BROADWAY AT BIRDLAND SETS JULY & AUGUST CONCERTS
Jim Caruso's Cast Party and TheaterMania.com announce the performers
appearing in the BROADWAY AT BIRDLAND series in July and August at
the legendary BIRDLAND (315 West 44th Street, NYC - 212-581-3080 -
http://www.birdlandjazz.com/
). Performers will include Broadway's top Blonde Laura Bell Bundy;
two-time Drama Desk nominee Nancy Anderson; Billy Stritch and some
of 'his girls'; Ron Abel (with his girls including Lucie Arnaz); MAC
Award winner Natalie Douglas, The Broadway Boys, and The Fabulous
Pink Flamingos. The series of Sunday and Monday night concerts are
at 7:00 pm.
MONDAY,
July 2nd - Nancy Anderson returns with musical director Ross Patterson
and his Little Big Band to celebrate her recording, 'Ten Cents a
Dance,' which features standards and lost treasures from the 1920s
and 30s. Produced by Bill Daugherty with Ross Patterson and Danny
Whitby as musical directors, the CD includes "The Trouble with Me
is You," "My Romance," "But Not for Me," and the title track "Ten
Cents a Dance." Anderson is a two-time Drama Desk nominee for her
work as the title character in the Off-Broadway production of Fanny
Hill and as all of the women in Jolson & Co. In 2002, she was honored
with an Olivier Award nomination and a Helen Hayes Award nomination
for her work as Bianca/Lois in Kiss Me, Kate, seen on PBS and available
on DVD. She has appeared on Broadway as Helen in Wonderful Town
and Mona in A Class Act.
MONDAY, July 9th - The Broadway Boys were assembled
by Jesse Nager to create a new sound for theater and non-theater
audiences alike. By mixing pop, jazz, gospel, and funk elements
to Broadway standards, The Broadway Boys have created what has been
called, "A Symphony of Sound." The Broadway Boys include Maurice
Murphy (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Two Gentlemen of
Verona), Daniel Torres (Woman in White, Pirate Queen) Danny Calvert
(Altar Boyz, White Noise), Michael Scott (All Shook Up, Mamma Mia),
Jesse Nager (Mary Poppins, Good Vibrations), and Peter Matthew Smith
(Hairspray, Fiddler on the Roof).
SUNDAY, July 15th & MONDAY, July 16th - Ron Abel is
a multi-award winning composer, producer, arranger, orchestrator,
conductor and musical director. He has worked with Michelle Pfeiffer,
Kim Basinger, Lily Tomlin, Bea Arthur, Carol Burnett, pop star Taylor
Dane and many others. He recently produced and arranged albums for
Deborah Gibson (Colored Lights: The Broadway Album) and Valarie
Pettiford (Hear My Soul) and his arrangements and songs can be heard
on Petula Clark, Helen Reddy, Lucie Arnaz, and Dorian Harewood's
albums. Ron is the co-creator and arranger of the Broadway musical,
Blame it on the Movies. His score for the musical, Twist of Fate,
was awarded both the Los Angeles Drama Critic's Circle and L.A Weekly
Theatre Awards, for "Best Musical of the Year". Other Ron Abel musicals
produced in Los Angeles include, Is This Your Life?...a musical
comedy expose'; Rockwell: Life On A Pallette; and To Sir, With Love.
His latest project, undressed, the unflinching musicalization of
the Dumas classic Camille, was a finalist in the O'Neill Musical
Theatre 2007 Conference. His guests will be Lucie Arnaz & Valarie
Pettiford.
SUNDAY, July 22 - The Fabulous Pink Flamingos are
a vocal trio who blend nostalgia and humor with their electrifying
three-part harmony. In 2006, they were awarded the Back Stage Bistro
Award for Outstanding Vocal Group, as well as being nominated for
a Night Life Award. Following another SRO tour of South America
(Orlando mostly), the Pink Boys come home to New York, with an evening
of Hawaiian-inspired Hularity. The Fabulous Pink Flamingos' show
is called Live From The Lu'au Lounge.
MONDAYS,
July 23rd & 30th & August 20th - Laura Bell Bundy is 2007 TONY and
Drama Desk nominee for Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal
of Elle Woods in Legally Blonde the Musical on Broadway. She also
received a 2007 Drama League Honor for that performance. Also on
Broadway, she originated the role of Amber Von Tussle in the TONY
Award-winning musical Hairspray, and played Glinda in the smash
hit, Wicked. Prior to that, she originated the role of Tina Denmark
in Ruthless, The Musical! for which she received the Outer Critics
Circle Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical and a Drama Desk
nomination. She can also be seen in the hit movie "Dreamgirls" as
'Sweetheart', a backup singer for the song, "Cadillac Car." She
has also appeared on "Veronica Mars," an episode of "Cold Case"
as well as other highly rated television programs. Her Birdland
debut celebrates the release of her debut country album entitled
"Longing for a Place Already Gone."
SUNDAY, July 29 - An award-winning composer, arranger,
vocalist, and jazz pianist, Billy Stritch breathes new life into
the Great American Songbook, all the while bringing an easy sense
of humor and showmanship to his performances. He has arranged for,
produced and performed onstage with Liza Minnelli, Christine Ebersole,
Marilyn Maye and Charles Aznavour, and was guest conductor for "The
Rosie O'Donnell Show." As a composer, Stritch co-penned the 1994
Grammy Award-winning country song, "Does He Love You?" recorded
by Reba McIntire and Linda Davis, which has sold over four million
copies nationwide. The song was named one of the Top Ten Country
Songs of 1994. Stritch has headlined in every famed nightspot in
Manhattan, including Rainbow and Stars, The Algonquin Hotel's Oak
Room, The Russian Tea Room, The Blue Note and, of course, Birdland.
In Los Angeles, he's played The Cinegrill, The Gardenia and Jazz
Bakery; in London, The Ritz Hotel and Pizza On The Park. He is the
winner of the Nashville Music City News Award, a BMI Song of the
Year Award and five awards from the Manhattan Association of Clubs
and Cabarets. In this Birdland outing, Mr. Stritch will be joined
by some of the fabulous females in his life.
SUNDAY, August 5th & MONDAY, August 6th - Six time
MAC Award-winner, Natalie Douglas brings her show, "I Sing Because
I'm Happy," back to the Birdland stage for the sixth time! Douglas
and her band of Broadway All-Stars, led by Avenue Q's Mark Hartman,
bring a show featuring the gospel music they grew up with. A gospel
choir will aid Natalie and the band as they perform traditional
gospel tunes like "Children Go Where I Send Thee," Precious Lord,"
and secular songs given a gospel treatment.
Cover charges vary - please call the club for information.
There is a $10 food/drink minimum.
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