Jane Monheit News

Continuing its 10th Anniversary Season, Bay Area Cabaret presents Tony Award-nominated Broadway star Norm Lewis. Mr. Lewis comes to the Bay Area for this special one-night-only engagement 5:00pm, Sunday, October 20, at the historic Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco, 950 Mason Street. Tickets ($43-$48) are available at www.bayareacabaret.org or by phone at City Box Office (415) 392-4400.

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts (www.usdan.com), the nationally acclaimed summer arts day camp whose alumni include Natalie Portman, Seth Rudetsky, Olivia Thirlby and many other prominent performers, will present its seventh annual Usdan Chess Challenge on Sunday October 6 at its specially designed Hexter Chess Center on Long Island. Open to grades K-12, the tournament is US Chess Federation-rated, and will be directed by Usdan Chess Instructors Brian Karen and Joel Salman.

One of the biggest downers perpetrated by American culture is the characterization of Labor Day weekend as the 'unofficial end of summer.' But given what has passed for cabaret entertainment-at least the shows I was able to attend--since the 'unofficial start of summer' on Memorial Day weekend, the end of summer can't come soon enough. But my dismay over the hours lost watching average shows this season was tempered a bit by the pride and joy I felt watching the June performances of three strikingly attractive and talented 30ish brunettes with powerhouse voices-- Jackie Kristel, Karen Gross and Jodi Beck, who all staged entertaining shows as spring was turning to summer.

The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz today announced the 2013 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition and All-Star Gala Concert will take place at the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, September 16. The 2013 Competition and Gala is made possible through generous support from Cadillac, the presenting sponsor for the weekend.

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts presented its third annual “Fashion Design Day,” a collaboration between the Center's Fashion Design and Photography Departments. Professional makeup artists Derek Miller and Priscilla Freire of Estee Lauder were on hand to make up 12 female students from the Fashion Design class, who then posed in fashion shoots shot by Photography students both in-studio and out of doors (the weather was sunny, so there were a lot of shoots in the woods on Usdan's 200-acre woodland campus).

Just off last weekend's packed concert at Indigo O2 in London, Scott Alan is sharing a video of his song 'Again', featuring incredible dancers and vocals by Greg Oliver. Watch it below!

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts presented its third annual “Fashion Design Day,” a collaboration between the Center's Fashion Design and Photography Departments. Professional makeup artists Derek Miller and Priscilla Freire of Estee Lauder were on hand to make up 12 female students from the Fashion Design class, who then posed in fashion shoots shot by Photography students both in-studio and out of doors (the weather was sunny, so there were a lot of shoots in the woods on Usdan's 200-acre woodland campus).

On Friday July 26, a hard-hitting dramatic piece about war, featuring professional actors as well as students ages 11-18 (mostly high school-age teenagers), was given a dramatic reading before an audience at the Hillman Space at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's BAM Fisher. This was a special collaborative project of two creative writing programs: the BAM Summer Youth Program and the Creative Writing program at the renowned Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts (alumni include Natalie Portman, Mariah Carey, Olivia Thirlby, Jane Monheit, Seth Rudetsky, many more).

Scott Alan played a packed venue at Indigo O2 in London on Sunday 4th August. The event produced by Amzi Entertainment presents 'The Songs of Scott Alan'. Check out the performance photos below!

Tonight, August 3 at 8:00 p.m., jazz artist Jane Monheit returns home for one night only to perform at CM Performing Arts Center.

New York's hotspot offers some of Broadway's biggest stars in August and September 2013, including Paulo Szot, Brian d'Arcy James, Duncan Sheik, Emily Skinner, Adam Pascal, Anthony Rapp, Laura Benanti, Telly Leung, John Tartaglia, Morgan James, Liz and Ann Hampton Callaway, Alice Ripley, Eric Michael Gillett, Sierra Boggess, Ahrens & Flaherty, Frances Ruffelle, David Yazbeck, The Meeting, The Skivvies, Melanie Field: Goodbye for Now, Sondheim Unplugged, Ute Lemper, Moment by Moment: Songs by Alexander Sage Olyen, Lindsey Mendez, Submissions Only, Alexis Fishman, Broadway Swings, Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf featuring Jessica Molaskey and Mary Beth Peil, A Tribute to Woodstock, Tales of Joni: 54 Sings Mitchell, Donna Vivino and Not at This Performance, plus 54 Below's late night series and jazz series.

Birdland Jazz Club has announced its August 2013 schedule, featuring: Pablo Ziegler's 'Tango Conexion,' Billy Hart Quartet, Trio 3, Joey DeFrancesco with the City Rhythm Orchestra, Charlie Parker Birthday Celebration, Luiz Simas Quartet, Tamm E. Hunt, Steve Kazee, Pedro Giraudo Expansions Big Band, Julie Halston, Roni Ben-Hur 'Wes Montgomery Tribute,' Tex Allen Sextet, Martin Piecuch Trio 'Jazzical Fusion,' Tim Hagans Quartet, Jim Caruso's Cast Party, Jay Leonhart Duo, and MANY MORE!

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, the renowned summer arts day camp now in its 46th season, will present its annual Gala Concert tonight, July 31 at 7 PM at the McKinley Amphitheater on the Center's 200-acre woodland campus.

Julia Goodwin is the 2013 winner of the Great American Songbook Vocal Academy and Competition. The 15-year-old is from Baldwinsville, New York. During the finals concert on July 26, she sang two American standards: 'Dream A Little Dream of Me,' and 'Feeling Good.' Scroll down for photos of Goodwin and the other finalists!

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. 54 Below also launched its series of late night events. Joining Tuesday nights' popular "Backstage" with Susie Mosher is a new vocal competition - 'The Callback," and more:

Julia Goodwin is the 2013 winner of the Great American Songbook Vocal Academy and Competition. The 15-year-old is from Baldwinsville, New York. During the finals concert on July 26, she sang two American standards: 'Dream A Little Dream of Me,' and 'Feeling Good.'

The Broadway at Birdland concert series was presented the 2012 BroadwayWorld Best Male Vocalist winner William Blake in concert on Monday, July 22nd at 7pm. It was Blake's sixth concert at the historic venue. Tony winners and Birdland regulars Chita Rivera and Steve Kazee were both in the house to cheer! Scroll down for photos from the concert!

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, the renowned summer arts day camp now in its 46th season, will present its annual Gala Concert on Wednesday July 31 at 7 PM at the McKinley Amphitheater on the Center's 200-acre woodland campus.

BroadwayWorld.com, the largest theatre site on the Internet, is excited to announce a new feature to its comprehensive regional coverage - the Featured Regional Theater of the Week! Each week, BWW will introduce its readers to a regional theater located in one of our (over 130!) coverage cities. By exploring these different venues, their history and showcasing the production seasons, BWW continues its commitment to expand our presence in communities and cities across the United States. This Week's Featured Regional Theater: CM Performing Arts Center in Oakdale, NY