Michael Feinstein Will Host BROADWAY'S GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK Online Cabaret Series

The York Theatre Company has announced the new online cabaret series Broadway's Great American Songbook. Hosted by 5-time Grammy Award nominee Michael Feinstein and directed by MAC Award winner Barry Kleinbort, the series will feature performers including Tony Award winners Ben Vereen and Lillias White and Broadway veterans George Abud, Klea Blackhurst, Robert Creighton, Karen Mason, Lee Roy Reams, and Alton Fitzgerald White, with special guest appearances by Jeremy Benton, Richard Kind, Kylie Kuioka, and more! All proceeds will go to benefit ongoing programs at The York.

Online performances are set to begin each week with a premiere showing on Wednesday evenings beginning November 4, 2020 and continuing weekly through Wednesday evening, December 16, 2020, with encore performances scheduled for Thursday afternoons at 2:30PM, Fridays at 7:00PM & 10:00PM, and Saturdays at 2:30PM & 7:00PM.

The series culminates with a York Holiday Cabaret Gala on Monday evening, December 21, 2020 at 7:00PM. Details and ticket pricing will be announced shortly. Proceeds from this event will benefit the programs of The York Theatre Company. Reservations can be made as soon as details are announced.

"All of us at the York Theatre are delighted to bring Broadway's Great American Songbook to a wide range of audiences," stated James Morgan, York Producing Artistic Director. "Working with Michael Feinstein, Barry Kleinbort, and Riki Kane Larimer to make it happen has been a real delight-and this lineup of performers will absolutely blow you away. What sets the series apart is the involvement of Videographer Matt Gurren and Audio Engineer Dan Gonko that takes it up a notch. Please join us beginning November 4!"

Producer Riki Kane Larimer shared, "We are thrilled to have gathered Broadway's best to share the Great American Broadway canon of music on this virtual platform. The York's Cabaret Series promises to be the greatest virtual entertainment event so far!"

"The impressive array of artists spans the last five decades of Broadway and Off-Broadway musical theater, performing songs both famous and rare, composed by the greatest songwriters this country has ever produced," said director Barry Kleinbort. "Every single performer has been nothing less than a joy to work with as well as blessedly flexible when working under these unusually modified circumstances. A pro, every single one!"

Michael Feinstein (Host), the multi-platinum-selling, two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy Award-nominated entertainer dubbed "The Ambassador of the Great American Songbook," is considered one of the premier interpreters of American standards. His 200-plus shows a year have included performances at Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, and the Hollywood Bowl as well as the White House and Buckingham Palace.

More than simply a performer, Feinstein has received national recognition for his commitment to celebrating America's popular song and preserving its legacy for the next generation. In 2007, he founded the Great American Songbook Foundation, dedicated to celebrating the art form and preserving it through educational programs, Master Classes, and the annual high school Songbook Academy. Michael also serves on the Library of Congress' National Recording Preservation Board, an organization dedicated to ensuring the survival, conservation, and increased public availability of America's sound recording heritage.

Barry Kleinbort (Director) has earned the prestigious Edward Kleban Foundation Award for Lyric Writing, two Gilman/Gonzalez-Falla Musical Theatre Awards, the Second Stage Musical Writers Award, the Jamie deRoy/ASCAP Foundation songwriter's award, two Backstage Bistro awards, and twelve MAC awards for directing and songwriting. He has written eight musicals, six of which have been produced, along with special musical material for performing artists as diverse as Petula Clark and Regis Philbin. His most recent musical, 13 Things About Ed Carpolotti, recently played LA after successful runs Off-Broadway and regionally, all starring Penny Fuller. He also directed Len Cariou's one-man show Broadway and the Bard for Off-Broadway and its international tour. He has been directing and devising cabaret shows since 1979. Mr. Kleinbort has provided the book for a new revue, Cheek to Cheek: Irving Berlin in Hollywood, directed by Randy Skinner, which will premiere at the York Theatre sometime in the near future. A recording of 13 Things About Ed Carpolotti and an album of his theater songs, Big City Rhythm, are available on Harbinger Records.

Online General Admission tickets are priced at $20 per performance with York Member tickets priced at $16 and York Plus! Member tickets priced at $12. A Special Cabaret Series Package is priced at $120 (a $20 savings) for all 7 performances. Please make your reservation online at https://yorktheatre.org/on-stage/broadways-great-american-songbook A link to access the selected showing will be sent shortly before each performance.

Details and tickets for the York Holiday Cabaret Gala will be announced soon. Proceeds from this event will benefit the programs of the York Theatre Company. Reservations can be made as soon as details are announced.

The York Theatre Company offers the York! Membership Program*, an exclusive membership package for as low as $75.00-with elite benefits that include up to 35% off tickets to York Theatre Productions, exclusive Member pre-sale opportunities, 50% off on all lobby concessions, 20% off on all lobby merchandise, in addition to special Member-only receptions. The York also offers a York Plus! Membership Program* with additional perks, including complimentary tickets to Mainstage productions, invites to several VIP-only presentations throughout the season, and discount parking with membership. (*York Members receive Priority Seating and Discounted Tickets.) All current, renewing, and new members will receive a complimentary 6 months of additional membership-18 months for the price of 12 months! York Memberships can be purchased online at www.yorktheatre.org/membership.