Broadway By The Year Lineup Adds d'Arcy James and Others

Lawrence Zucker, Artistic and Executive Director of The Town Hall is pleased to present the upcoming Broadway By The Year concerts.  -- After the first two all-star, critically acclaimed, sold out concerts at The Town Hall, Broadway by the Year continues its year of unparalleled excellence by announcing just some of the stars that have committed to performing in the last two concerts of the season.  Making their Broadway by the Year debuts in concerts on either May 12 or June 16 are Brian d'Arcy James, Mandy Gonzalez, Alice Ripley, Jeff McCarthy, Lorin Latarro, and Terri Klausner.  Now in its eighth season, Broadway By The Year is created, written and hosted by Scott Siegel for The Town Hall.
 
The Broadway Musicals of 1965 on Monday, May 12 matches an extraordinary cast with one of the greatest years in the history of the Great White Way that will feature a concert of virtually non-stop Broadway classics. Performing great songs like "Why Did I Choose You?" "She Touched Me," Who Can I Turn to?" "The Impossible Dream," and about twenty more of the same caliber will be a stunning cast that will include the future star of Shrek on Broadway, Brian d'Arcy James, four time Tony Nominee Gregg Edelman, two time Tony nominee Marc Kudisch, the bright young star of In The Heights, Mandy Gonzalez, the recent star of Wicked, Julia Murney, and the great dancing of Kendrick Jones, Shannon Lewis, Melinda Sullivan, and Lorin Latarro (who will also choreograph and stage the concert). And that's only the beginning!
 
The Broadway Musicals of 1979 will follow on Monday, June 16 with one of the most provocative casts ever assembled for a Broadway by the Year concert. Three of the four leads from the cult favorite musical, Side Show, will be in the concert including its two Tony nominated stars, Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner (the latter also directing the show). They will be joined by the magnetic Jeff McCarthy (currently Billy Flynn in Chicago) who is also famous as Officer Lockstock in Urinetown. Noah Racey will provide the exciting dance, while Terri Klausner will remind audiences why she was hired to play Eva Peron twice a week in the original cast of Evita.
 
"I'm announcing our initial casts for both shows at this time," said the series creator/writer/host Scott Siegel, "because they are both so damned exciting. The May 12 show is a powerhouse of talent and the June 16 concert, even at this early stage, has a cast that will get the attention of every musical theater fan in New York City. After having reunited Emily Skinner and Alice Ripley in concert at Town Hall a year and a half ago, I am especially proud to be able to bring them back again and add their Side Show co-star, Jeff McCarthy to the cast, as well. And you can be sure, I'm not finished yet!" vowed Siegel.
 
Built in 1921 by a group of suffragettes, The Town Hall began as a lecture hall and public forum for debates. Over the decades, Eleanor Roosevelt, Margaret Sanger, Billie Holiday, Igor Stravinsky, Bob Dylan and Miles Davis have graced the stage.  Today the hall flourishes as a popular, affordable venue, boasting the hottest acts in rock, pop, folk, cabaret, world music, comedy and dance, including Billy Joel, Blondie, Elvis Costello, Natalie Merchant, Graham Nash, Liza Minnelli, Cyndi Lauper, Norah Jones, Andre Watts, Henry Rollins, Joe Jackson, Pink Martini, Regina Spector, Brian Adams, Aimee Mann and Dawn Upshaw. For over a decade, The Town Hall has hosted live broadcasts of Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion. Over the past two-and-a-half decades, The Town Hall has produced a number of new and critically acclaimed musical series, which include The Century of Change, Not Just Jazz, Broadway By The Year® and The Broadway Cabaret Festival.
 
Tickets are $50 & $45 and are on sale now through TicketMaster, 212-307-4100, www.ticketmaster.com, The Town Hall Box Office between noon and 6 PM (except Sundays) at 123 West 43rd Street, 212-840-2824. For more information: www.the-townhall-nyc.org.
 
Broadway By The Yearâ is generously funded by Bank of America and the Edythe Kenner Foundation.