Huffman, Champlin, Etc. Set for Birdland in Jan. & Feb.

Broadway at Birdland, a series of Monday night concerts featuring top theater and nightclub stars and songwriters, has announced the January/February schedule. Presented by Jim Caruso's Cast Party and TheaterMania.com, the series is an outgrowth of Cast Party, a weekly open-mic night catering to the Broadway, cabaret and jazz crowds.

The schedule follows:

January 15 at 7pm - $25 - Jason Graae in the World Premiere of "Graae's Anatomy"

"Jason Graae, the winner of the 2006 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award and the 2006 New York Nightlife Award, was cheered by The New York Times as 'an Al Jolson-like singing and dancing clown who executes lyrics with the perfect comic flourishes.' Jason's solo show, 'Coup de Graae,' also won the Bistro Award and was listed in TimeOut NY's Top 10 Best Cabaret Shows Of 2004."

January 29 at 7pm - $25 - Cady Huffman's Birthday Bash

"Tony-winner (The Producers) Cady Huffman is having a birthday, so she's gonna tell it like it is! From her aspirations of being an operatic soprano to making her Broadway debut as a drag queen...from Tin Pan Alley to rock and roll; Townsend to Sondheim, Cady will give you what you want and a lot more than you expect."

February 5 at 7pm - $50/$75 - "Leading Men II"

"Some of the most dazzling performers in New York City will storm the Birdland stage in this benefit for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The evening will be hosted by John Tartaglia, the Tony-nominated star of Avenue Q. Performers will include Tom Andersen (MAC Award winner); Jim Caruso (Jim Caruso's Cast Party); Matt Cavenaugh (Grey Gardens); Tim Di Pasqua (Bistro Award winner); Jonathan Groff (Spring Awakening); David Gurland (Bistro Award winner); Telly Leung (Rent); Norm Lewis (Les Miserables); Perry Ojeda (On The Town); Daniel Reichard (Jersey Boys); Christopher Sieber (Spamalot), Ben Strothmann (Playbill Yearbook, BroadwayWorld photographer), Jim Walton (Merrily We Roll Along) and John Lloyd Young (Jersey Boys). Seth Rudetsky will be musical director, Alan Muraoka directs, and Wayman Wong, who writes 'The Leading Men' column for Playbill.com, produces."

February 12 at 7pm - $30 - Donna Lynne Champlin

"Donna Lynne Champlin, who recently starred in the Broadway revival of Sweeney Todd, as well as James Joyce's The Dead, By Jeeves and Hollywood Arms, brings her one-woman show to Birdland! It's an inspired pairing of stories from her personal travails in life and show business as well as songs from Broadway and the pop world. Her hilarious confession of stalking actor Brian D'Arcy James is paired with a song about obsession, 'What Is It About Him?' from Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party, and a story about a break-up with a fiancee is paired with a medley of 'I Know Things Now' from Into The Woods and Leonard Cohen's 'Hallelujah.'"

February 19 at 7pm - $25 - Jeffry Denman

"Song-and-dance-man and Broadway veteran, Jeffry Denman (The Producers) will bring 'Jazz Turns: Broadway Tunes through Jazz Textures' featuring Joshua Pearl and The Joshua Pearl Classic Jazz Trio to Birdland on Monday, February 19 at 7pm. Special Guests include Tony nominee Brian D'Arcy James, Drama Desk Award winner Nancy Anderson and Broadway hoofer Dennis Stowe. 'Jazz Turns' is an evening of contemporary and classic musical theatre songs given evocative, tasteful jazz interpretations by Mr. Denman and Mr. Pearl. Jeffry's voice and tapping feet mingle with the Joshua Pearl Classic Jazz Trio, in a passionate blend of sentimental ballads, tap dance syncopations, and playful uptempos exploring tone color and nuance. Songs include 'Nothing is Too Wonderful to Be True' by David Yazbek, 'Not While I'm Around' by Stephen Sondheim, 'Moving Too Fast' by Jason Robert Brown, 'My Own Space' by Kander and Ebb, and 'Tonight at Eight' by Bock and Harnick."

February 26 at 7pm - $25 - Natalie Douglas

"In her fifth visit to the Birdland stage, award-winning vocalist Natalie Douglas and her band of Broadway All-Stars, led by Avenue Q's Mark Hartman, bring an all-new 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' and 'Precious Lord' as well as secular songs given a gospel treatment."

 There is a $10 food/drink minimum for each show.  Visit www.InstantSeats.com/Birdland for tickets and www.birdlandjazz.com for more information.