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While on vacation in PTown this summer www.BroadwayKingdom.com had the pleasure to sit down at Curio Coffee with the most famous person you NEVER heard of!
Bruce Vilanch is best know for his stint on Hollywood Squares but you’ve known him for YEARS and didn’t even realize it!
Watch the video and be in awe of an amazing career in front of and in back of the spotlight!
Special thanks to Craig Austin Hoffmeyer for arranging this.
Photo by Denise Winters
Legendary concert artist and Kennedy Center Honoree BARBARA COOK returns to New York City’s Town Hall, 123 West 43rd Street (between 6th Avenue & Broadway,) on Thursday, November 14th at 8 PM with a new evening of song (and stories) as she continues to explore her newly developed repertoire of jazz and swing while also reprising her now-classic renditions of songs from Broadway and the Great American Songbook.
The evening is presented by Joanne and Bernie Furshpan of Furshpan Productions. Bernie is Managing Partner of Metropolitan Room and has produced and promoted historic concert events, with his company Big Fish Productions, at Avery Fisher Hall and Hammerstein Ballroom. He said, “I am honored to present the legendary Barbara Cook at Town Hall. The intimate setting brings her even closer to her adoring audience.”
Considered “Broadway’s favorite ingenue” during the heyday of the Broadway musical, Ms. Cook launched a second career as a concert and recording artist. She has been honored with the Tony, Grammy, Drama Desk and New York Drama Critics Circle Awards, has been designated a Living New York Landmark, and was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame.
A 2011 Kennedy Center Honoree, Miss Cook recently returned to the Broadway stage after a 23-year absence, and was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in the musical Sondheim on Sondheim. Ms. Cook’s latest solo recording, Loverman, was released by DRG Records.
Tickets for BARBARA COOK AT TOWN HALL will be available beginning Sept 23, 2013 at 12 noon. To purchase tickets, please visit thetownhall.org/index.php, The Town Hall Box Office, Ticketmaster.com or any Ticketmaster outlet. To order by phone, please call Ticketmaster at (800) 982.2787. Orchestra (A-D) $85; Orchestra (E-J) $70, Orchestra (K-U) $65; Balcony/Loge $70 and Balcony $55
MUSIC/CONCERT LISTINGS INFORMATION
BARBARA COOK AT TOWN HALL November 14 at 8 PM 123 West 43rd Street (between 6th Avenue & Broadway) To order by phone, call Ticketmaster at (800) 982.2787 orwww.ticketmaster.com. Orchestra: $85, $70, $65; Balcony/Loge $70, $55
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For More Info: http://thetownhall.org/event/470-barbara-cook
For Tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/Barbara-Cook-tickets/artist/1471050
# # #
Contact: Bernie Furshpan
Bernie@metropolitanroom.com
631.383.3943
ALSO: A Second Amazing Evening:
Dec 19th – Three Legendary Ladies of Song – Holiday Belles with Leslie Uggams, Christine Andreas and Marilyn Maye. Ring in the holidays in this special one night only musical feast. Three show biz musical legends join together in a concert celebrating life, love, and great songs!
HURRY… GET YOUR SEATS TODAY >> http://www.ticketmaster.com/Holiday-Belles-tickets/artist/1373649
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JOAN JAFFE WINNER 2012 MAC Award – Best Musical Comedy Performer, was named one of the Top 15 in New York Cabaret 2010 by Kevin Scott Hall – EdgeNewYork.com, and was also a 2010 MAC Award nominee. Joan Jaffe’s FOOD is a smorgasbord of comedy and music guaranteed to make you laugh. You’ll thrill to hear Joan sing songs about FOOD – most funny, some very tasteful and some obscure. The patter written by Joan, is so good – there won’t be a dry seat in the house – you’ll hunger for more.
Internationally acclaimed Matt Baker is the musical director and arranger for Joan’s
show, and Adam Kabak is on Double Bass.
Consultant for the show – and additional lyrics – Rob Lester.
Thursday October 31
Saturday November 2
Saturday November 30
Sunday December 1
All shows at 7 PM
Don’t Tell Mama 343 W. 46th St., NYC
Reservations: 212-757-0788
$20 Cover + 2 Drink Minimum CASH ONLY (no credit cards)
($5 Off Cover for MAC, Cabaret Hotline, AEA-SAG/AFTRA, Seniors)
The incredible JOAN JAFFE is excited to present her new show Joan Jaffe’s FOOD – a smorgasbord of comedy and music. Joan was the WINNER -Best Musical Comedy Performer- 2012 MAC Award for her show Joan Jaffe’s MAN-ha-ha-ha-TAN. Moon* of stage, screen and TV, she was ranked as one of The Top 15 in New York Cabaret 2010 by Kevin Scott Hall – Edgenewyork.com and was a 2010 MAC Award Nominee for her critically acclaimed show, Joan Jaffe Sings Funny… Her CD Joan Jaffe Sings Funny… received tremendous praise from her family – and exciting accolades from the press.
Joan has understudied some of the theatre’s healthiest women, was featured with her late husband Hal Blankenship as Burt & Lizzie in the award winning film THE SAVAGES. Other recent films in which Joan was featured: Alex Tressor’s award winning 74th & BROADWAY, Disney’s ENCHANTED (Gentle Folk), THE PRODUCERS (Little Old Lady), APPROACHING UNION SQUARE (Mom). She appeared on Broadway in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING and BAJOUR; Off-Broadway -(Mrs. Bucket) TROPHY WIFE; (Nellie Cohan) THE GEORGE M. COHAN REVUE, & YANKEE DOODLE BOY, to mention just a few. A veteran of tours, cabaret, films and commercials, TV appearances include soaps, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O’BRIEN, Comedy Central with Slovin & Allen, as well as live appearances with Slovin & Allen at COMEDY BELOW CANAL (92ndY Tribeca), UCB and Here. Producer and host of her stand-up comedy show, JOAN JAFFE’S COMEDY ON SUNDAY for over three years. She and husband Hal Blankenship appeared with THE JOAN & HAL SHOW at the prestigious Friars Club four years in a row. She has written & directed several cabaret acts and is also the Performance Director of the Steps On Broadway (NYC) Vocal Performance Workshop for Dancers.
Member: AEA, SAG-AFTRA, MAC
*(moon – not a star – yet)
www.joanjaffe.com
Matt Baker – Musical Director – Internationally acclaimed jazz musician Matt placed fifth in the 2003 Montreux International Solo Jazz Piano Competition and was a semi-finalist in 2004 and 2005. The Matt Baker Trio was the exclusive in-house band for The Montreux Jazz Festival 2 years straight, where they accompanied and supported many of the festival’s leading artists. In March 2011, Baker recorded his ‘New York’ debut album Underground featuring Gregory Hutchinson, Joe Sanders, Jeremy Pelt and Dayna Stephens. The album features original works alongside some classic jazz standards. Matt has played engagements at noted NY Jazz venues including Smalls Jazz Club, Zinc Bar, Le Cirque and Birdland and has played gigs with some of New York’s top musicians including drummer Gregory Hutchinson and an impromptu set at Smalls Jazz Club in duo with trumpet legend Roy Hargrove. He has performed for Quincy Jones and played in support for Jazz legends Tony Bennett and Al Jarreau. To date Matt has released four albums………And now his first musical venture into comedy…..uh-oh………
Rob Lester – Consultant and additional lyrics – works with playwrights, songwriters and journalists: coaching, collaborating, commiserating, etc. He’s currently working on several plays by Russ Weatherford. As a journalist, he writes on theatre and music for Cabaret Scenes Magazine, TalkinBroadway, and is editor and writer at NitelifeExchange and its online magazine Nite. When it comes to musical theatre scores, he has a lifelong connection, collection and affection.
For Press Reservation Please Contact
Don Schaffer At Either 646 770 6221 Or
DSPR@NYC.RR.COM
30-30-30
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE
56 Seventh Ave. Suite 4E • New York, NY 10011
(212)366-4345/fax-(917)474-1835 • E-mail: MayaPRNY@aol.com
Contact: Penny M. Landau
presents
with the Barry Levitt Trio
Reception to Follow
ScoBar Entertainment will present A TRIBUTE TO ERVIN DRAKE, one night only, Tuesday, September 17th at 8pm. The evening will celebrate the music & life of legendary American songwriter Ervin Drake, whose works include “I Believe,” “Good Morning Heartache,” “It Was A Very Good Year,” “Tico-Tico,” “Perdido,” “Now I Have Everything,” “A Room without Windows,” “AL DI LA,” & “Quando Quando,” to name a few. He is also the composer & lyricist of the 1964 Broadway show, What Makes Sammy Run.
The evening will feature performances by Nina Berman, Joyce Breach, Kat Gang, Jeff Harnar, Allan Harris, Hilary Kole, Dana Lorge, Sidney Myer, Ron Raines, Rex Reed, Steve Ross, Warren Schein, Richard Skipper, KT Sullivan, Stacy Sullivan & Sal Viviano. The Barry Levitt Trio will provide accompaniment. There will be a reception, following the show.
DATE: Tuesday, September 17 @ 8pm
PLACE: Iridium NYC ~ 1650 Broadway @ 51st St.
PRICE: $25 music charge/$15 food/drink minimum
RESERVATIONS: (212)582-2121 www.theiridium.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE
56 Seventh Ave. Suite 4E • New York, NY 10011
(212)366-4345/fax-(917)475-1835 • E-mail: MayaPRNY@aol.com
Contact: Penny M. Landau
Presents
On Tuesday, August 13th at 8 & 10pm, ScoBar Entertainment will present A TRIBUTE TO JULIE WILSON at Iridium NYC. Performers confirmed thus far are Eric Comstock, Baby Jane Dexter, Natalie Douglas, Antonio Edwards, Eric Engelhardt, Barbara Fasano, Terese Genecco, Jeff Harnar, Mark Hartman, Tanya Holt, Sue Matsuki , Marissa Mulder, Christine Pedi, Colm Reilly, Julie Reyburn, Ricky Ritzel, KT Sullivan, Stacy Sullivan, Grace Wall, Lennie Watts & Carol Woods. Accompanying the performers is The Barry Levitt Trio, Barry Levitt on piano, Dick Sarpola on bass & Ray Marchica on drums
JULIE WILSON! Just the mention of her name evokes the essence of cabaret. “I’m Still Here;” it could be her anthem. Long before JULIE WILSON tackled that classic Sondheim survivor saga, she was described as “a pioneer who could have become a prima donna.” Her own roots are deeply embedded in the soil of her Omaha, Nebraska home & its family values allowing sustaining strength through decades of winning & losing, dizzying heights & the deepest of depths.
A young tomboy with secret dreams of stardom & a fondness for the 1920s pop song “Mary Lou,” Julie was barely enrolled at Omaha University when she grabbed at a chance to join the company of the Broadway revue Earl Carroll’s Vanities. This led to early nightclub work, the chorus line of the Latin Quarter & finally, the Copacabana. It was wartime; she was making $75 a week & feeling pretty good. After a Copa/USO European tour, she was promoted to a singing spot in the legendary nightspot’s lavish production numbers, introducing “They’ve Got an Awful Lot of Coffee in Brazil” (“The Coffee Song”).
Club dates in Miami & Hollywood followed, including the famous Mocambo. But New York lured her back & there she fine-tuned her stagecraft in musical comedies like Kiss Me, Kate, replacing Lisa Kirk as Bianca. She repeated the role in the London production, remaining there for four years, appearing in shows such as South Pacific & Bells Are Ringing & enrolling in the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. To study there, she had to give up the chance to open on Broadway in the lead role of what would become a long-running hit, The Pajama Game. Ironically, several years later, she replaced Janis Paige’s replacement in the very role she had rejected.
Julie returned to Broadway in 1955, appearing in Kismet & touring in Show Boat, Panama Hattie, Silk Stockings & Hi Fidelity. During the 1950’s, Julie made several recordings & also some of those wonderful black & white films, like The Strange One & This Could Be the Night, where she played Rosebud, a blonde nightclub chanteuse.
But her niche & her reputation was in the clubs; the glamorous, romantic rooms of the period. There she reigned in the finest rooms in the finest hotels. And there she sang the naughty, torchy, gutsy songs she loved.
Julie is aware that real life is not upon the stage. She married twice, first very briefly. Her second marriage produced her two sons, Holt & Michael, but the marriage ended and the boys went to live with Julie’s parents in Omaha so she could work & support them.
Much like a marriage, the aura of a New York nightclub can burst like a bubble, as it did in the ’60s, when rock stadiums replaced plush supper clubs & the active nightlife dissipated. In the years that followed, Julie’s performances were in the small “unpretentious” clubs that opened around New York City, a world away from the Maisonette. In 1967, she appeared in a short lived Broadway musical, Jimmy. Despite the show’s short run, Julie says, “I had great songs.” She later had roles in Stephen Sondheim’s musicals, Company, Follies & A Little Night Music, growing to love the composer-lyricist’s work.
Family responsibilities beckoned & Julie heeded the call of home. By late 1983, her brother & both parents had died & her sons were grown & Julie was ready to once again begin carving out a career. She got a phone call asking if she could be ready to do a Cole Porter show at Michael’s Pub in New York.
Julie Wilson’s legendary shows of the 1950s were remembered. Cabarets were reviving. The Russian Tea Room, Rainbow & Stars, The Algonquin’s Oak Room, venues in California & Chicago all opened up to her. Peter Allen wrote a part for her in his Broadway musical, Legs Diamond, for which she was nominated for a Tony. In 1992, a PBS TV special showcased her cabaret act.
On September 30, 1999, the Mabel Mercer Foundation spotlighted Julie’s upcoming 75th birthday with a special evening in her name. She chose all the acts, so everyone was outstanding. Finally Julie herself came out, in glorious glamour & capped the whole show with selections from her then-new Cy Coleman show & added her favorite Sondheim songs, including practically the whole score of Follies!
Julie’s understanding of life deeply influences her music. The vampy, flirtatious Porter classics are still a staple, but today there is a depth to everything she sings, so that her life, her views, her grasp of what the lyrics & music are about, are all conveyed to her audience. If the tone is not so clear and pure (she’ll be the first to admit that), she can still sustain those notes & the voice is dramatically strong. But most of all, Julie Wilson’s down-to-earth attitude toward life, her outspoken views of inequities, her high personal standards, have brought her universal love & respect throughout the industry.
Performing in the 8pm show will be Eric Comstock, Baby Jane Dexter, Natalie Douglas, Barbara Fasano, Terese Genecco, Jeff Harnar, Mark Hartman, Tanya Holt, Colm Reilly, Julie Reyburn, KT Sullivan & Carol Woods.
The 10pm show will feature Antonio Edwards, Eric Engelhardt, Terese Genecco, Eric Michael Gillett, Nina Hennessey, Helen Klass, Sue Matsuki, Marissa Mulder, Christine Pedi, Ricky Ritzel, Stacy Sullivan, Grace Wall & Lennie Watts. Speakers will include Jamie deRoy, Sherry Eaker, Peter Leavy, Julie Miller, Arthur Pompesello Michael Estwanik, Adam Feldman, Rob Lester & Scott Siegel.
$25 cover/$10 food/beverage minimum
$5 off for MAC, Cabaret Hotline, Cabaret Scenes, NiteLife Exchange,
802, AEA, SAG, AFTRA, ASCAP, BMI
1650 Broadway (@ 51st)
www.theiridium.com 212-582-2121 or www.ticketweb.com
FOR PRESS SEATS: MayaPRNY@aol.com
PHOTO CREDIT: Maryann Lopinto
Excuse me while I repeat myself;
Hello. My name is Elli, and I am a Johnny Rodgers-aholic.
Mr. Rodgers first appeared on my radar at the 2010 Nightlife Awards where I wrote,
“Act II brought out a new star that I had not had the pleasure of seeing perform, the fabulous Johnny Rodgers. Mr. Rodgers and his band brought down the house with an on-fire rendition of “The Birth of the Blues.” His rapid-fire piano skills, coupled with his great vocals, reminded me of a young Jerry Lee Lewis at work.”
Internationally known and always performing, I finally got the chance to sit down and have a chat with Johnny just before they called “Places” for his appearance in “Michael Feinstein’s Bringing Jazz to Broadway: Cy Coleman”. After you watch the interview, be sure to check out the rehearsal video below and look for the review of the evening elsewhere on this site.
The Johnny Rodgers Band will be performing in NYC on June 5th, 2010 at Iridium Jazz Club 1650 Broadway, NYC. Get your tickets before it sells out!
(P.S. It’s his birthday so make sure you don’t miss this!!!)
For more information, and to follow their International travels, check out the JRB website.
A gifted songwriter, Mr. Rodgers won ASCAP’s Jamie deRoy & Friends Foundation Award in 2009, The New York Sheet Music Society’s Gerald Marks Award and the Songwriters Hall of Fame Abe Oldman Award. Other honors include the Nitelife Outstanding Cabaret Vocalist Award 2010, Backstage Magazine’s Bistro Award and the MAC Award. Mr. Rodgers recently made his Broadway debut co-starring in the Tony Award winning “Liza’s At The Palace” with Oscar, Emmy and Tony Award winning superstar Liza Minnelli. JRB’s recently released CD, “Box of Photographs” (PS Classics) has won acclaim from critics and radio stations across the country.
I got a rare chance to sit down and chat with Terese (without her Her Little Big Band) the night after her amazing 3rd Anniversary party and CD release for a sweet one on one. I hope you enjoy it!
For more info on Terese: Facebook Twitter Website The Iridium
ScoBar Entertainment presents: Terese Genecco & Her Little Big Band
at The Iridium, NYC – the 3rd or 4th Tuesday of every month – 8:00 & 10:00 pm
NEW! If you can’t get to the Iridium you can still see many shows LIVE at: http://theiridium.com/iridiumlive/
The Iridium is located at: 1650 Broadway (51st) New York, NY 10019. For reservations (212) 582-2121. www.theiridium.com
Brought to you by the NEW www.broadwaykingdom.com
For more info on Elli – The King of Broadway www.thekingofbroadway.com
For more interviews & reviews go to www.broadwaykingdom.com
[haiku url=”http://www.thekingofbroadway.com/downloads/Music/09_Washington_Square.mp3″ title=”Terese’s Washington Square from the new album while you read:”]
The fun-loving and hard-charging singer and bandleader Terese Genecco celebrates both the release of her new CD, “Live from the Iridium NYC,” and the 3rd anniversary of her long-run at the Iridium NYC, 1650 Broadway, in back-to-back shows on Tuesday March 20, at 8pm and 10pm.
Since March of ’09, Genecco and her eight-piece Little Big Band have performed without let-up, clocking over 70 consecutive performances. Produced by ScoBar Entertainment, it’s the longest-running nightclub act on Broadway. The monthly gigs, on the third or fourth Tuesday of the month, are scheduled to continue through the end of 2012.
Joining Genecco for the celebration will be guest vocalist Robert Hicks and a number of surprise special guests. Genecco’s Little Big Band consists of Barry Levitt (piano), Sean Harkness (guitar), Tom Hubbard (bass), Ray Marchica (drums), Mayra Casales (percussion), Kenny Lavender (trumpet), Mark Miller (trombone), and Cliff Lyons (sax).
The Wall Street Journal’s Will Friedwald has written that Genecco “and her three horns and five rhythm put on an unstoppable juggernaut of a set.” Indeed, the bandleader’s retro take on the rat-packing 60’s is completely right for the moment, churning up an electricity that gives today’s L.E.D.-soaked Times Square a rich, cocktail incandescence.
A Bistro Award and two-time MAC Award winner (for Best 
Recording in 2008, and Best Female Vocalist in 2009), Genecco was also a 2010 MAC Award nominee in the Major Artist category. She just received 2012 MAC Award nominations for Major Artist and for Show of the Year. Her acclaimed tribute to nightclub entertainer Frances Faye, “Drunk With Love” was a Time Out NY Top Ten pick of the year, as was its sequel.
The music charge is $25 with a $10 food and drink minimum. For reservations call 212/582-2121. For more information or to order online visit www.theiridium.com For more about the artist visit www.TereseGeneccoLive.com
Brought to you by the NEW www.broadwaykingdom.com
For more info on Elli – The King of Broadway
www.thekingofbroadway.com
For more interviews & reviews go to
www.broadwaykingdom.com