Johnny Mercer News

Li'l Abner runs through April 1 at The Lion Theatre, 410 West 42nd Street, New York.

Tony-nominated actor Brian Lane Green (Starmites) joins the lineup of Broadway talent performing in the March 30th concert with John Bucchino. In addition to Lane is Broadway funnyman Todd Buonopane (…Spelling Bee) and renowned singer/songwriter Lindy Robbins.

Rodgers & Hammerstein's PIPE DREAM will be recorded live at New York City Center's Encores! series this week, and released this Summer on Ghostlight Records. Produced by Rodgers & Hammerstein: AnImagem Company, this preservation of Rodgers & Hammerstein's 1955 Broadway musical rarity marks the first time an Encores! musical has been recorded live.

Terese Genecco's second CD release is a wonderfully polished production that is a tribute to her musical heroes, including Frank, Dean, Sammy, Marilyn Maye and Mel Torme.

On Tuesday, March 20, acclaimed cabaret vocalist Terese Genecco celebrated the third anniversary of her monthly shows at Iridium Jazz Club with a launch party for her new CD release, 'Terese Genecco & Her Little Big Band: Live from the Iridium NYC.'

People have been harmonizing for thousands of years but group singing soared in popularity during the 20th century with groups from the Boswell Sisters to the Beach Boys and beyond blending their voices in every conceivable style. Lyrics & Lyricists™ celebrates the beauty of the human voice with its upcoming show In Perfect Harmony: Celebrating the Vocal Group. Guest artistic director Rob Fisher, with vocal groups New York Voices and the DiGiallanardo Sisters, harmonize to a wide variety of jazz, rock, American Songbook standards, folk and doo-wop from such iconic songwriters as Johnny Mercer, Jon Hendricks, John Phillips, Laura Nyro and Brian Wilson. Songs confirmed in the program include "Bei mir bist du shon," "Birdland," "Be My Baby," "Day Tripper," and "Bohemian Rhapsody."

PlaidBird Productions and Cornelia Street Cafe will present "Bird Amongst the Blossom- A Tribute to the First Blossom Dearie Songbook" downstairs at Cornelia Street Cafe on Friday March 23, 2012 at 6pm. Featuring Jaye Maynard (vocals), Jon Delfin (Musical Director/piano) and Leon Lee Dorsey (upright bass). Tickets are $10 with a $10 minimum.

The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts presents its final event in inaugural 2011-2012 season of the popular Broadway Songbook Series, "The Words and Music of Johnny Mercer," April 13-15 in the Ordway's McKnight Theatre. This three-event series, made possible with the support of executive producers David and Mary Choate, highlights the lives, histories, and stories of musical theater legends. The Broadway Songbook Series has been so successful that the Ordway has added an additional matinee performance to this program on Saturday, April 14 at 2 p.m.

Li'l Abner will run from March 20 to April 1 at The Lion Theatre, 410 West 42nd Street, New York.

People have been harmonizing for thousands of years but group singing soared in popularity during the 20th century with groups from the Boswell Sisters to the Beach Boys and beyond blending their voices in every conceivable style. Lyrics & Lyricists™ celebrates the beauty of the human voice with its upcoming show In Perfect Harmony: Celebrating the Vocal Group. Guest artistic director Rob Fisher, with vocal groups New York Voices and the DiGiallanardo Sisters, harmonize to a wide variety of jazz, rock, American Songbook standards, folk and doo-wop from such iconic songwriters as Johnny Mercer, Jon Hendricks, John Phillips, Laura Nyro and Brian Wilson. Songs confirmed in the program include "Bei mir bist du shon," "Birdland," "Be My Baby," "Day Tripper," and "Bohemian Rhapsody."

THE PROFIT OF CREATION, a new musical with book and lyrics by Charlie Sohne and music by Tim Rosser, will be presented to an industry audience on March 13 at 3 p.m. in the North Studio at Playwrights Horizons. The cast of the reading includes Lindsay Mendez (Godspell), Hunter Ryan Herdlicka (A Little Night Music), Colin Hanlon (Rent), Sean Dugan (Next Fall), Sally Wilfert (Make Me A Song) and Michael Winther (33 Variations). The reading will be directed by Obie Award-winning director Evan Yionoulis, music directed by Paul Staroba (Lucky Guy) and stage managed by Donald Butchko.

Check out these two videos PlaidBird Productions have released to promote "Bird Amongst the Blossom- A Tribute to the First Blossom Dearie Songbook" downstairs at Cornelia Street Cafe on Friday March 23, 2012 at 6pm.

PlaidBird Productions and Cornelia Street Cafe will present "Bird Amongst the Blossom- A Tribute to the First Blossom Dearie Songbook" downstairs at Cornelia Street Cafe on Friday March 23, 2012 at 6pm. Featuring Jaye Maynard (vocals), Jon Delfin (Musical Director/piano) and Leon Lee Dorsey (upright bass). Tickets are $10 with a $10 minimum.

THE PROFIT OF CREATION, a new musical with book and lyrics by Charlie Sohne and music by Tim Rosser, will be presented to an industry audience on March 13 at 3 p.m. in the North Studio at Playwrights Horizons. The cast of the reading includes Lindsay Mendez (Godspell), Hunter Ryan Herdlicka (A Little Night Music), Colin Hanlon (Rent), Sean Dugan (Next Fall), Sally Wilfert (Make Me A Song) and Michael Winther (33 Variations). The reading will be directed by Obie Award-winning director Evan Yionoulis, music directed by Paul Staroba (Lucky Guy) and stage managed by Donald Butchko.

Marissa Mulder, winner of the 2011 MetroStar Talent Challenge, headlines the Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd Street, in a special prime time engagement beginning March 7. The world premiere of "Illusions" plays a total of four consecutive nights, Wednesday through Saturday, March 4, 5, 6, 7, all at 7pm. Opening for Mulder will be her MetroStar co-finalists Fran Leonardis and Stacie Perlman on alternating nights.

Spring comes to Millennium Park with Chicago-based actress and singer McKinley Carter in the finalCabaret with a View concert of the season on Monday, April 9, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. on the enclosed stage of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. Titled Spring Forward/Fall Back, the evening will feature music inspired by the renewal and possibility of springtime.

Li'l Abner will run from March 20 to April 1 at The Lion Theatre, 410 West 42nd Street, New York.

The simple, classic delights of childhood - spinning tops, bouncing balls, rocking horses, and talking animals - will reveal the delights of music at The Little Orchestra Society's next LOLLI-POPS™ CONCERTS: A MUSICAL TOY STORE, Saturday, March 3, at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., and Sunday, March 4, at 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Kinky Boots' and 'The Jungle Book' try out, Sarah Siddons and Windy City host benefit concerts, new works from Josh Schmidt and more, the Leap Day connection plus 'Mansical!'

Granted, Babes in Hollywood isn't for all theater audiences-although, frankly, it should be…what's with you people?-and you'll certainly love it more if you're at least somewhat informed about the Garland/Rooney film oeuvre or the legendarily close relationship the two young stars forged as children and continued throughout their lives. Although that friendship was abruptly ended in 1969 when Garland died in London (I remember reading the news in the Memphis Press-Scimitar as a sixth grader), I've no doubt Mickey Rooney still has conversations with his old pal, somewhere within the recesses of his memory and his heart.