Birdland Theater, the new venue spawned from the legendary Birdland on 44th street had a 'soft' opening this summer, followed by a bunch of celebrity openings in September. It had another entertainment first last night because Jamie deRoy brought her friends and her renowned Jamie deRoy & friends Variety show to this great new performance space. The evening had all the glamour and excitement of a Broadway opening night, the kind of evening Ms. deRoy can usually be found at.
There's a Theme Park of music happening on 44th street and no matter what gate you choose to enter at Birdland great music is playing behind every door. You can spend a good portion of your night shuttling between the historic Birdland Stage and the new Birdland Theater with their line up of shows.
Palm Beach notables Rob Russell & Michael Masci joined forces to have a 'soft unofficial opening' of the Palm Beach music season with a one night only performance at Cafe Centro in West Palm Beach last night and Broadwayworld was there.
Alternating between the fun/serious musical styles of Louie Prima, Mickey Katz, The Barry Sisters, George Frideric Handel, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Jule Styne and others, Jane Lynch & Kate Flannery brought a degree of exciting eclectic music and humor to Cafe Carlyle not often seen in the legendary space. Their show is titled Two Lost Souls, but the only place these extremely talented actor/singers/comics get lost in is the world of marvelous intelligent, wacky entertainment.
Richard Maltby, Jr. the original director and director of last night's sensational celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Ain't Missbehvin' : The Music Of Fats Waller said it best when he explained the trajectory of the 1978 production…..'Jan 1 1978 we went into rehearsal with a stack of sheet music, a company of wonderful actors, who turned out to be 5 good ideas….Feb 1st we opened, March 1st we closed, April 1st we started rehearsals for Broadway, May 1st we opened on Broadway, and June 1st we won the Tony Award for Best Musical. I thought, well that's the way Broadway is!
Most times when Billy Stritch is at the keyboard he is WITH somebody. Liza, Tony, Marilyn (Maye), Linda (Lavin), Christine (Ebersole), Klea (Blackhurst), Ann Hampton Callaway and of course Jim Caruso. Every major music performer has at one time or another availed themselves of Billy's unique creativity as their pianist,arranger, vocalist, or conductor.
Even the celebrities had a tough time getting a ticket for their shows at Feinstein's/54 Below. Jana Robbins and Haley Swindal's closing night's performance actually seemed more like an opening night with all the notability in the room. Audiences have been wildly enthusiastic about their cabaret act titled The Songs of Kander & Ebb…We Just Move On!
It's a good thing Gianni Valenti built the new Birdland Theater incorporating substantial soundproofing material. The screams and laughter coming from last night's audience would have alarmed the upstairs music lovers enjoying a great performance in the legendary 'Jazz Corner of The World'
There are some cabaret shows that you never want to end and you would stay in your seat for the 2nd (or if there was), third show. Clint Holmes, was introduced by Broadway at Birdland host Jim Caruso last night as one of the best vocalists in the world and Clint's performance on the stage of Birdland, before a star studded audience of music lovers demonstrated how true that intro was.
Joe Iconis, who the New York Times called 'The Future of Musical Theatre' has his past throughly implanted at Barrington Stage Company. BSC, Julianne Boyd, artistic director and the William Finn Musical Theatre Lab have been an integral part of Joe's life. Last night he brought his family of supremely talented singers and musicians to the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage for a wild finale to another great season at the award winning theatre in Pittsfield Ma. Broadwayworld was there for the event - check out the photos below!
The Berkshires is one of the most beautiful and cultural geographical places in the United States. It's hills have been the playpen of artists, actors, and musicians since the 1920's. The area welcomed one of our generations finest pop/jazz vocalists this weekend in Mr. Finn's Cabaret at Barrington Stage Co.
The streets of Pittsfield, (more precisely Barrington Stage Co's Boyd Quinson Mainstage on Union Street) became the streets of 1957 New York City as one of the greatest Broadway Shows of all times, West Side Store had it's opening night performance. Nowadays you don't have gangs fighting on Pittsfield streets but you do have theater goers fighting to get into the many productions of Barrington Stage Co. and the sold out season at Mr. (Bill) Finn's Cabaret.
On the Television show 'Lets Make A Deal' you're only a winner if you open one door. At Birdland last night you were a winner no matter what door you opened. On the legendary Jazz Stage it was John Pizzarelli with The Swing 7, arguably the most talented guitarist/vocalist/comic performer on the planet. The door to the new Birdland Theater brought you into Susie Mosher's Lineup. A room full of celebs and lucky New Yorkers got to see an 'insane' guest list of phenomenal performers in her wild, semi structured variety show. Both doors at Birdland led you to superlative entertainment last night but the surprise guests direct from the Broadway Stage of Waitress, Erich Bergen (Jersey Boys, Madame Secretary) and Katharine McPhee ( TV, Smash, Scorpion) made you a winner if you also chose the door to the Birdland Theater.
The acoustics of Birdland, usually employed to perfectly show off the music coming from some of the finest Jazz musicians in the world was also up to the task of accurately accommodating the elegant sounds from the cello and artistry of Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf. BroadwayWorld was there for this Broadway at Birdland special one-night only event. Check out the photos below.
There were some people in the standing room only audience at Mr. Finn's Cabaret last night who were at an 'Evening With Jason Robert Brown' because they knew OF the Tony Award-winning composer and lyricist, but not because they were aware he is also an extraordinary performer. Jason's lyrics, melodies, harmonies, rhythms, and voice land on all the greatest of notes and the folks at Barrington Stage Company's cabaret couldn't contain their enthusiasm during his exciting show. His performance consisted of an eclectic mix of songs from Mr. Brown's acclaimed career. He started with a new composition titled 'Hope' from his latest album ' How We React And How We Recover' and then performed compositions from many of his Broadway shows (Parade, The Bridges of Madison County, Honeymoon in Vegas, The Last 5 Years, and Songs from a New World).
Back in the day there were great night clubs with legendary singers scattered around New York City. It's 'back to the future' with the new Birdland Theater and the current performer on it's stage…..,the constantly new Marilyn Maye. With all do respects and appreciation to all the great artists that have recently inaugurated what is destined to become an entertainment landmark, the 7th show presented by Jim Caruso in the new room at Birdland has now made it official. 44th Street in NYC has some of the greatest music in the world in one of the greatest clubs on the planet. Marilyn Maye of course is arguably one of the best pop/jazz vocalists the music world has produced and it's trite to say but at 90 she still is!
The Barrington Stage Company has been the place where countless great voices and theatre luminaries have electrified audiences. Last night one it was one of Broadway's finest on the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage for the 2018 Barrington Stage Company Gala.
Gianni Valenti, the music world's gift to New York City, has created another venue for the performing arts. Jim Caruso made it official last night as he introduced Lucie Arnaz, who with her longtime friend and music director Ron Abel thrilled a celebrity filled opening night audience.
New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia spoke it fluently as did James Cagney. Barbara Streisand can converse, and Judy Garland sang in it. Last night the National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene premiered Fiddler On The Roof in Yiddish directed by Joel Grey for a VIP Opening Night audience and Gala which honored Jeffrey S. Wisenfeld, Chairman of the Folksbiene.
