/lyricist/recording artist - Original songs featured on FOX's "So You Think You Can Dance"), Dani Spieler (from Broadway's Legally Blonde and the National Tour of West Side Story), Kevin Ray (singer / songwriter of Central Avenue Breakdown, New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) award winner and MAC Award nominee for his holiday album - "Seasoned Greetings"), Anna Steele (three-time MAC Award winner and two-time Bistro and Nightlife Award winning cabaret artist), Freddie Kimmel (from the National Tour of Billy Elliott and Superfly The Musical).

For those craving a show after the show, 54 BELOW, the new performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, offers its Today night cocktail party/songfest, 'Backstage.' Special guest stars tonight, February 19th include performances by Kate Rockwell (Currently starring as 'Sherrie' in Rock of Ages), Lavon Fisher Wilson (currently starring in Disney's Newsies), Alex Wyse (from Broadway's Lysistrata Jones and Off-Broadway's Bare), Ryan Knowles (from NEWSical - The Musical and Dr. Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas), Jonathan Whitton (MAC and Bistro Award winning singer, as well as 'The Disney Diaries' ), cabaret singer Tori Scott.

The mirror ball has relocated to the cellar with Michael Musto'S 70s DISCO EXTRAVAGANZA at 54 BELOW. Tonight, February 17, starting at 9:30PM, join downtown legend, disco diva, and Village Voice columnist Michael Musto with his glittery sidekicks Snooky and Tish as he performs live with disco cover band The Elektrik Company. Michael's special guest star for the evening will be Orfeh (Legally Blonde, Saturday Night Fever). We are pushing tables and chairs aside to make way for the dance floor, so grab a cocktail and shake your groove thing into the wee hours as the 54 Below returns to its fabulous roots.

For those craving a show after the show, 54 BELOW, the new performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, offers its Tuesday night cocktail party/songfest, 'Backstage.' Special guest stars on February 19th include performances by Kate Rockwell (Currently starring as 'Sherrie' in Rock of Ages), Lavon Fisher Wilson (currently starring in Disney's Newsies), Alex Wyse (from Broadway's Lysistrata Jones and Off-Broadway's Bare), Ryan Knowles (from NEWSical - The Musical and Dr. Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas), Jonathan Whitton (MAC and Bistro Award winning singer, as well as 'The Disney Diaries' ), cabaret singer Tori Scott.

54 BELOW, has announced the appearance of cabaret and theatre legend Marilyn Maye and the debut of her new show 'MAYE-DEN Voyage' for a two-week engagement on March 5-7 & 12-14 at 7:00PM and March 8-9 & 15-16 at 8:00PM.

Brad Simmons & Friends will perform an evening of original songs, written either by Brad or the performer themselves, for one night only at 54 BELOW, Broadway's nightclub located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street. Regulars to 54 Below's 'Backstage' will recognize Brad as the man behind the piano providing musical director for this after-hours cocktail party and song-fest and the musical director for Lysistrata Jones.

Acclaimed actress and entertainer Tovah Feldshuh just made her 54 Below debut! In this zany musical evening, custom fashioned for 54 Below, Ms. Feldshuh revisits the 1970s when she first came to Studio 54 and to Broadway. She also inhabits a gallery of hilarious characters, ages 8 to 80, comic and dramatic-who sing! The songlist includes Broadway classics from Bernstein, Styne, and Gershwin to contemporary artists Dar Williams and Craig Carnelia. For these three special performances, Tovah will be joined by Broadway's Jesse Kissel on piano. For her work on the New York stage, which includes, among many others, Golda's Balcony, Irena's Vow, Yentl, Lend Me a Tenor, and Sarava! (which she will revisit in this show), Tovah is the recipient of four Tony nominations, and has won four Drama Desk, four Outer Critics Circle, the Obie, the Theatre World, and the Lucille Lortel Awards.

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, including award-winning vocalist Eric Michael Gillett, Broadway star Chester Gregory, Grammy Award winner Joni Mitchell, BACKSTAGE, Broadway star T. Olvier Reid, Tony Award nominee Robert Cuccioli, Toni Award nominee Tovah Feldshuh and SONDHEIM UNPLUGGED.

Brad Simmons & Friends will perform an evening of original songs, written either by Brad or the performer themselves, for one night only at 54 BELOW, Broadway's nightclub located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street. Regulars to 54 Below's 'Backstage' will recognize Brad as the man behind the piano providing musical director for this after-hours cocktail party and song-fest and the musical director for Lysistrata Jones.

Though at first it may seem like an odd pairing of one acts, there's actually a connection between playwright Christopher Durang's introductory work, MRS. SORKEN and David Mamet's THE DUCK VARIATIONS. Towards the end of Mrs. Sorken, a direct reference is made to the the plays of David Mamet, and his frequent use of the "f word". It's an ironic one, since this is one of the few pieces in which Mamet doesn't use that particular curse word. Mustard Seed Theatre's production of these two plays is very well done, and it features three incredibly good performances that make this pair well worth seeing.

Acclaimed actress and entertainer Tovah Feldshuh makes her 54 Below debut! In this zany musical evening, custom fashioned for 54 Below, Ms. Feldshuh revisits the 1970s when she first came to Studio 54 and to Broadway. She also inhabits a gallery of hilarious characters, ages 8 to 80, comic and dramatic-who sing! The songlist includes Broadway classics from Bernstein, Styne, and Gershwin to contemporary artists Dar Williams and Craig Carnelia. For these three special performances, Tovah will be joined by Broadway's Jesse Kissel on piano. For her work on the New York stage, which includes, among many others, Golda's Balcony, Irena's Vow, Yentl, Lend Me a Tenor, and Sarava! (which she will revisit in this show), Tovah is the recipient of four Tony nominations, and has won four Drama Desk, four Outer Critics Circle, the Obie, the Theatre World, and the Lucille Lortel Awards. BroadwayWorld brings you a preview of his concert below!

The mirror ball has relocated to the cellar with MICHAEL MUSTO'S 70s DISCO EXTRAVAGANZA at 54 BELOW. Sunday, February 17, starting at 9:30PM, join downtown legend, disco diva, and Village Voice columnist Michael Musto with his glittery sidekicks Snooky and Tish as he performs live with disco cover band The Elektrik Company. Michael's special guest star for the evening will be Orfeh (Legally Blonde, Saturday Night Fever).

California Musical Theatre Executive Producer Richard Lewis announced a varied lineup of musicals for the 2013 season of Sacramento Music Circus at the Wells Fargo Pavilion, the 63rd season for what has become a Northern California summer tradition. The five-show season will include the Music Circus premiere of the Kander and Ebb hit Chicago; a production of The Wizard of Oz based on the iconic movie; the Wells Fargo Pavilion premiere of the American theater masterpiece Show Boat; the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic The King and I; and Sugar, the stage version of the classic film comedy Some Like It Hot.

Hot off the release of his new album, 'Drafts (Volume One),' composer Alexander Sage Oyen is bringing his songs to 54 Below tonight, January 19th! Joining Oyen at the 11PM concert will be Derek Klena (Dogfight), Ben Fankhauser (Newsies), Taylor Trensch (Bare, Matilda), Emma Hunton (Rent, Spring Awakening), Alex Brightman (Wicked, Glory Days), Corey Mach (Hands on a Hard Body, Godspell), Remy Zaken (Spring Awakening), Matt DeAngelis (Hair, American Idiot), Andrew Kober (Hair), Kennedy Caughell (American Idiot), Noah Galvin (The Great American Mousical), Michael McCorry Rose (Wicked), Lois Sage (John Bucchino's Grateful album), Drew Gasparini (composer, Smash), Jessica Kent, ElAnna White, Noah Zachary, Max Chernin, and Dan Housek.

Tony nominee Daniel Breaker will make his 54 Below debut, performing an intimate set with frequent collaborators Jon Spurney (Passing Strange), Justin Levine (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson) and Ron McBee (Ruined). After gaining high praise for his fresh and riveting performance in Broadway's Passing Strange, Daniel's recent stage credits include Shrek, the Musical, By the Way, Meet Vera Stark and The Performers, as well as appearances in film (Limitless, Spike Lee's Red Hook Summer). Join Daniel for an unforgettable night of jazz standards, haunting blues and much more! BroadwayWorld brings you a preview of his concert below!

Award-winning vocalist, director and Broadway actor (The Frogs, Sweet Smell of Success, Kiss Me, Kate) Eric Michael Gillett uses the wit and wisdom of Lorenz Hart to remind us all that, though love can be experienced with abandon, to be careless with the heart can also have a price. George Balanchine called Lorenz Hart the "Shelley of America," his lyrics rank with the greatest romantic poetry of all time. Though he, himself, was unlucky in love, his writing casts a spell that will always survive the test of time, inspiring generations of lovers to come to follow their hearts.