Seth Walters News

Birdland Jazz Club has announced their exciting line-up of unmatched talent for July 22 - July 28, 2013.

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) presents Swiss Family Robinson a world premiere musical comedy by John and Patrick Kennedy. Patrick Kennedy directs a cast of seventeen including Tom Bozell*, William James Daniels*, Paul DeBoy* (Mamma Mia),Alexander Ferguson, Danielle Gimbal, Patrick Oliver Jones* (The Addams Family), Heidi Kloster, Michael Lorz (Gross Indecency), Matt Mundy*,Sergio Pasquariello, James Patterson* (Mary Poppins), Jessie Shelton*, Barbara Tirrell* (Wicked), Meg Schneider, Emily Shoolin* (Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark), Sam Tedaldi*, and Elisa Van Duyne* (Finian's Rainbow, 110 in the Shade). The show opened last night, July 9, and BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) began earlier this week on July 8th and will continue through July 28th. An additional slate of special events, free events, staged readings and several educational panel discussions will be announced shortly. Below, check out a roundup of photos of this year's casts!

Isaac Robert Hurwitz and the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) team rang the NASDAQ closing bell today, July 8th. Check out photos below!

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) presents Swiss Family Robinson, a world premiere musical comedy by John and Patrick Kennedy. Patrick Kennedy directs a cast of seventeen including Tom Bozell*, William James Daniels*, Paul DeBoy* (Mamma Mia), Alexander Ferguson, Danielle Gimbal, Patrick Oliver Jones* (The Addams Family), Heidi Kloster, Michael Lorz (Gross Indecency), Matt Mundy*,Sergio Pasquariello, James Patterson* (Mary Poppins), Jessie Shelton*, Barbara Tirrell* (Wicked), Meg Schneider, Emily Shoolin* (Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark), Sam Tedaldi*, and Elisa Van Duyne* (Finian's Rainbow, 110 in the Shade). ?

On Sunday, July 7, Broadway leading lady and 2013 Tony nominee Stephanie J. Block stormed the Birdland stage with an all-new show of Broadway favorites and a few musical surprises. ?Photographer Seth Walters was on hand to catch the onstage action, as well as some backstage antics with Broadway's Max von Essen, fellow "Elphaba" pals Julia Murney and Eden Espinosa, presenter Jim Caruso and Block's husband and the star of TV's "House Of Cards," Sebastian Arcelus.

The event should have been titled '520 Mondays.' On Monday, July 1, Birdland celebrated the tenth anniversary of 'Jim Caruso's Cast Party,' the unique and very extreme weekly open mic. Gianni Valenti, the owner of the historic music room, honored host Caruso with a Seth Walters portrait on the wall, usually reserved for jazz icons. (Caruso quipped, 'Somewhere, Charlie Parker is very uncomfortable.')

Leonardo DiCaprio and Edward Norton came to Birdland Jazz Club, NYC's hottest and most exciting venue for jazz this weekend to see 'The Young Lions of Gypsy Jazz' performing as part of the Django Reinhardt NY Festival. Leo is a fan of the band having seen them previously at Birdland and invited them to play at his birthday celebration last November.

On Monday, June 17, composer Frank Wildhorn brought another installment of his popular 'Frank & Friends' concert to the Broadway at Birdland stage. For this outing, he brought a spectacular band and Broadway singers Teal Wicks (Jekyll & Hyde), Jackie Burns (Wicked) and Darren Ritchie (Wonderland) to celebrate the his Broadway and pop songbook. Scroll down for photos from the concert!

The 2013 New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) and Pirates Musical LLC present The Pirates of Finance a world premiere musical comedy written by Charles Veley with music by Sir Arthur Sullivan. Gary Slavin directs a cast of twelve including Lynn Craig*, Christopher de Angelis*, Preston Ellis*, Amber Nicole Guest*, Alex Krasser*, Janice Landry*, Heather Lundstedt, Carter Lynch*, David Macaluso*, Sydney Ransom, Deborah Jean Templin*, and Jacob Thompson*.

The 2013 New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) AND Forte Musical Theatre Guild present Crossing Swords a world premiere musical comedy by Joe Slabe, nominated for five Betty Mitchell Awards and three Calgary Critics' Awards. NYMF veteran Igor Goldin directs a cast of five including Linda Balgord (Bway: The Pirate Queen, CATS, La Cage, Gypsy standby for Patti Lupone; Nat. Tour: Sunset Boulevard), Ali Gordon (Regional: Fiddler on the Roof, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown), Steven Hauck (Bway: Irena's Vow), Lyle Colby Mackston (Papermill: 25th Annual...Spelling Bee), and Marrick Smith(New York: Love's Labour's Lost). Crossing Swords is being staged at The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 West 42nd Street (bet. 9th & 10th Avenues) in NYC for five performances from Monday, July 22 through Sunday, July 28, 2013.

On Monday night, The Pop Show - a new series in the Broadway at Birdland lineup, celebrated the songs of Adele with an all-star cast and a packed house. BroadwayWorld has photos from the concert below!

Swiss Family Robinson is being staged at The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre at The Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 West 42nd Street (bet. 9th & 10th Avenues) in NYC for five performances fromTuesday, July 9 through Wednesday, July 17, 2013. The Pershing Square Signature Center is the official hub of The New York Musical Theatre Festival. Scroll down for a first look at the cast below!

The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) presents Swiss Family Robinson, a world premiere musical comedy by John and Patrick Kennedy. Patrick Kennedy directs a cast of seventeen including Tom Bozell*, William James Daniels*, Paul DeBoy* (Mamma Mia), Alexander Ferguson, Danielle Gimbal, Patrick Oliver Jones* (The Addams Family), Heidi Kloster, Michael Lorz (Gross Indecency), Matt Mundy*,Sergio Pasquariello, James Patterson* (Mary Poppins), Jessie Shelton*, Barbara Tirrell* (Wicked), Meg Schneider, Emily Shoolin* (Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark), Sam Tedaldi*, and Elisa Van Duyne* (Finian's Rainbow, 110 in the Shade). ?

'The Pop Show,' an exciting new series that has found a home at Birdland, made a smashing debut on Monday night! Producer John Capo rounded up an inspiring cast to celebrate the songs of Elton John - including Tony winner Tonya Pinkins, who razzle-dazzled the crowd with 'Bennie And The Jets' and 'Your Song.' Scroll down for photos from the concert!

This past Monday, Frank's pals included Las Vegas and supperclub headliner Clint Holmes and Broadway mainstay Capathia Jenkins. (Holmes has recently been traveling the country singing Wildhorn's songs and praises, and Jenkins made her Broadway debut in the composer's production of The Civil War before starring in Caroline, Or Change and Newsies.)

For the past ten years, Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland has been the ultimate place for Broadway folks to mingle and celebrate each other, as evidenced by Monday night's jammed-to-the-walls open-mic-fest. Scroll down for photos from the starry evening!

The cast and creators of the Tony nominated musical Hands On A Hardbody were cheered and celebrated when they performed at Birdland on Monday night during the weekly Jim Caruso's Cast Party open mic extravaganza. Co-writer Amanda Green (Tony-nominated for her Hardbody work, as well as Bring It On), Tony nominee Keala Settle, as well as Kathleen Monteleone, Jim Newman, and Jay Armstrong Johnson all sang from the show, guaranteeing some future record sales just from the few hundred folks enjoying Cast Party. BroadwayWorld has photos from the concert below!

On Monday, May 13, Cortes Alexander stormed the Broadway at Birdland stage with 'The Swell Show,' along with Billy Stritch at the piano, Ray Marchica on drums, Norman Ludwin on bass, Clarke Thorell on guitar/ukulele, and Julie Garnye and Melissa Bailey as 'The Swell Girls.' Scroll down for photos from the concert!

The Broadway at Birdland concert series was welcomed vocalist/songwriter/pianist SPENCER DAY in concert on Monday, April 29. The Concord Records artist brought original songs from his new cd, 'The Mystery of You,' which was released on March 12. Scroll down for photos from the concert!