Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond:
Kate Taylor, November 11 at 7PM:
A celebrated musician in her own right, Kate shares her dual musical heritage with her brother, James. Her roots run deep in the soul, gospel and rockabilly sounds of her southern upbringing and in the literate folk, pop & Appalachian stylings that comprise the balance of her family's shared musical legacy. Kate's 2002 release, Beautiful Road, received 3 stars from Rolling Stone, who dubbed it a "heartfelt folk-rock gem." Her 2009 release, Fair Time!, her first of all original compositions, debuted to critical acclaim nationwide. Recently, audiences have found Kate performing nationwide, including appearances at Nashville's famed Bluebird Cafe, as well as at a private performance for President Barack Obama. Cover charge $25-35. $25 food & beverage minimum.
Vivian Reed, November 11 at 9:30PM:
Multi-award-winning singer, actress & dancer Vivian Reed presents her passionate and powerful vocal stylings in unique arrangements of an eclectic lineup of R&B, jazz, gospel and musical theater songs. Through selections from her critically acclaimed Broadway performance in Bubbling Brown Sugar, as well as from Three Mo' Divas, her concerts and international nightclub appearances, the two-time Tony Award nominee - who is the recipient of a Drama Desk Award, a Theatre World Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award, among others - pays tribute to the people who have had a profound effect on her career. Accompanied by two pianists, a bassist, a drummer and two background singers, her high-energy show also features special guests and a salute to Harold Arlen, with a preview of songs from One for My Baby, a new musical in progress. Cover charge $35- 45. $25 food & beverage minimum.
THE CALLBACK, November 11 at 11:30PM:
At The Callback: Semi-Finals, 6 contestants (3 Audience Favorites and 3 Wildcards) will perform a five minute set in front of a panel of surprise guest judges. The winner will be chosen based on audience vote and will progress to The Final Callback. For more information on "The Callback" rules or how to submit an audition video please visit www.54Below.com. No cover charge. $20 food & beverage minimum.
Alice Ripley, November 12 at 7PM:
Following her recent sold out appearance at 54 Below, Tony Winner Alice Ripley returns with her brand new evening of your favorite music in Ripley Reflects. Expect a carefully crafted sampling of songs from shows in which she was an original Broadway cast member, as well as a healthy serving of melodies that cover a wide range of genres, including her own original tunes! Ripley's recent award-winning turn in Next to Normal (Best Actress in a Musical) took place long after Broadway had already fallen in love with Alice in shows such as Side Show (Tony and Drama Desk Nominations), Sunset Boulevard, The Rocky Horror Show and The Who's Tommy. Ripley Reflects will be captured on a new recording, to be released November 2013! Cover charge $30-40. $25 food & beverage minimum.
DAVIS ROGAN, November 12 at 9PM:
Davis Rogan is the inspiration for the character Davis Macalary in the HBO series Treme, a series in which he not only plays a recurring character ("Rogan"), but also works as consultant, scriptwriter and songwriter. This new show of his combines songs that landed him the part in Treme in addition to songs contemplating the meta-existence of having a character based on you in a television show. Drawing his musical inspiration from Professor Longhair and Fats Domino, as does every New Orleans-based rhythm and blues piano player, what separates Davis are his lyrics. The wit, irony and self deprecation echo Randy Newman but the wry observations about life, humanity and New Orleans are uniquely his own. Cover charge $25-35. $25 food & beverage minimum.
LATE NIGHT: BACKSTAGE, November 12 at 10:45PM:
Each week, Broadway cast members and audiences alike gather to mix and mingle at 54 Below, Broadway's most intimate haunt, located in the heart of the theatre district. Musical Director Brad Simmons keeps the house jumping from the piano, while host Susie Mosher (the love child of Joanne Worley & Paul Lynde) guides the crowd through an evening of music, mayhem and full throttle belting, with special guests from Broadway and beyond dropping in to perform. NPR had this to say: "The best thing happening right now might just be the weekly Backstage. Hosted by the ridiculously funny Susie Mosher and pianist Brad Simmons who clearly is the man, it's two feel-good hours among New York's theater people, who seem like they're having a really fine time. Can't recommend it highly enough!" At this week's Backstage is NaTasha Yvette Williams (Porgy and Bess, The Color Purple), Michael Winther (Mamma Mia, 33 Variations), Nicolas King (Rising Star), and Marissa Rosen (Nightlife Diva). No cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.
Emily Skinner, November 13 at 7PM:
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! Get up close and personal when Emily Skinner brings her celebration of Broadway to 54 Below! In this dazzling evening filled with glorious music, expect selections from landmark composers such as Rodgers & Hammerstein, Lerner & Lowe, Kander & Ebb, Sondheim, Gershwin, Kern, Berlin and even a few tunes by some of the theatre's hottest new composing talent. Tony nominee Emily Skinner has captivated audiences in her many Broadway appearances, including Side Show, The Full Monty, James Joyce's The Dead, Dinner at 8, Jekyll & Hyde and Billy Elliot. Now, join her in our intimate venue for this high octane tour of the Great White Way! Cover charge $30-40. $25 food & beverage minimum.
Katie Rose Clarke, November 13 at 9:30PM:
After sailing in a bubble on Broadway and all across the country, Katie Rose Clarke (Broadway's most recent Glinda in Wicked) is finally putting her feet back on the ground when she premieres her brand new solo show at 54 Below. Join Katie as she hangs up her musical theater hat for the night to sing some rock and roll, acoustic pop, folk classics and original pieces. Having made her Broadway debut as Clara in The Light in the Piazza, Katie has gone on to enjoy a splendid career in the theatre, culminating with her time spent in Oz. Now, its time to go back to her roots, let down her hair, and sing the songs that inspired this young Texan beauty. Cover charge $25-35. $25 food & beverage minimum.
BROADWAY TRIVIA NIGHT, November 13 at 11:30PM:
It's Broadway Trivia Night! Put your party AND smarty pants on and head to 54 Below for Broadway's favorite quiz night. Enjoy Angela Cransberry's, Rum Tum Tugger's and more surprise Broadway drink specials! Guest Hosted by Ben Rimalower. Have you often found yourself at pub quizzes or trivia nights struggling to answer questions over sports and science but dominating the Broadway/TV/Film round? Are you the token-musical theatre nerd in your group of friends who can spout off the lyricist, librettist, director, and design team of every Pulitzer Prize winning musical? Do you like friendly competition, winning prizes, and drinking delicious cocktails with Broadways best? Then this is the night for you. We're bringing your favorite game to Broadway's supper club! No cover charge. Two beverage minimum.
Paulo Szot, November 14 at 7PM & November 15 & 16 at 8PM:
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! Audiences can prepare to swoon as the Tony-winning star of South Pacific headlines 54 Below for a week-long engagement. In this brand new show, the Brazilian opera star presents a program of cherished classics from the American Songbook, as well as Brazilian and jazz favorites. Paulo is one of the most versatile and extraordinary singers to be heard today. It'll be some enchanted evening, be sure! $55-65 cover charge. $30 food & beverage minimum.
Charles Busch, November 14 at 9:30PM:
The acclaimed actor/ Tony-nominated playwright and drag legend returns with a brand new show, chock full of outrageous personal stories, original characters and classic songs; all perfumed with his own unique form of glamour. Charles Busch continues to delight and re-define his craft as a master humorist, illusionist and camp icon. The author of dozens of hit plays (Tale of the Allergists Wife, Red Scare on Sunset, Flipping My Wig, Times Square Angel, Our Leading Lady, The Third Story, Die! Mommie! Die!, Psycho Beach Party, The Divine Sister & Vampire Lesbians of Sodom to name but a few), Busch returns to 54 Below, joined by Musical Director Tom Judson. Expect laughter, music, tears and sequins. But no boas. Cover charge $35-45. $25 food & beverage minimum.
Andrea Ross, November 14 at 11:30PM:
Andrea Ross makes her solo cabaret debut at 54 Below! After spending the past 3 years here in New York City, Andrea Ross is ready to share significant moments and songs from her past. And even more so, she is ready to perform new pieces that are helping her grow into a reinvigorated artist. Andrea spent all of her teenage years being mentored by Andrew Lloyd Webber and performing throughout the UK. Her album, Moon River, was produced by Lloyd Webber, and she starred in the US Tour of his show, Whistle Down the Wind. Andrea is a senior at Pace University, where she has continued to meet people and work on new projects- including catching the ear of composer Adam Guettel, along with other contemporary composers. She will be mixing the old with the new in her 54 Below concert, singing classics and Broadway tunes, while also featuring new composers' songs, and highlighting her folk and pop influences. Get ready for a dynamic night with heartwarming music! $10 cover charge. Two drink minimum.
FAIR PLAY, November 15 at 11PM:
With singer-songwriter roots and an improvisational, explorational vibe, the spirit of ONCE lives on. Starring original castmates David Abeles, Will Connolly and Elizabeth A. Davis, FAIR PLAY finds new expression in a night of originals, covers and Hansard homages. Fair play to ya! $25-35 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.
Jarrod Spector, November 17 at 7PM:
Broadway's Jarrod Spector, who is starring in the forthcoming Broadway musical Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, premieres his brand new show at 54 Below! This new musical outing traces the legacy of the great male singers whose vocal prowess made them the rock stars of their generations, even before rock was born. After starring as Frankie Valli for six years in Broadway's smash hit musical, Jersey Boys, Jarrod wraps his critically-praised voice around the songs that have made superstars out of more than a century of tenor legends from Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson to the great Enrico Caruso himself. Cover charge $30-40. $25 food & beverage minimum.
Martin Charnin'S SOMETHING FUNNY'S GOING ON, November 17 at 9:30PM:
54 Below presents a dazzling new musical revue, conceived & directed by one of Broadway's most esteemed talents (Annie's Martin Charnin). In the grand tradition of the entertainments once produced by Leonard Sillman, Ben Bagley and Julius Monk, Something Funny's Going On utilizes the writing talents of Charnin, Ronny Graham, Marvin Hamlisch, Douglas Bernstein, Dennis Markell, Abbott and Weeks, Weeden, Finkle and Fay, Kaufman and Krane and many others. Performed by four young, bright, stars-to-be, this is 75 minutes of new and evergreen sophisticated musical hilarity, sure to be a major Fall happening. Reserve your seats NOW! CAST LIST: Paul Pilcz (West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie, TV: Boardwalk Empire, & MildrEd Pierce), Stephen Christopher Anthony (Catch Me If You Can, Hairspray, Legally Blonde), Jennifer Apple ({Title of show}, Spring Awakening, Grease, Oliver), and Tiffan Borelli (The Sound of Music, Two by Two, Annie, Putting it Together, Kiss Me Kate). Cover charge $30-40. $25 food & beverage minimum.
HELLO MY NAME IS..., November 17 at 11:30PM:
"Hello, my name is..." will be an evening of songs that celebrate the stories of our Here and Now. What is it truly like to ENJOY the twenty-something struggle? Through these songs, all performed by alumni from Elon University, we take a moment to relish in the young artist's journey and the milestones AFTER graduation. "Hello, my name is..." is not only the greeting we give to strangers, but the beginning of our story. "Hello, my name is?" with Elon University. Cover charge $15-20. Two drink minimum.
To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com or call (866) 468-7619.
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