Casey Mink - Page 4

They say you only have one shot at a first impression, but in her Feinstein's/54 Below debut, Cady Huffman started her show twice. The double-take beginning was not attributed to a mistake or a technical difficulty; to the contrary, Tony Award-winning Huffman (THE PRODUCERS) was very intentional in her duality, indecisive to which of her entrances she preferred. It is only fitting that Huffman began her show with such a duplicitous start, as notions of the disparate pierced through much of her show, TOMBOY, SHOW GIRL. As that title suggests, through the 85-minute set, Huffman explored the binary of gender roles, particularly in show business. However, she also touched upon the juxtapositions of youth and experience, comedy and poignancy, weariness and the still-genuine love of show business she's maintained through decades of slogging through it.

In preparation for her return engagement at Feinstein's/54 Below, Melissa Errico was looking for answers, but she ended up with far more questions. In fact, much of the Tony-nominated mother of three's life and career as of late seems to be cloaked in indefinable uncertainty. She recently penned an op-ed for The New York Times detailing the confounding reality of being an actress who is not yet old but no longer 'an ingenue' and yet continues to work in the business of Broadway. Errico is all too aware of the current impasse of her life and, in an embrace, she dedicated her show, FUNNY, I'M A WOMAN WITH CHILDREN, to that very not-knowing. Nearly all of her songs throughout her performance on September 20---the first of four in her run---had the central theme of questioning because, as artists have done for centuries and which Errico set out to do this evening, to make sense of life through art is any creator's most powerful capability.

It is an actor's intent as old as time not to become boxed into a certain type of role or performative style, be it the ingenue, the sassy sidekick, or the bad boy too smolderingly handsome for his own good (not the worst problem to have, frankly). One essential key to eluding that conundrum is the laser-sharp understanding of who you are as a performer, outside of a given character or show. So what happens, then, when actors known primarily for their roles in musical theatre take to the stage to perform purely as themselves? The question was answered at Feinstein's/54 Below's Broadway Sings Their Own concert on August 29, as eight vastly disparate performers stepped into the spotlight, each to perform two original songs they wrote themselves, stripped of characters to hide behind.

Keala Settle has made a name for herself in the Broadway landscape due diligently portraying supporting roles, be it the bigoted Shirley in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Norma in 2013's Hands on a Hardbody (a show-stopping performance for which she earned a Tony nomination), or the affectionate but no-nonsense best friend in Waitress, her current gig. However, in her solo concert debut at Birdland on August 22, singing the music of Frank Wildhorn, who also accompanied her performance, Settle valiantly demonstrated she is no mere sidekick.

'At last, at last, at long last.' These are the lyrics which ushered in the emotional climax of Broadway's Bright Star, the North Carolina-set musical which burned fast and, well, bright this past season on Broadway. So, too, did these lyrics close out the solo concert debut of the musical's incandescent star, Carmen Cusack, at Feinstein's/54 Below on August 9. Fittingly so. This time last year, Cusack was little known in New York, having established herself as a bona fide star in the West End, as well as regionally in touring productions of Wicked and South Pacific. Cut to the summer of 2016, though, and Cusack has made one of the most celebrated Broadway debuts in memory and was Tony-nominated in this year's Actress in a Leading Role category (the same one deemed too full for Audra McDonald). It is no wonder, then, Cusack wasted no time capitalizing on her newfound cachet, booking three concerts at Broadway's supper club, before swiftly adding a fourth due to demand.

Andy Mientus won a fictional Tony Award on television before ever actually having appeared on Broadway. However, following his concert debut with Teen Commandments at Feinstein's/54 Below on August 2, the first of a two-show engagement, it became clear that his fake Tony win may very well have been prophetic. The evening did not consist of a traditional, career-introspective set, and though there were a few covers (a mashup of Justin Bieber's 'What Do You Mean?' with Beyonce's 'XO' a highlight among them), as well as a selection from Spring Awakening, which Mientus appeared in this past season on Broadway as well as on tour in 2008, the intent was to introduce Manhattan Kids, a new musical that Mientus has been intermittently at work upon for years, alongside Teen Commandments (made up of Brett Moses, synth and piano; Van Hughes, bass and acoustic guitar; Nicholas LaGrasta, guitar, bass, keyboard, and computer; and Hampus Öhman-Frolund, drums). Though the majority of the plot was not divulged, through the selections performed it was made clear that the musical is audacious in both its story and its musical style.

In traversing her career through the songs and stories that have brought her to this point, it is clear that Jennifer Damiano's journey belies her age. Yet, through her one-woman show Jennuinely at Feinstein's/54 Below on July 29, the second of what was originally a three-performance engagement (two more encore performances have been added to her schedule), the Tony-nominated Damiano gave the impression of a young woman who has seen it all in her decade-long career. That's not to say she isn't happily embracing the unexpected twists and turns in what's still to come. This is, after all, someone who starred in the perilously ill-fated 'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark' and lived to tell the tale.

'Broad: A term originated in the 1930s meaning woman. Less respectable than 'lady,' but much more respectable than 'bitch.' Broad: An independent, aggressive, assertive woman, usually in show business. Broads sing loud, are sarcastic, and are in your face. Broads are generally moderately attractive or better, never seen without their best dresses and perfect makeup, and they know how to compete and win in a man's world.' This is how Lesli Margherita began her one-woman show at Birdland Jazz on July 25, the second of a two-performance return engagement at the club. Reading from a music stand so as not to mince words, Margherita recited the dictionary definition of her show's eponymous moniker, because if nothing else, through Broad, Margherita wanted to make sure her audience understood one thing: Broads like her will never be deterred.

NBC today announced an exclusive deal with Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic, the world's first commercial spaceline, and Mark Burnett's One Three Media to create the spectacular unscripted series, 'Space Race.”

In celebration of the Halloween season, TravelChannel.com names the 'Travel's Best' Halloween Attractions for 2013. WARNING: These are not for the faint of heart!

The entire Starz series, 'Spartacus' will be rebroadcast beginning Saturday, October 26th with 'Blood and Sand.'

CBS places first on Wednesday in viewers adults 18-49 and adults 25-54 with 'Survivor' and 'CSI' sweeping their time periods.

R.J. Mitte, who starred as Walt Jr. on 'Breaking Bad' joins the cast of 'Switched at Birth' in a recurring role.

Two-time Emmy winner, Kathy Griffin, dropped by 'The Tonight Show' last night to chat with host Jay Leno.

ABC's 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' kicked off premiere week of the 2013-14 season (week of September 23, 2013) with its biggest-ever opening-week audience.

October 1 was officially pronounced 'Aaron Paul Sturtevant' day in Boise, Idaho by Governor, Butch Otter.

'The X Factor' was back with another roound last night, and for the first time, tried out the 'Four-Chair Challenge.' Ten singers performed for each group, all vying for the alotted four seats. From there, the judges could swap people in and out as they saw fit. Check out some of the night's performances below!

Smithsonian Channel is the U.S. television home to chronicle the behind-the-scenes story of the world's first real Bionic Man – a 6-foot-tall robot built entirely from bionic body parts and implantable synthetic organs – complete with a functioning circulatory system. It premieres on October 20, 2013 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Catch a sneak peek plus behind the scenes footage of 'Haven'

On Friday, Oct 4 @ 9pm ET, Chiller presents the debut of its newest original film, 'Beneath'