Gavin Lee to Present STEPPIN' OUT WITH FRED ASTAIRE at Birdland
Gavin Lee just returned from the UK where he was playing Lumière in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at the London Palladium.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Apr. 10, 2023
BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB will present two-time Tony Award nominee and two-time Drama Desk winner Gavin Lee - making his Birdland debut with his solo show "Steppin' Out with Fred Astaire" - on Monday, May 29 at 7:00 PM. Gavin played two Fred Astaire roles during his award-winning West End and Broadway career, so with a little help from Gershwin, Berlin, Porter and a pair of tap shoes, he will fill this evening with songs and stories that made Fred a true star of the Golden Age of Hollywood. There is a $40 music charge. Birdland is located at 315 West 44th Street in New York.
Gavin Lee just returned from the UK where he was playing Lumière in Disney's Beauty and the Beast at the London Palladium. He previously originated the role of Squidward in The SpongeBob Musical on Broadway (Drama Desk Award and Tony Award nomination). Two of his favourite roles have been Thénadier in the Broadway revival of Les Misérables and the title character in How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical at Madison Square Garden. He originated the role of Bert in the West End and Broadway productions of Mary Poppins (Drama Desk and Theatre World Awards, Olivier and Tony Award nominations). Gavin has appeared at Carnegie Hall in Show Boat and in the world premiere of musical Holiday Inn. TV credits include "Law and Order: SUV," "The Good Wife," "Little America," and "White Collar." Select London and UK theatre credits include Top Hat, Crazy for You, Peggy Sue Got Married, Me and My Girl, Over My Shoulder, Oklahoma!, Contact, and Singin' in the Rain. Gavin has performed his solo cabaret in New York, Chicago, London and on Disney Cruise Line.
BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB will present Gavin Lee on Monday, May 29 at 7:00 PM. There is a $40 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
April 10 (Monday) 7:00 PM - Birdland Jazz Club
Kenn Boisinger - "Plugged: The Birdlund Concert"
Kenn Boisinger is the brainchild of musical comedian Michael West, known for his runs in Forbidden Broadway, NEWSical, and When Pigs Fly. Fresh from his much heralded, totally sold-out Christmas show at Birdland, Kenn now brings his indescribable style and inimitable voice to Birdland. Expect to hear Kenn's unique take on classic jazz standards, as well as his new, jazz-infused versions of Boisinger classics, including "Third Rail," "Is She a Call Girl, Or Just a Girl I'd Like to Call?," "Daddy Drinks Because You Cry," and "Someone's Always Dead at Manhattan Plaza," as well as some new, destined-to-become-Boisinger classics that Kenn will be introducing, including "Stay for the Loud Note" and "The Last One to Leave the Strip Club." The show will feature musical director Alan Bukowiecki, as well as the bass guy, the drummer, and a surprise guest or two.
$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
April 10 (Monday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater
The Kinsey Sicks - "Drag Queen Storytime Gone WILD!"
The country's most potty-mouthed and politically outspoken drag quartet has somehow been put in charge of morning assembly at your local elementary school. What can possibly go right? The new show features a cavalcade of Kinsey classics and new parodies to ruin your childhood favorites. You'll never be able to hear nursery rhymes and other classic children's songs the same way again. For over 25 years, America's Favorite Dragapella Beautyshop Quartet has served up a feast of music and comedy to audiences at performing arts centers, music venues, and comedy festivals in every kind of town you can imagine! Their award-winning a cappella singing, sharp satire, and over-the-top drag have earned The Kinsey Sicks a diverse and devoted following. They have been called "inventive, riotously and sublime" by Variety.
$40 tables + $20 food/drink minimum
April 13 (Thursday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater
Myriam Phiro - "Becoming Marlene Dietrich"
After sold-out performances of her acclaimed tribute to Edith Piaf, Phiro returns to Birdland with a new show about the one and only Marlene Dietrich. Ms. Phiro will be accompanied by her stellar and long-tenured trio: Hyuna Park (piano), Elias Bailey (bass) and guests. Dietrich was a pioneer in asserting a woman's right in controlling her image and defying social conventions of the 1930's. She is recognized for denouncing fascism and embodying a uniquely enigmatic sex appeal. Marlene exhibited an unapologetic control over her career and image while being featured in over 50 films and performing countless cabaret shows in a career lasting over 60 years. Myriam Phiro is known for her poignant renditions of Dietrich's counterpart, Edith Piaf. The songstress is ecstatic about this new show that combines elements of Piaf and Dietrich's time period and explores the rumored scandalous relationship between the two. Phiro, deemed to be "the perfect re-enactment of a mix between Edith Piaf and Marilyn Monroe; deep, powerful, fun and sexy all at once" by Miguel Dominguez of NYC Culture & Style Magazine, will combine her talents for this spectacular event. She will convey some of the most dramatic moments of Dietrich's life and legacy while unveiling some of the diva's mysteries.
$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum
April 17 (Monday) 7:00 PM - Birdland Jazz Club
Anita Gillette & Penny Fuller - "Sin Twisters: The Next Frontier"
Two of Broadway's most beloved performers, Anita Gillette and Penny Fuller, take the stage at for their latest song and story compilation: "Sin Twisters: The Next Frontier." These two glorious veterans of stage and screen share stories about shows they've done (or might have done) as well as highlight the Broadway songwriters they have worked with, including Irving Berlin, Strouse & Adams, Kander & Ebb, and William Finn. Musical director Paul Greenwood is at the keyboard and director Barry Kleinbort is at the helm. Anita Gillette has played Birdland, 54 Below, and London's St. James Studio. Probably best known as Miss Mona in Moonstruck, or Miss Mitzi in Shall We Dance?, her other feature films include: The Fitzgerald Family Christmas, Boys on the Side, She's the One, Bob Roberts, and The Great New Wonderful. She starred in fourteen Broadway shows including: Chapter Two (Tony Nomination, LA Drama Critics Award), Cabaret (Sally Bowles), Carnival, Gypsy, Guys & Dolls, All American, They're Playing Our Song, Brighton Beach Memoirs, and Mr. President. She was Tina Fey's mother on "30 Rock." Penny Fuller was recently seen on Broadway in the acclaimed revival of Sunday in the Park with George. She began her Broadway career starring in Barefoot in the Park, and the musicals Cabaret, Rex, and Applause (Tony nomination for "Eve Harrington"). Her television work garnered her six Emmy nominations and the Emmy Award for ABC's "The Elephant Man." Recent Broadway credits include Horton Foote's Dividing the Estate and Neil Simon's The Dinner Party (Tony nomination).
$40 tables / $40 bar seating + $10 food/drink minimum
April 24 (Monday) 7:00 PM - Birdland Jazz Club
Karen Akers - "About Time"
Singer and actress Karen Akers will return to Birdland with her concert featuring musical director Alex Rybeck. Akers takes a look back at some of the songs that first brought her acclaim in cabaret as well as on Broadway, television, and recordings - works by Craig Carnelia, Maury Yeston, Edith Piaf, and Stephen Sondheim, among other treasures. Akers is one of America's more arresting and successful concert stars. She is the recipient of the 2005 New York Nightlife Award for Outstanding Female Cabaret Vocalist, as well as the 2009 Nightlife Legend Award. Ms. Akers has appeared in many prestigious venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall and The Hollywood Bowl, as well as the Cafe Carlyle and The Oak Room at The Algonquin Hotel. She has taken her music to the south of France, Russia, and Barcelona's Liceu Opera House. She appeared on Broadway as one of the original stars of the Tony Award-winning musical Grand Hotel. She made her debut on the Great White Way in the original production of Nine, receiving a Tony nomination and a Theatre World Award.
$40 tables + $20 food/drink minimum
May 1 (Monday) 7:00 PM - Birdland Jazz Club
The star of Broadway's "Wicked" making her New York City solo concert debut
Brittney Johnson's New York City solo concert debut "Ripple Effect" is a musical homage to her past, present, and a sneak peek of what's to come. Johnson is an accomplished Broadway actress who uses her platform to promote representation and equity. She is the first Black actress to play Glinda, the "Good Witch" role originated by Kristin Chenoweth, in Broadway's iconic musical Wicked. Previously the standby for Glinda, Johnson took over the role full-time in February 2022. A prominent figure in the Broadway community, Johnson has additionally starred in productions including Les Misérables, Motown: The Musical, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Sunset Boulevard, and Kristin Chenoweth's For the Girls. Off-stage, Johnson is a sought-after life coach and performance coach. She translates her experience in the industry into workshops, masterclasses, and speaking engagements to better prepare students and industry professionals for life as a performing artist.
May 8 (Monday) 7:00 PM - Birdland Jazz Club
Victoria Shaw, Jim Brickman, and Peter Cincotti - "Three Friends, One Piano"
This special musical evening with three great musical talents stars Victoria Shaw, Jim Brickman, and Peter Cincotti, in "Three Friends, One Piano." Shaw, the chart-topping songwriter; Jim Brickman, the Grammy-nominated pianist; and Cincotti, the acclaimed vocalist and musician, will create an evening of "musical chairs" as they play their hits and tell the stories behind them. Victoria Shaw's songs have been staples on the charts since the early '90s. Victoria's #1 compositions include Garth Brooks's "The River" and "She's Every Woman," Ricky Martin's "So'lo Quiero Amarte," and Jim Brickman's "Sending You a Little Christmas." Jim Brickman is the best-selling solo pianist of our time, earning 21 #1 albums, 32 Top 20 radio hits, and two Grammy nominations. His star-studded vocal collaborations have crossed genres to feature luminaries like Martina McBride, Michael Bolton, Donny Osmond, Kenny Rogers, Olivia Newton-John, Johnny Mathis, and Kenny Loggins, among many others. Peter Cincotti was called "one of the most promising singer-pianists of the next generation by The New York Times. A born and bred New Yorker, Cincotti's debut album reached #1 on the Billboard jazz charts, making the eighteen-year-old musician the youngest artist ever to do so. Peter's albums have been produced by legends such as Phil Ramone and sixteen-time Grammy winner David Foster, blending genres from pop to jazz, and leading him to perform in some of the world's most prestigious venues.
$40 tables + $20 food/drink minimum
May 15 (Monday) 7:00 PM - Birdland Jazz Club
Steve Ross - "They All Fall in Love"
In his salute to spring at Birdland, Steve Ross Vocalist and pianist Steve Ross - widely heralded as "The Crown Prince of New York Cabaret" - will cover the concept of springtime love in the lower orders ("Any Little Fish," "The Dolphin"), and vernal celebrations ("In the Spring of the Year, " "Spring, Spring, Spring," "Paris in the Spring"). The lighter side of the season will celebrated with "Hurry, It's Lovely Up Here," and "April in Fairbanks." The thoughtful side will include Michel Legrand's "You Must Believe in Spring" and Harry Warren's "Spring Isn't Everything." The rueful side of spring will be represented by "Spring Is Here," and of course, "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most." Ross has been a fixture of the cabaret community in Manhattan for over forty years. In 1981 he re-opened the legendary Oak Room at Manhattan's famed Hotel Algonquin where he held forth for over 15 years. He has appeared on Broadway in Noël Coward's Present Laughter and off-Broadway in his Fred Astaire tribute I Won't Dance. Internationally, he has performed in London, Paris, Tokyo, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Melbourne and Sydney as well as cabarets and theatres across America and on the high seas.
$40 + $20 food/drink minimum
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