Photos: Caruso and Stritch Host a HOLLYWOOD CAST PARTY

This past Wednesday and Thursday, host Jim Caruso and musical director Billy Stritch oversaw another Hollywood edition of Cast Party, the wildly successful open mic night, which tours the country celebrating local talent. The event, made up of impromptu musical performances, has been running every Monday at Birdland in New York City for the past eight years.

LA Weekly called the showbiz bash a "veritable Who's Who-tenanny," and it's no wonder. With drop-ins by Carol Channing, Melissa Manchester and her daughter, Hannah DeRemer, Sally Kellerman, Megan Hilty, Dave Koz, Sam Harris, Jason Graae, Jim Brickman, Barry Williams, James Barbour, Laurence O'Keefe, Jeff Marx, Barrett Foa, Deborah S. Craig, Cortes Alexander, Ilene Graff, Todd Buonopane, Miss Coco Peru, The Dueling Fiddlers and many others, the sold-out Magic Castle crowd was entertained into the wee house of the morning.

A highlight in an evening of show-stoppers took place when Broadway icon Carol Channing stormed the stage, chatted with Caruso and Stritch about the importance of arts education and the fact that most of her imitators have 5 o'clock shadow, then launched into "Before The Parade Passes By" from Hello Dolly!

"Jim Caruso's Cast Party" will return to The Magic Castle in Hollywood on December 8 and 9, and continues every Monday night at Birdland in New York City.

Photos by Brian Putnam