Karen Akers to Present WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE at Birdland Jazz Club

BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB will present acclaimed vocalist Karen Akers in the new show "Water Under the Bridge" on Monday, April 25 at 7:00 PM. In her Birdland solo concert debut, Akers will take 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. The show features musical director Alex Rybeck. There is a $40 music charge. Birdland is located at 315 West 44th Street in New York.

Karen Akers, one of America's more arresting and successful concert and cabaret stars, is the recipient of the 2005 New York Nightlife Award for Outstanding Female Cabaret Vocalist in a Major Engagement, as well as the 2009 Nightlife Legend Award. Ms. Akers has appeared in venues worldwide, including Carnegie Hall and The Hollywood Bowl, as well as New York's premiere nightspots, the Cafe Carlyle and The Oak Room at The Algonquin Hotel. She has taken her music to the south of France, Russia, Barcelona's Liceu Opera House and more recently, to The Crazy Coqs in London.

Concert performances are only a part of Ms. Akers multifaceted career, which encompasses theatre, television, film, and recordings. She appeared at the Martin Beck Theatre on Broadway as one of the original stars of the Tony Award-winning musical Grand Hotel, directed by Tommy Tune. She made her Broadway debut in the original production of Nine, also directed by Tommy Tune, receiving a Tony nomination. Ms. Akers television appearances include "Cheers," "The Tonight Show," "Hart to Hart," "The Merv Griffin Show" and the PBS Specials: "Ellington: The Music Lives On" and "Ira Gershwin at 100: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall." In addition, her own PBS specials are "Presenting Karen Akers" and "On Stage at Wolf Trap." Her film roles include the femme fatale in Mike Nichols' Heartburn, opposite Jack Nicholson and Meryl Streep; Woody Allen's The Purple Rose of Cairo; and Vibes.

BIRDLAND JAZZ CLUB will present Karen Akers on Monday, April 25 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. In compliance with New York City rules for indoor activities, Birdland requires proof of vaccination or a verified medical exemption from all customers, staff, and performers.

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 25 (Monday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

Louis Rosen and his Almost Large Band

Award-winning composer/arranger Louis Rosen celebrates the upcoming releases of two new albums, It Is Still Dark: Three Suites and Music for Guitars, and offers a sneak preview of new songs from yet another new album due out later this year, along with a selection of past album favorites. His "Almost Large Band" includes some of his favorite, long-standing collaborators: pianist (and Broadway conductor) Kimberly Grigsby, clarinetist Andrew Sterman, multi-instrumentalist David Mansfield; bassist Dick Sarpola, and drummer Eric Halvorson. Louis' style is a fusion of folk, jazz, rock and classical idioms. Music for Guitar and Four Suites are the 10th and 11th albums of his music and songs to be released over the past 15 years.

$30 tables + $20 food/drink minimum

May 2 (Monday) 7:00 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Amanda McBroom - "Crimes of the Heart"

McBroom brings us musical medicine for these crazy times. Her concert will celebrate songs of passion, politics, and just plain love, written by the likes of Stephen Sondheim, Irving Berlin, Leonard Cohen, and of course Amanda McBroom. Her name came to the attention of the public when Bette Midler's version of Amanda's song "The Rose" hit #1 on the charts. Her songs have been recorded by Barbara Cook, Manhattan Transfer, Judy Collins, Barry Manilow, Reba McEntire, Kurt Cobain, and many other artists. She received a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy nomination, Johnny Mercer Songwriter of the Year, and the Mabel Mercer Lifetime Achievement Award. With her writing partner, Michele Brourman, she has written lyrics for 19 Universal Animation features, including the Land Before Time series and Curious George. Her 9th album of original songs, Voices, went to #1 on Amazon during its first week.

$40 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

May 9 (Monday) 7:00 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Debbie Gravitte with Marc Shaiman

Tony Award winner Debbie Gravitte has been in theater long enough to have made some very special friends. Join her as she welcomes Stephen Schwartz (April 11), Marc Shaiman (May 9), and Harvey Fierstein (September 12) for three separate evenings full of songs, stories, and surprises. Gravitte, one of Broadway's biggest personalities, has found herself in demand from the Broadway stage to the concert stage and beyond. After making her Broadway debut in the original cast of They're Playing Our Song, she went on to appear in Perfectly Frank, Blues in the Night, Ain't Broadway Grand, Chicago, Jerome Robbins' Broadway, and Les Misérables. She has appeared in three shows for Encores!: Carnival, The Boys From Syracuse, and Tenderloin.Debbie has performed her nightclub act worldwide, from New York's Rainbow & Stars and 54 Below, to London's Pizza on the Park to Atlantic City with Jay Leno, Harry Anderson and the legendary George Burns.

$40 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

May 16 (Monday) 7:00 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

Wendy Moten - "Sings Richard Whiting (And Other Classics That Should Never Be Forgotten)"

"The Voice" performer Wendy Moten will perform the songs of Richard Whiting, with hits including "He's Funny That Way," "My Ideal," "Miss Brown to You," and "Too Marvelous For Words." Ms. Moten will also perform the Janis Ian classic "At Seventeen," Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years," and one of her most popular songs from "The Voice," "Over the Rainbow." Moten is an exceptional singer, a pure musical spirit, and a bridge from Memphis to Nashville to the rest of the world. Respected in the music industry for years, the wider public discovered her through her remarkable run on NBC's "The Voice" in 2021. She turned all four judges' chairs on her blind audition and ended up in second place overall - unprecedented for an artist in her fifties. A native of Memphis, Moten sang R&B on a major label in the '90s then moved to Nashville to become an in-demand harmony singer. She spent 15 years as vocal support voice for Julio Iglesias. And she has toured with Martina McBride, Tim McGRaw & Faith Hill, and Vince Gill. She's performed as a soloist on the Grand Ole Opry and was a featured artist in the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2019 she joined the Grammy-winning Nashville western swing band The Time Jumpers.

$50 tables / $40 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

May 23 (Monday) 8:30 PM - Birdland Theater

John Manzari - "The First Set"

Manzari's "The First Set" is a high-energy show highlighting the influence of tap dance on African American music through songs by Ahmad Jamal, Gregory Porter, Bill Evans, and others. John is joined by the Luther S. Allison Trio which includes Stanley Ruvinov on bass, Zach Adleman on drums, and Luther S. Allison on piano. Manzari is an Ovation Award and Helen Hayes Award nominated dancer, singer, actor, choreographer, and teacher. Stage credits include the Bessie Award winning production Ayodele Casel: Chasing Magic; 42nd Street; Maurice Hines: Tappin' Thru Life, featuring his mentor Maurice Hines, The Wiz is 40: A Celebration in Dance and Music, directed and choreographed by George Faison; and Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies. TV credits include the PBS special "The Kennedy Center 50th Anniversary Celebration", ABC's "The View," and The Jerry Lewis Telethon. John can be seen in the documentary Maurice Hines: Bring Them Back.

$30 tables / $30 bar + $20 food/drink minimum

June 10 (Friday) 6:00 PM - Birdland Jazz Club

"Happy Birthday, Judy!" - starring Carole J. Bufford & Stephanie Blythe

to benefit The Mabel Mercer Foundation

You're invited to a very special evening celebrating Judy Garland's 100th birthday and starring the incomparable singers Carole J. Bufford and Stephanie Blythe together for the very first time. Featuring the glorious music that made Judy Garland a household name, it all takes place at the Birdland Theater on Judy's birthday --June 10th -- and includes a three course gourmet dinner at 6:30 followed by the show at 8. And to top it all off, the proceeds from the ticket sales will go to benefit the Mabel Mercer Foundation. Tickets (price includes dinner and the show - cash bar available throughout the evening) Bar seating: $75, Standard seating: $200, VIP seating (includes prime seating and post show meet & greet):

$500

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