Frances Ruffelle and More Set for Jamie deRoy's 'TIS THE SEASON Actors Fund Benefit at Birdland

Show business tour de force Jamie deRoy - the award-winning producer, cabaret, stage, film and TV performer and humanitarian - will bring her star-packed Jamie deRoy & friends holiday show to New York's famed Birdland, Monday, December 11, at 7 p.m. Birdland is located at 315 W. 44th Street in the theatre district.

Proceeds from the concert, produced by deRoy, will benefit The Actors Fund: Jamie deRoy & friends Cabaret Initiative - an endeavor that assists those in the cabaret industry who have medical needs and concerns.

Jamie deRoy & friends cabaret series has been attracting New York audiences for 27 years. In addition to three Tony Awards, deRoy has won eight MAC Awards, four BackStage Bistro Awards, 11 Telly Awards for her extensive work on stage and screen and she received CaB Magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award. deRoy also has been honored by Theatre Works/USA and Primary Stages.

As host of the Birdland holiday show, deRoy welcomes these outstanding performers:

Stephen Carlile, who is making his Broadway debut playing Scar in The Lion King, now celebrating its 20th anniversary. The British actor also starred as Scar in the original United Kingdom touring company of the show. Carlile portrayed Captain Hook in the U.S. touring company of Peter Pan. His many British performances include the original London cast of The Producers in which he was the lead tenor in singing "Springtime for Hitler"; M. Fair Lady (Freddy Evnsford); the new musical Bridget Jones Diary; Don Giovanni; The Wizard of Oz; The Phantom of the Opera; Pirates of Penzance; The Go-Between; Twelfth Night and The Importance of Being Earnest (Algernon). He appeared in Noel (Father Christmas) at The National Opera House in Ireland and toured Europe in Evita. He produced the West End revival of Snoppy the Musical in which he also performed. Carlile, who trained at the Guilford School of Acting, appeared in the film Brideshead Revisited. He also is a popular recording artist and radio personality in the UK.

Sophia Anne Caruso, a 16-year-old stage and screen actress, singer and dancer. She began her professional career on stage at age nine as Helen Keller in The Miracle Worker, directed by Patty Duke. Caruso's first major network television appearance was alongside Bernadette Peters in NBC's Smash. She then appeared as Brigitta Von Trapp in NBC's live musical, The Sound of Music. Caruso's first off-Broadway play was The Nether for which she received a Lucille Lortel award nomination for "best featured actress in a play." She was cast in the off-Broadway David Bowie/Enda Walsh musical, Lazarus, for which she was nominated for a Lortel award for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical" and also for an Outer Critics Circle award. When Lazarus moved to London's West End, Caruso received a nomination for "best supporting actress in a musical" at the prestigious "What's on Stage Awards" in London. Caruso's first Broadway credit was Blackbird with Michelle Williams and Jeff Daniels. Her films include Jack Of The Red Hearts and 37 The Kitty Genovese Murder.

Judy Gold has had stand-up specials on HBO, Comedy Central and LOGO. She wrote and starred in two disapprovingly acclaimed Off-Broadway hit shows: The Judy Show - My Life as a Sitcom (Outer Critics Circle nomination) and 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother (GLAAD Media Award - Outstanding NY Theatre and Drama Desk nomination for Actor). Gold also received rave reviews for her performance in The Public Theater's all female production of The Taming of The Shrew for NYC's Shakespeare in The Park. She co-starred in Off-Broadway's Clinton! The Musical and Disaster! The Musical. Gold can be seen on the Showtime series, I'm Dying Up Here, and Netflix's Friends from College. She has recurring roles on TBS' Search Party and POP TV's Night Cap. She is featured in Woody Allen's upcoming Crisis in Six Scenes on Amazon and also appears on Amazon Prime's hit web series, The Other F Word. Gold won two Emmy awards for writing and producing TV's The Rosie O'Donnell Show. Gold hosted HBO's At The Multiplex with Judy Gold. She is the host of the hit podcast Kill Me Now on CBS' play.it and iTunes. Gold also is known for her numerous appearances on many TV shows, including The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

Melissa Manchester, in September, released her 21st album, "The Fellas," a tribute to Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, Tony Bennett and Dean Martin, among others, and the iconic songs they made famous. Her very impressive successful solo career has brought her critical and commercial acclaim. The "Midnight Blue" singer received her first Grammy nomination in 1979 for Best Pop Female Vocal Performance. She won the Grammy four years later in that category for "You Should Hear How She Talks about You." An acclaimed songwriter as well as a performer, Manchester has had her songs recorded by Barbra Streisand, Roberta Flack and Dusty Springfield, among many others. Nominated for Oscars were two songs she performed, "Through the Eyes of Love" and "The Promise." Manchester has appeared on both the large (For The Boys) and small screens (Blossom) and on the stage in Sweet Potato Queens. With her "The Fellas" album, she completes a journey that began more than a quarter century ago.

Frances Ruffelle created the iconic role of Eponine in Les Miserables and turned "On My Own" into one of Broadway's most beloved standards. The Tony Award winner gives a sultry solo performance in her current cabaret show, Frances Ruffelle Live(S) in New York! She has made five solo albums and has performed in numerous West End shows in the United Kingdom, including her most recently acclaimed performance as Queenie in the UK premiere of Michael Lachusa's Wild Party. Sir Trevor Nunn, artistic director of the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, and former director of the Royal National Theatre, noted that "there are great and strong voices, big or beautiful, but very rarely, there is what can only be described as a magic. Frances is one of those rare ones." Ruffelle received similar raves at the Scotsman Edinburg Festival and for her performance at The Kennedy Center's Terrace Theater.

Sally Ann Triplett, the accomplished British singer and actress who appeared in Carrie, The Last Ship and Finding Neverland on Broadway. Her many London West End credits include The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (her first West End appearance); Mamma Mia; Cats; Grease; Follies; Chess; Jolson; Acorn Antiques, Anything Goes and Guys & Dolls. In regional theatre, she performed in Absent Friends; Much Ado About Nothing; Merry Wives Of Windsor; Lend Me a Tenor; Rags and the world premiere of Take Flight in which she portrayed Amelia Earhart. Her other stage appearances include Jubilee at Her Majesty's and a Judy Garland tribute concert at the Palladium. On British television, Triplett appeared in the award-winning film, The Fishing Trip, and played a leading role in Magic, a six-part drama series. Her other TV appearances include Eastenders, Doctors, Down to Earth, The Bill and Dark Matters, all for the BBC. Triplett first gained fame in the UK for twice representing it in Eurovision Song Contests.

Directing Jamie deRoy & friends' December 11 show is composer, book writer and lyricist Barry Kleinbort. Musical direction is by award-winning arranger, orchestrator and conductor Ron Abel. Tom Hubbard will be on bass.

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IF YOU GO:

Jamie deRoy & FRIENDS

Monday, December 11, 2017 at 7 p.m.

At Birdland, 315 W. 44th Street, NYC

Tickets: $65 VIP; $40 General Seating and a $10 food/drink minimum per person.

For reservations: 212-581-3080.

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