Hunter Ryan Herdlicka, Charlie Rosen's Big Band and More Set for 54 Below This Week

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, will present stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. 54 Below also launches its new series of late night events this March. Joining Tuesday nights' popular "Backstage" with Susie Mosher will be the "54 Piano Bar," a new vocal competition - "The Callback," and more:

Hunter Ryan Herdlicka, Mar. 25 at 7PM:
Hunter Ryan Herdlicka will make his 54 Below debut after almost two years of starring on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning revival of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music, playing opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones and Angela Lansbury, followed by Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch. In Hunter's brand new show, expect to hear Sondheim, Comden and Green, Rodgers and Hart, Jerry Herman, and more as Hunter tells his story of growing up in Dallas and his eventual path to the Great White Way. Cover charge $25-35. $25 food & beverage minimum.

Todd Almond, Mar. 25 at 9:30PM:
Singer/songwriter Todd Almond brings his singular sound to 54 Below for one night only, performing songs from his musicals, his celebrated album, Mexico City, and songs from his upcoming release, Them Fireworks. Known for his intimate style, Almond is joined by five musicians and special guests Laura Benanti, Veanne Cox, and Lindsay Mendez. Songwriter Todd Almond has recently been writing music for and creating theater with some of New York's most beloved theater artists: Sarah Ruhl (Melancholy Play), Sherie Rene Scott (Piece of Meat at 54 Below), Josh Schmidt (untitled), and Jenny Schwartz (Iowa) to name but a few. Cover charge $25-35. $35 food & beverage minimum.

LATE NIGHT: THE CALLBACK, Mar. 25 at 11PM:
At "The Callback," on Monday nights, contestants will perform for a chance to win their own cabaret show at 54 Below. Contestants will be chosen by video audition, their performances will be recorded and uploaded to 54 Below's Facebook and Youtube page, and each week, a winner will be determined by audience vote to progress to the next round. "The Callback" contestants may also have the chance to sing in front of industry executives and Broadway celebrity guest judges as they move forward in the competition. For more information on "The Callback" rules or how to submit an audition video, please visit www.54Below.com. No cover charge. $20 food & beverage minimum.

PATRICIA RACETTE, Mar. 26, & 28 at 7PM, Mar. 27 at 9:30PM, Mar. 29, & 30 at 8PM:
Widely acclaimed as one of opera's leading sopranos, Racette has made her mark as the star in operas ranging from Madame Butterfly, La Bohème and Tosca to Peter Grimes and Dialogues of the Carmelites in the world's most prestigious venues, including The Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, The Paris Opera and San Francisco Opera, among many others, and on worldwide HD Broadcasts to millions. But before her career on the opera stage, Racette sang jazz, cabaret and jewels from the Great American Songbook. Now she brings her career full circle with an intimate evening featuring songs by Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Edith Piaf and other contemporary popular composers. Says The New York Times: "Her singing was robust, nuanced and passionate, befitting a performer of her skill and experience." Don't miss this chance to see her at 54 Below and experience this opera Diva up close and personal, singing songs near and dear to her heart. $30-40 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum,

LATE NIGHT: BACKSTAGE, Mar. 26 at 10:30PM:
Each week, Broadway cast members and audiences alike gather to mix and mingle at 54 Below, Broadway's most intimate haunt, located in the heart of the theatre district. Musical Director Brad Simmons keeps the house jumping from the piano, while host Susie Mosher (the love child of Joanne Worley & Paul Lynde) guides the crowd through an evening of music, mayhem and full throttle belting, while special guests from Broadway and beyond drop in to perform. NPR had this to say: "The best thing happening right now might just be the weekly Backstage. Hosted by the ridiculously funny Susie Mosher, with guest host Emily McNamara and pianist Brad Simmons who clearly is the man, its two feel-good hours among New York's theater people, who seem like they're having a really fine time. Can't recommend it highly enough! At this weeks Backstage is, Alexa Green (from the National Tour of Scrooge The Musical), Lindsay Nicole Chambers (from Broadway's Legally Blonde, Hairspray, and Lysistrata Jones), Denis Lambert (from Broadway's A Chorus Line), Maggie Lacey (from Broadway's Our Town, and Inherit The Wind), Carly Sakolove (from Off-Broadway's Girls Night: The Musical), and David Ingber (composer/ lyricist). No cover charge. $20 food & beverage minimum.

NORTHWESTERN SONGWRITER'S SHOWCASE, Mar. 27 at 6:30PM:
The Waa-Mu Show Presents: the Fourth Annual Songwriter's Showcase featuring Musical Compositions by the up-and-coming Musical Theatre Songwriters of Northwestern University's Songwriting Program Class of 2013′. This Showcase, appearing for the first time at Broadway's Biggest Hotspot, 54 Below, will be shared with Friends, Family, Alumni, and Industry on March 27th 2013. Come see Tomorrow's next Biggest Writers and Performers! Cover charge $25 general admission, $20 student.

LATE NIGHT: THE STUDIO, Mar. 27 at 11PM:
On Wednesdays, The Studio will be the place to see up-and-coming New York talent: comedians, musicians, songwriters, improv groups- just to name a few. Each week will feature a different new New York artist, so visit our calendar to see what this Wednesday has in store for you. No Cover Charge. Drink Specials: $5 Beers and $8 mixed drinks.

Tom Judson, Mar. 28 at 9:30PM:
You saw him on Broadway in Cabaret, he toured the country in 42nd Street, his autobiographical show Canned Ham has been received with waves of ovation here in New York and on tour, and the discerning eye might even recognize him as his alter ego, Gus Mattox, in - ahem - a series of flicks for grown ups. This March, celebrated vocalist Tom Judson returns with an encore performance of his hit show, featuring songs that use the natural elements of the universe to tell their stories. The song list is drawn from writers as diverse as Claude Debussy, Lionel Hampton, and the Beatles, with even a couple of cowboy songs thrown in for good measure, all diverse in the richness of their melody and depth of lyric. Cover charge $25-35. $25 food & beverage minimum.

LATE NIGHT: 54 PIANO BAR, Mar. 28 at 11PM:
On Thursdays at 11 pm, pick a song and join extraordinary pianist and host Brian Nash as you take your turn on the stage at 54 Piano Bar. See new Broadway talent perform on a whim, and perhaps take part in the ever-popular (and inevitable) audience sing along. No cover charge. $20 food & beverage minimum. Drink Specials: $5 beer, $8 mixed drinks.

Ricky Ritzel SINGS Elaine Stritch, Mar. 29 at 11PM:
Cabaret warhorse Rick Ritzel pays homage to Broadway legend Elaine Stritch in a hilarious and poignant evening of nonstop fun. From Angel in the Wings to A Little Night Music, Elaine Stitch has introduced and covered some of the greatest songs of the 20th Century. Now, Mr. Ritzel puts his unique spin on them in this loving tribute to one of Broadway's greatest treasures. Cover charge $20-30. $25 food & beverage minimum.

Charlie Rosen'S BIG BAND, Mar. 30 at 11PM:
Join Broadway bandleader Charlie Rosen (One Man, Two Guv'nors) for an evening that puts both modern and classic showtunes on display, sung by the best and brightest of Broadway's young generation of leading performers, in the timeless tradition of Big Band. A full-sized Jazz orchestra composed of 17 musicians play Rosen's re-imagined arrangements of an eclectic mix of tunes from Broadway's past, present, and beyond! Guest vocalists will include Tony Nominee Laura Osnes (Cinderella, Bonnie & Clyde), Santino Fontana (Cinderella, The Importance of Being Earnest), Greg Hildreth (Cinderella, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson), Jay Armstrong Johnson (Hands On A Hardbody, Hair), Alysha Umphress (American Idiot, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever), Nick Blaemire (Godspell, Dogfight), Hannah Elless (Godspell, Somewhere In Time), and the band's resident vocalist, Monet Julia Sabel. Cover charge $20-30. $25 food & beverage minimum.

To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com or call (866) 468-7619.

To post a comment, you must register and login.