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REVIEW: Encores! Concert Revival of LITTLE ME

On whom the Belle told…
A review of Encores! Concert Revival of

LITTLE ME
little me poster

At New York City Center

February 9, 2014

A wealthy, well-connected celebrity decides to share “Her Inspiring Life Story” with the world.  This is the basis for Patrick Dennis’ classic camp novel LITTLE ME which in turn formed the book for the rollicking vaudeville of a musical with the same title.  In bringing LITTLE ME to New York City Center, Encores! has spared nothing in their new concert production:  great performers, superb choreography and excellent staging, all of which set off this tuneful and happily silly show to the best advantage.

Mr. Neil Simon was clearly mining comic gold when he adapted LITTLE ME for the stage and Mr. Jack Viertel’s concert version does not tarnish the show one whit.  Miss Belle Poitrine has decided to dictate her memoirs to the fascinated author Patrick Dennis and give the world “the Truth” of her start as a dewy, well-proportioned lass from the wrong side of the tracks who, due to heartbreak, rose to prominent wealth, culture and social position on the right side of the tracks.  She relates all the people who have helped her along through hardship, war, disaster, Hollywood and Monte Carlo beginning with her one true love and all the other men who happened along the way, bankers, performers, producers, princes and so on…

The company truly romps through the show, most of them even being without the scriptbooks that Encores! had everyone carry onstage as a constant reminder to one and all that this is a “show in concert.  Only one script is ever seen and it generates one of the best laughs of the evening.

There are performers who understand the virtue of facing farce with an absolute straight face and Ms. Judy Kaye is certainly adept at this high comic art.  She sails serenely through the most outrageous narratives never tipping her hand at the absurdity of a situation (and boy can they be fantastic).  As a result, Ms. Kaye creates an unforgettable contemporary Belle Poitrine: a woman with an outrageous – but heroic – past and who clearly not content to rest on her massive pile of laurels.  In doing so, Ms. Kaye wins the adoration of the audience and gets some of the best laughs of the evening.

Neck and neck with Ms. Kaye in capturing the admiration of the audience is the young Belle Poitrine (neé Schlumpfert) who bravely climbs her way out of highly emphasized poverty.  Ms. Rachel York’s Belle is sincerity personified whether she is taking poise lessons in a hotel room with a rich banker or personally comforting a prince who has the pressures of the kingdom on his frail shoulders.  Additionally, Ms. York shows each step of her character’s evolution rising from naïve innocence to sophistication maintaining a blatant nobility and intrusive purity that makes her presence onstage all the funnier and likeable.  Musically as well Ms. York can do no wrong and when she and Ms. Kaye join forces in the number “Little Me” they wreak considerable pleasure.

If there is anyone who can truly blight the irrepressible Belle’s life it is Mrs. Eggleston, a wealthy snob of the first rank and the mother of Belle’s one true love.  While Mrs. Eggleston’s oedipal control of her son is not complex, Ms. Harriet Harris’ starchily droll demeanor makes her the perfect cartoon villainess to root against.

If Belle cannot achieve her heart’s desire there are many, MANY other men who desire her, starting with Tony Yazbeck who plays the devoted and world-wise George Musgrove.  The handsome urbane George may not be the man who can assure “happily ever after” for poor Belle, but the charming Mr. Yazbeck makes it a close thing.  His rendition of “I’ve Got Your Number” is both a seductive call and a wink at the real Belle that George can see and still love.

Ah, but then there are a LOT of other men in Belle’s life: The stingy banker Amos Pinchley whom Belle converts to generosity; Monsieur Val Du Val, France’s rude answer to Maurice Chevalier, Deliveryman and Hollywood Director Otto Schnitzler and Princes AND soldiers and, and, and…  All of whom are portrayed by Mr. Christian Borle.

This is the gimmick.

Little Me 1And a worthy gimmick it is too, for the dynamic Mr. Borle never holds back on the fun, allowing full lunacy of expression whether he is a man toggling through on-and-off amnesia, a Prince calling on his loving subjects with some rather unfortunate news or the innocent nearsighted doughboy Fred Poitrine who rapidly weds and widows Belle.  Not only does Mr. Borle play his goofy roster of characters to the hilt, but he also carries their numbers quite admirably (“Real Live Girl” is a joy) – especially in the role of the ridiculously wealthy, hyper-educated true love of Belle’s life, Noble Eggleston.  As Noble, Mr. Borle has gotten the deadpan demeanor down beautifully, whether he is explaining the difference between a gift and charity to young Belle (charity is better) or training a rapidly sinking linerful of people how to swim before the ship goes under.  There is no doubt that Noble is something of a wet smack (even before the boat sank) but he is Belle’s drip and he loves her – which makes him kind of endearing.  We know he will always be forced to leave, but Noble somehow manages return to Belle.  It is commendable when an actor can carry off a constantly varying array of portrayals, but it is really something when he must also perform one consistent role that has to thread its way in between his other characters at the same time.  If Mr. Borle does not deliver absolute perfection in such a complicated tangle of personas, he does pretty darned well.

Following Mr. Borle through his ever changing personalities is the worthy Mr. Robert Creighton who capably does his share to shift from role to role, matching the scenes as he ranges from the stingy banker’s craven son to a preacher in World War I to a prince’s aide-de-camp and so on.

Naturally there are a whole host of others who make up Belle’s life:  Her mother Momma Schlumpfert, who, in Ms. Gealen Gilliland’s skilled hands, can make even the oldest profession seem naughtily respectable, the Buchsbaum brothers Bernie (Mr. Lee Wilkof) and Bennie (Mr. Lewis J. Stadlen) who memorably launch Belle into show business, Belle’s fascinated ghostwriter Patrick Dennis, played with amusing understatement by Mr. David Garrison and a delightful crew of talented ladies and gentlemen who range from the rag-tag denizens and highfalutin upper crust of Venezuela, Illinois to the various friends who flock around Belle at the close of her recollections.

With the changes in characters and the loosely linked scenes LITTLE ME is strongly reminiscent of the old Broadway review, Director John Rando firmly keeps the narrative focused and the action flowing, yet there is an improvised feel that is well in keeping with the tongue-in-cheek nature of the show.

Dance-wise too there is a sort of “why not?” atmosphere that matches well with the show’s air of intense parody.  Choreographer Joshua Bergasse covered a wide range of dance styles and never wastes a movement.  He and the cast were clearly having a ball with the material and their enjoyment is happily infectious.  Mr. Bergasse’s arrangement of the vaudeville number “Dimples” sung by Belle with her union-suit clad “police” backup was one of those hilariously outrageous moments of theater that will always be stuck in my memory.

This of course leads us to the songs with lyrics by Carolyn Leigh and music by Cy Coleman.  How can one fault such an enjoyable score with numbers like “Be a Performer!” and the standard “I’ve Got Your Number,” especially when the music is performed by the Encores! Orchestra conducted by Mr. Rob Berman?  Under his baton, Mr. Ralph Burns’ orchestrations sweep over the audience with real energy.  Mr. Berman is definitely into “Little Me” and the musicians and singers certainly benefit from his enthusiasm.

The look of the show keeps in with Encores! tendency towards lavish simplicity.  Mr. John Lee Beatty is certainly a master at using the outline of a house to indicate a hometown setting or placing a set of tables and some small backdrops to create a busy nightclub scene.  His scenic designs for LITTLE ME certainly always highlight the action and never draw the focus away from it even when Mr. Beatty slips in his own small visual wisecracks (such as the Buchsbaum Brothers nameplates “BENNIE”, “& BERNIE”).  With all the praise I have been lavishing on LITTLE ME it is downright curmudgeonly to mention a fault now, but I really think that Mr. Beatty ought to remember that the people in the upper gallery cannot fully see the back of the stage; so even if his wonderful gag backdrops get a large laugh from the lower two levels of the theatre, there is an entire third level of spectators that he excludes from the jokes because of he did not consider the sight lines.  If this happened once or twice, I might have overlook such a problem, but such joke screens set off each major scene and leave the upper seats feeling somewhat gypped.

Still it is impossible to be resentful when we also have Mr. Ken Billington’s atmospheric lighting and Sound Designer Scott Lehrer efforts adding their own running gag to the evening by visually and audibly expressing – with some frequency – what true love means to Belle and Noble.

Mr. Paul Tazewell adds his own measure of deviltry in his costumes for LITTLE ME.  They may echo the periods in which each scene is set, but they are never museum pieces – unless they need to be.  Young Belle’s costumes alone are a skillful sartorial map of her advancement in the world and slyly remind us all to what her rise is attributed to.

 It is a shame that this past Sunday evening was the final performance because as done at Encores! LITTLE ME clearly deserves further exposure.  It is a solid, entertaining show that reminds us how wonderful it is to simply have a good time at the theater and walk out afterwards with a broad grin and a strong desire to buy the show’s album.

About the reviewer:
I am a computer programmer, wannabe writer who loves theater and just got into the habit of inflicting my theatrical opinions.
I live in New York.

Moshe can be reached at MB1224@aol.com

  • Cast & Credits

    Book by Neil Simon
    Lyrics by Carolyn Leigh
    Music by Cy Coleman
    Based on the novel Little Me: The Intimate Memoirs of that Great Star of Stage, Screen
    and Television/Belle Poitrine    , by Patrick Dennis
    Directed by John Rando
    Choreography by Joshua Bergasse
    Starring Christian Borle, Robert Creighton, David Garrison, Harriet Harris, Judy Kaye, Lewis J. Stadlen, Lee Wilkof, Tony Yazbeck, and Rachel York

    With Cameron Adams, Stanley Bahorek, Meggie Cansler, Gaelen Gilliland, Arlo Hill, Reed Kelly, Justin Keyes, Eloise Kropp, Josh Lamon, Jenny Laroche, Samantha Massell, Skye Mattox, Paul McGill, Jason Mills, Vivian Nixon, Lindsay O’Neil, Manuel Stark, Clay Thomson, Kathy Voytko, and Amos Wolff

Want More Encores!?

PRESS RELEASE: 2014 NIGHTLIFE AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

2014 NIGHTLIFE AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED!
DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER, LAURA BENANTI, BEN ALLISON, GINA BRILLON
AMONG THOSE CITED FOR JAZZ, CABARET, AND COMEDY!

ALL-PERFORMANCE AWARD SHOW
TAKES PLACE MONDAY, JAN. 27 AT 7 PM
AT THE TOWN HALL

New York: The winners of the 12th Annual Nightlife Awards have been announced. This unique awards event, in which the winners do not make acceptance speeches; they perform, instead, to show why they were chosen, will feature an all-star lineup, hand-picked by the press, of the most outstanding performers in jazz, cabaret, and comedy in New York City.

Leading the list of winners is this year’s choice for Nightlife Legend,
DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER!

Jazz winners include  (in a tie) BEN ALLISON
and DARCY JAMES ARGUE for Outstanding Jazz Band,

GRETCHEN PARLATO for Outstanding Female Jazz Vocalist,
and WILLIAM BLAKE for Outstanding Male Jazz Vocalist.

 In cabaret, LAURA BENANTI has been named Outstanding Major Cabaret Vocalist. The Outstanding Female Cabaret Vocalist is STACY SULLIVAN,
and Outstanding Male Cabaret Vocalist is LIAM FORDE.

In comedy, GINA BRILLON has been named Outstanding Female Standup Comedian and JIMMY FAILLA is the Outstanding Male Standup Comedian.

 The 2014 NIGHTLIFE AWARDS will be hosted by 3X Emmy Award winner BRUCE VILANCH, and Special Guest Star Performers and/or Presenters that will include

JASON ROBERT BROWN, BILL IRWIN, NELLIE McKAY,
CAROLE J. BUFFORD, MAXINE LINEHAN, and more!

Tickets to the Nightlife Awards are:
$77 for Orchestra & Loge Boxes
$52 for Front Balcony
$27 for Rear Balcony

Tickets available via Ticketmaster at 800-982-2787
Or online at http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/03004B85E5A1A007

 Also at the Town Hall Box Office:
123 W. 43rd St. from noon to 6 PM every day but Sunday
You can call the box office at 212-840-2824

The Nightlife Awards is a SCOTT SIEGEL Production, sponsored, in part, by ASCAP, Berkshire Theatre Group, Jill & Irwin Cohen, Max Weintraub, Fran Norkin, Robert Aaron & Stuart Bloom: Lightstyles LLC, and more than 100 additional generous donors!

PRESS RELEASE: BOOK – BACKSTAGE PASS TO BROADWAY by SUSAN L. SCHULMAN

FROM: HELIOTROPE BOOKS   (212) 921-4344
info@backstagepasstobroadway.com

BACKSTAGE PASS TO BROADWAY
True Tales of a Theatre Press Agent
by SUSAN L. SCHULMAN

 

will be published on September 16th, 2013
with Book Signing and Q&A at Drama Book Shop

Heliotrope Books will publish Susan L. Schulman’s memoir, BACKSTAGE PASS TO BROADWAY True Tales of A Theatre Press Agent, on September 16th, 2013. At 5 pm that day, Ms Schulman will be joined by theatre journalist Peter Filichia for a Q&A and book signing at the Drama Book Shop, 250 West 40th Street, NYC. Theatre press agent Susan L. Schulman has worked with some of Broadway’s most talented and creative people – sometimes behaving badly and often with astonishing grace – as they struggled to create theatre magic.  In this entertaining, dishy book, she shines the spotlight behind the show curtain, sharing true tales of her life in the theatre.

Schulman was a New York City ‘theatre kid’ who waited outside stage doors, not for autographs, but to tell actors how they had enhanced her life.  After learning her craft from some of Broadway’s legendary press agents, she handled the publicity for many Broadway shows including DREAM, DANCIN’, SLY FOX, STATE FAIR, APPLAUSE, DEATH OF A SALESMAN, A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, SCAPINO, DEATH AND THE MAIDEN and REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT.  She shares her adventures working with Mary Martin, George C. Scott, Lauren Bacall, Yul Brynner, Robert Redford, David Merrick, Bob Fosse, Raul Julia, Zero Mostel, Vanessa Redgrave, Henry Winkler, Lesley Ann Warren, Katharine Hepburn, Glenn Close, and many more.   Schulman has survived some spectacular theatrical train wrecks including the play that killed Zero Mostel; legendary producer David Merrick’s final hurrah, and the fading film diva who sabotaged her own return to Broadway.   Schulman also explains what a theatrical press agent does, how she does it, and how theatre promotion has changed.

Broadway’s top graphic designer, Frank Verlizzo, known as FRAVER, has designed the cover for BACKSTAGE PASS TO BROADWAY.
susan bookBACKSTAGE PASS TO BROADWAY is available in paperback and eBooks at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.  In New York City, it is also available at Theatre Circle, 268 West 44th Street and at The Drama Book Shop, 250 West 40th Street, where Susan will celebrate the publication on Monday, September 16th at 5 PM with a book signing and Q&A with acclaimed theatre journalist Peter Filichia.

For more information visit www.BroadwayPassToBroadway.com.

 BACKSTAGE PASS TO BROADWAY
Paperback ISBN # 978-0-9832940-9-2   $17.95
eBook ISBN # 978-0-9816198-2-8   $6.99

QUOTES about BACKSTAGE PASS TO BROADWAY

Take this backstage tour from an insider who lived it.  Like Susan, this book is smart and funny.
—TV icon HENRY WINKLER

Susan L. Schulman’s scintillating “tell-some” contains just enough backstage dirt and glitz to be compulsively readable from start to finish. An impressive galaxy of egos and artists is sprinkled like stardust over four decades of theatrical press-agentry and repairs–Lauren Bacall, Zero Mostel, Mary Martin, George C. Scott, Yul Brynner, Bob Fosse and The Mighty Merrick, whom she actually bested. Worth the price of the book alone is the hilarious chapter on “Dream.”
—HARRY HAUN, PLAYBILL MAGAZINE

An expert press agent makes sure the spotlight is focused on the show, never themselves. No press agent embodies that credo better than Susan L. Schulman, and now – after serving in the Broadway theatre during some of its most exciting times and with some of its biggest stars – she pivots that giant klieg light behind-the-scenes. Her stories and incomparable insight are smart, witty, sometimes harrowing and often hilarious.
—BERT FINK, THE RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN ORGANIZATION

The book is a great read!   Susan leads us into a world of magic and craziness and captures what it’s really like behind the scenes on Broadway.
—Tony Award-winner KAREN ZIEMBA

Susan L. Schulman is one of Broadway’s best press agents. Everyone knows that.  Now, with this book, we can see why her publicity and marketing ideas have filled theaters. Her shockingly honest, funny, and insightful reporting of how this amazing industry really works makes this a captivating, easy read. From her unique vantage point we get the down and dirty, and it makes us admire her even more.
— TV, film and stage star JOHN DAVIDSON

Susan L. Schulman’s wonderful memoir will make you feel like you were there.  She is the insider’s insider. Buy it.  Read it. You will love it.
—Award-winning actress KATHLEEN CHALFANT

This book is full of juicy backstage stories.  I love it!
—Three-time EMMY Award winner SUSAN HAMPSHIRE

GUEST REVIEW: “Soul Doctor” at the Circle in the Square Theater

There is a scene in the first act of “Soul Doctor,” one that features the characters of Nina Simone and Rabbi Shlomo, a piano, a chair, and a tip jar.   She smokes and plays, he sits and frets, and through the scene they invariably sew their souls together in conversations of race, heartache and loss, and the healing and spiritual power of music.  The scene, lovingly performed by Eric Anderson as Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach and Amber Iman as Nina Simone, is at the heart of “Soul Doctor,” which opens on Broadway tonight at the Circle in the Square Theater.   As wonderful as this scene is, unfortunately the soul of this musical has been buried in Rabbi Shlomo’s storied rise to Jewish music stardom; the show suffers, as with many biographical plays, the need to incorporate one person’s timeline in flashbacks, a series of “highlight reel” scenes, and offers many unanswered questions while never taking the time to explore all the varied themes it introduces.

I attended Wednesday’s matinee with an open…well, an admittedly empty mind.  I didn’t know the true history of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, who traveled with family as a boy to escape pre-Nazi Vienna only to become a “Rock Star Rabbi” in 1960s America.  He broke with Traditional Jewish norms and took European Hebrew music into modern rock and roll and folk riffs, updating it, writing new melodies to ancient words, and connecting it to the youth of the day.  He even held his own version of a Synagogue on the corner of Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco.  The audience sitting with me was an older crowd and more knowledgeable about the subject matter: the mere mention of “Rabbi Schneerson” caused a low murmur to ripple across them.  So, I felt a bit in the dark in my half-Jewish/half-Catholic, mostly-ignorant state.

 In “Soul Doctor,” the story of Reb Shlomo unfolds on stage like the pages of a well-worn and comfortably familiar book – the staging is simple, the set does not get in its own way to flow from scene to scene, and the story is straightforward.  There are few shocks or twists and turns to his story, although from an insider’s perspective I may be dismissing this as age-old “stuff my Mother’s generation went through” angst.  Humor (both Jewish and universally funny guffaw-inducing moments) keep the script fun and not too heavy-handed.   The show itself strives to tell the story of his journey to forgive Vienna and his enemies through song (all music is by Carlebach, with translated lyrics by Carlebach and additional narrative lyrics by David Schechter).  The show questions “how can you change the world with a song?” and “what good are the words if you forget the melody?”…basically, what good are you as a religious leader in knowing all the words written in the Torah if you are not instigating action and creating life-changing connections with your congregation?  After these questions were posed, I waited to be shown how Shlomo answered them during the times when he wasn’t singing; yet, only in one scene did we get a glimpse how the Rabbi taught his form of Judaism to his congregation without the use of a guitar.

Eric Anderson sings and performs Shlomo to great effect, with high energy and fervor at times, and at most times with a true inner peace and understandable love.
Amber Iman as Nina is fierce, funny, vocally spectacular, and showed her own Rabbinically spiritual side in music effortlessly.  The rest of the cast was also very wonderful, although at times some non-traditional gender and race casting within the multiple-character storytelling knocked me out of the mostly historically accurate world.  The music itself was well arranged and at times beautiful and stirring; however, Carlebach’s music flowed from one melody to the next without much of a hook, and I felt certain scenes to be over-melodized rather than simply spoken.  This is not a show to walk out humming the hit theme song (and “I Put A Spell On You” from Nina Simone won’t count), although from the audience’s reaction there were many of the Rabbi’s hits featured.  The standing ovation at the end was more a clap-along than applause.  It did make me smirk from a musical point of view when Nina encouraged the “congregation-audience” of her Baptist church to clap on the 2’s and 4’s, only have the entire audience clapping on the 1’s and 3’s instead…some cultural rhythms take time to learn, I guess.  The show also allowed for some beautifully acted moments; Zarah Mahler as Ruth, Shlomo’s student saved from the shadow of Washington Square Park, has a gorgeous song, “I Was a Sparrow (Schifchie),” which offers Mahler a chance to take the Rabbi’s lyrics and tenderly carve her heart into them.

 But back to the scene between Nina and Shlomo – their story truly hooked me, how two different people on opposite sides of the race, gender, and religion spectrum could connect so lovely and with so much fervor.  I would almost say their scenes in the show are reason enough to see this on Broadway, and to allow the introduction of his life into one’s consciousness.  Shlomo’s ostracization by his family and religious overseers became emotionally second to the relationship he had with Nina on stage.  Indeed, after seeing this scene my heart ached for a two-person show featuring conversations and combinations of Nina Simone’s “African-American Classical” music (as she put it) and Reb Shlomo’s reinvented Hebrew music, rather than a glossary-glance biomusical that left some questions unanswered.  Since the show blossomed out of Carlebach’s own daughter’s one-woman show idea, I felt the addition of so many scenes and characters diluted the messages inherent in his message and glimpses of his soul we were able to see were left largely untouched.

I’m not sure if I’m the target audience of this musical, although the emotional questions it offers are universal in nature – human pain, striving to deal with one’s feelings of hopelessness, and the attempts to heal our hearts through music and forgiveness are the same no matter where you hail from or what your religious beliefs are.  Seeing it caused me to hit Wikipedia and YouTube the Rabbi himself, and although my parents didn’t remember hearing about him during their time in 1960s San Francisco, I do believe his story is important to learn about, as his teachings certainly changed a specific generation’s world through story and song.   I only wish the book by Daniel S. Wise delved deeper.
-SI-


Eric Anderson plays Shlomo, the role that garnered him a 2013 Drama Desk Award nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Musical, for his performances Off-Broadway, and Amber Iman, making her Broadway debut, will play the role of Nina Simone.  They will be joined by a multi-cultural cast including Jacqueline Antaramian, Dianna Barger, Richard Cerato, Tara Chambers, Maria Conti, Alexandra Frohlinger, Afra Hines, Abdur-Rahim Jackson, Jamie Jackson, Ethan Khusidman, Dillon Kondor, Zarah Mahler, Vasthy Mompoint, Ron Orbach, Ian Paget, Heather Parcells, Michael Paternostro, JC Schuster, Eric J. Stockton, Ryan Strand and Teddy Walsh.

The award-winning design team for Soul Doctor includes scenic design by Neil Patel ([title of show]), costume design by Maggie Morgan (David’s Red-Haired Death), lighting design by Jeff Croiter (Newsies) and sound design by John Shivers (2013 Tony®-winner for Kinky Boots) and David Patridge.  Orchestrations and additional arrangements are by Steve Margoshes, music supervision and arrangements are by Brian Koonin and music direction and arrangements are by Seth Farber.

This production is produced by Jeremy Chess, Jerome Levy, Robert Beckwitt, Edward Steinberg, Joel Kahn and Danny Boy Productions.

The new Broadway musical Soul Doctor, about the life and music of Shlomo Carlebach and his unlikely friendship with Nina Simone, begins performances on Wednesday, July 17 at Circle in the Square Theatre (1600 Broadway, entrance on 50th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue), with an official opening set for Thursday, August 15.

All tickets are $135 and can be purchased through www.SoulDoctorBroadway.com, by calling (212) 239-6200, or at the Circle in the Square box office.  For groups of 10 or more, please visit www.groups.telecharge.com or call (212) 239-6262 or (800) 432-7780.
CIRCLE IN THE SQUARE THEATRE
(1633 Broadway, Entrance on 50th Street between Broadway and 8th Avenue)

     – Sierra Rein-
(646) 961-3942
sirein@sierrarein.com
www.sierrarein.com
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“Either you die slowly or you find the strength to go crazy” – J.B. Hapgood, “Anyone Can Whistle”

PRESS RELEASE: Iridium NYC hosts “A Tribute to Julie Wilson” – Tuesday, August 13th @ 8 & 10pm

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE

 Clipboard01
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

Clipboard02Presents

A Tribute to Julie Wilson
Tuesday, August 13th @ 8 & 10pm

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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.

Clipboard03A 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

Clipboard04   1650 Broadway (@ 51st)
www.theiridium.com 212-582-2121 or www.ticketweb.com

 FOR PRESS SEATS: MayaPRNY@aol.com

                                                                                        PHOTO CREDIT: Maryann Lopinto

Press Release: PEREZ HILTON JOINS NEWSical the Musical

PEREZ HILTON JOINs the CAST OF the OFF-BROADWAY sensation, NEWSical the Musical

New York, NY:  The internet’s most notorious gossip columnist Perez Hilton joins the cast of the uproarious off-Broadway musical revue, NEWSical the Musical, for four weeks only beginning Saturday, September 8th.  From John Travolta, Anderson Cooper, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes to the national fight for marriage equality and the 2012 Presidential Election, NEWSical the Musical sets all of today’s biggest news and pop culture headlines to song. With Hilton’s arrival, award-winning composer-lyricist Rick Crom will add new satirical spoofs to the show including a Chick-fil-A number and a song about the phenomenon of Perez Hilton that will be performed by the man himself. Perez Hilton will begin preview performances on Saturday, September 8th.   The opening night press performance will be Monday, September 17th.

“Dreams do come true, if you believe. And I BELIEVE, big time!”, says Perez Hilton from his Los Angeles home. “I am beyond thrilled, nervous and zen about making my New York theater debut. It’s gonna be a wild ride in a show that guarantees to put smiles on people’s faces. It will be no holds barred! Pure unadulterated fun!

I expect to have the time of my life and look forward to hugging happy theatergoers after each show!”

“What do you do when your show needs to sell tickets?  You bring in a celebrity,” says producer Tom D’Angora of his decision to add Perez Hilton to NEWSical the Musical. “Perez Hilton was the perfect choice because our show is basically the musical version of his highlarious website. If you are a daily reader of Perez like I’ve been since 2007, you know how funny and charismatic he is. We couldn’t be more excited to welcome him as the newest member of our talented cast.”

NEWSical the Musical is the ever-evolving, completely un-sanitized musical mockery of all the news that’s fit to spoof.  The Associated Press calls it “The Daily Show set to music!” The show was named Best New Musical of 2011 by the Off Broadway Alliance. Infectious melodies, razor-sharp lyrics, biting satire and more unpredictability than a Courtney Love tweet make NEWSical a laugh-filled, high octane musical revue of all the most talked-about headlines of the day.

In addition to Perez Hilton, NEWSical the Musical features Christine Pedi (Forbidden Broadway, Talk Radio), Christina Bianco (Drama Desk nominee, Forbidden Broadway), Michael West (Forbidden Broadway, When Pigs Fly), Tommy Walker (Evil Dead The Musical), Amy Griffin (How the Grinch Stole Christmas) and Ryan Knowles (host of Nickelodeon’s ME:TV).

Rick Crom has appeared on Broadway in Urinetown, Footloose and The Goodbye Girl and on FX’s critically – acclaimed series “Louie” starring comedian Louis C.K. NEWSical is directed by Mark Waldrop (When Pigs Fly, My Deah, Inventing Avi, Papermill Playhouse’s Gypsy). Rounding out the creative team are Ed Goldschneider (music director), Jason Courson (set designer), Josh Starr (lighting designer) and Scott Delacruz (stage manager).

Newsical the Musical is produced by Tom D’Angora (Naked Boys Singing!, ICONS, Broadway Diva Christmas, Divas I’ve Done).

NEWSical the Musical plays at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street). Tickets are $85 – $110 and can be purchased through Telecharge.com or by calling (212) 279-4200 or (800) 432-7250. For performance schedule and more information visit www.NEWSicalthemusical.com.

#  #  #

 PRESS INQUIRES:

Len Evans, Tel: 212-445-0066

Len.Evans@ProjectPublicity.com

About Perez Hilton

Since launching the celebrity entertainment blog PerezHilton.com in 2004, Perez Hilton has created a media empire that spans across online, publishing, television, radio, music and live events. In addition to his PerezHilton.com blog, which has become one of the leading sources for celebrity news amassing over 300 million hits a month, Hilton runs five additional digital properties focused on fashion, fitness, family, animals and a mobile app. Hilton has published three books, hosted and appeared on numerous television programs and has taken on the role of a music manager for such as recordings artists as IM5, CJ Baran, Kalie Shorr, VanJess and MattyB, among others. Hilton also created the hugely successfully music event series “One Night In…” in 2008, which features up-and-coming and top musical acts. On radio, Hilton is host to the twice-daily celebrity and entertainment news feature “Radio Perez” and most recently announced, the upcoming “Perez Nights Live.” Hilton was named the #1 Web Celeb in 2007, 2008, and 2009 by Forbes Magazine, one of the 15 most influential Hispanics in the US by People en Espanol, the 2009 Hispanic of the Year by Hispanic Magazine, one of Time Magazine’s ‘100 Most Influential People of 2007’ and as a tastemaker, Newsweek has compared his influence on the music scene to Oprah’s book club. Visit Perez Hilton online at www.perezhilton.com. Follow Perez Hilton on Facebook and Twitter at www.facebook.com/PerezHilton and @perezhilton.

PRESS RELEASE: FORBIDDEN BROADWAY RETURNS TO NYC FOR A LIMITED ENGAGEMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

GERARD ALESSANDRINI’S FORBIDDEN BROADWAY

RETURNS TO NEW YORK

FOR A LIMITED ENGAGEMENT

WITH

FORBIDDEN BROADWAY:
ALIVE AND KICKING

NOW IN PREVIEWS

AT THE 47TH STREET THEATRE

OPENING SET FOR SEPTEMBER 6TH

 

After a three-year absence, Gerard Alessandrini’s FORBIDDEN BROADWAY, one of NYC’s best-loved and highly anticipated productions, returns to the 47th Street Theatre (304 West 47th Street – just west of Eighth Avenue) with a brand new edition, FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: ALIVE AND KICKING. The show is now in previews,  with an opening set for Thursday, September 6th.    FORBIDDEN BROADWAY; ALIVE AND KICKING will play a limited engagement through January 6, 2013.  This production will mark FORBIDDEN BROADWAY’s 30th Anniversary, as well as its 21st edition.

FORBIDDEN BROADWAY; ALIVE AND KICKING returns with Gerard Alessandrini’s take on Porgy and Bess, Once, Evita, Anything Goes, Follies, Spiderman, Newsies, Book of Mormon, Nice Work if You Can Get It, and Death of a Salesman, among others.

Featured in the cast are Natalie Charlé Ellis, Scott Richard Foster, Jenny Lee Stern and Marcus Stevens.

 In a statement, Gerard Alessandrini said: “Over the past three years, I sat through show after show, with no outlet at all. Finally, I couldn’t take it any more. Now I have 3 years worth of pent-up parodies, and am blessed with a season that has practically written itself. We were able to get our favorite Forbidden Broadway theatre again, but only for a limited chunk of time. But that should more than long enough to say everything we have to say, and then come back to New York again, from time to time. ”

This edition is created and written by Gerard Alessandrini, and directed by Mr. Alessandrini and Phillip George, with musical direction by David Caldwell.  Costumes are designed by Philip Heckman, with set design by Jesse Poleshuck, lighting design by Mark T. Simpson and wig design by Bobbie Cliffton Zlotnik.  The show is produced by John Freedson, Harriet Yellin and Paul Bartz, in association with Paul G. Rice, Carol Ostrow, Paxton Quigley, Robert Driemeyer, Jamie DeRoy, Lawrence Poster and Tweiss Productions.

FORBIDDEN BROADWAY has been an unstoppable force in theatre since 1982, when Gerard Alessandrini created the first edition that lampooned the Broadway shows and stars of the day.  It has been a favorite among theatre lovers, as well as the Broadway stars themselves (Carol Channing, Angela Lansbury, Patti Lupone, Stephen Sondheim, Raul Esparza, Tyne Daly, Christine Ebersole, Bernadette Peters, Whoopi Goldberg Cameron Mackintosh, and Hal Prince, to name a few) who often stop by to laugh at themselves alongside the public.  FORBIDDEN BROADWAY has won numerous awards in its history including a Special Tony® Award as well as Drama Critics’ Circle, Obie, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, and Lucille Lortel Awards.  A theatrical institution, FORBIDDEN BROADWAY has received national and international notoriety having performed in over 200 US cities as well as engagements in Tokyo, Singapore, Sydney and London’s Meniere Chocolate Factory.

GERARD ALESSANDRINI (Creator, Writer & Director) is best known for writing and directing all the editions of Forbidden Broadway and Forbidden Hollywood in New York, Los Angeles, and London and around the world. He was also a member of the original cast of Forbidden Broadway. Gerard is from Needham, Massachusetts and the Boston area, where he graduated from the Boston Conservatory of Music. In 1982, he created Forbidden Broadway, which has spawned 18 editions, 8 cast albums and a record-breaking 30-year- run in New York. Television credits include writing comedy specials for Bob Hope and Angela Lansbury on NBC, Carol Burnett on CBS and “Masterpiece Tonight,” a satirical revue saluting “Masterpiece Theatre” on PBS. He can be heard on four of the eight FB cast albums and on the soundtracks of Disney’s Aladdin & Pocahontas. Directing credits include many corporate industrials and regional musicals, including a production of Maury Yeston’s musical In the Beginning. Gerard also co-directed a revival of Irving Berlin’s final musical Mr. President, which he updated & “politically corrected.” Gerard is the recipient of an Obie Award, an Outer Critics Circle Award, two Lucille Lortel Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Drama League and three Drama Desk Awards for Best Lyrics for Forbidden Broadway. He received the 2006 Tony® Honor for Excellence in the Theatre. Most recently his Madame X: The Musical won acclaim and multiple awards at the 2011 NYMF Festival; his holiday extravaganza The Nutcracker and I, written with Peter Brash was a smash at the George Street Theatre, and he is currently collaborating with Paul Mazursky and Bill Conti on a musical version of Mr. Mazursky’s film Moon Over Parador.

PHILLIP GEORGE (Director) is a director and writer.  As director Off-Broadway: Shout!, The Road to Qatar (York Theatre Company), Forbidden Broadway Goes to Rehab, Forbidden Broadway SVU, Forbidden Hollywood, Whoop-Dee-Doo (Drama Desk Award, Best Musical Revue), Forbidden Broadway Twentieth Anniversary Edition, and many other editions of this infamous revue series.  Along the way, Forbidden Broadway was also honored with a special Tony for long time achievement.  He has also directed musicals in London, Los Angeles, Toronto, Boston, etc., with Forbidden Broadway transferring to the West End.   With his longstanding collaborator Peter Morris, Phill also wrote Frankly Scarlett, which played at the Kings Head Theatre in London.  In addition to his directing assignments, he is also one of the writers of High Hair and Jalapenos, which skewers all things Texas and is currently preparing for the fifth edition.   When not directing and writing, Phill is on the staff of the American Musical and Dramatics Academy where he passes on some of the wisdom he acquired along the way.

DAVID CALDWELL (Music Director) has been the music director of Forbidden Broadway since 2004. He composed music and lyrics for All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten and Uh-Oh Here Comes Christmas, both based on the writing of Robert Fulghum. He also composed music for Fulghum’s novel Third Wish. He conducted the American premiere of Stephen Schwartz’s Children of Eden. He recently music-directed two shows in China, with Inner Mongolian authors and casts. He arranged and orchestrated Marvin Hamlisch’s new song “I’m Really Dancing” for Career Transitions for Dancers’ 25th Anniversary Gala, featuring Angela Lansbury, Chita Rivera and Bebe Neuwirth. His new show, Gotta Getta Girl, was featured in the NYMF Reading Series. He is interviewed at length in Oliver Sacks’ book about music and the brain, Musicophilia.

PHILIP HECKMAN  (Costume Designer) is an Emmy-nominated costume designer for daytime television’s As the World Turns. He recently completed the New York run of My Big Gay Italian Wedding. Other Off-Broadway credits include SHOUT! The Mod Musical, Go-Go Beach, We’re Still Hot!, Are You There God? It’s Me, Ann-Margret, Marry Me A Little, I Love My Wife, Enough About Me and The Very Worst of Varla Jean Merman (Garland Award). Television credits include commercials, promos and shorts for LOGO, MTV, and VH1. Philip has also worked on several Broadway productions as a costume design assistant including Born Yesterday, The Boy From Oz, Chicago, Cry Baby, Democracy, Flower Drum Song, Follies, Frost/Nixon, The Graduate, Kiss Me Kate, Mamma Mia, Sideshow and Spamalot. Philip received his MFA in costume design from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

The playing schedule for FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: ALIVE AND KICKING is as follows: Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 7:30pm, with matinees on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2pm.  Tickets are $29-$79. Premium Tickets are available at $110.Tickets can be purchased by calling Telecharge at (212) 239-6200 or by visiting www.telecharge.com

 

www.forbiddenbroadway.com

Video Interview: Alec Mapa “America’s Gaysian Sweatheart”

I was SO happy to be able to sit down with “America’s Gaysian Sweetheart” Alec Mapa after his delightful one man show, “Baby Daddy” currently playing at The Laurie Beechman Theatre. Here is the video interview:

GO SEE THIS SHOW!!! Enjoy!

For more information about this show, visit ALEC MAPA: BABY DADDY”.

Buy tickets HERE.

• “Smart, hilarious and funny.” — Ellen DeGeneres
• “Alec Mapa is a freak. No one should be this talented” — Variety
• “Truly insightful, hilarious, pungent and persuasive… See it! It says something important about how we live today.” — Edge
• “Both funny and poignant” — BistroAwards.com
• “By turns filthy, fierce and fabulous, Mapa’s seemingly mundane anecdotes are an outrageous delight… utterly divine.” — Next Magazine

After selling out a short run in February, ALEC MAPA (Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, The View, RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Gossip Queens, Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure) returns to New York with his critically acclaimed and wildly popular new show ALEC MAPA:  BABY DADDY.  It runs July 19 – 29, Thursday – Sunday at 7:30pm. The Laurie Beechman Theater is located inside West Bank Cafe at 407 West 42nd Street — at Ninth Avenue, accessible from the A,C,E,N,R,V,F,1,2 & 3 trains at 42nd Street). Tickets are $22 (plus a $15 food/drink minimum). To purchase tickets call 212-352-3101 or visitwww.SpinCycleNYC.com.

 

From Jazz at Lincoln Center – Michael Feinstein presents: Bringing Jazz to Broadway – Cy Coleman

From Jazz at Lincoln Center – Michael Feinstein presents: Bringing Jazz to Broadway – Cy Coleman (Produced, Written and Directed by the multi-tallented Scott Siegel)

Here are the video interviews with 3 of the wonderful performers, Tamara Tunie, James Naughton and Michelle Lee. The official review of the concert can be found above this posting.

Enjoy!

From jazz pianist and leader of a much-in-demand jazz trio to legendary Broadway composer, Cy Coleman brought the sound of big, brassy jazz to the Great White Way. One only need think of “Sweet Charity’s” Hey, Big Spender, and its bright blare of horns, to recognize Coleman’s Signature Sound, a musical style that dominated Broadway for more than a generation. Shows like “City of Angels,” “The Life,” and many others were permeated by Coleman’s propensity for jazz.

As part of its Jazz & Popular Song series, directed by five-time Grammy Award-nominated singer and pianist Michael Feinstein, Jazz at Lincoln Center will present Cy Coleman: Bringing Jazz to Broadway on Tuesday, May 15 and Wednesday May 16 at 7:30pm. Feinstein, who featured Cy Coleman as a vocalist and jazz pianist in his nightclub the month before the famed composer died, leads a cast featuring Michele Lee (Coleman’s Seesaw, Knots Landing), Tamara Tunie (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit), Broadway veteran Chuck Cooper, singer-songwriter Johnny Rodgers and, on May 16 only, James Naughton (The Devil Wears Prada) that illustrates Coleman’s profound jazz influence on contemporary Broadway.

For more information about this series, visit www.jalc.org/jazzandpopularsong.

Next up: Sweet & Low Down: How Popular Standards Became Jazz Classics
The show plays at The Allen Room at Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60th Street, New York, NY. Ticket prices for this series, except for the family concert, are $75 for mezzanine concert seating, $95-120 for cabaret seating. Tickets for the family matinee are $25.

Tickets can be purchased through jalc.org or CenterCharge at 212-721-6500, open daily from 10am to 9pm. Tickets can also be purchased at the Jazz at Lincoln Center Box Office, located on Broadway at 60th Street, ground floor. Box Office hours: Monday-Saturday from 10am to 6pm (or 30 minutes past curtain) and Sunday from noon to 6pm (or 30 minutes past curtain). Limited subscriptions for the 2011-12 Jazz and Popular Song series are available. Visit jalc.org/subs for more information.

Video interview with Johnny Rodgers

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.

PLAYBILL EXCLUSIVE:
In Rehearsal With Michael Feinstein and his Cy Coleman Tribute