Review: CAST PARTY Celebrates Creator Jim Caruso's Birthday At Birdland

It was another festive night of entertainment excellence at Birdland this week, as Cast Party presented another in a long line of shows featuring the gifted members of the show business community, from the famous to the humble, all ready to stand center stage and leave it all on the floor. This week, though, was more than festive - it was special. The Cast Party gang and audience regulars all gathered to celebrate the birthday of Jim Caruso, the man behind the popular decades-long weekly Open Mic night. Which birthday? A Lady never tells. But the number is superfluous - what matters is that Caruso was born, and that he has lived among us, all these years, making magic, making mirth, and making merry.

For three hours, twenty-three musical acts stepped up onto the stage for a few moments of chat with Jim, a minute with Musical Director Billy Stritch (and, for one or two artists, a drive-by with bassist Steve Doyle and drummer Daniel Glass). With his usual lightning wit and enthusiasm, Jim introduced each of the acts, most of whom were friends and Birdland family, but not all, for, during the last hour, Jim welcomed to the stage a series of first-timers, some of whom were, very much, worth the wait. One of the benefits and bonuses of Cast Party is that, as an open mic night, audience members are welcome to arrive when they want. Some patrons were there to catch the first half of the show, some arrived after work or another event, while others opted in for the entire night. It doesn't matter when a person arrives - great entertainment is on the menu, from start to finish, and always with Jim Caruso driving the train, with his merry band of band members beside him, game for whatever is thrown their way, and always making every number better, for these musicians are the best.

On this special occasion (after a little surprise birthday cake and song led by Birdland owner Gianni Valenti), some of this writer's highlights to witness were piano playing vocalist Bryan Eng (who recently played the club, and needs to play it again, but fast) with some Guys and Dolls, Lumiri Tubo bringing the house down with a Peggy Lee number, Elew SLAYING with an astonishing Gershwin number, Marissa Licata giving an exciting preview of her upcoming Chelsea Table + Stage show, Emery Major playing a song of his own composition, Jen Brett bringing full on Olivia Newton-John, then taking it a step further, husband and wife team Gabrielle Stravelli and Pat O'Leary dropping jaws with their usual excellence, Lea Donenberg's take on some Bareilles, and The Drinkwater Brothers devastating everyone with a "For Good" dedicated to Jim for having, indeed, changed their lives for good.

Naturally, Billy and Jim took their turns at the mic, with Stritch opening with a bang-on medley of "Come Fly With Me" and "Up, Up, and Away " and, then, with Jim joining his best mate for a magnificently harmonized "Elegance" from Hello, Dolly! And no show, no party, no Birdland evening would be complete without the one and only Susie Mosher, who burned it down with one of her amazing impromptu song creations and, of course, this one was as hilarious and fun to watch as they all are - even more so, since the Empress of Improv brought a little something extra for Jim's birthday.

To end the party in style, cabaret icon KT Sullivan made a late-in-the-evening arrival to join in on the fun, hat in place, Sullivan style shining, joining in on a kickline during Jacob Khalil's rousing and wonderful grand finale. Watching Jim and KT doing their side-by-side high(ish) kicks on the Birdland stage, one couldn't help but be reminiscent of another time and era in cabaret, when the most stylish and witty, charming and fashionable, fabulous and fantastic entertainers ruled New York society. It was as though Steve Allen and Kitty Carlisle Hart stumbled into a time machine and called in at Birdland to make more magical and memorable a show and an evening already very significant, all in celebration of one special man.

Cheers to Jim Caruso and the unmistakble mark he has made in the live entertainment community of this and other fair cities. May the celebration last all year, and beyond.

Jim Caruso'S CAST PARTY plays Birdland every Monday night at 9:30. Get reservations to this and other great shows on the Birdland website HERE.

Visit the CAST PARTY cast's websites:

Jim Caruso - Click HERE

Billy Stritch - Click HERE

Daniel Glass - Click HERE

Steve Doyle - Click HERE

Below, please see photos of the February 6th CAST PARTY performers:

Billy Stritch

Jim Caruso/Billy Stritch

Marissa Licata (Website)

Michael Winther (Instagram)

Moipei (Instagram)

Liam Forde (Website)

Jenna Esposito (Website)

Susie Mosher (Website)

Manny Houston (Website)

Gabrielle Stravelli/Pat O'Leary (Website/Facebook)

Bryan Eng (Website)

Izze Stein (Website)

Drinkwater Brothers (Instagram Facebook)

Lumiri Tubo (Online Presence)

Jonathan Arons (Website)

Lethy Denise (YouTube)

Elew (Website)

Gabrielle Browdy (Website)

Emery Major (Website)

Richard Baskin (Website)

Jen Brett (Website)

Lea Donenberg (Instagram)

Jacob Khalil (with Victoria Khalil, Izze Stein, Jim Caruso, Jonathan Arons, KT Sullivan)

Jacob Khalil (Website) Victoria Khalil (Instagram)

KT Sullivan (Website)

Photos by Stephen Mosher; Visit the Stephen Mosher website HERE.

Billy Stritch, Steve Doyle, and Daniel Glass - "Come Fly With Me/Up, Up and Away"

Jim Caruso, The Birthday Man, singing "Elegance" with Billy Stritch.

Marissa Licata is at Chelsea Table + Stage March 5th.

Michael Winther - "I'm Gonna Live Til I Die"

Moipei plays The Kennedy Center on April 15th - "My Man"

Liam Forde played Café Carlyle last night - Kay Thompson's arrangement of "How Deep Is The Ocean?"

Jenna Esposito - "Quando, Quando, Quando" in the original Italian.

Susie Mosher plays Birdland every Tuesday night with THE LINEUP.

Manny Houston - "I Can't Make You Love Me"

Gabrielle Stravelli and Pat O'Leary - "Nobody Else But Me"

Bryan Eng - "I've Never Been In Love Before"

Izze Stein plays Chelsea Table + Stage March 2nd - "What You Don't Know About Women"

The Drinkwater Brothers - "For Good"

Lumiri Tubo - "Hallelujah, I Just Love Him So"

Jonathan Arons - "Forget You"

Lethy Denise - "Moondance"

Elew just played Alice Tully Hall - "I Got Rhythm (with shades of Rhapsody In Blue)"

Gabrielle Browdy - "Oh, Darling"

Emery Major will appear at Berlin Under A on February 12th - Mr. Major's song had its debut on this stage, with his announcement that "I'm gonna play a brand-new song that no one's ever heard before." The title, which was not announced, remains a mystery.

Richard Baskin tours with Freestyle Love Supreme - "I Thought About You"

Jen Brett - "Hopelessly Devoted To You"

Lea Donenberg - "Many The Miles"

Jacob Khalil, Victoria Khalil, Izze Stein, Jim Caruso, Jonathan Arons & KT Sullivan - "Rest of My Life"

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