Broadway Voices, New Chorus Group, Makes Debut at Metropolitan Room

Broadway Voices,  a new quartet of singers from the New York City Gay Men's Chorus,  will make its debut performance this September at The Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues) with I Want It All – A Maltby and Shire Songbook.   The new performance ensemble features Dan Baillie, Eric Saggese, Sonelius Kendrick-Smith and Phil Zipkin. Musical Direction is by Dr. Charles Beale, and staging by Jeff Lettiere.

This all-male cast brings a unique twist to the traditionally co-ed songbook featuring songs from Maltby & Shire's hit shows Closer Than Ever; Starting Here, Starting Now; Baby; and a song from their new project Take Flight.

Both as a team and individually, Richard Maltby and David Shire have had prolific and distinguished careers for stage and screen. Together, their best-known musicals include Baby; Closer Than Ever; Starting Here, Starting Now; and Big. Separately, Shire has scored several hundred films, won an Oscar (Norma Rae) and two Grammys (Saturday Night Fever) along the way, and co-wrote the hit pop single "With You I'm Born Again;" while Maltby was the Tony-winning director and co-conceiver of Ain't Misbehavin', the co-lyricist of Miss Saigon and the screenwriter of last year's Renee Zellwegger starrer Miss Potter. Maltby and Shire's current project is the musical Take Flight, produced in London and Japan last year, and scheduled for a domestic production next season. Maltby is also directing next season's The Story of My Life; while Shire has written the songs for a new animated musical television series starring, and co-produced by, his wife, actress Didi Conn. Maltby and Shire met their freshman year at Yale (where they their wrote their first two shows) and have recently begun their second half century of collaboration.

The New York City Gay Men's Chorus' Broadway Voices sing "I Want It All – A Maltby and Shire Songbook" plays Septrember 17 at 9:45 p.m., Septrember  20 at 5:00 p.m. and Septrember. 21 at 9:30 p.m at The Metropolitan Room Room (34 West 22nd Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues).  $20 cover/2 drink minimum.  For reservations call (212) 206-0440 or vist http://metropolitanroom.com/index.php?option=com_jcalpro&Itemid=98&extmode=view&extid=798.  All proceeds will benefit the NYCGMC.