Annaleigh Ashford Returns to Birdland 7/12

Jim Caruso is delighted to announce the return of Annaleigh Ashford to the stage of Birdland on Monday, July 12 at 7pm. This event is part of the long-running Broadway at Birdland concert series. Musical director and arranger for the show will be James Sampliner.

Fresh from her Broadway run of Hair, Annaleigh Ashford returns to Birdland, after her previous sold out performance. With the musical magic of James Sampliner, she will story-tell through popular classics by everyone from Doris Day to Janis Joplin. With an emphasis on the sounds of the 60's and 70's, Ashford and Sampliner will pay homage to songs like "Mona Lisa's and Mad Hatters", "Beautiful", "When I'm 64", and many more.

Annaleigh Ashford is best known for her work on Broadway: Legally Blonde; The Musical - original cast (Margot), Wicked (Glinda), and Hair (Jeannie); Chicago: Wicked (Glinda); Workshops/Readings: Bring It On (Campbell), Banana Shpeel: Cirque du Soleil, Catch Me If You Can (Brenda), Pal Joey, Black Suits (Megan), MCC. National tour: Wicked (Glinda u/s). New York: Feeling Electric (Natalie), New York Musical Theatre Festival '05. Feature Films: "Sex & the City," "Rachel Getting Married." Television: "Law & Order," "Legally Blonde; The Musical" on MTV. Annaleigh is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan College.

James Sampliners' Broadway credits include The Wedding Singer, Brooklyn: The Musical, Never Gonna Dance. Off-B'way: The Mistress Cycle (NYMF), Ghetto Superstar (music supervisor/orchestrator), Radiant Baby (NYSF). Williamstown: Cabaret & Main, The Threepenny Opera, Where's Charley?, Tonight at 8:30, Quark Victory, The Mistress Cycle, and the late-night cabaret series. Regional credits include Mixed Company (NYS&F), Most Wanted (Sundance) Ghetto Superstar (City Theater, Pittsburgh). Recordings include The Wedding Singer, Brooklyn: The Musical: Live!, Billy Porter : At the Corner of Broadway and Soul. As an arranger and co-writer, he has co-written a new African-American revue of Stephen Sondheim's music entitled Being Alive with Mr. Porter that has had two productions in Westport and Philadelphia. The two then worked on an all African-American revue of Richard Rodgers' material entitled The Soul Of Rodgers for the Reprise Theater Company in Los Angeles. Today, Mr. Sampliner is now the music supervisor of the national tour of Legally Blonde and works regularly with Mr. Porter, Shoshana Bean and other theater performers. Mr. Sampliner will be next seen in Atlanta's Alliance Theater conducting and playing for the new production of Twist directed and choreographed by the legendary Debbie Allen.

Annaleigh Ashford
Monday, July 12 at 7pm
Birdland (315 West 44 Street, NYC)
$25, $35 cover plus $10 food/drink minimum
212-581-3080 or www.BirdlandJazz.com

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