Klea Blackhurst, Darius de Haas & More Set for Lyrics & Lyricists' NEW YORK: SONGS OF THE CITY This Weekend
By: BWW News Desk Mar. 21, 2015
"The show will be a kaleidoscopic vision of life in the city," says Deborah Grace Winer, "from the inspiring and romantic to the aggravating and the quirky. Why have so many songwriters been compelled to write about New York? What is it about this city that fuels an endless supply of stories? New York is a character all itself, and we have this great cast of real New Yorkers (meaning they come from everywhere) to take us on this entertaining and exhilarating musical ride in search of what it really means to be a New Yorker."
Now in her seventh season as Lyrics & Lyricists series artistic director, Deborah Grace Winer has written extensively about the American Songbook. She has led seven previous Lyrics & Lyricists shows, most recently The Song is You: Jerome Kern Coast to Coast and The Crowd's at El Morocco. In November 2009, with her mentor, Robert Kimball, she was co-artistic director of I Remember You," the Johnny Mercer Centennial Tribute Concert. Deborah is the author of several books, including On the Sunny Side of the Street, about Dorothy Fields, and The Night and the Music.. Her plays (developed by theatres such as Lincoln Center Theatre and Primary Stages) include, The Real Tabasco, Little Shows, Big Important Issues, The Last Girl Singer, and Buzz; most recently, the musical revue Sing for Your Shakespeare (which she created with Wayne Barker and Mark Lamos) premiered at the Westport Country Playhouse, directed by Mark Lamos. Favorite benefit special events she's written include Fans!: The Sally Rand Centennial Celebration and Gotta Dance: A Dance Tribute to Hollywood, during which she wrote for, among others, Cyd Charisse and Esther Williams.
Music director John Oddo started his career as a pianist, arranger and composer for Woody Herman and his Thundering Herd, He then met Rosemary Clooney in 1983 and served as her music director, pianist and arranger for more than 18 years. His credits include work on 20 of her recordings, as well as countless live and televised performances. He has been a longtime collaborator of Michael Feinstein's, including as music director and arranger for Feinstein's two recent PBS shows, Michael Feinstein at the Rainbow Room and Michael Feinstein New Year's Eve at the Rainbow Room; as he was MD/arranger for the recent PBS Live From Lincoln Center's James Naughton: The Songs of Randy Newman. As music director/arranger/pianist, his collaborators also include Debby Boone, James Naughton, Christine Ebersole, Melissa Errico, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, Barbara Cook, Cheyenne Jackson, Maureen McGovern, David Hyde Pierce and Linda Ronstadt. He received a Drama Desk Award nomination for his orchestrations for Feinstein and Dame Edna Everage's 2010 Broadway show, All About Me. For his latest recording project, he has written arrangements for Tom Wopat and John Schneider's CD, Home for Christmas, in celebration of the 35th anniversary of their TV series "The Dukes of Hazzard." John has collaborated with Deborah Grace Winer as music director on all seven of her Lyrics & Lyricists shows.
Mark Waldrop returns to 92Y to direct his tenth Lyrics & Lyricists production. On Broadway, he directed and provided special material for Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends, which earned a Tony Award nomination for Unique Theatrical Event. He similarly directed and wrote material for Bette Midler on her Divine Miss Millennium tour and has directed cabaret and concert performances for Faith Prince, Sutton Foster, Brooke Shields, Rebecca Luker, John Lloyd Young and Edward Hibbert, among many others. Off-Broadway, Mark was director, book writer and lyricist for the multiple award-winning and now legendary Howard Crabtree's When Pigs Fly. His directorial credits also include Newsical: the Musical (now in its 3rd year) the New York City Center Encores! production of Ziegfeld Follies of 1936; Game Show; Pete 'n' Keely; and Listen to My Heart. Regionally, Mark will be directing the Olney Theatre Center's upcoming production of The Producers. As an actor, Mark was in the original Broadway casts of Evita, La Cage aux Folles and The Grand Tour.
Klea Blackhurst is best known for her award-winning tribute to Ethel Merman, Everything the Traffic Will Allow and she most recently appeared at L&L in 2014's Sweepin' the Clouds Away. Her many regional and off-Broadway credits include Chicago, Call Me Madam and Anything Goes. Blackhurst's concert appearances include Jerry Herman's Broadway at the London Palladium, and her Carnegie Hall debut starring with Michael Feinstein in an evening devoted to Jule Styne. Blackhurst collaborated with Billy Stritch on the the CD Dreaming of a Song: The Music of Hoagy Carmichael. She is currently working on a new musical based on the iconic maid Hazel, with music by Ron Abel and lyrics by Chuck Steffan; a reading of the project was held last October and directed by Lucie Arnaz.
Darius de Haas made his Broadway debut in Kiss of the Spider Woman and has performed in numerous Broadway productions including Lincoln Center Theatre's productions of Carousel and Marie Christine, and Rent. He toured internationally in the world premiere of John Adams's song play I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky and won an Obie award for his work in the title role of Off-Broadway's Running Man. As a soloist, Darius is starring with Capathia Jenkins in "Classic Soul" for such orchestras as the Philly Pops and the Atlanta, Charlotte, Harrisburg and Jacksonville symphonies.
La Tanya Hall's credits include the last national tour of Dreamgirls, A Christmas Carol at Madison Square Garden and the New York City Center Encores! production of Promises, Promises. She has toured with such legends as Harry Belafonte, Diana Ross and Aretha Franklin, and is also an in-demand session singer. Michael Feinstein wrote that "...her musicality and myriad interpretive gifts make her singing a unique and joyous experience." An L&L favorite, she performed most recently in 2013's tribute to Peggy Lee.
Leslie Kritzer got the theater world's attention with her acclaimed performance as Fanny Brice in Paper Mill Playhouse's revival of Funny Girl and appeared in L&L's Fanny Brice tribute Ziegfeld Girl last season. She has appeared on Broadway in Hairspray, Legally Blonde, Elf, the musical revue Sondheim on Sondheim, and in a Drama Desk Award-nominated role in A Catered Affair. Off-Broadway credits include The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Bat Boy and Godspell. Kritzer received a 2007 Special Achievement MAC Award for her show Leslie Kritzer is Patti LuPone at Les Mouches.
Making his Lyrics & Lyricists debut, Jeffrey Schecter has appeared on Broadway in Nice Work If You Can Get It, The People in the Picture, Anything Goes, A Chorus Line, The Pajama Game, Wonderful Town, and Beauty and the Beast. For the 2013 holiday season, he appeared as Young Max in the Old Globe's production of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. In addition to performing, Schechter conducts Broadway workshops for children and adults. His short film, Tyco Parks the Car, premiered at the Big Apple Film Festival in 2013.
Grammy nominated piano-entertainer Billy Stritch has appeared in many Lyrics & Lyricists shows, and was artistic director for the tributes to Peggy Lee (2013) and Mel Tormé (2009). Recently making seasonal Sunday night appearances at the Carlyle Hotel's Bemelmans Bar, Billy was musical supervisor and pianist for the Tony Award winning musical event Liza's at the Palace on Broadway, for which he also reconceived the vocal arrangements of the legendary Kay Thompson and The Williams Brothers. He also originated the role of Oscar, the rehearsal pianist, in the 2001 Broadway revival of 42nd Street. In addition to his 24-year collaboration with Liza Minnelli, Billy also accompanies and arranges for Marilyn Maye, Linda Lavin and Klea Blackhurst; last month he and Ms. Maye celebrated a week-long engagement at Birdland. He has just been named "Musical Director of the Year" by the readers of Broadway World for the second time, holds a BMI Song of the Year award; a Grammy Award nomination for "Does He Love You," recorded by Reba McEntire; four Backstage Bistro awards and six MAC Awards.
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