The Roaring Twenties became the Roaring 2020s at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre's annual gala last night. Amazon.com and retail establishments in Florida must have run out of Flapper dresses leading up to this exciting event as most of the women wore the traditional 1920's dresses to the gala put on by Florida's largest regional theatre.
From the wilds of Palm Beach, Cabaret starved creatures journeyed to their favorite watering hole in West Palm last night. Cafe Centro was the place to be for an evening of roaring music and fun with head Safari guide Rob Russell who managed to tame the assembled with his soothing voice.. There were some beautiful and exotic species at this gathering and my stealthy telephoto lens managed to bag a few shots as everybody in the room were acting like they were let out of a cage. New York City may have Cafe Society but Palm Beach now has Cafe Safari.
The Pat Boone family and the Legends Radio family were on the Eissey Campus Theater Stage last night as the legendary singer/actor/composer received the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Society for the Preservation of The Great American Songbook and daughter Debby Boone performed a concert that thrilled the Palm Beach audience.
By Popular Demand, the Broadway at Birdland concert series presented the return of Julie Halston to the stage. This special one-night-only event, entitled “Judge Julie Presiding” took place on February 3 at Birdland, located in the heart of Manhattan's Theater District. The sold-out house was left helpless with laughter, thanks to Ms. Halston's rants, raves and readings!
Billy Stritch wasn't at the Grammy's last night (he won a Grammy for his song “Does He Love You” recorded by Reba McEntire), but he was at the Kravis Center for the revue devised and narrated by Barry Day titled Hooray for Hollywood! On stage with music director Stritch were Carole J. Bufford and Liam Forde.
Jarrod Spector brought his newest solo show (con)artist to the Essey Campus Theatre last night and BroadwayWorld was there for the excitement. Check out the photos!
Marilyn A. Wick, managing executive producer presented Andrew Lloyd Webber ( (music) & Tim Rice (lyrics) EVITA at The Wick Theatre last night and BroadwayWorld was there for the opening night.
Dave Lawrence, President & CEO of the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County presented an informative and entertaining evening with some of South Florida's most important and well known theater producers. Suzanne L. Niedland, award-winning filmmaker, actor and Broadway producer interviewed Marcie Gorman, executive producer and artistic director of MNM Theatre Company, Vicki Halmos, founder/producer of Entr'Acte Theatrix, Jan McArt, producer & director of Theatre Arts Program Development at Lynn University, and Marilynn Wick, executive managing producer of The Wick Theatre & Costume Museum.
Everything old is new again….. that's if you happen to sing like Marissa Mulder and have Jon Weber at the piano to envelop your dulcet voice with inspired accompaniments.
Young & Old Friends of great music had much to celebrate at Jan McArt's Live at Lynn University last night. Clint Holmes, Veronica Swift and Nicholas King brought the Musical Review “New York, Old Friend” to the Live at Lynn Theatre Series produced by Jan McArt.
They were the highly awaited Christmas TV Specials. The Perry Como Christmas Show directed by Dwight Hemion and the Dean Martin Christmas Specials directed by Greg Garrison. These evenings had a more casual party atmosphere than the star's regular shows with some well placed poignant moments to celebrate the season. You could also count on some extraordinary guests to make an appearance. Well, flash (or sleigh ride) forward.
Some Radio and TV Stations may be refusing to play Frank Loesser's Academy Award-winning song, but Deana Martin and Steven Maglio sang it last night at the Friars Club to a jam packed room of gloriously festive and politically incorrect Friars. They joined the ranks of celebrities who have recorded the tune such as, Idina Menzel & Michael Buble', Esther Williams & Ricardo Montalban, Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Jordan, Margret Whiting & Johnny Mercer and the composer Frank Lesser and his wife Lynn Garland.
Most performers have a career/performance arc. Oftentimes fans compare early Sinatra crooning to the Chairman of the Board's later rugged vocal swagger. As the years ascend it's not unusual for vocalists to descend a key on the melodic scale. Marilyn Maye connoisseurs marvel at her early recordings but are also completely captivated by the current version of the super singer.
The RRAZZ ROOM audience got a Christmas gift last night, a voice and musician sent from heaven. Maureen McGovern, with her glorious tone, phrasing and dynamics filled the RRazz Room with a performance that was musical perfection. Actually, the same accolades go to her pianist for the evening, the legendary Mike Renzi. His pianistic tone, phrasing, dynamics, and harmonics are equalled by few. Maureen McGovern's voice “gets you” on all levels, she has a compelling Alto, a haunting Mid Range, and a Soprano that possesses the virtuosity to handle her excellent improvisational ability. This was the 45th Anniversary of Maureen's theme song “ The Morning After” which won the Oscar for Best Song of the year 1973 and yes, Jill & Rich Switzer of Legends Radio and everyone else present are talking about Maureen McGovern “ The Morning After”
Dave Koz's music and multitalented friends lit up the Kravis Center For The Performing Arts last night on all levels. It was a spectacular presentation of swinging holiday music and multi media lighting effects that had the West Palm Beach audience dazzled during the entire concert. The friends who joined Dave for this tour were, Jonathan Butler, Melissa Manchester, Michael Lington and special guest Chris Walker. Broadwayworld was there…check out the photos below.
Want to see a show where every note and word and performer is genius? Want to see a show that makes you leap out of your seat many times during the performance? It's playing at Feinstein's/54 Below for a very limited run….Broadway The Callaway! staring Liz Callaway & Ann Hampton Callaway…November 26, 27, & 30
The audience that crowded into the Grand Salon at La Goulue had the best bargain in NYC last night. Their eyes, ears, and taste buds spent a night in Paris for the cost of a pre-fixe dinner and music charge. Yanna Avis created an evening of authentic French Cabaret that brings you to the glamorous place and time when the likes of Cole Porter and other artistic Americans lived in Paris. You didn't have to speak French to enjoy her show, but it seemed that most everyone in the room did, as they joined in when Yanna sang PADAM, PADAM, PADAM, and popular other Chansons. I don't think most of Yanna Avis's sophisticated and well dressed fans needed this special price for the experience as many of them have seen her perform in Europe as well.
It's been a constant stream of theater and cabaret personalities flocking to see Tom Wopat at the Beach Cafe for the past 5 Wednesdays and his concluding night was no different. Enjoying the final show of the series were Michele Lee, Marilyn Maye, Linda Purl, Stacy Sullivan, Deborah Grace Winer, Jamie deRoy and Ken Fallin among others at the intimate East Side supper club. Tom will be returning to the club for a pre New Years Eve show.
Last night, celebrities, sports icons, family, and friends gathered at the Mariano Rivera Foundation Gala to benefit The New Learning Center For Children in New Rochelle, NY.
The preview of the magnificent things to come happens when Brian Stokes Mitchell sings the first song of his current show at Feinstein's/54 Below. It's the Irving Berlin classic “There's No Business Like Show Business”. I'm sure if Berlin ever heard the Stokes version he would bow down in tribute to the thrilling performance and unique revisit that the Tony Award Winner and consummate artist has brought to his 1954 tune written for Ethel Merman in Annie Get Your Gun. Stokes navigates the innovative Tedd Firth arrangement and makes you feel excited, awestruck, and comfortable as his rich baritone voice effortlessly glides through the constant time signature and key changes. This current show at 54 is titled Brian Stokes Mitchell Plays With Music-Holiday and Stokes brings his acting, musicianship, and charismatic personality to make every tune on his song list a moving experience. The New York Times has dubbed Brian Stokes Mitchell as Broadway's “Last Leading Man” but Stokes is even much more than that. He's Chairman of the Board of The Actors Fund. He has a unique ability to bring people together and that theme is constant throughout his show. His encore at this performance was “What A Wonderful World” and the SRO audience left feeling that way mainly because Brian Stokes Mitchell is in it.
