The two performers, who have performed extensively on their own, gained national exposure together as the host and musical director of the wildly popular open mic, Cast Party, which celebrates talent every Monday at Birdland in NYC, tours nationally, and will be part of this season's Lincoln Center American Songbook.
At Bemelmans, the duo is contantly in the news when showbiz heavy-hitters like Liza Minnelli, Bono and Michael Feinstein join them in impromptu performances. In their upcoming Carlyle run, Caruso and Stritch will be joined by bassist Steve Doyle.
JIM CARUSO made his Broadway debut alongside Liza Minnelli in the Tony Award-winning smash hit Liza's At The Palace!, singing, dancing and celebrating the music and arrangements of the late, great Kay Thompson and the Williams Brothers. For his nightclub work, Caruso has won six MAC, two Nightlife and two BackStage Bistro Awards for his sold-out New York shows at Birdland, the Algonquin Hotel, and Arci's Place; and has also performed in clubs in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Palm Beach Hotel and London. He sang with the New York Pops in an all-star tribute to Kander & Ebb at Carnegie Hall, and returned to "The Hall" in a tribute to Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, hosted by Michael Feinstein. Jim and his vocal trio, Wiseguys, were invited to sing at President Clintonâ€s Inaugural and First State Dinner at the White House, and celebrated Bing Crosby in concert at Carnegie Hall with Rosemary Clooney. For the past nine years, he has hosted a Monday night Manhattan showbiz bash at Birdland called "Jim Caruso's Cast Party," which has also celebrated talent in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Chicago, Austin, Orlando, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and on the high seas with the "Dave Koz & Friends" jazz cruise. His CD, "The Swing Set," was released in 2011.
The Carlyle is the city's premier luxury residential hotel and has served as second home to socialites, politicians and movie stars. Ludwig Bemelmans was commissioned to paint large-scale murals in the hotel bar. The creator of the enormously popular Madeline children's book series as well as a successful artist working for The New Yorker, Vogue and Town and Country, Bemelmans transformed the bar with clever, whimsical scenes of Central Park (including picnicking rabbits). Instead of being paid for the art, Bemelmans exchanged his work for a year and a half of accommodations at The Carlyle for himself and his family.
Jim Caruso & Billy Stritch Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle Hotel 35 East 76th Street, NYC Sundays in April, (5, 12, 19, 26) from 9pm to 12 midnight $15 per person at bar; $25 per person at table. Reservations not accepted; tables available on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information, visit www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/carlyle.
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