Feinstein's/54 Below to Celebrate the 60th Anniversary of WEST SIDE STORY

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents a celebration of the groundbreaking musical masterpiece West Side Story on the 60th anniversary of the show's opening on Tuesday, September 26th at 7:00 pm at Feinstein's/54 Below (254 West 54th Street). With an immortal score by Leonard Bernstein (music) and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics), West Side Story opened at the Winter Garden Theater on September 26, 1957. This very special 60th anniversary program will feature young talent and theatre veterans singing some of the most beloved songs from the score - "Something's Coming," "Maria," "Tonight," "Cool," "I Feel Pretty," "Somewhere," and others, plus an appearance by special guest Harvey Evans, whose credits include both the original Broadway production and the film version of WEST SIDE STORY. Full company to be announced soon. Produced and hosted by journalist/theater historian Michael Portantiere with musical direction by Matthew Martin Ward. There is a $35-$45 cover charge and $25 food and beverage minimum. Premium seats are $75. Tickets and information are available at www.54Below.com. Tickets on the day of performance after 4:00 are only available by calling (646) 476-3551.

Michael Portantiere (producer/host) is chief New York Theater critic for TalkinBroadway.com and a panelist for BroadwayRadio's "This Week on Broadway" podcasts, presented by BroadwayStars.com. He has worked as an editor and writer for InTheater magazine and Back Stage, and he was Editor in Chief of TheaterMania.com from 2000 to 2007. Michael has contributed interviews and articles to such publications as Playbill, The Sondheim Review, Everything Sondheim, W42ST magazine, and NPR.com. He may be heard on the commentary tracks for the DVD and Blu-Ray editions of the 1956 film version of The King and I (with film historian Richard Barrios), and he has written notes for cast recordings of Little Me, The Most Happy Fella, and the New York Philharmonic's Sweeney Todd with George Hearn and Patti LuPone. He is also a theater photographer whose photos have been published in The New York Times and other major publications.

Matthew Martin WARD (musical director/pianist) has appeared on the band car at Radio City Music Hall for the Christmas Pageant, playing Tchaikowsky for an ursine ballerina. Broadway shows include Avenue Q, Tarzan, La Cage aux Folles, Urinetown, Tommy, State Fair, and Blood Brothers. He was MD for two editions of Forbidden Broadway... Strikes Back and Cleans Up its Act. (DRG records). Off-B'Way: Whoop-Dee-Doo (RCA Records), Nunsense and Ruthless. Matthew is the composer of After the Fair, (book & lyrics Stephen Cole), which has been produced in New York (Outer Critic's Circle nom.) Dallas, London, Chicago, Seattle and more. His musical Casper (written with Cole), about the ghost, toured with the legendary Chita Rivera as star. And his musical The Lady in Penthouse B (book & lyrics by Peter Napolitano) was presented at the York Theatre in a production starring Nancy Dussault.

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW: Michael Feinstein, one of the world's greatest 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 on 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. www.54Below.com/Feinsteins

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