Birdland to Welcome Golden Globe Winner Amanda McBroom in SUCH GOOD FRIENDS

BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB will present the return of Golden Globe-winning singer and songwriter Amanda McBroom – along with her musical director and writing partner Michele Brourman – in the new evening of music “Such Good Friends” on Monday, September 18 at 7:00 PM. This concert will feature songs by Amanda’s favorite female songwriters, including Susan Werner, Ann Hampton Callaway, Julie Gold, Dorothy Fields, Marilyn Bergman, and Michele Brourman. The show will celebrate the musical riches from the hearts and minds of some of the great women in the world of song. There is a $35 music charge. Birdland is located at 315 West 44th Street in New York.

 

Amanda McBroom was called “the greatest cabaret performer of her generation, an urban poet who writes like an angel and has a voice to match” by The New York Times. She first came to the attention of music lovers when Bette Midler’s version of Amanda’s song “The Rose” hit number one all over the world in 1979. In addition to Midler, her songs have been recorded by a wide variety of artists including Amy Poehler and Jack Black, Barry Manilow, Judy Collins, Barbara Cook, LeAnn Rimes, Harry Belafonte, Betty Buckley, The Manhattan Transfer, Donny Osmond, Kurt Cobain, Nana Mouskouri, Conway Twitty, the Chipmunks, and the Baby Dinosaurs in Land Before Time (she wrote all the songs for 16 Universal videos with longtime collaborator Michele Brourman).

 

Amanda’s performance of “The Rose” on the Golden Globes (she won!) convinced audiences worldwide that the best interpretations of McBroom songs are by McBroom herself. She has been applauded in concert halls around the world from Carnegie Hall to Angel Place Recital Hall in Sydney, Australia. Her love of musical theater – she starred in the New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and European productions of Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, on Broadway in Seesaw, and in productions of Sweeney Todd, A Little Night Music, and Mame – compelled her to create a musical based on her songs. Heartbeats made its debut in Los Angeles, and has enjoyed regional theater productions around the country. Amanda’s latest musical, A Woman of Will, made its Off-Broadway debut in 2005.

 

BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB will present Amanda McBroom and Michele Brourman in “Such Good Friends” on Monday, September 18 at 7:00 PM. There is a $35 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 almost 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 2004. Called “show-business heaven” by The New York Times and “the gold-standard of open mic nights” by The Wall Street Journal, “Cast Party” will take advantage of the city’s post-pandemic nightlife renaissance to keep presenting 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).

$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

 

Every Saturday at 5:30 PM – Birdland Jazz Club 
 

Eric Comstock & Barbara Fasano

Hailed as “the truest heir to Bobby Short” in The New York Times, pianist/singer Eric Comstock returns to Birdland with star bassist/composer Sean Smith with songs by everyone from George Gershwin to George Harrison. These two masters met on the Off-Broadway hit Our Sinatra (which Eric co-wrote) and have since worked separately and together around the world. Vocalist Barbara Fasano joins them at Birdland for a swinging Saturday supper where the music and stories are equally great. Sean Smith has been an integral part of the international jazz scene for over 25 years, and has performed with Gerry Mulligan, Phil Woods, Benny Carter, Art Farmer, Flip Phillips, Clark Terry and many others. Barbara Fasano has been praised as “a gorgeous, soulful singer who has an actor’s intensity in whatever she sings” by The New York Post and “a lyrically sensitive interpreter” by The New York Times. Her latest album Busy Being Free is the recipient of the MAC Award for “Major Recording of the Year.”

$30 + $20 food/drink minimum

  

August 14 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club

Matt Baker & Luke Hawkins – “The Buddy Boys Take Birdland”

Join jazz pianist Matt Baker and tapper/singer Luke Hawkins, along with a few talented friends for an exciting night of music, magic and a little mayhem. Matt Baker performs regularly as a sideman at jazz venues including Birdland and The Blue Note, tours both within the USA and internationally as a bandleader and sideman and has released 6 albums, his latest a DVD album Live at Birdland. In 2019 Matt premiered his new project “A Rhapsody of Gershwin,” presenting a new spin on the music of one of America’s most celebrated composers. Baker’s sideman credits include touring and performing with vocalists Jennifer Holliday, Vanessa Williams, Patti LaBelle, Veronica Swift, Tierney Sutton, and Judy Collins. He won the 2003 Montreux International Solo Jazz Piano competition. Luke Hawkins is a NYC based tap dancer and choreographer. He performed in and choreographed the Broadway show, Harry Connick, Jr.- A Tribute to Cole Porter and has choreographed Connick and performed alongside him at The Hollywood Bowl, La Seine Musicale in Paris, the Palladium in London, and more. Luke’s theater credits include the Broadway production of Xanadu, Cirque du Soleil's Banana Shpeel (NYC) and Joya (Cancun, Mexico) as well as New York City Center Encores! productions of No, No, Nanette; Gentlemen Prefer Blondes; and On Your Toes. His TV and film credits include tap dancing alongside Channing Tatum in the Coen Brothers’ Hail, Caesar!, the 2015 Tony Awards, “Gossip Girl,” “America’s Got Talent,” “The Colbert Report,” “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” the 2021 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and Annie Live.

$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

 

August 17 (Thursday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

Joie Bianco and Friends

After two 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. With Eric Stern on piano, Blake Aldridge on bass and Henry Mohr on drums, hear Joie’s take on sassy up-tempos, the blues, and heart-wrenching ballads as a vehicle to tell stories from a young woman’s perspective on life. 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

 

August 21 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club

Wendy Moten

Nashville vocalist Wendy Moten – best known for her 2021 run on NBC’s “The Voice” – returns to the venue following her sold-out debut at Birdland last May and a six-show engagement at Birdland Theater that fall. This performance will feature compositions from Richard Whiting to the Queen of Soul. Most recently Wendy made another appearance on “The Voice” to perform with CeeLo Green for Blake Shelton’s final show. Wendy’s new single “Don’t Give Up” was released earlier this year. At Birdland, she will be joined by Mike Ricchiuti on keyboards, Brian Delaney on drums, David M. Santos on bass, and Paul Livant on guitar. Wendy Moten is a bridge from Memphis to Nashville to the rest of the world. Respected in the music business as a consummate professional for years, the wider public discovered her talent and charm during her remarkable run on NBC’s “The Voice” in 2021. She turned all four judges chairs during her blind audition and ended up as a finalist. A native of Memphis, Wendy sang Pop/R&B on a major label in the ‘90s, then moved to Nashville to become an in-demand harmony singer. She has recorded duets with Michael McDonald, Julio Iglesias, Kirk Whalum, Peabo Bryson, Vince Gill, Keb’ Mo’, Buddy Guy, Paul Brown, John Oates, and others. Wendy has performed as a solo artist on the Grand Ole Opry multiple times and recently with Blake Shelton.

$50 tables / $50 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

 

August 28 (Monday) 7:00 PM – Birdland Jazz Club

Cashino with Susie Mosher and John Boswell

​​“Cashino,” the long-running LA and NYC cult hit, stars Susie Mosher (Hairspray and host of Birdland’s “The Lineup”) and recording artist John Boswell as Pepper Cole and Johnny Niagra in a special concert version of the critically acclaimed multimedia musical show. “Cashino” began in the early 2000s with a series of short films about the lives of two legendary singers and their continuing struggle to become internet entrepreneurs. Since then, Johnny and Pepper have entertained audiences on both coasts with high energy, high strung and emotionally charged live sets. Known for seamlessly blending ‘80s pop/rock with classic show tunes, medleys include: “The Queen & I,” “Midler on the Roof,” “Chicago” and “The Prince & The Poppins.” After 10 years of vocal rest, Johnny and Pepper are back and ready to rock your world! Pianist John Boswell has served as musical director for Judy Collins, Andy Williams, Bob Newhart, Faith Prince, Carmen Cusack, and more. John played the role of “Moose” in the national tour of Crazy for You and has appeared on “The Tonight Show,” “Today Show,” “General Hospital” and was the piano playing hands of Nancy McKeon on “The Facts of Life.” Susie Mosher has been performing professionally since she was sixteen in the west coast premiere of Godspell. Nightclubs, theater, television and movies have been along her checkered path, including films View from the Top, It’s Pat, and The Wedding Planner. She has been seen on TV in “Beverly Hills 90210,” “The L Word,” and “Nurse Jackie.” Susie played Prudy Pingleton in Hairspray for the last two years of its run on Broadway.

$35 tables / $35 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

 

August 31 (Thursday) 8:30 PM – Birdland Theater

Cady Huffman and Mary Ann McSweeney – “Just Play”

Tony winner Cady Huffman and jazz and Broadway bass player Mary Ann McSweeney are two veteran performers who love playing music. “Just Play” explains their need to come together and play during the pandemic…and what they discovered along the way. Combining voice with bass, and whatever else strikes their fancy, the duo will pirouette from Peggy Lee to Jimi Hendrix, with a promise that nothing is off-limits. Cady Huffman started playing the Euphonium in 3rd grade, eventually putting it aside in favor of high kicks and belting out show tunes. In recent years she has taught herself the ukulele, couching the high kicks and refining her vocals to include her softer side. Influenced by Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, and Blossom Dearie, she infuses her music with a huge heart, humor and megawatt smile. Huffman won the 2001 Tony Award for playing “Ulla” in The Producers. She was nominated for an Outer Critics' Circle Award for The Nance, and nominated for a Tony Award for The Will Rogers Follies. She also appeared on Broadway in La Cage Aux Folles, Steel Pier, Dame Edna: The Royal Tour and Big Deal. Mary Ann McSweeney has played with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Joanne Brackeen, Lee Konitz, Gil Goldstein and Bucky Pizzarelli. She has played for famous conductors Leonard Bernstein, Lalo Schifrin, and John Williams. As a freelance bassist she has played 45 different Broadway and Off- Broadway productions. She continues to compose and arrange music for her “Urban Fado” project and is looking forward to recording her Urban Fado Project II.

$40 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

 

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