Jane Monheit News

After receiving more than 3,000 nominations once BroadwayWorld.com announced it's first-ever New York Cabaret Awards in early October, BWW is now pleased to announce it's final nominations ballot in 20 categories. Now it's time for all you cabaret performers and fans to vote for the best singers, musicians and shows of the year. Voting will continue until December 31 and winners will be announced in early January.

Making its way back to Southern California, the national touring company of the Tony Award-winning musical MEMPHIS will be spreading its tuneful message of rock and soul at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts for a two-week engagement starting November 6. Right in the center is phenomenal triple-threat Felicia Boswell, who agreed to answer a series of silly, rapid-fire questions from BroadwayWorld.

An oil portrait of the late Suzanne Lemberg Usdan, a Founding Trustee of the Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, has been donated to the Center by Dr. Jerrold Ross, a former Trustee of the Center and its longtime President. Dr. Ross is Dean of the Department of Education at St. John's University in Queens, and Academic Vice Presidentof the University's Staten Island campus. The portrait, painted by internationally known artist Norman Blackwell, commemorates the 10th anniversary of Mrs. Usdan's death.

In honor of Veterans' Day, the State Theatre in Easton presents a free concert with the United States Air Force Liberty Jazz Band on Tuesday, November 13 at 7:30 PM.

Bay Area Cabaret kicks off its 2012-2013 season with Motown legend Mary Wilson, back for her first show in the historic Venetian room since performing there with the "Supremes" more than two decades ago.

Philip Glass's one night performance at the Kirkland Performance Center (KPC) is one of many exclusive NW engagements featured in the KPC Fall line-up. KPC serves as the presenter for many sought after musicians including: returning favorites (The Brothers Four, Jane Monheit), living legends (Philip Glass, Zakir Hussain) and new discoveries (Rupa & the April Fishes).

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, the nationally renowned Long Island summer arts day camp, announces new programs for its 46th, 2013 season. These include a three-week session July 22-August 9. This will be in addition to the four-week program beginning June 24 (the regular beginning of the season) and the full seven-week program. There will also be an expansion of the Usdan's Jazz Studies Program with three separate jazz ensembles: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced, giving students more personalized attention at their specific levels as well as increased opportunity for performance at the Center's 1,000-seat McKinley Amphitheater. Visiting jazz faculty in 2013 will include Grammy-nominated jazz singer Jane Monheit, an alumna of Usdan's summer program. In addition, in response to popular demand, there will be a new "Technical Theatre" program for 10th to 12th grade students wishing to study theater stage management and set construction.

This month's "Frank & Friends," a regular feature with the Broadway at Birdland concert series, brought Broadway/pop songwriter Frank Wildhorn back to the stage with jazz superstar Jane Monheit and Las Vegas/Cafe Carlyle headliner Clint Holmes - and a better musical threesome would be hard to find. Check out photos of the trio performing below!

Tonight, October 15 at 7pm, Broadway at Birdland presents multi-Grammy and Tony nominated composer Frank Wildhorn in his monthly concert series called "Frank & Friends." Joining Frank onstage will be award-winning jazz vocalist Jane Monheit and renowned Las Vegas/Cafe Carlyle headliner Clint Holmes.

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, a TimeOutNY/Kids "Best Camp for 2012" which has just completed its 45th season, will present a special off-season event, An Afternoon With Jane Monheit, performances by the internationally acclaimed jazz singer and Usdan alumna, today, October 14. The Grammy-nominated vocalist will perform two 75-minute concerts with her band, at 2 PM and then a repeat performance at 4:30 PM at Usdan's intimate Maurice B. Hexter Recital Hall.

In this week's edition of Around BWW: Regional Highlights of the Week', we bring you the most-read stories for the week of October 8! From reviews to interviews, videos and photos, catch up on all the latest regional happenings around the Broadway World!

You know that saying that 'two is better than one?' Well it couldn't have been a more enjoyably appropriate description than the swingin'-est concert to hit Costa Mesa's Segerstrom Center for the Arts in some time: the double-bill of jazz powerhouses Jane Monheit and John Pizzarelli. The two talented stars--each accompanied by their own incredible traveling bands--played to an almost-packed house this past Friday, October 5 as the rousing season opener for the 2012-2013 Cabaret Series at the Center.

On Monday, October 15 at 7pm, Broadway at Birdland presents multi-Grammy and Tony nominated composer Frank Wildhorn in his monthly concert series called "Frank & Friends." Joining Frank onstage will be award-winning jazz vocalist Jane Monheit and renowned Las Vegas/Cafe Carlyle headliner Clint Holmes.

Another Friday, another recap of news making the rounds in the Broadway World! Nominations have been tallied and voting is now open for the 2012 BWW UK Awards so get your vote in today! The 2012 BWW Regional Awards are also underway with nominations being accepted in 30 regions for your favorite stars and productions. October 26 is the deadline for submitting a nomination so have your say on who should win in your region!

An accomplished, world renowned jazz vocalist with a clear affinity for musical theater, Jane Monheit is set to appear in Costa Mesa on October 5 for a one-night-only concert alongside fellow jazz star John Pizzarelli as part of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts' 2012-2013 Cabaret series. Recently, the two-time Grammy nominated songstress chatted with BroadwayWorld's Michael Lawrence Quintos about her upcoming OC return engagement and why she's so in love with showtunes.

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts (www.usdan.com), the nationally acclaimed summer arts day camp which has just finished its 45th successful season, announces the first of its Open Houses for the 2013 season. It will take place on Sunday October 28 from 11AM to 2PM. In addition to the Center's frequent Open House dates, Usdan also offers individual weekend guided tours available by appointment. Weekday self-guided walks are also available on the Center's magnificent 200-acre woodland campus at 185 Colonial Springs Road, Wheatley Heights (Huntington), New York 11798.

Bay Area Cabaret, the local non-profit organization devoted to presenting audiences with top performers who expand the definition of cabaret, has announced its lineup for the 2012-2013 season. Opening the season Sunday, October 28, 2012 is Motown legend and founding member of "Supremes," Mary Wilson, followed Sunday, November 11, 2012 by 9-time Tony Award winning singer/dancer/director/choreographer Tommy Tune, and December 9, 2012 by television, film, and Broadway star Peter Gallagher. The series continues in 2013 with "Broadway's golden couple," Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley on February 17, 2013, "Britain's first lady of musical theatre" Elaine Paige on March 1, 2013, and a performance by singer/actress Nellie McKay featuring San Francisco's Grammy-winning a capella male chorus Chanticleer on March 23, 2013. Rounding out the season is a tribute to the late Marvin Hamlisch, with special guests to be announced, on June 2, 2013, which would have been the legendary composer's 69th birthday, with special guests to be announced.

Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts (www.usdan.com), the nationally acclaimed summer arts day camp, will present its sixth annual Usdan Chess Challenge today, September 23 at its specially designed Maurice B. 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 (a USCF and FIDE Expert) and Joel Salman (a USCF and FIDE Master).