Wednesday night, Michael Feinstein's estimable series Standard Time once again held forth in Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall, this time celebrating lyricist E.Y. “Yip” Harburg. Feinstein was joined by guest vocalists Catherine Russell, Nancy Anderson and Malcom Gets. The evening was beautifully put together with anecdotes, history, film clips, and Harburg's amusing poetry. Michael Feinstein's erudition weighs in with his meticulous treatment of The American Songbook and his suave and savory role as host.
Essential Voices USA (EVUSA) just presented BEYOND BROADWAY: COMPOSERS GO CHORAL at the DiMenna Space for Classical Music, 450 West 37 Street (between 9th & 10th Avenues), New York City. The evening featured ensemble music and conversation with composer/lyricists who have worked closely with conductor and music director Judith Clurmanand her Essential Voices USA. Guests attending included Sheldon Harnick, Larry Hochman, Andrew Lippa, Richard Maltby, Joshua Schmidt, Stephen Schwartz, David Shire, Georgia Stitt, Jonathan Tunick, and Maury Yeston.
Tony Award winner and Actors Fund board chair Brian Stokes Mitchell will be presented with the 2015 Distinguished Achievement Award at the New Dramatists' 66th Annual Spring Luncheon.
After successful shows at Judy's Chelsea and Don't Tell Mama, Jennifer Roberts is back to celebrate her love for Manhattan with two shows at New York hotspot 'Don't Tell Mama.' Musical Director Tedd Firth will join Jennifer along with bass player Ritt Henn (www.ritthenn.com) on April 7th and 9th.
Given the deep jazz feeling and serious vocal chops displayed by Lainie Cooke on her new CD 'The Music Is the Magic,' it's hard to believe that the disc is only Cooke's third. But this masterpiece of vocal jazz, which will be released today, March 17 by Ralph Peterson's Onyx Music Label, affirms her standing in the front ranks of jazz singers performing today.
Arts For All is thrilled to announce that Steve Rosen is hosting our Annual Benefit Cabaret on April 13th at 42 West. On Broadway, Steve originated the roles of Sir Belvedere, et al in Spamalot, Harlan Honn, et. al. in The Farnsworth Invention; and played Benny Southstreet in the 2009 revival of Guys & Dolls.
For 45 years, the National Theater Institute has offered young theater artists a springboard to the professional world at the two-time Tony Award-winning Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. With a singular schedule and an unmatched breadth of training, NTI's credit-earning, semester-long programs are taught by industry professionals and master teachers like Alexander Gemignani.
On April 8, 2015 at 7:30 pm, Essential Voices USA (EVUSA) will present BEYOND BROADWAY: COMPOSERS GO CHORAL at the DiMenna Space for Classical Music, 450 West 37 Street (between 9th & 10th Avenues), New York City.
Jim Caruso's Cast Party is where the brightest Broadway, jazz and cabaret stars hang out, celebrate and entertain each other until the wee hours of the morning. Birdland has been the Manhattan home to the 'extreme' open mic for twelve successful years, and with a newly signed 20-year lease, there are many, many nights of madcap, shocking and musically thrilling impromptu performances in store.
As the days dwindled down to a precious few in 2014, a few cabaret goers and performers in what is affectionately but also self-mockingly called the “cabaret community” would sidle up and ask if I was planning my annual end-of-the year “Best Of” column, similar to the “Top 20 Bests and Favorites” piece over the first half of the year I posted back in early July. I would respond in the negative with very reasonable and believable excuses, but the truth is I didn't want to reveal my “Bests” of the year until the voting for the 2014 BroadwayWorld New York Cabaret Awards had ended. There's enough baggage and backstage whispering that comes with administering the BWW Awards, so I wasn't about to publish any opinions that might influence the vote while it was in process. I may be crazy but I'm not masochistic. But now all bets are off. You want lists? I'll give you lists.
Don't Tell Mama presents Scott Siegel's All-Star Fundraising Festival, tonight, January 13 - 19, starring Karen Akers, Tom Wopat, Mary Testa, Christina Bianco, Barbara Walsh, Jason Gotay, Steve Ross, John Bucchino, Julie Gold, Sidney Myer, and more to be announced.
Don't Tell Mama presents Scott Siegel's All-Star Fundraising Festival, January 13, 19, starring Karen Akers, Tom Wopat, Mary Testa, Christina Bianco, Barbara Walsh, Jason Gotay, Steve Ross, John Bucchino, Julie Gold, Sidney Myer, and more to be announced.
The Broadway at Birdland concert series presented Alysha Umphress, currently starring as "Hildy" in the Broadway revival of On The Town, and Tony-nominated songwriter Jeff Blumenkrantz, on Monday, January 5 at 7pm. The duo celebrated the release of their new CD, "I've Been Played," which features Jeff's swinging songs and arrangements performed as only Alysha can! "I've Been Played" is on the Yellow Sound Label, and available now for pre-order on Amazon.com.
Alysha Umphress, currently starring in the new Broadway revival of ON THE TOWN, and Tony Award-nominated composer and performer Jeff Blumenkrantz just celebrated their new album, I've Been Played: Alysha Umphress Swings Jeff Blumenkrantz with a concert at Birdland (315 W. 44th Street, New York, NY 10036). Check out photos from te special night below!
Alysha Umphress, currently starring in the new Broadway revival of ON THE TOWN, and Tony Award-nominated composer and performer Jeff Blumenkrantz celebrate the release of their new album, 'I've Been Played: Alysha Umphress Swings Jeff Blumenkrantz.' The pair appeared in a release concert at Birdland last night.
Broadway's 40 theatres aren't the only places to catch performances from your favorite stars! Well after Broadway orchestra's begin their overtures, ensemble members take their dance breaks, and performers belt out their eleven- o'clock numbers, the party continues at various cabaret venues throughout New York City. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you some cabaret highlights for this week as picked by our theatre editors, including: Alysha Umphress Swings Jeff Blumenkrantz: 'I've Been Played,' Amy Spanger: This Must Be the Place, Broadway Loves Celine Dion, Starring Jeremy Jordan, Taylor Louderman, and More, The Best of Ann Hampton Callaway, and Starry Starry Night: An Evening of Mini-Concerts.
If you've been a regular reader of this particular reviewer's musings, you know that every year there are long stretches of time where I just haven't been able to critique all the shows I've seen that deserve commentary. So I end up playing what they call in sports, 'Catch-up ball,' and post a mash up of belated reviews from past shows. It's kind of like a critic's version of the song 'Six Months Out of Every Year,' from Damn Yankees. Give or take a month or two, that's usually the time period during which I store unpublished reviews in my fevered brain and then unload them all in one seemingly endless column-like this one is going to be. If my cabaret-show reviewing days will be over (as chronicled here), I might as well go out with a bang-and relieve my procrastination guilt during holiday season. Now I can scratch one New Year's resolution off the list.
Birdland Jazz Club has announced its end-of-year schedule, running December 31 - January 18, including: The Birdland Big Band featuring Jane Monheit on New Year's Eve, Dave Stryker Group, Barbara Carroll, Joe Lovano, and more!
This January and February 54 BELOW presents an exciting lineup of the brightest talent from Broadway and beyond. Located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54thStreet. For a detailed schedule of upcoming performances at 54 Below and to purchase tickets, visit www.54Below.com.
