David Yazbek, ANOTHER OPENING, ANOTHER DEBUT!, and More to Play 54 Below Next Week

Additional performances include Detra Thomas, Amanda King Presents ELLA THE EARLY YEARS, and more.

By: May. 12, 2023
David Yazbek, ANOTHER OPENING, ANOTHER DEBUT!, and More to Play 54 Below Next Week
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Next week, 54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club and 2022 Tony Awards Honoree for Excellence in the Theatre, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond. 54 Below celebrates Broadway musicals and writers of the past and present, promoting an ongoing engagement with their work. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.org or call (646) 476-3551.

NEW MUSICAL: SAMMY'S BOWERY FOLLIES - MAY 15 AT 7:00 PM

This performance will also be livestreamed. For tickets and more information, click here.

Welcome to Sammy's Bowery Follies, a new romantic musical comedy about a famous nightclub on the Lower East Side of New York City from 1934-1970.

Written by Sharon Barnett in tribute to her father, the beloved MC at Sammy's for 22 years, this show captures the ambiance of a rare Shangri-La melting pot where classes and races mixed, and top stars of the day, tourists, and locals alike gathered nightly to revel in the atmosphere created by the outrageous cast of characters both on stage- and in the audience!

The show follows Barney Marks, who returns from World War II to follow his dream of being a New York City performer. His journey from the USO lands him behind the scenes of Sammy's- where real life and on stage life collide to provide us with a heartwarming story filled with drama, romance, and colorful characters. Add a rousing score spanning musical styles from the 1920s to the 1940s, and you have Sammy's Bowery Follies, a musical love letter to show business and the famous nightclub that was a historical piece of the fabric of New York nightlife.

$75 cover charge ($84 with fees). $110 premium seating ($122.50 with fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

ANOTHER OPENING, ANOTHER DEBUT! BROADWAY DEBUTS OF THE 2022-2023 SEASON, FEAT. Caroline Innerbichler & MORE - MAY 15 AT 9:30 PM

Every year new faces join the Broadway community. Whether it took them 8 auditions or they were picked out from a national casting call, getting that magical phone call is something they will never forget.

Listen up and meet the new faces appearing on the 41 stages as fairytale characters, students, and even rockstars! Some join their show Off Broadway or out-of-town, transferring from Chicago, Boston, or even London. Other shows open fresh on Broadway. Nevertheless, each actor has a unique path to the moment they finally get to step onto a Broadway stage. So everybody join us at 54 Below as we cheer for the amazing and landmark 2022-2023 season of Broadway debuts!

Featuring Tristen Buettel, Jonathan Christopher, Caroline Innerbichler, Marina Kondo, Claire Kwon, Melanie La Barrie, Tatiana Lofton, Jake Pedersen, Alex Prakken, and Alex Vinh.

Musical direction by Drew Wutke.

Produced by Jen Sandler.

$40 cover charge ($45.50 with fees). $65 premium seating ($73 with fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

David Yazbek AND THE BLUDGEONEERS - MAY 16 AT 7:00 PM

Before he was a Tony, Grammy and Emmy award winning composer and writer, David Yazbek was (and still is) a groundbreaking performer and recording artist whom The New York Times calls "A daredevil juggler catching spiked pins in the traveling carnival of his imagination."

He and his world-class band are back after 3 years to play some new songs from his upcoming album, some older stuff and some stuff from his Broadway musicals with the help of Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Catch Me If You Can, My Fair Lady).

$85 cover charge ($95 with fees). $135 premium seating ($150 with fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

54 SINGS CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND! - MAY 16 AT 9:30 PM

This performance will also be livestreamed. For tickets and more information, click here.

West Covina is coming to NYC!

Join us at 54 Below for a quirky night of music, zany hijinks, and a whole bunch of laughs as we celebrate the humor and truth behind the music of "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" and Rachel Bloom. Come get silly with J. Giachetti & Aly Marie Mazzie (co-directors) as we hop on this oversized pretzel of musical theatre parodies with this star-studded cast. We'll be belting out the hits you know and love like "You Stupid Bitch," "Let's Generalize About Men," "Face Your Fears," "A Diagnosis," and so much more!

Co-produced by J. Giachetti & Aly Marie Mazzie.

Featuring Sami Blake, Mayah Lourdes Burke, Flynn Byun, Clara Charles, Jen Chia, Emma Dahlin, Madison Deadman, Alexandra Rose DeAngelis, JQ Hennessy, J. Giachetti, Jacob Tyler Kent, Aly Marie Mazzie, David Medina, Brenna Patzer, Corrieanne Stein, and Shelly Lynn Walsh.

$35 cover charge ($40 with fees). $60 premium seating ($67.50 with fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

Morgan Reilly: THRIVING, FEAT. KEIRSTEN HODGES & MORE! - MAY 17 AT 7:00 PM

Morgan Reilly is 30 years old. The last time she did a solo show, she was 25 and convinced she had her entire life mapped out. In the past five years, that route has taken more turns than a broken GPS.

She moved over 11 times (she counted), gave up performing to bartend at a restaurant in her hometown when Broadway shut down on her birthday, went viral on TikTok for impersonating riffing animals (yes, really), and somehow made her Broadway, national tour, and Vegas debuts in the Tony Award®-winning Freestyle Love Supreme, having never freestyled in front of people before.

Morgan is going to unpack it all, from the infamous summer of 2018 to the origin of her nickname, Hummingbird, and everything that's led to the beginning of a brand new decade. She is 30, flirty, and, indeed, thriving. Music direction by James Sampliner.

Featuring Tyler Conroy, Joey Contreras, Julian Diaz-Granados, Mia Gerachis, Keirsten Hodgens, Adelaide James, Jake McKenna, and Dizzy SenZe.

Joined by Shannon Molly Flynn, Taylor Scott, and The Nice Guys (Brad Bailey, Trevor Brown, and Eddy Marshall).

$35 cover charge ($40 with fees). $60 premium seating ($67.50 with fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

JEANNETTE: THE MUSICAL, STARRING Ari Afsar & MORE! - MAY 17 AT 9:30 PM

Join us at 54 Below for the re-imagined, pop-Broadway story of Jeannette: The Musical, telling the story of Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress in 1917 (years before the 19th Amendment). In an unforgettable celebration of America's most produced playwright Lauren Gunderson, Ari Afsar (songwriter on Sony's Lyle, Lyle Crocodile), and playwright and professor Jordan Ealey, experience the Sony Broadway album Songs from the Musical Jeannette like never before! Instead of a simple biography, Jeannette: The Musical explores the very meaning of heroism, feminism, and activism with three women with three different intersectional perspectives and identities playing the title role.

What does it mean for a Black woman, a white woman, and a queer Asian woman to tell Jeannette's story? How do we engage her queerness, her defiance, and, ultimately, her admission that the 19th Amendment prioritizes the lives of white women, rather than all women? Is her story even worth telling? Do we need heroes from the past or do we need to be the heroes we so long for, or both? With rich contemporary politics and comedy, luscious and invigorating music, Jeannette: The Musical asks us to understand the past and challenge the present in order for us to move forward. Featuring an all-star cast, this concert is produced and directed by Erin Ortman and Sheela Ramesh (SIX, Moulin Rouge!, Almost Famous), who will also be serving as music director.

Starring Ari Afsar, Asmeret Ghebremichael, Adam Hyndman, Andrea Prestinario, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Cindy Tsai, and more stars to be announced!

$45 cover charge ($51 with fees). $70 premium seating ($78.50 with fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

DETRA THOMAS - MAY 18 AT 7:00 PM

Detra Thomas, the former Baptist pastor's wife, whose story of strength and triumph was featured in Humans of New York in 2022, is making her 54 Below concert debut! She has been a New York City resident for eight years and has performed at multiple venues in Brooklyn and Manhattan. After her first two shows at Hill Country BBQ in Brooklyn, she has performed at Connelly's Pub and Jalopy Theater in Red Hook. She wrote, produced, and starred in a one-woman play at the TaDa Theater in Manhattan, and performed a series of shows at Mary O's Pub in the Lower East Side, as well as a return to Hill Country in 2022. Backed by a five-piece band, her show is a captivating and engaging mixture of songs and storytelling that invites audiences along on a compelling journey.

$55 cover charge ($62 with fees). $90 premium seating ($100.50 with fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

54 SINGS Regina Spektor: OFF THE RADIO - MAY 18 AT 9:30 PM

Regina Spektor will not appear at this performance.

"You've got time"... to join us at 54 Below as we pay tribute to the queen of indie-pop herself, Regina Spektor. Follow us, ballad by ballad as we explore the Grammy nominated lyrics and poetry of one of folks greatest songwriters. Featuring songs like, "On The Radio," "Eet," "Samson," and so many more; come hang out with Aly Marie Mazzie (producer) & this stellar group of artists as we sing the songbook of one of the music industry's most self-made women.

Featuring Sami Blake, Mayah Lourdes Burke, Laura Casertano, Megan Derbick, Cheslee Duke, Bella Faye, Victoria Gullo, Aly Marie Mazzie, Laura Renee Mehl, Brenna Patzer, Brennen Savon, Evie Shuckman, Danielle Standifer, Gina Teschke, and Jae Weit.

Music direction by Flynn Byun.

The band will include Jude Caminos on drums and Myles Joseph on guitar.

$35 cover charge ($40 with fees). $60 premium seating ($67.50 with fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

Amanda King PRESENTS ELLA THE EARLY YEARS - MAY 19 AT 7:00 PM

Before she became the First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald was a young girl with a dream and determination who overcame extraordinary odds. Acclaimed chanteuse and music historian Amanda King shares Ella Fitzgerald's origins, inspirations, and music from the 1930s era and her time with the Chick Webb Orchestra in ELLA The Early Years, a swinging show of song and history!

A classic chanteuse who performs standards and jazz, Amanda King has been hailed by The New York Times critic Stephen Holden as one of the nightclub world's "exceptional rising talents" and is a repeat performer at the Mabel Mercer Cabaret Convention. Combined with her band of unparalleled jazz musicians, ELLA The Early Years is a heartwarming, joy-filled musical celebration of an American icon by a voice that was born to sing Fitzgerald!

Joined by Caili O'Doherty on piano, Noah Garabedian on bass, and Jerome Jennings on drums.

$55 cover charge ($62 with fees). $95 premium seating ($106 with fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

Sue Matsuki | BUT BEAUTIFUL: A TRIBUTE TO Julie Wilson, FEAT. Holt McCallany - MAY 19 AT 9:30 PM

Join us for Sue Matsuki's tribute to her mentor and friend of 18 years, the Broadway, TV, movie, and cabaret icon, Julie Wilson. Personally chosen by Julie to be the first recipient of the Julie Wilson Award bestowed by the Mabel Mercer Foundation, Sue will share beautiful, real stories about her close relationship with the Grand Dame of Cabaret while singing a program of Julie's signature tunes. Songs will include "I'm Gonna Live 'Til I Die," "Send in the Clowns," "Miss Otis Regrets," a Billie Holiday tune or two (Julie's favorite singer), and, of course, "But Beautiful." Please join us for what will be a very special evening for this very special woman, a mother and mentor to so many in cabaret. Featuring Julie Wilson's son, Holt McCallany ("Mindhunter")!

This show, and Sue, were picked as one of the top "75 Pop & Jazz Albums, Shows and Festivals coming this Fall" by The New York Times!

"Each song is based on a chosen point of view, devoid of extraneous frills or gestures. There are times when I absolutely love what I do. This is one of them." - Sue Matsuki, Backstage

Featuring musical director/arranger Gregory Toroian on piano, Skip Ward on bass, and David Silliman on drums.

Directed by Lina Koutrakos.

$40 cover charge ($45.50 with fees). $70 premium seating ($78.50 with fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

DIVA WORSHIP WITH THE NEW YORK CITY GAY MEN'S CHORUS - MAY 20 AT 7:00 PM

This performance will also be livestreamed. For tickets and more information, click here.

Members of the New York City Gay Men's Chorus (NYCGMC) once again hit the 54 Below stage for one night only with a brand new cabaret show and fundraiser! Hosted by Temple Grandé and Gigi St. Croix, Diva Worship is all about celebrating the great musical divas of pop, rock, and beyond! So many LGBTQ+ folks have been inspired by great performers - and some deeply devoted - so this is our love letter to the women and femmes that paved their way in music.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the NYCGMC.

$50 cover charge ($56.50 with fees). $85 premium seating ($95 with fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

54 SALUTES Frank Sinatra! - MAY 20 AT 9:30 PM

Encore by popular demand! Join us for Frank Sinatra - The Second Century - A Celebration of Sinatra's Timeless Hit Songs!

SINATRA RETURNS! An all-star cast of Broadway and nightclub stars will perform the songs that propelled Ol' Blue Eyes into the stratosphere of superstars. Hear the hits that turned Sinatra into an icon for the ages, making him one of the rare show business beacons who continues to shine even in his second century. You'll hear songs like "One For My Baby," "Chicago," "My Way," "It Was a Very Good Year," and so many more.

This show comes courtesy of impresario Scott Siegel, who has created this enormously popular and enduring Sinatra series for 54 Below.

The show will be produced, written, directed and hosted by Scott Siegel, the creator of Town Hall's signature series, Broadway by the Year. He has written/directed/produced concerts for Michael Feinstein at Jazz at Lincoln Center and has, over the course of the last 21 years, created more than 500 major concerts all over the world. Music direction by Evan Zavada.

Produced, written, directed, & hosted by Scott Siegel.

Featuring Willie Demyan, Jared Goodwin, Ben Jones, Ryan Knowles, Deborah Tranelli, Michael Winther, and more stars to be announced!

$50 cover charge ($56.50 with fees). $85 premium seating ($95 with fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

ALONE: A NEW MUSICAL BY JOHN ERTMAN & JOSEPH MATHUSEK, FEAT. Taylor Iman Jones & MORE! - MAY 21 AT 7:00 PM

Join us at 54 Below for a roaring evening featuring the songs of John Ertman and Joseph Mathusek in Alone: A New Musical! A high school friend group becomes the center of their small-town gossip chain after a summer romance goes awry. In an unforgettable introduction to Broadway's next generation of stars, experience a coming-of-age story with music like you've never heard before! Featuring an all-star cast, this concert is produced by Picardee Productions and Penny for Thought Productions, with direction by Susanna Wolk (& Juliet, Waitress national tour) and music direction by Patrick B. Phillips (Once Upon A One More Time, "Only Murders In The Building").

Featuring Ellis Gage, Taylor Iman Jones, Remy Laifer, Sarah-Anne Martinez, Kim Onah, Zachary Noah Piser, and more stars to be announced!

$55 cover charge ($62 with fees). $90 premium seating ($100.50 with fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

RACHEL HANDMAN & Keve Wilson: SIS! BOOM! BAH! - MAY 21 AT 9:30 PM

Returning to 54 Below for a 7th time by popular demand! When Rachel Handman (violin-The Music Man) and Keve Wilson (oboe- Company) first met at The Rink in Hyde Park, NY, they were 12 years old, fearless, and full of ambition. Fast forward through the years and this violin and oboe duo pushes the boundaries of musical genre - fusing classical virtuosity with the spontaneity of a bluegrass band, the electricity of a rock concert, and the familiarity of the American Songbook.

Rachel spent a year in Bolivia, performing string quartets by day and in Bolivian bars by night. Keve traveled to Europe as oboist with the Absolute Ensemble and learned how to Irish jig like a fiddler. Thirty years, one hot band, and hundreds of performances later, the two are taking what traditional classical instruments can do to the next level, not to mention weaving hilarious tales of their lifelong friendship between numbers.

Individually, they have recorded and/or performed with Bruce Springsteen, Ray Charles, Mary J. Blige, Natalie Merchant and more, and have played in numerous Broadway orchestras.

They are joined by the hottest rhythm section in NYC... Hidayat Honari, guitar, Marc Schmied, bass, and Mike Ramsey, drums.

$35 cover charge ($40 with fees). $60 premium seating ($67.50 with fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

LIVE AT 54 BELOW

54 Below's new series is designed to make more shows accessible to fans all over the world. "Live from 54 Below" will feature LIVE performances of current shows on the calendar, streamed directly from Broadway's Living Room. Seven cameras will capture the excitement of being at the venue - all paired with the club's dramatic lighting and award-winning sound design. To recreate the live experience, all shows will be presented exclusively at the time of performance with an in-house audience and will not be available on demand afterwards.

The following performances will be streamed live. For tickets, visit www.54Below.org/LIVE.

NEW MUSICAL: SAMMY'S BOWERY FOLLIES May 15 at 7:00pm ET / Tickets $25 ($28.50 with fees.)

54 SINGS CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND May 16 at 9:45pm ET / Tickets $25 ($28.50 with fees.)

DIVA WORSHIP WITH THE NEW YORK CITY GAY MEN'S CHORUS May 20 at 7:00pm ET / Tickets $25 ($28.50 with fees.)

SAFETY INFORMATION

54 Below is committed to the health of its performers, staff, and guests and has created a Safety Plan to ensure safe conditions along with optimum performing conditions. Additional information on our safety protocols  can be found here.  54 Below has installed improved air circulation and filtering systems. Based on CDC and New York State guidelines at the time of performance, safety protocols and seating capacity may change, and policies may be adjusted as appropriate.  

MORE ABOUT 54 BELOW

54 Below, a recipient of the 2022 TONY AWARDS® Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, is a non-profit organization with a mission to preserve the music of Broadway and expand the art of the cabaret while growing opportunities for diverse communities of emerging and established artists and providing unparalleled audience experiences.

It was founded as a place for the Broadway community to celebrate Broadway performers, both established and new, who sing not only the music of Broadway and the Great American Songbook, but also new material intended for Broadway and off-Broadway stages. One of the most in demand venues in the city presenting over 700 shows per year, the club features fine dining and superb scenic, lighting, and sound designs entirely imagined by Broadway designers. For performers, writers, musicians, and more, 54 Below gives opportunities to advance their craft, expand their repertoires, and develop their voices in a way that is more personal, making them stronger as artists. It gives Broadway fans an opportunity to see their favorite artists in a different way, deepening their relationship and understanding of their talent.

54 Below celebrates Broadway musicals and writers of the past and present, promoting an ongoing engagement with their work. It is also a place for innovation in musical songwriting and performance. Collaborations born at 54 Below give rise to and help develop new theatrical projects and new musicals. In addition, its popular streaming video activities and audio recordings support these activities, helping to build a new Broadway audience worldwide, both in age and geography.

Located at 254 West 54th Street, the club presents live shows at 7pm and 9:30pm. Tickets and information at  54below.org.




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