TV: 'JEKYLL And HYDE' Leading Ladies Perform At Cast Party

On Monday May 18th, the principal cast of Jekyll & Hyde at the New York Society for Ethical Culture were featured at Jim Caruso's Cast Party at Birdland (315 W. 44th St.). Brooke Sunny Moriber and Jennifer Hallie Rosen were on hand to perform selections from the Wildhorn/Bricusse gothic musical.

The June 15th benefit concert will mark the show's first return to New York since its 1500+ performance run, and will feature material not seen in the Broadway run of the show, including "Bring on the Men", and "Girls of the Night".

Directed by Ilana Becker (reasons to be pretty), Robert Petkoff (Happiness, Fiddler on the Roof) leads the cast as the titular Jekyll and Hyde, with Brooke Sunny Moriber (Parade, The Wild Party, The Threepenny Opera) as Emma Carew, and Jennifer Hallie Rosen making her NYC debut as Lucy Harris. Additional casting includes Richard Binder as Gabriel John Utterson, with Timothy Jerome as Sir Danvers Carew, Marci Reid as Nellie, Tony Wolf as Sir Simon Stride, and Brandon Ruckdashel as Spider.

The Ensemble will comprise Jane Caplow, Stephanie Carnright, Huling Foster, James Kidd, Jason Maniscalco, Jessica Olsen, Cesar Rospigliosi, Sal Sabella, Doug Shapiro, Stacy Lee Tilton, and Kathryn Wieckhorst. Joining the cast on stage will be a 14-piece orchestra.

Jekyll will be presented by SAW Theatricals Inc./Sarah Melissa Rotker in association with Deborah Blumenthal and Philip Pallitto. Tickets range from $15.00 - $20.00, and VIP packages including a post-show dessert and wine reception range from $50.00 - $75.00. Performance tickets and VIP packages are available at www.ethicaljekyll.com, or by phone at 212-352-3101. All proceeds benefit the New York Society for Ethical Culture.

Jim Caruso'S CAST PARTY is a wildly popular weekly soiree that brings a sprinkling of Broadway glitz and urbane wit to the legendary Birdland in New York City every Monday night. It's a cool cabaret night-out enlivened by a hilariously impromptu variety show. Showbiz superstars hit the stage alongside up-and-comers, serving up jaw-dropping music and general razzle-dazzle.

For the past five years, it's been the ultimate spot to mix and mingle with Manhattan show folk and their fans. Caruso guides the entire affair like a bubbly cruise director, musical directors Tedd Firth or Billy Stritch hold court at the ivories, Steve Doyle bops on bass, and The Audience is invited to participate in the festivities! It's the party that would happen if somehow David Letterman and Ed Sullivan threw a hip house party around the nine-foot concert grand piano! www.CastPartyNYC.com

NEW YORK SOCIETY FOR ETHICAL CULTURE is the cornerstone of a humanist and ethical movement that was founded in 1876 to advance social justice for all. Ethical Culture emphasizes principles of behavior based on expressing one's conscience through moral and humane actions. The organization has been part of the fabric of life in New York City for over a century and its impact can be felt nationwide. NYSEC founded or helped establish organizations including the Legal Aid Society; the NAACP; the ACLU; the Visiting Nurse Service; the Ethical Culture Fieldston Schools; the first U.S. Settlement House; and the Encampment for Citizenship. The Society is housed in a landmark building on Central Park West that will celebrate its 100th Anniversary in 2010. The building is home to hundreds of community programs a year including panel discussions, concerts, theatrical events, and writing, music and art programs. NYSEC's Social Service Board runs a women's shelter on-site; operates a supervised visitation program for children and families; and sponsors homeless artists and writers workshop exhibitions. For more information, visit www.nysec.org.

JEKYLL & HYDE is Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse's Tony-nominated Broadway musical. The original Broadway production starred Linda Eder, Robert Cucciolli andChristiane Noll and is the longest running show in the history of the Plymouth Theater. Jekyll & Hyde has had three major tours, hundreds of regional productions in the United States and Canada, and over 35 international productions in countries like Germany, Austria, Spain, Hungary, Japan, Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Australia. It is the first new American musical to have two internationally released concept recordings of the score: Highlights from Jekyll & Hyde and Jekyll & Hyde: The Complete Work. The Broadway Cast recording of Jekyll & Hyde received a 1997 Grammy nomination. Songs from the show have been performed worldwide and have been featured at the Olympics, the Super Bowl, the World Series, the WNBA Championship, Miss America Pageants, the 1996 Democratic National Convention, and the Inauguration of President Clinton (sung by Jennifer Holliday). There have now been ten international recordings of Jekyll & Hyde in six different languages.

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