Judy Kuhn, Bruce Vilanch & More Set for 54 Below this Week

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. 54 Below also launched its series of late night events. Joining Tuesday nights' popular "Backstage" with Susie Mosheris the "54 Piano Bar," a new vocal competition - "The Callback," and more:

Judy Kuhn, June 10 & 12 at 7PM:
Celebrating the release of her brand new album, three-time Tony nominee and star of Classic Stage Company's recent re-mounting of Passion Judy Kuhn makes her 54 Below debut in an evening she describes as "a meditation on love and happiness." Expect tunes ranging from the popular compositions of Joni Mitchell and Tom Waits, as well as composers such as Stephen Sondheim and Adam Guettel. Broadway audiences embraced Judy for her work in shows such as She Loves Me, Les Miserables, Chess and Rags. She received an Obie Award for her acclaimed Laura Nyro tribute, Eli's Comin'. Cover charge $45-55. $25 food & beverage minimum.

THE SKIVVIES, June 10 at 9:30PM:
This wit-rock, comedy-pop duo don't just strip down their musical arrangements, they literally strip down to their underwear to perform their distinctive mashups and eccentric originals for cello and ukulele, with touches of glockenspiel, melodica, and a surprising array of under-used instruments. Award-winning singer-actors Lauren Molina (Marry Me a Little, Sweeney Todd, Rock of Ages) and Nick Cearley (All Shook Up) became YouTube sensations as The Skivvies, with living room videos that displayed their powerful harmonies as well as their powerful abs. Those clips led to live shows that The Wall Street Journal called "smart, sophisticated...ingenious," and a music video directed by Augusten Burroughs, bestselling author of Running With Scissors. Joined by special guest stars who will strip down and rock out, expect a hilarious evening of genre-hopping pop perfection. Special Guests: ?Tony Award Winner and star of NBC's GO ON Laura Benanti, Two time Tony Nominee Alison Fraser,Tony Nominee Rory O'Malley, Andrew Keenan-Bolger (Newsies, Submissions Only), Adam Kantor (Last Five Years, Rent, Next to Normal),Morgan James (Motown, Godspell), Leslie McDonel (American Idiot, Hairspray, Legally Blonde), and Wesley Taylor (Rock of Ages, The Addams Family, NBC's SMASH), Shannon Ford on drums, Katrina Yaukey (War Horse, Sweeney Todd, Cabaret, Billy Elliot) on accordion and sax. Cover charge $20-30. $25 food & beverage minimum.

LATE NIGHT: THE CALLBACK- SEMI FINALS, June 10 at 11PM:
At The Callback on Monday nights, contestants perform for a chance to win their own cabaret show at 54 Below. Contestants are chosen by video audition, their performances recorded and uploaded to 54 Below's Facebook and Youtube page, and each week, a winner is determined by audience vote to progress to the next round. "The Callback" contestants may also have the chance to sing in front of industry executives and Broadway celebrity guest judges as they move forward in the competition. For more information on "The Callback" rules or how to submit an audition video, please visit www.54Below.com. No cover charge. $20 food & beverage minimum.

WBGO JAZZ SERIES: Bucky Pizzarelli, June 11 at 7PM & 9PM:
Bucky Pizzarelli is the greatest living rhythm guitarist on planet Earth or anywhere else in the universe, and his Great Guitars are always an exciting musical feast highlighted by swinging standards and tender ballads that make our spirits soard and our hearts melt. Cover charge $25-35. $15 food & beverage minimum.

LATE NIGHT: BACKSTAGE, June 11 at 10:30PM:
Each week, Broadway cast members and audiences alike gather to mix and mingle at 54 Below, Broadway's most intimate haunt, located in the heart of the theatre district. Musical Director Brad Simmons keeps the house jumping from the piano, while host Susie Mosher (the love child of Joanne Worley & Paul Lynde) guides the crowd through an evening of music, mayhem and full throttle belting, with special guests from Broadway and beyond dropping in to perform. NPR had this to say: "The best thing happening right now might just be the weekly Backstage. Hosted by the ridiculously funny Susie Mosher and pianist Brad Simmons who clearly is the man, it's two feel-good hours among New York's theater people, who seem like they're having a really fine time. Can't recommend it highly enough!" At this week's Backstage is Morgan James (Motown, Godspell, Addams Family), Carly Sakolove (NEWSical), Ned Massey (Four Messages), Katie Thompson (Big Fish, Giant), Elena Bennet (Jazz vocalist), Lindsay Roginski (Chicago), and Adam Feldman (Time Out NY's Soulful Troubadour). No cover charge. $20 food & beverage minimum.

MX. JUSTIN VIVIan Bond, June 12 & 13 at 9:30PM
For six nights in June, Justin VivIan Bond, under the Musical Direction of Emmy Award-winning composer Lance Horne, will be casting a LOVE spell at 54 below. Earn your merit badge on the ways of LOVE by entering a midsummer night's dreamscape of musical enchantment featuring a collection of songs with "LOVE" in the title made famous by a wide variety entertainers such as Lena Horne, Kate Bush, Cat Power, The Gossip, Bronski Beat and MORE! Get ready for the summer of love at 54 Below!... Viva L'Amour! Cover charge $25-35. $25 food & beverage minimum.

LATE NIGHT: THE STUDIO; MAMMA RICE PRESENTS 'LOVE AND OTHER BULLSHIT', June 12 at 11PM:
A Mamma Rice Presentation. Join Mamma Rice as he takes you on a musical tour of the universal absurdities that underpin human relationships, love, and sex, featuring songs by Gershwin, John Cameron Mitchell, Katy Perry, Amy Winehouse, and new music from award-winning composers Mike Pettry and Drew Gasparini. No cover charge. $20 food & beverage minimum.

Bruce Vilanch, June 13 at 7PM & June 14 at 11PM:
From Mr. Vilanch: "Currently celebrating his fifteenth year as Lindsay Lohan's sobriety coach, Bruce Vilanch is descending to 54 Below, which he is old enough to remember when, to dispatch more updates on his bizarre career behind, before and squatting over the footlights. A Hairspray star, a Hollywood Square and the latest success story on Christian Mingle, (who just hooked him up with a guy who used to be Pope), Bruce has more than a few songs to sing and stories to tell." Cover charge $40-50 for 6/13 and $25-35 for 6/14. $25 food & beverage minimum.

LATE NIGHT: 54 PIANO BAR, June 13 at 11PM:
On Thursdays at 11 pm, pick a song and join extraordinary pianist and host Brian Nash as you take your turn on the stage at 54 Piano Bar. See new Broadway talent perform on a whim, and perhaps take part in the ever-popular (and inevitable) audience sing along. No cover charge. $20 food & beverage minimum.

EARLY ELTON, June 14 at 8PM:
The Gospel/Funk of Take Me To The Pilot, the soulful storytelling of Levon and Amoreena, the epic-sounding Burn Down The Mission, the countrified Country Comfort,and the grand scale of Madman Across The Water are just a few of the fantastic chapters that make up the Early Elton songbook. Join us for a one night only tribute to the Elton John, Dee Murray, and Nigel Olsson trio tours of 1970 - 1972. As the story goes, Elton's label didn't have the funds to send him out to tour the US with a full band, yet Elton needed to promote his imminent releases. Having decided on Dee and Nigel, Elton then rearranged the songs and vocals to fit within the limitations of his new lineup. Suddenly, a new sound emerged that was both raw and poignant. Jeff Kazee (piano, vocals), Rich Pagano (drums and vocals), and John Conte (bass and vocals) blur the lines between replication and innovation, while capturing and utilizing the spirit, mood and energy from those early tours. Cover charge $25-35. $25 food & beverage minimum.

Bryan Batt, June 15 at 8:30PM & June 16 at 7PM:
Television audiences know him from his two-time SAG Award-winning performance as Salvatore Romano on the critically acclaimed television series Mad Men. But New York audiences have been delighting in Bryan's performances for decades, including his work in Jeffrey, Beauty and the Beast, Cats, Starlight Express, Joseph..., Sunset Boulevard, The Scarlet Pimpernel, and Seussical, as well as his hilarious long run in Forbidden Broadway. Now Bryan makes his triumphant return to 54 Below for two special performances only. Be there! Cover charge $30-40 for 6/15 and $25-35 for 6/16. $25 food & beverage minimum.

MADE FOR EACH OTHER: BROADWAY MEETS ANDREW MCMAHON, June 15 at 11PM:
Stars from Broadway band together and raise their voices in tribute to the work of singer/songwriter Andrew McMahon. Savvy music mavens know Andrew from his work with his bands Something Corporate and Jack's Mannequin. As a solo artist, his tunes were heard most recently on NBC's Smash. McMahon's passionate, personal lyrics and melodic, piano-driven music are a perfect fit for some of the most exciting performers from the world of musical theater. Proceeds benefit McMahon's charity, The Dear Jack Foundation, which provides a powerful voice in the fight against young adult cancer. Guest vocalists will include Nick Blaemire (Godspell, Dogfight), Alex Brightman (Big Fish, Wicked), Ariana DeBose (Motown, Bring It On), Jake Epstein (Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, "Degrassi"), F. Michael Haynie (Wicked, Dogfight), Greg Hildreth (Cinderella, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson), Emma Hunton(Rent, Spring Awakening), Julia Mattison (Godspell), and Krysta Rodriguez ("Smash," First Date). Cover charge $35-45. $25 food & beverage minimum.

AMBER MARTIN, June 16 at 9:30PM:
This high-octane vocalist belts out a collection of the best songs ever written by acclaimed singer/songwriter Laura Nyro, joined by a bevy of superior musicians. Lovers of Laura Nyro can expect the evening of their lives as Amber interprets some of Laura's finest hits along with some very obscure cuts, performed live like they've never been heard before. From singing backing vocals for The Scissor Sisters to her sold-out performances in some of New York's hippest venues, Amber's shows have been likened to "watching Ruth Draper after she's come back from an acid trip during which she thought she was Janis Joplin." An acclaimed vocalist and comedic performance artist in the tradition of Lily Tomlin, Carol Burnett and Dolly Parton, Amber was recently named one of New York's Top 10 performers byThe New Yorker. www.AmberMartin.org Cover charge $25-35. $20 food & beverage minimum.

To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com or call (866) 468-7619.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride

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