Ari Axelrod to Debut New Show at Birdland This Month
He will put his heartfelt spin on favorite songs from musical theater, the great American songbook, the pop world, and beyond.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Jan. 16, 2024
BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB will present the return of award-winning performer Ari Axelrod on Monday, January 29 at 7:00 PM. Most recently seen at Paper Mill Playhouse in their critically acclaimed production of Fiddler on the Roof, Axelrod returns to his artistic home at Birdland to debut a new show. He will put his heartfelt spin on favorite songs from musical theater, the great American songbook, the pop world, and beyond. Axelrod crafts a stunning exploration, through music, of what makes us human. This evening will send you home whistling a new favorite tune or humming a treasured gem. Lawrence Yurman serves as music director. There is a $30 music charge. Birdland is located at 315 West 44th Street in New York.
Ari Axelrod was named one of the “36 to Watch,” recognizing him as one of the 36 most influential Jews in the country, by The Jewish Week. He received the 2022 Bistro Award for Theatrical Artistry in Song. His show “A Place for Us: A Celebration of Jewish Broadway,” began with a sold-out run at Birdland, featuring six-time Emmy and Tony nominee Tovah Feldshuh. It has since grown to international acclaim, performing to sold-out audiences around the world, and garnered him a BroadwayWorld Award and a MAC Award nomination for Best Male Vocalist in 2020. His debut solo show “Taking the Wheel” – directed by Tony Award winner Faith Prince and music directed by multiple MAC Award winner Alex Rybeck – has been performed in numerous cities around the country. Ari’s work as a director has been seen at the Tony Award-winning Paper Mill Playhouse, 54 Below, and The Green Room 42. His debut album, Ari Axelrod Live at Birdland, is now available on all streaming platforms.
BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB will present Ari Axelrod on Monday, January 29 at 7:00 PM. There is a $30 music charge and a $20 food and beverage minimum. Birdland is located at 315 West 44th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenues) in Manhattan. For reservations, please call (212) 581-3080 or visit www.BirdlandJazz.com.
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UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS AT
BIRDLAND THEATER AND BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB
Every Monday at 9:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Jim Caruso’s Cast Party
“Jim Caruso’s Cast Party,” a New York institution for two decades, is a wildly popular weekly open mic night/variety show that has brought a sprinkling of Broadway glitz and urbane wit to Birdland since 2003. Called “show-business heaven” by The New York Times and “the gold-standard of open mic nights” by The Wall Street Journal, “Cast Party” presents a potent mix of Broadway stars, jazz swingers and cabaret legends, in addition to new faces and rising talent from every genre. The buoyant, sharp and charming Caruso guides the entire affair, while musical genius Billy Stritch (Liza Minnelli, Tony Bennett) holds court at the ivories and leads the Cast Party Symphony Orchestra (Steve Doyle on bass and Daniel Glass on drums). Eric Adams, the Mayor of the City of New York, recently proclaimed, “Whereas, I am enormously proud to lead a city renowned as a global capital of the arts, ‘Jim Caruso’s Cast Party’ has enriched our dynamic cultural landscape since 2003, and on the occasion of its 20th anniversary, I am pleased to recognize the weekly show's tremendous contributions to our performing arts and nightlife sectors.”
$30 + $20 food/drink minimum
Every Tuesday at 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater
The Lineup with Susie Mosher
“The Lineup with Susie Mosher” is a wild, anything-goes variety show featuring entertainers from the Broadway, cabaret and comedy scenes, ranging from today’s hottest headliners to the best up-and-coming stars of tomorrow. Mosher – the noted actress and singer from Broadway and beyond, called “one of those talents you need to see to believe” by Time Out New York – hosts the spontaneous extravaganza every Tuesday, and each Lineup is unique and promises to deliver an unforgettable night of quintessential New York City entertainment.
$20 + $20 food/drink minimum
January 18 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater
Carolyn Montgomery – “girlSINGER: A Tribute to Rosemary Clooney”
Award-winning vocalist Carolyn Montgomery will perform the world premiere of “girlSINGER,” her tribute to beloved entertainment legend Rosemary Clooney. The show will include some of her iconic hits like “Hey There,” “Tenderly,” and “Come On-A My House.” In her Birdland debut, Ms. Montgomery will be joined by music director Tedd Firth on piano, leading an all-star ensemble featuring Jonathan Kantor on saxophone and clarinet, Sherrie Maricle on drums, and Matt Scharfglass on bass. Trumpeter Warren Vaché, a mainstay of Clooney’s band for years, is a special guest. “girlSINGER” is directed by Tony Award nominee Sally Mayes. Montgomery is the Executive Director of the American Songbook Association, as well as a multi-MAC, Bistro and Nightlife Award-winning singer/songwriter. She’s performed in 36 states as well as London, Mexico, and Montreal. Critics laud Montgomery’s classic singing style, infectious sense of humor, feminist viewpoint and talent for storytelling. In 2017, she co-founded the American Songbook Association, a 501(c)3 nonprofit arts organization that promotes and preserves classic American musical legacies through education programs, senior enrichment, and live events.
$30 tables / $20 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
January 25 (Thursday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater
Joie Bianco and Friends
After three sold-out solo performances, “Joie Bianco and Friends” makes a comeback to
showcase Bianco’s own arrangements of favorite standards, debuting vocal trio/duo arrangements as well as debuting some of her original lyrics. Bianco will be joined by talented musicians and friends she’s befriended during her four years of music school. Bianco is a 22-year-old jazz singer from NYC and recently received her degree in jazz vocal performance at the University of Miami, Frost School of Music. Joie has appeared in many of NYC’s jazz and cabaret clubs, including Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland and Carnegie Hall. Joie was the 2019 winner in the jazz vocal category in Young Arts, and the recipient of the 2023 DownBeat Student Music Award for Best Solo Jazz Vocalist. Stephen Holden of The New York
Times referred to her as a “prodigious discovery.”
$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
February 5 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club
Songwriter Scott Alan returns to Birdland after a five-year absence to celebrate his most acclaimed works. Joined by collaborator Ben Cohn (Wicked, Dear Evan Hansen, Once Upon a One More Time), along with Mairi Dorman-Phanuef on cello, Kiku Enomoto on violin, David Fallo on viola, Sean McDaniel on drums, Vivi Rama on bass, and Tim Basom on guitar. Alan’swork will be celebrated by some of today’s brightest stars including: Charity Angél Dawson, Alyssa Fox, Jenn Gambatese, Luke Islam, Robin de Jesús, Tommy Kaiser, Diva LaMarr, Ginna Claire Mason, Mauricio Martínez, Mary Kate Morrissey, Lindsay Pearce, Jake Pedersen, Henry Jacob Platt, Jelani Remy, Adam Roberts, Talia Robinson, Nic Rouleau, Analise Scarpaci, Kate Shindle, Talia Suskauer, and Eleri Ward. After the 2007 release of his debut album Dreaming Wide Awake, Alan has gone on to release seven follow-up albums that include Keys, What I Wanna Be When I Grow Up, Live, Anything Worth Holding On To, Cynthia Erivo and Oliver Tompsett Sing Scott Alan, Lifeline, and Nothing More. His compositions have been featured on “American Idol,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” “Entertainment Tonight,” HBO, MTV, and VH1.
$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
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