The Duplex News

The Duplex is proud to present Learn It, Live It, Love It- An Evening of Songs by 2008 Jonathan Larson Award Winners Jeff Thomson and Jordan Mann. The evening will feature Broadway regulars and newcomers including: Adam Fleming (WICKED), Colin Hanlon and Tracy McDowell (RENT), Liz Griffith (SHOW BOAT AT CARNEGIE HALL), Anne Fraser Thomas (LES MISERABLES-Regional), and Marty Thomas (XANADU). The evening will be directed by Connor Gallagher (PEREZ HILTON SAVES THE UNIVERSE! THE MUSICAL), with musical direction by Aaron Jodoin.

The Laurie Beechman Theatre is pleased to celebrate Valentine's Day on Saturday, February 14th with a special evening that includes a three course dinner (specially prepared by Executive Chef Joe Marcus) and special musical performance, featuring acclaimed vocalist LISA ASHER. Please join us at 7:30pm for dinner and show (house opens at 6:30). Show only tickets are also available.* The Laurie Beechman Theatre, a sophisticated yet casual venue, is located within The West Bank Caf? at 407 West 42nd St. (@9th Ave).

Celebrate nightlife tonight Friday, February 13th with THE AFTER PARTY. The After Party is thrilled to welcome Glammy Award Winner GUSTY WINDS and The Duplex's MELISSA DRISCOL with the return of Professor RAY FELLMAN at the piano! GUSTY WINDS' television appearances include 'Queer Eye For The Straight Guy,' 'Primetime Live with Diane Sawyer' and 'The Rikki Lake Show.' She also starred in a commercial for MTV's 'Jackass 2.' In addition to her titles of 2005 Miss Fire Island Entertainer of the Year and 2001 Miss Grove Hotel, Gusty is the recipient of the 2005 GLAMMY Award for Best Performance of the Year.

Shelly Burch has returned to New York with a vengeance. Last month she costarred at the 92nd Street Y's Lyrics and Lyricists: Rodgers & and this month she is starring in a weeklong cabaret engagement at the Metropolitan Room, February 25 thru March 2. The evening is produced and directed by her husband, Martin Charnin. This new act takes a musical look at the many aspects of love-from those exciting first moments made in a new relationship, to the choices a woman makes as she confronts a career and children, to the wonderful calm that comes when love is allowed to enter one's life, with no holds barred and no questions asked...when love and love alone becomes the answer. Shelly Burch received critical acclaim as the original Claudia in the musical Nine directed by Tommy Tune. Now some 20 years later, Shelly returns to New York and the cabaret scene, in her brand new entertainment, aptly titled Second Coming.

Van Hill Entertainment is proud to announce that the Off-Broadway premiere of ROOMS a rock romance, starring Leslie Kritzer and Doug Kreeger, will begin performances on Friday February 27th at New World Stages/Stage 2 (340 West 50th Street). Opening Night is set for Monday March 16th (7 PM). ROOMS a rock romance has music and lyrics by Paul Scott Goodman (Bright Lights Big City) and book by Goodman and Miriam Gordon, and will be directed by Scott Schwartz (Golda's Balcony, Bat Boy: The Musical, tick, tick... BOOM!, Jane Eyre).

The fifth year of the acclaimed series, ?Monday Nights, New Voices,' will continue on February 23rd, with Broadway star, Orfeh, who was recently Tony Nominated as Paulette in the Broadway Musical, Legally Blonde.

Colleen McHugh's monthly entertainment extravaganza - presents TALES OF REVENGE & REGRET for one show only. Monday, February 9th at 9:30pm With songs by Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter, Christine Lavin, Weird Al Yankovic, Marcy & Zina, Jimmy Webb, and many more.

Kristy Cates, celebrated as the star of the mega smash Wicked for its Broadway and Touring runs, guests at Scott Nevins' Curtain Call directly following the video madness of Musical Mondays on February 9th at 11:30pm., The vocal wonder Cates will serve up a full set of Broadway's hottest tunes, 'blowing the roof off of Splash with one Diva turn after another' as the press notes state. Kristy Cates is best known for her roles in the original Broadway cast of Wicked (ensemble/Elphaba understudy). Kristy then went on to a year long run as Elphaba in the Chicago production of Wicked. She was most recently seen at Carnegie Hall in the ensemble of 'Jerry Springer the Opera' starring Harvey Keitel. Off Broadway/ Regional: Human Race Theatre (Stephen Schwartz's 'Snapshots'), Princess Ida, St. Louis MUNY, The Lucille Lortel White Barn Theatre , North Bay Opera, The Playhouse on the Green, The Eugene O'Neill Conference and the NY Fringe Festival, MANY readings of new works. NYC/Chicago concerts: Don't Tell Mama, The Duplex, Joe's Pub, Laurie Beechman Theatre, and a sold out series 'An Evening with Kristy Cates' at the Metropolis Performing Arts Center in Chicago. Kristy is also a professional voiceover artist. She was honored to be a National Anthem soloist for the Chicago Bears, Bulls and White Sox. She recently concluded a production of a new musical UNBEATABLE at the Pheonix Theatre, in which she plays a woman battling cancer. The production is expected to open off Broadway at New World Stages this upcoming Spring. Get there early to grab a seat to watch these legendary musical numbers on the screens during Musical Monday's, and then sit tight as Kristy Cates performs live in person!

The Laurie Beechman Theatre will be home to an extraordinary night of new work and stellar talent on February 6, 2009, as Alexander Gemignani ('Road Show', 'Les Mis?rables'), Jason Tam ('A Chorus Line'), Donna Lynne Champlin ('Sweeney Todd'), Alysha Umphress ('Make Me A Song') and others perform in 'Marry Me, America: An Evening of Songs by Daniel Mat?.' Show time is 8 PM

Tomorrow, Friday, February 6th THE AFTER PARTY is thrilled to welcome Time Out New York's Top 10 Pick of 2008 CASHINO starring Hairpsrpay's SUSIE MOSHER and recording artist JOHN BOSWELL Also featuring Singer/Songwriter KATIE THOMPSON and Wicked's JULIE REIBER with WILLIAM WADE at the piano!

Opening Doors Theatre Company announces the first two productions in their 3rd season of Closing Notice productions for 2009: FADE OUT, FADE IN (1964) - First ever NYC revival! Music by Jule Styne Book and Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green Directed by Suzanne Adams Choreographed by Christine Schwalenberg Stage Manager: Billie Di Stefano Musical Direction by Jessica Stewart. Cast - Sarah Cooney, Hector Coris, Brian DeCaluwe*, Sarah Lilley, Jean McCormick*, Patrick John Moran*, Michael Vitaly Sazonov*, Lawrence Street* (Broadway's Urinetown), Rob Ventre*, Lexi Windsor*

Tomorrow, Friday, February 6th THE AFTER PARTY is thrilled to welcome Time Out New York's Top 10 Pick of 2008 CASHINO starring Hairpsrpay's SUSIE MOSHER and recording artist JOHN BOSWELL Also featuring Singer/Songwriter KATIE THOMPSON and Wicked's JULIE REIBER with WILLIAM WADE at the piano!

The Laurie Beechman Theatre is pleased to celebrate Valentine's Day on Saturday, February 14th with a special evening that includes a three course dinner (specially prepared by Executive Chef Joe Marcus) and special musical performance, featuring acclaimed vocalist LISA ASHER. Please join us at 7:30pm for dinner and show (house opens at 6:30). Show only tickets are also available.* The Laurie Beechman Theatre, a sophisticated yet casual venue, is located within The West Bank Caf? at 407 West 42nd St. (@9th Ave).

The Duplex is proud to present Learn It, Live It, Love It- An Evening of Songs by 2008 Jonathan Larson Award Winners Jeff Thomson and Jordan Mann. The evening will feature Broadway regulars and newcomers including: Adam Fleming (WICKED), Colin Hanlon and Tracy McDowell (RENT), Liz Griffith (SHOW BOAT AT CARNEGIE HALL), Anne Fraser Thomas (LES MISERABLES-Regional), and Marty Thomas (XANADU). The evening will be directed by Connor Gallagher (PEREZ HILTON SAVES THE UNIVERSE! THE MUSICAL), with musical direction by Aaron Jodoin.

The Laurie Beechman Theatre will be home to an extraordinary night of new work and stellar talent on February 6, 2009, as Alexander Gemignani ('Road Show', 'Les Mis?rables'), Jason Tam ('A Chorus Line'), Donna Lynne Champlin ('Sweeney Todd'), Alysha Umphress ('Make Me A Song') and others perform in 'Marry Me, America: An Evening of Songs by Daniel Mat?.' Show time is 8 PM

Award winning vocalists Brian Farley and David Gurland return for one final performance of their first full show together.- An evening of RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN. Already great interpreters of the American Popular songbook, this will be the pair's first foray into the catalog of arguably the greatest songwriting team in history. Featuring songs from Carousel, The Sound of Music, The King and I, this years' biggest Broadway hit South Pacific, and many more. Musically directed by Tracy Stark., The show previously played the Laurie Beechman Theatre in July to packed houses and ecstatic reviews.

On Monday 1/19 MGC Productions hosted a star studded event, Broadway Speaks Out: Live at The Duplex. Broadway Speaks Out is an online talk show that features Broadway performers speaking out about how their careers have influenced the LGBT community. The evening featured Anthony Hollock and Allison Guinn (Hair), Brian Charles Rooney (The Three Penny Opera), Hannah Shankman (RENT Tour), Rob DiCaterino, Michael Burbach, Elliot Roth (Our Sinatra) and Jenn Lederer, Both of whom are in the upcoming production of Midwtwenties:The Show. The concert also had a special guest appearance by internationally known drag performer, Sherry Vine. Martin Gould Cummings, the artistic director and founder of MGC Productions hosted the evening. MGC Productions is a fiscally sponsored theatre company founded by Martin Gould Cummings and his partner Anthony Hollock. Their goal is to bring the LGBT cause to the forefront through theatre, media, and music. MGC Productions will be producing their first stage production, Midtwenties:The Show, at Manhattan Theatre Source on March 1-3. Photos by Alys Shaefer

On Monday, January 26th, New York Theatre Barn will present the first NYTB @ The Duplex of 2009. The monthly cabaret series highlights new composers, lyricists, and performers. The evening will feature The Rebekah Melocik Songbook, with performances by Meredith Anderson, Jennifer Harrison, and Matt Lutz and musical direction and accompaniment by Aaron Jodoin. Additional music is by Aaron Fisher. Singer and songwriter Rori Nogee (Off-Broadway's Pinkalicious) will also be featured during the evening. The event takes place Monday January 26, 2009 at 9:30pm at The Duplex Cabaret Theater (61 Christopher Street @ Seventh Avenue). There is a $10 cover plus 2-drink minimum. For reservations please call 212-255-5438 or visit The Duplex's website: www.theduplex.com For more information on NYTB, visit: www.NYTheatreBarn.org The NEW YORK THEATRE BARN is committed to creating and developing new, evocative works that are based on the principle that theatre is a collaborative art form that can only be successful when the process of the artists involved is nurtured and supported, and when the artists are encouraged to explore new ideas and the relevance of old ideas in a modern context, as well as themes and issues that will influence and effect future generations of theatre artists and audiences. At the same time, the NEW YORK THEATRE BARN will encourage and nurture the development of a diverse community of artists who share the same ideas and background, and who will be dedicated to the education and advancement of their fellow artists and the community they serve.

Erin Davie, who co-starred in Broadway's Grey Gardens, will host the January 26 Monday Nights, New Voices' concert at the Duplex Cabaret Theatre. The 7pm concert will celebrate the work of composer and lyricist team Joshua Salzman and Ryan Cunningham. Those scheduled to perform are Wade Dooley, Wade Elkins, Jennifer Lorae, John Pinto, Isabel Santiago and Ali Stroker.

Van Hill Entertainment is proud to announce that the Off-Broadway premiere of ROOMS a rock romance, starring Leslie Kritzer and Doug Kreeger, will begin performances on Friday February 27th at New World Stages/Stage 2 (340 West 50th Street). Opening Night is set for Monday March 16th (7 PM). ROOMS a rock romance has music and lyrics by Paul Scott Goodman (Bright Lights Big City) and book by Goodman and Miriam Gordon, and will be directed by Scott Schwartz (Golda's Balcony, Bat Boy: The Musical, tick, tick... BOOM!, Jane Eyre).