Photo Flash: Squigs at Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland
By: Stephi Wild
On Monday, January 27, Birdland hosted caricature artist Justin "Squigs" Robertson as special guest artist-in-residence at Jim Caruso's Cast Party.
Whether celebrating opening nights in ink for Broadway.com or reflecting showbiz luminaries on the Lights of Broadway Show Cards, Justin "Squigs" Robertson is happy and grateful to be a part of the Broadway community, carrying on traditions exemplified by the late, great Al Hirschfeld. Part of this amazing community has been the fine folks at Birdland and Cast Party, primarily host-with-the-most Jim Caruso, who has long been a Squigs cheerleader. Squigs sat in at Cast Party and casually, but swiftly drew the cavalcade of talent on the Birdland stage. He was kind enough to gift the performers with the artwork, for a donation of their choosing, with all proceeds going to going Cancer Support Community, in memory of Broadway star Marin Mazzie.
Jim Caruso's Cast Party, the weekly showbiz bash/open mic at Birdland has been the place for show people and their fans to rub elbows during a wildly impromptu variety show for sixteen years. Musical director for the event is Billy Stritch, who, after 25 years as Liza Minnelli's pianist/conductor, joined forces with Tony Bennett for a year. But every Monday, he leads the "Cast Party Symphony Orchestra," which includes Steve Doyle on bass and Daniel Glass on drums. Recently, Jim and Billy have taken the Party on the road, celebrating talent in London, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Austin, and on the high seas.
Alison Freeman, Jim Caruso
Allie Sciulla, Gianni Valenti
Ariana DeBose, Amanda Green, Susie Mosher, Jef Kaplan
Darnell White, Jim Caruso
Grace Gramins, Jim Caruso
Grace Gramins
Justin 'Squigs' Robertson, Jim Caruso, Nicole Zuraitis
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