Interview: Victoria Shaw Dishes on the Next UNDER THE COVERS at Birdland

Singer/songwriter Victoria Shaw has been hosting her acclaimed UNDER THE COVERS series for over 18 years, including a spin on PBS. It’s coming back to Manhattan’s Birdland Jazz Club on Monday, March 18 at 7:00 PM with a stacked lineup of songwriters prepared to “play their hits and tell the stories behind them” in this intimate concert. Shaw has a stacked discography herself, writing songs for the likes of Garth Brooks, Ricky Martin and Kristin Chenoweth – with a track record as varied as she aims to keep her Under the Covers series. We spoke a bit about the origins of the show and what viewers can expect from the concert on March 18.

Where did you first get the idea for your “Under the Covers” series?  

I wanted to bring an extension of the songwriter nights that have been going on in Nashville for years, but with my own unique twist.  In Nashville,  songwriter nights usually consist of only hit country songwriters, but I love to keep it musically diverse.  I might have a jazz songwriter with a pop writer or a Broadway star that is also a songwriter like my friend Ramin Karimloo or Constantine Maroulis.  For me, THAT’S super fun and the audience seems to love it too.  One day a TV producer came to see my show at Birdland and the next thing I knew I had my own series on PBS called “Songwriters Under the Covers with Victoria Shaw.”  So this concept definitely resonates with music lovers. 

You have a stacked lineup for your 3/18 show, with Peter Cincotti, Josh Turchin, Ruby Locknar and Ava Locknar, to name a few. What are you most looking forward to about this one?  

The whole evening is going to be one big musical explosion!   But I will say that I’m extra excited to debut some brand new songs from a project that I’m working on with Peter Cincotti! 

What’s the most interesting tidbit that you’ve discovered at your “Under the Covers” series so far?

I’ve been doing this series at Birdland for something like 18 years and the audience is always fully open to all the different performers and all the various types of music being represented.  Like I said, in one show we might have jazz, rock, country and Broadway.  I like to keep things interesting and loose.  I want the audience to feel like they are at my party, not my “show.”  I always joke that “rehearsals are for suckers!” because there really aren’t any rehearsals for these shows.   My talented friends show up, play amazing songs and tell the stories behind them. It’s a very unique and FUN evening!  Not to mention, you really never know who else may pop up on stage!  Last time Kristin Chenoweth came to my show I pulled her up to sing a song of mine that she had recorded!  The audience went crazy!

What’s coming up next for you?  

 Well, speaking of keeping things musically diverse… I’ve been involved in writing a few special songs for Kristin Chenoweth, who I adore.  I also work with an amazing country artist named Cooper Alan who is exploding! And in between all that I’ve been tinkering away on a musical with co-writer Gary Burr.   I love jumping from project to project and genre to genre.  It keeps it interesting!

For reservations, you can call (212) 581-3080 or visit Birdland's website.

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