Will Friedwald News

In May, June & July the NPR Program "Broadway to Main Street" hosted by Laurence Maslon which airs Sundays at 3PM on NY/Long Island NPR-member station WPPB/88.3FM will feature interviews with Tony Award-nominee & Sweeney Todd star Carolee Carmello (May 28); a retrospective of The 1967 Tony Awards (June 4); a 2017 Tony Awards Special on Tonys Sunday (6/11) with recordings of all the top nominees for Best Musical and the best musical performer nominees including Bette Midler, Josh Groban, Ben Platt and more; a centennial tribute to Ella Fitzgerald (6/18); a Hello, Dolly! themed show (6/25) with musical selections from Carol Channing, Pearl Bailey, Ethel Merman, as well as selections from the new Bette Midler recording; and for a special July 4 holiday weekend show with original 1776 star William Daniels (July 3).

 An Evening With… are three of the most powerful words in the entertainment world and they are so often posted and signify an event that can only happen at the Friars Club.  In the early days of the club it was  an evening with James Cagney, George M. Cohan and other show business greats.  Then came evenings with Milton Berle, Frank Sinatra, and many other legends. 

Yankee Stadium has it's 'Legends Seats' and Monuments prominently displayed in the 'House That Ruth Built'.  Then the current team takes the field and future legends start to play ball.  In the Friars Club show biz past and present are always in the house.  Their photos are on the wall and names are engraved on the chairs in the Frank Sinatra Dining Room.  Then as so often happens an 'insiders' great show is produced for the members and those legends current and future entertain their fellow Friars.  So it happened last night as the Friars Club honored Bobby Short, the legendary cabaret singer/pianist who was best known for his three decade plus music residency at Cafe Carlyle in New York City.  The music of Bobby Short was brought to life by some current Cafe Carlye and Bemelmans Bar stars in a spectacular evening produced and hosted by Friar Jeff Leibowitz and Co-Produced by Friar Will Friedwald.

Though all of Harvey Granat's midday events are illuminating and entertaining, his most recent SONGS AND STORIES on March 16 at 92Y could've easily continued at least another half hour buoyed by audience enthusiasm. The event's special guests, author/producer/journalist Will Friedwald (who has his own 92Y series), and President of Jimmy Van Heusen's catalog, his great nephew, Brook Babcock, were both knowledgeable, engaging raconteurs. It was also a great pleasure to watch the two men join infectiously enjoying the afternoon.

Honeck-Moss Productions is proud to present "In The Works."  This exciting new series was conceived as an opportunity for composers to try out new work in front of an audience and see how it plays in a supportive environment.  It is also an opportunity to create community among the composers and their performers.

WFUV (90.7FM/wfuv.org) Program Director Rita Houston has announced that the public radio station will salute the irreplaceable Rich Conaty and the heritage of his unique show, The Big Broadcast, in a two-hour special, Remembering Rich, on Sunday, February 26 at 8 p.m.

On January 24, Will Friedwald, producer, feature writer for The Wall Street Journal, author of nine books on popular music, countless articles, and liner notes, moved his nostalgic CLIP JOINT series to Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street Y. For the uninitiated, CLIP JOINT offers curated video clips---many not seen in decades---from a huge vintage collection of quality sources, DVD and 16mm (not downloaded from YouTube). Each themed program features writers, musicians, and/or vocalists associated with our American Songbook. Friedwald's economic commentary, encyclopedic knowledge, and openness to questions is a unique resource for fans and professionals alike.

It was cold in NYC last night but the warmth of the music created by The New York Pops and guest artists, sisters Ann Hampton Callaway and Liz Callaway ,and brothers Will and Anthony Nunziata carried over to the after party across the street from Carnegie Hall.

Tony Bennett celebrated his 90 th birthday in August and this milestone occasion continues with the RPM Records / Columbia Records release of Tony Bennett Celebrates 90 set for pre-order on November 11 th and worldwide release on December 16.

Raconteur/vocalist/historian/producer Harvey Granat's entertaining series SONGS AND STORIES at 92Y ended for the season Thursday with ON BURT BACHARACH (with Special Guest, author/columnist/producer Will Friedwald and pianist David Lahm).

Urban Stages has confirmed the line-up for this year's award-winning series, WINTER RHYTHMS 2016, which will begin tomorrow, Thursday, December 1, and will feature some of New York's best musical performances through Sunday, December 11, 2016 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street, just East of 8th Avenue).

The band is performing a rare holiday set during Thanksgiving Weekend on Sunday, November 27 at the most legendary NYC jazz club - the Blue Note Jazz Club featuring James Williams, New Orleans trumpet player and vocalist. 

Tony Bennett celebrated his 90 th birthday in August and this milestone occasion continues with the RPM Records / Columbia Records release of Tony Bennett Celebrates 90 set for pre-order on November 11 th and worldwide release on December 16.

Urban Stages has announced the line-up for this year's Award Winning series, WINTER RHYTHMS 2016, which will begin Thursday, December 1 and will feature some of New York's best musical performances through Sunday, December 11, 2016 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street, just East of 8th Avenue).

Still witty, smart and funny at 95 years of age, the legendary comic Marty Allen was hosted (not roasted) at a Friars Club lunch.  Emmy Award winning Friar Bill Boggs interviewed Marty about his long career in show business.  Marty worked as an opening act for stars such as Sarah Vaughan, Eydie Gorme and Nat King Cole gained enormous fame when he teamed up with singer Steve Rossi and made 44 appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.  In 1961 and 1962 Allen appeared on Broadway in Let It Ride! at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre and then went on to perform in the pre-Broadway tour and Broadway performances of I Had A Ball.

Last night, with photos of some of the greatest entertainers looking down at him in the Frank Sinatra Dining Room, Billy Stritch -- one of the most talented and creative musicians on the planet -- entertained his fellow Friars. I don't know if the velvet fog ever sang in the Monastery, but the closest you will ever get to his music is to hear Billy Stritch perform his Mel Torme show. It's the definitive interpretation of Mel's extraordinary musical genius, performed by the unequaled artistry of Mr. Stritch.

Usually the microphone he holds is used for talking, but Emmy winning talk show host and interviewer supreme Bill Boggs sang to a packed house at Le Cirque last night.  

Back in 2010, Broadway Musical actor and cabaret artist Rosemary Loar performed her highly praised cabaret show Sting, Stang, Stung!, which featured jazzy and emotional interpretations of the pop icon Sting's (Gordon Sumner) vast collection of hits. Five years later, Loar created a new show—STING*chronicity—based on the Sting songbook and her Metropolitan Room performances received universal acclaim from the cabaret press. Loar is now bringing her tour-de-force performance to the popular downtown venue Joe's Pub at The Public Theater (425 Lafayette Street, 212-967-7555) on August 22 at 7 pm. Tickets are $20 with a $12 food minimum or two drink minimum per person. STING*chronicity is directed by Barry Kleinbort and boasts a band featuring Musical Director Frank Ponzio with Tom Hubbard on bass.

Below, check out the video premiere of 'Dance In Between the Moments,' by Svetlana and the Delancey Five ft. Wycliffe Gordon with music and lyrics by Rob Garcia!

The 42nd Annual Jazz Record Collectors' Bash will be held this weekend, June 24-25, 2016, at the APA Hotel Woodbridge (formally Hilton Woodbridge, 120 Wood Avenue South Iselin, NJ 08830).