Andre De Shields, SONDHEIM UNPLUGGED, and More To Play 54 Below Next Week

Next week, 54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club and 2022 Tony Awards Honoree for Excellence in the Theatre, will present some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond. 54 Below celebrates Broadway musicals and writers of the past and present, promoting an ongoing engagement with their work. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit the button below or call (646) 476-3551. Limited $15 tickets are available for some shows. Visit 54Below.org/TicketInitiative for more information.

Andre De Shields CELEBRATES THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF HAARLEM NOCTURNE – FEBRUARY 20 - 24 AT 7PM

The performance on February 24 will also be livestreamed. For tickets and more information, click here.

Join us for a once-in-a-lifetime evening with Tony Award winner André De Shields as he celebrates the 40th Anniversary of a very special Broadway musical known as Haarlem Nocturne, in honor of Black History Month.

In 1984, André De Shields' Haarlem Nocturne opened on Broadway at the Latin Quarter. About the show, The New York Amsterdam News reported, “It's a sensational musical… the cast is knocking them out of their socks with their sizzling performances. And it's very contemporary, although it does pay homage to the best of Black music's past, present, and with its original songs, future.”

Now, 78-year-old showstopper De Shields is back with a celebration of his eponymous Broadway musical from four decades ago. Expect roof-raising recreations of the beloved music from the show, never-before-heard stories, and even a reunion or two, as well as the wit, elegance and charm that the master entertainer has become known for.

When asked about his “Bad Boy” image while doing press for Haarlem Nocturne in 1984, De Shields said, “People are under the impression that artists aren't supposed to think or be plugged into the bloodline of the country, the world- socially, politically, or otherwise. I take exception to that. We are not dummies and as for me, my work has to reflect more than just the obvious singing and dancing. I must take chances. Without risk there is no reason to do it. And when those risks result in opening doors, I like to leave them open so others can walk through.”

After decades filled with taking risks and opening doors, De Shields reflects on a peak career moment with this very special anniversary concert.

In an illustrious career that has spanned more than half a century, André De Shields has distinguished himself as an actor, director, and educator. His notable theatrical appearances include roles in the original Broadway productions of The Full Monty (Tony Award nomination), Play On! (Tony Award nomination), Ain't Misbehavin' (Emmy Award) and the title role in The Wiz. De Shields was the triple-crown winner of the 2019 award season, garnering Tony, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama Desk Awards for his universally praised role as the messenger to the gods, Hermes, in Hadestown.

In 2020, he received the 2020 Grammy Award for Musical Theater Album for Hadestown, an Honorary Doctor of Arts Degree from Boston Conservatory at Berklee, the 2020 AUDELCO for Lifetime Achievement and the 2020 Red Bull Theater Matador Award for Excellence in Classical Theater. 2019 honors include The Actors' Equity Foundation Richard Seff Award, which honors veteran stage actors' best supporting performances of the year, the Project1Voice Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2019 SAGE Joyce Warshow Lifetime Achievement Award, and The York Theatre Company's 2019 Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre, among others. He was also inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame. Among his other accolades are the 2009 National Black Theatre Festival's Living Legend Award and the 2007 Village Voice Obie Award for Sustained Excellence of Performance.

André De Shields is being accompanied by Original Musical Director and Cast Member Marc Shaiman.

Featuring special guests Kimberly Marable (Hadestown, Chicago), Crystal Monee Hall (Hell's Kitchen), and Freida Williams (Haarlem Nocturne).

Associate music direction by Drew Wutke.

$95 cover charge (includes $10 in fees) - $106 (includes $11 in fees). $155.50 premium seating (includes $15.50 in fees) - $171.50 premium seating (includes $16.50 in fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN 20TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT – FEBRUARY 20 AT 9:30PM

Come hang with us as we pay homage to one of the most iconic early 2000s movies: Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen! To celebrate the film's 20th anniversary, we'll sing through the bops that had all us singing along and feeling our “That Girl” fantasy, while rooting for Lindsay Lohan. We hope you're “Ready” to witness some insane performances from incredible talent, both familiar and new. Directed by Lauren McCoig and music directed by James Stryska, “What Are You Waiting For?” Get your tickets now and celebrate this movie classic exactly 20 years to the day it was released in theaters!

Featuring Hannah Bonnett, Talia Cutulle, Ruby Doran, Vicky Fleisch, Cydney Gleckner, Adam Gustas, Kylie Lavrenchik, Chloé Law, María Limón, Quinn Allyn Martin, Aly Marie Mazzie, Bryan George Rowell, and Jordan White.

$40 cover charge (includes $5 in fees). $67.50 premium seating (includes $7.50 in fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

THE YALE WHIFFENPOOFS – FEBRUARY 21 AT 9:30PM

114 years after their founding, The Yale Whiffenpoofs debut at 54 Below, singing a mix of classic and contemporary favorites! The Whiffenpoofs, America's oldest a cappella group, entertain audiences around the globe with their diverse repertoire of vocal jazz, folk, pop, and Broadway hits. Choice selections include “Anything Goes,” by Whiffenpoof alum Cole Porter, “Midnight Train to Georgia,” by Gladys Knight & the Pips, and “I'm Gonna Find Another You,” by John Mayer.

Whiffenpoofs of years past have sung for Presidents Obama, Bush (41 and 43), Clinton, and Reagan, and at venues including Carnegie Hall, Broadway's Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center. In recent years, they have also featured on television shows such as “The Sing Off,” “The West Wing,” and “Glee.”

Featuring Sam Ahn, Josh Gonzalez, Clay Jamieson, Ethan Kopf, Jake Latts, Sebastian Li, Gabby Montuori, Liam Richardson, Avalon Scarola, Sarah Sotomayor, Peter Sykes, Luke Tillitski, Abi Yadegar, and Iris Yang.

$51 cover charge (includes $6 in fees). $84 premium seating (includes $9 in fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

ISABELLE GEORGES: OH LA LA! – FEBRUARY 22 AT 9:30PM

“Isabelle Georges embodies, to the nth degree, the art of cabaret, the sensibility of an artist, and the spirit of France!” –BroadwayWorld

Oh Là Là! Parisian cabaret star Isabelle Georges returns to 54 Below. With her trademark soaring vocals and theatrical delivery, Michel Legrand's muse will lead you on a passionate journey through the French repertoire and beyond, featuring the music of Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Charles Aznavour and Charles Trenet along with original compositions, including a song by Maury Yeston. An unbeatable mixture of jazz, cabaret, and pop. “She's every inch a star,” wrote The Scotsman. This is sure to be a night you won't want to miss!

Music direction by Frederik Steenbrink.

Joined by Yacine Boularès on reeds, Thomas Hubbard on the double bass, Ray Marchica on the drums, and Frederik Steenbrink on the piano.

$51 cover charge (includes $6 in fees). $84 premium seating (includes $9 in fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

UNFUNNY GIRL: A LEGALLY DISTINCT NIGHT OF WITTY WOMEN – FEBRUARY 23 AT 9:30PM

Behind every funny man is an equally funny or even funnier woman. Join us for an evening of hilarity, fun, and funny feminism as we celebrate the comedic chops of 8 great women. Featuring music ranging from Once Upon a Mattress to Monty Python, UnFunny Girl is an entertaining (and legally distinct!) evening of laughs throughout the musical theatre canon. Produced by Julia Duffy. Music direction by Rose Van Dyne.

Featuring Olivia DeFilippo, Katie Gleason, Jesse Lynn Harte, Brianna Kaleen, Jess Kirschner, Alex Koza, and Samantha Sherman.

$51 cover charge (includes $6 in fees). $84 premium seating (includes $9 in fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

54 SINGS BROADWAY'S GREATEST HITS! – FEBRUARY 24 AT 9:30PM

Previous volumes of this Scott Siegel concert event hit 54 Below like lightning! This was the show that every musical theater-lover had been waiting for… and now we're going to do it again, with a brand new line-up of 54 Sings Broadway's Greatest Hits!

If you skip through cast albums just to hear the very best songs in each show, this is the nightclub concert event for you. If you love the classics of the Great White Way, come and hear the songs that made Broadway great, that made your heart soar, that you used to sing (maybe still do) in the shower! But at 54 Below, you will hear the greatest Broadway songs of all time performed by today's greatest stars, singing them straight up, the way you want to hear them!

And who better to produce/direct/host this show than the creator of Town Hall's critically acclaimed Broadway by the Year series, Scott Siegel, creator of more than 500 major concert events centered on Broadway music! 54 Sings Broadway's Greatest Hits! will be a thrilling night that you won't forget…

Music direction by Evan Zavada.

Featuring Ben Jones, Ryan Knowles, Damon McToy, Brian Charles Rooney, Sara Sheperd, Annika Stenstedt, Benjamin T. Swanson, and more stars to be announced!

$56.50 cover charge (includes $6.50 in fees). $95 premium seating (includes $10 in fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

SONDHEIM UNPLUGGED, FEAT. A TRIBUTE TO Sarah Rice – FEBRUARY 25 AT 7PM

This performance will also be livestreamed. For tickets and more information, click here.

We're Still Here! The Company of our celebrated, long-running series, Sondheim Unplugged, is thrilled to be Back in Business for season thirteen of our award-winning program. A celebrated New York event since 2010 (It's a Hit!), Sondheim Unplugged features some of Broadway and cabaret's most dynamic voices, accompanied by piano only, delving into the musical world of Broadway's master composer. Hosted by Broadway wit Rob Maitner, with music direction from John Fischer, expect fun facts and tidbits about the original Broadway productions and an evening well spent with Old Friends. Because, God, That's Good!

Featuring special guest Lucia Spina (Into the Woods Broadway revival).

Starring Natalie Arneson, Lucy Austin, Rob Maitner, Stearns Matthews, T. Oliver Reid, Sierra Rein, and Brian Charles Rooney.

With a special tribute to our friend Sarah Rice (Sweeney Todd's original Johanna).

$56.50 cover charge (includes $6.50 in fees). $89.50 premium seating (includes $9.50 in fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

BACK TO BROADWAY: THE MUSIC OF CANAAN J. HARRIS, FEAT. Teal Wicks & MORE! – FEBRUARY 25 AT 9:30PM

Join us at 54 Below as we head Back to Broadway with the music of Canaan J. Harris. This thrilling evening features a full slate of original songs, including numbers from his original musicals Boys, Boys, Behave!, Plane Girl: A Musical That is Not About Amelia Earhart and Elaine?!. With a multi-talented cast of friends, familiar faces, and Broadway's best, get ready to leave humming brand-new classics that combine the sounds of contemporary and Golden Age musical theater.

Produced by Ian McQueen.

Additional composition by Hayley Goldenberg, Julia Sonya Koyfman, and Alex Ngo.

Additional lyrics by Santino DeAngelo and Jacob Iglitzin.

Featuring Jaelyn Alexander, Travis Anderson, Hallie Bond, Sydney Borchers, Hannah Coffman, Alex Colavecchio, Cara Rose DiPietro, Hannah Ellowitz, Mia Cherise Hall, Emma Hubeny, Megan Hull, Tess Jonas, Isidora Kecman, Eric May Liu, Katryna Marttala, Maria Nalieth, Spencer Petro, Maddie Ryan, Dusty Sanders, Teal Wicks, Jayke Workman, and Elizabeth Wyld.

$40 cover charge (includes $5 in fees). $67.50 premium seating (includes $7.50 in fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

LIVE AT 54 BELOW

54 Below's new series is designed to make more shows accessible to fans all over the world. “Live from 54 Below” will feature LIVE performances of current shows on the calendar, streamed directly from Broadway's Living Room. Seven cameras will capture the excitement of being at the venue – all paired with the club's dramatic lighting and award-winning sound design. To recreate the live experience, all shows will be presented exclusively at the time of performance with an in-house audience and will not be available on demand afterwards.

The following performances will be streamed live. For tickets, visit www.54Below.org/LIVE.

Andre De Shields CELEBRATES THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF HAARLEM NOCTURNE February 24 at 7pm ET / Tickets $28.50 (includes $3.50 in fees.)

SONDHEIM UNPLUGGED February 25 at 7pm ET / Tickets $28.50 (includes $3.50 in fees.)

MORE ABOUT 54 BELOW

54 Below, a recipient of the 2022 TONY AWARDS Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, is a non-profit organization with a mission to preserve the music of Broadway and expand the art of the cabaret while growing opportunities for diverse communities of emerging and established artists and providing unparalleled audience experiences.

It was founded as a place for the Broadway community to celebrate Broadway performers, both established and new, who sing not only the music of Broadway and the Great American Songbook, but also new material intended for Broadway and off-Broadway stages. One of the most in demand venues in the city presenting over 700 shows per year, the club features fine dining and superb scenic, lighting, and sound designs entirely imagined by Broadway designers. For performers, writers, musicians, and more, 54 Below gives opportunities to advance their craft, expand their repertoires, and develop their voices in a way that is more personal, making them stronger as artists. It gives Broadway fans an opportunity to see their favorite artists in a different way, deepening their relationship and understanding of their talent.

54 Below celebrates Broadway musicals and writers of the past and present, promoting an ongoing engagement with their work. It is also a place for innovation in musical songwriting and performance. Collaborations born at 54 Below give rise to and help develop new theatrical projects and new musicals. In addition, its popular streaming video activities and audio recordings support these activities, helping to build a new Broadway audience worldwide, both in age and geography.

Located at 254 West 54th Street, the club presents live shows at 7pm and 9:30pm. Tickets and information at the link below.

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