Fred Barton Returns to Metropolitan Room with Lee Roy Reams, Tari Kelly, Natasha Williams, Karen Wilder

Fred Barton returns to the Metropolitan Room on Sunday, April 15, at 7:00 PM with his show Fred Barton PRESENTS – AND THINKS YOU'RE GONNA LOVE IT! – in which he hosts, sings and plays with his 9-piece Broadway Band, presenting classic Broadway show tunes, with some of his favorite performers. This is Barton's last show until later this summer.

This Sunday, Fred will feature Tony-Award nominee Lee Roy Reams ("SWEET CHARITY," "APPLAUSE," "LORELEI," "42ND STREET") and Tari Kelly ("ANYTHING GOES," "THE BOY FROM OZ"). NaTasha Yvette Williams ("PORGY AND BESS," "THE COLOR PURPLE") will also make an appearance, along with Fred's regular guest Karen Wilder ("Forbidden Broadway.")

"Tari Kelly is the best old-time Broadway belter working on the Great White Way, a powerhouse singer and an accomplished actress and comedienne. Lee Roy Reams is a Broadway legend, with a terrific career spanning decades as a dancer, singer and actor, and he has great anecdotes from his work with Bob Fosse, Gower Champion, Ron Field, and others. Natasha Williams is an outstanding actress and singer with whom I appeared at Carnegie Hall in our Irving Berlin concert in October; and KAREN WILDER helped me originate this event and has been one of my favorite singers and performers since I was 18. I can't wait to feature them all with the 9-piece Broadway Band."

Fred adds, "I love show music. I love a good band. I love a great singer. And I especially love a great singer singing a great show tune with a great band. I know a bunch of great old-time Broadway singers, and a bunch of great songs that aren't being heard, and I know a bunch of show music fans like me – and I've got a great 9-piece band. I'm happy to find a place where we can all get together and do it up – and all for the price of a solo cabaret show."

"Fred Barton PRESENTS – AND THINKS YOU'RE GONNA LOVE IT!" debuted in September with Karen Wilder and Jesse Luttrell, and was a sell-out smash, with a line down the street, walkups turned away and a jam-packed room. The January edition featured Elena Bennett and Damon Kirsche, and February's show presented Anita Gillette, Karen Murphy, and Kevin Earley. The March 11 show featured Tony-nominee Pamela Myers, Drama-Desk-winner Toni DiBuono, and Scott Ailing.

Fred Barton is a performer, arranger, songwriter, conductor, and TV composer. His previous cabaret revues include Forbidden Broadway (Drama Desk, Tony Award, 27-year run), Miss Gulch Returns! (Bistro Award), and Whoop-Dee-Doo! (Drama Desk Award). He's conducted numerous Broadway shows, composed Emmy-Award-winning TV shows, and his symphonic orchestrations are played almost weekly by orchestras around the country. Fred arranged for the New York Pops' Gala last May, their Irving Berlin concert in October, the Cheyenne Jackson concert in November, and this Saturday's concert with Jim Henson's Muppets.

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