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.
THE GREEN ROOM 42 will welcome back the "undie rock" sensation THE SKIVVIES with a special "Halloween Hootenanny" on Wednesday, October 31 at 10:30 PM. The duo made up of Lauren Molina and Nick Cearley will welcome special guests from Broadway and beyond including Lesli Margherita, Alice Ripley, Ellyn Marie Marsh, Dan DeLuca, Rebecca Faulkenberry, Isaac Cole Powell, Vasthy Mompoint, Tamika Lawrence, Diana Huey and Conor Ryan.
MARGO SEIBERT - the actor, vocalist and songwriter who has taken Broadway by storm in musicals such as Rocky and In Transit - will welcome a roster of special musical guests for her 77th Street album release concert at Joe's Pub on Monday, October 22 at 9:30 PM. She will be joined by Liz Callaway (Tony Award nominee), Telly Leung (Broadway's Aladdin, "Glee"), Nicholas Ward (Frozen), Erin Mackey (Wicked), and Heather Christian (Animal Wisdom). The evening will reunite Seibert with her co-stars of Broadway's In Transit, which also featured Leung, Ward and Mackey.
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.
Page 73 announces complete casting for the first production in its 20th Anniversary Season, Catch as Catch Can, written by Mia Chung (You For Me For You) and directed by Ken Rus Schmoll (Judy, Grounded). Performances begin on Monday, October 22 at the New Ohio Theatre for a limited run through Saturday, November 17.
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.
Good morning BroadwayWorld! Today's top stories: The Nap begins Broadway previews tonight, Nicolette Robinson begins performances as Jenna in Waitress tonight, and more!
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.
Birdland will kick-off their great week of programming with Charlie Parker Birthday Celebration, Kat Gang, Katie Thiroux and Special Guest Ken Peplowski, and more!
After critically lauded performances in New York, London and Paris, award-winning performer Eric Yves Garcia (Margaret Whiting Award; Bistro Award for Singing Instrumentalist) brought his show 'This is All I Ask' to Feinstein's/54 Below last night and Broadway@orld was there. Check out the photos below!
In some ways, attending a Melissa Manchester concert is akin to the atmosphere, familiarity, and warmth you have in a house of worship. Last night during her performance at Barrington Stage Co. Mellisa's music evoked the same feelings you have when listening to familiar melodies and words that have been with you and most of the 'congregation' their whole lives. Mellisa has a breathtaking voice and phrasing which kept the BSC audience mesmerized with the songs and stories from her extraordinary career. There were songs that the Grammy winner either wrote or chose to sing in an evening that highlighted tunes from her new album The Fellas. In it Melissa honors the great male singers that have influenced her. As well as having a full performance schedule Melissa also teaches music at the University of Southern California.
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.
