Benjamin Eakeley Returns With BROADWAY SWINGER, VOLUME 2 At Feinstein's/54 Below

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW - Broadway's Supper Club - will present the return of Benjamin Eakeley and his jazz band in an encore performance of his acclaimed solo concert "BROADWAY SWINGER, VOLUME 2" on Tuesday, August 14 at 7:00 PM. "BROADWAY SWINGER, VOLUME 2," which chronicles the birth of swing music in the 1930s and the rise of the big bands that lifted American spirits out of the Great Depression, features timeless standards by Harold Arlen, Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Jerome Kern and other greats who established the 1930s as the Golden Age of American Songwriting. According to Cabaret Scenes, Eakeley does "a masterful job of bringing back the sound and spirit of those Depression era songs." Tickets are available HERE.

This is the follow-up to "BROADWAY SWINGER, VOLUME 1," which premiered in 2016 to sold-out houses at Feinstein's/54 Below and took the audience on a saucy romp through music of the swinging '60s. Eakeley was praised by BroadwayWorld.com for his "bewitching stage presence" with "decidedly sensual power and lush jazz vocals." Stage Buddy raved, "It doesn't take long for the entire room to fall for Eakeley's charm, wit, and divine voice as he seamlessly moves through a well-chosen song list."

"BROADWAY SWINGER, VOLUME 2" is co-written by Tim Murray (50 Shades: The Musical) and directed by JV Mercanti (59E59's Songbird, Broadway's Romeo and Juliet), with James Olmstead (conductor, Broadway's On Your Feet!) serving as music director. Mr. Eakeley is accompanied by a four-piece jazz featuring piano, bass, drums and trumpet.

Benjamin Eakeley will present "BROADWAY SWINGER, VOLUME 2" at Feinstein's/54 Below (254 West 54th Street) on Tuesday, August 14 at 7:00 PM. Cover charges start at $35 with a $25 food and beverage minimum. Tickets and information are available at www.54Below.com. Tickets on the day of performance after 4:00 PM are only available by calling (646) 476-3551.

Benjamin Eakeley played Clifford Bradshaw in the recent Roundabout Theatre Company National Tour of Cabaret, and he has appeared on Broadway in the revivals of She Loves Me, Cabaret, Sweeney Todd and On a Clear Day, You Can See Forever. He has been seen in seven films, including The Good Shepherd and the upcoming The Unattainable Story, and his television credits include "Orange Is the New Black," "The Blacklist" and "The Good Wife." In 2014, Time Out New York named him one of "The 10 Hottest Chorus Boys Opening In Broadway Musicals This Spring." Eakeley has received a New York Drama Critics' Circle Special Citation (Sweeney Todd) and an Astaire Award Nomination (She Loves Me), and he was a national finalist in the Lotte Lenya Competition for Singers.

JV Mercanti (Director) is currently Associate Director of Musical Theater at Pace University's School of the Arts. He most recently served as Associate Director of "Jesus Christ Superstar: Live" for NBC, starring John Legend and Sara Bareilles. Last fall he directed a 29-hour reading of the Britney Spears jukebox musical for Nederlander Productions. Mercanti workshopped and directed Lauren Pritchard's critically acclaimed musical Songbird at 59E59th, hailed by the New York Times as "expertly directed." He served as the Casting and Associate Director on the recent Broadway revival of Romeo & Juliet with Orlando Bloom and Condola Rashad. He also cast the Kevin Kline revival of Cyrano de Bergerac, co-starring Jennifer Garner. Mercanti holds an MFA from Rutgers University and a BA from NYU's Gallatin School of Individualized Studies. Along with various NYC and regional theatre directing credits, he spent two years as Assistant Professor of Acting and Directing at the University of Miami. His monologue book series, In Performance, is published by Applause Books.

Tim Murray (Co-writer) is an actor, writer and comedian, originally from Sandusky, Ohio. He originated a role in the Off-Broadway show 50 Shades the Musical (New York Times "Critic's Pick"). He has also performed with the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Texas Shakespeare Festival, Wagon Wheel Theatre, Arts Center of Coastal Carolina and many other theaters across the country. His plays World Famous and The Connector had their world premieres at Theatre for the New City in NYC, and he continues to perform stand-up at comedy clubs in Los Angeles. You can find his viral sketch comedy content @TMurray06 on YouTube, including "Unfunny Gay Guys" and "High School Production of Hamilton."

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW Michael Feinstein, one of the world's great musical artists, and 54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, have united to give New York an unparalleled destination for entertainment and dining. Feinstein's/54 Below, Broadway's Supper Club, is the performance venue in the grand tradition of New York City nightlife. A few blocks from the heart of Times Square and just below the legendary Studio 54, Feinstein's/54 Below is a classically designed state-of-the art nightclub in the theatre district that hosts audiences with warmth and style. Feinstein's/54 Below will present iconic and rising stars from the worlds of Broadway and popular music. The venue provides a food and beverage menu from early evening through the wee hours of the morning that is worthy of the world-class entertainment on the stage. In their description of the venue, The New York Times writes Feinstein's/54 Below "has the intimacy of a large living room with unimpeded views and impeccable sound; there is not a bad seat. Its sultry after-hours ambience is enhanced by brocade- patterned wall panels planted with orange-shaded lanterns. And the atmosphere is warmer and sexier than in Manhattan's other major supper clubs." Located at 254 West 54th Street, Feinstein's/54 Below features up to three shows nightly with cover charges ranging from $15-$105. www.54Below.com/Feinsteins

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