Deborah Grace Winer Returns to Birdland with NEW YORK: BIG CITY SONGBOOK

Deborah Grace Winer continues her monthly love affair with New York when her acclaimed musical revue "NEW YORK: BIG CITY SONGBOOK" returns to Birdland Theatre on Sunday, April 14 at 7:30 pm featuring Klea Blackhurst, LaTanya Hall and Nick Ziobro with Joe Davidian on piano and Jay Leonhart on bass and vocals. Mark Waldrop directs with musical arrangements by John Oddo. Birdland is located at 315 West 44th Street, NYC. www.birdlandjazz.com

A virtual guide book to New York City in song, this monthly musical revue at Birdland is becoming a top tourist 'must see.' Take the A Train...I Happen to like New York...Boy from New York City. Why has everyone from Billy Joel and Rodgers & Hart to Mary Chapin Carpenter and Comden & Green been compelled to write about New York? What is it about this city that fuels an endless supply of stories? Deborah Grace Winer's jewelbox revue NEW YORK: BIG CITY SONGBOOK offers a kaleidoscopic tour of life in the city, from the inspiring and romantic to the aggravating and the quirky.

Deborah Grace Winer, who led the 92Y's celebrated Lyrics & Lyricists™ series for 9 seasons, now presents BIG CITY SONGBOOK at the new Birdland Theater one Sunday a month.

Called "A must-see guide to the city in song" NEW YORK: BIG CITY SONGBOOK continues at Birdland on Sundays, May 12, June 23, July 14 and August 11.

Get a preview below:

Bios:
Deborah Grace Winer (Creator, Writer, Host) is a leading expert on the classic American Songbook. Her current collaborations include Feinstein's/54 Below, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Schimmel Center/Pace University, and she recently completed a nine season run as Artistic Director of the 92Y's Lyrics & Lyricists™ concert series, presiding over 50 original shows and steering the venerable series back to audience and critical acclaim. Author and dramatist, her four books include On the Sunny Side of the Street: The Life and Lyrics of Dorothy Fields, recently reissued on Amazon, and The Night and the Music: Rosemary Clooney, Barbara Cook and Julie Wilson Inside the World of Cabaret. Her articles have appeared in The New York Times, and her plays, off-Broadway and regionally.

Klea Blackhurst (Vocalist) is known for her award-winning tribute to Ethel Merman, Everything The Traffic Will Allow. She starred in the world premiere production of Hazel at Drury Lane Oakbrook in Chicago and The Nutty Professor, which premiered in Nashville, directed by Jerry Lewis and featuring a score by Marvin Hamlisch and Rupert Holmes. Klea starred in Goodspeed Opera's 50th Anniversary production of Hello, Dolly! She's appeared in legendary halls from The London Palladium to Carnegie Hall, The Royal Albert Hall to Jazz at Lincoln Center and with symphony orchestras from Atlanta to Philly.

La Tanya Hall has worked with some of the world's most celebrated artists including Diana Ross, Bobby McFerrin, Donald Fagen, Quincy Jones, Aretha Franklin, Michael Feinstein, Patti LaBelle, and Harry Belafonte. TV credits: Blue Bloods, Law & Order, 100 Centre Street, The Sopranos. Broadway and theater appearances: Dreamgirls; Promises, Promises; A Christmas Carol. Her new solo album, Say Yes, was released earlier this year by Suynnyside Records.

Nick Ziobro is an international recording artist and performer. He has performed in New York City venues like Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Feinstein's at 54 Below, and Birdland many times. He has toured the country with his mentor, Michael Feinstein, sharing a passion for the Great American Songbook with audiences from all over.

John Oddo (Co-creator & Arrangements) was music director, pianist and arranger for Rosemary Clooney for almost 20 years, including for 20 of her recordings and countless televised performances. He was pianist for NBC Tony Bennett 90th Birthday special, and as an arranger collaborated frequently with the Boston Pops. He was music director/arranger/pianist for such artists as Tony Danza, Christine Ebersole, James Naughton, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, Barbara Cook and a longtime collaborator of Michael Feinstein's. Various PBS specials as music director/arranger/conductor include Feinstein's recent shows from the Rainbow Room.

Mark Waldrop (Co-creator & Stage Director) is director, book writer and lyricist of the legendary Howard Crabtree's When Pigs Fly. He directed and provided special material for Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends, which earned a Tony award nomination. He directed and wrote material for Bette Midler on her Divine Miss Millennium tour, and has directed cabaret and concert performances for Faith Prince, Sutton Foster and Brooke Shields, among many others. His numerous New York and regional credits include Radio City Music Hall and NEWSical the Musical

CABARET/MUSIC LISTINGS INFO

Deborah Grace Winer presents "NEW YORK: BIG CITY SONGBOOK" ("a virtual guidebook to NYC in song in song") featuring Klea Blackhurst, La Tanya Hall & Nick Ziobro at Birdland Theater, 315 West 44th Street, NYC, Sunday, April 14 at 7:30 PM. Reservations: www.BirdlandJazz.com $40 cover, $75 VIP cover (prime seating, backstage meet and greet), $10 food/drink minimum.

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