Over the last 20 or so years, there have been three nightclubs in New York that have been considered the venue Holy Grail for cabaret singers. Two of them--the Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel and Feinstein's at the Loews Regency--have in the past year or so sadly died a corporate death, leaving the upper east side Cafe Carlyle as the Carnegie Hall of cabaret haunts. When she first came to New York from California 24 years ago, Natalie Douglas would save her pennies to see the legendary Bobby Short perform at the Carlyle and dream that she would some day star in a show from that stage. Last Thursday and Friday night, after almost a quarter century performing in every New York venue on the cabaret map and many prestigious clubs around the world, and after winning numerous MAC, Bistro and Nightlife Awards, Douglas finally soloed at the venerable venue and the audiences who saw her shows probably wondered why it took so long.
Tony Yazbeck will join the previously announced Christian Borle in Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh's Little Me, the opening production of New York City Center Encores! series, running for seven performances, February 5 - 9, 2014. Joshua Bergasse will choreograph the production, along with the previously announced Director John Rando and Music Director Rob Berman.
Francesca Amari will debut a new show entitled 'Songbirds: The Women In My Head' on October 20, 2013 at 2 PM in Palm Desert at the Arthur Newman Theater in The Joslyn Center. The show will feature material from multiple genres from Broadway to contemporary by singers and songwriters including; Carolyn Leigh, Dorothy Fields, Ella Fitzgerald, Linda Ronstadt, Eva Cassidy, Nancy LaMott and more. Joining Francesca will be pianist Joel Baker.
UnsungMusicalsCo. (UMC) will launch its fifth anniversary celebration with a new Off-Broadway production of the 1950 musical revue Bless You All! with sketches by Emmy Award winner Arnold Auerbach ('The Phil Silvers Show,' Call Me Mister) and a score by acclaimed songwriter Harold Rome (Fanny, Destry Rides Again). Directed by UMC artistic director Ben West (The Fig Leaves Are Falling, At Home Abroad), the limited three-week engagement will run today, Sep 19 - Oct 5 at The Connelly Theatre (220 East 4th Street), officially opening September 22.
The Crazy Coqs October schedule begins with Steven Brinberg, who returns following his sell-out show earlier this year with Simply Barbra (October 1- 5), followed by Les Miserables actress and singer Frances Ruffelle and her show Paris Original (October 8 - 12). New York singer-pianist Billy Stritch performs his show I've Got Your Number - The Jazz of Cy Coleman (October 15- 19). As part of the London Festival of Cabaret, Karen Kohler and KT Sullivan will duet together in their show Vienna to Weimar (October 22- 26) followed by KT Sullivan with Rhyme, Women and Song (October 29 - November 2).
Marlene Ver Planck sings a story the way the rest of us wishes we could tell one: with polish and panache, convincing listeners that each and every lyric is her own. She has backed-up Frank Sinatra and Mel Torme and has been out front of the Beneke, Miller and Dorsey orchestras, singing those stories like no one else. A long list of recordings documents her talent, many featuring the arrangements of her gifted late husband, Billy. Seven of his takes on Cy Coleman, some Harry Warren and Marlene's favorites from Ivan Lins, Paul Williams and Ronny White make up her new CD, Ballads...mostly (Audiophile).
Marlene Ver Planck sings a story the way the rest of us wishes we could tell one: with polish and panache, convincing listeners that each and every lyric is her own. She has backed-up Frank Sinatra and Mel Torme and has been out front of the Beneke, Miller and Dorsey orchestras, singing those stories like no one else. A long list of recordings documents her talent, many featuring the arrangements of her gifted late husband, Billy. Seven of his takes on Cy Coleman, some Harry Warren and Marlene's favorites from Ivan Lins, Paul Williams and Ronny White make up her new CD, Ballads...mostly (Audiophile).
Berkshire Theatre Group presents Peter Pan, Berkshire Theatre Group's 8th Annual Children's Theatre Production, and the 3rd Children's Theatre Production at the Colonial in Pittsfield. The production opens tonight, August 8th at 7pm and closes on August 18.
Berkshire Theatre Group presents Peter Pan, Berkshire Theatre Group's 8th Annual Children's Theatre Production, and the 3rd Children's Theatre Production at the Colonial in Pittsfield. The production opens August 8th at 7pm and closes on August 18.
Marlene Ver Planck will celebrate her new CD 'Ballads...mostly' with a gig in New York tonight, July 25th. Ver Planck comes to Jazz at Kitano, 66 Park Ave, NYC (@ 38th St).
UnsungMusicalsCo. (UMC) will launch its fifth anniversary celebration with a new Off-Broadway production of the 1950 musical revue Bless You All! with sketches by Emmy Award winner Arnold Auerbach ('The Phil Silvers Show,' Call Me Mister) and a score by acclaimed songwriter Harold Rome (Fanny, Destry Rides Again). Directed by UMC artistic director Ben West (The Fig Leaves Are Falling, At Home Abroad), the limited three-week engagement will run Sep 19 - Oct 5 at The Connelly Theatre (220 East 4th Street), officially opening September 22.
The Penny Seats' summer musical 'Little Me' opened this past weekend on July 11th. The production is set to run for two more weekends (July 18-20 & 25-27). Check out a first look below!
Full casting and creatives have been announced for LITTLE ME, with Music: Cy Coleman, Lyrics: Carolyn Leigh and Book: Neil Simon, in its first London revival in over 20 years. Meet the cast below!
Now in its third year of operation, Ann Arbor's Penny Seats Theatre Company is set to produce its trademark summer show at the West Park Band Shell, 215 Chapin Street in Ann Arbor for three weekends from today, July 11 through July 27.
Kaufman Center's Broadway Close Up takes you behind the scenes of musicals old and new with eye-opening interviews and inspiring performances by some of Broadway's greatest talents.
The Penny Seats third annual summer show at Ann Arbor's West Park opens on July 11th. This year, the troupe is proud to present Little Me, the farcical autobiography of Belle Poitrine, supposed star of stage, screen, and sinking ship. From her humble origins as Belle Schlumpfert on Drifter's Row, to her meteoric rise to wealth, culture, and social position, to her many mates and her one true love, all are here. Neil Simon's script is a scream (yes, Neil Simon wrote a musical!), and the music by Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh sparkles. Better still, Penny Seat Roy Sexton will attempt a comic tour de force originated by Sid Caesar and designed just for this show: he will play no fewer than six characters. Check out a first look at the cast below!
Marlene Ver Planck will celebrate the release of her new CD 'Ballads...mostly' tonight, June 23rd with two shows, at 6:00pm and 7:30pm, at Shanghai Jazz, 24 Main Street, Madison, NJ, with Tedd Firth-piano and Jay Leonhart-bass.