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Lillias White, Lindsay Mendez & Derek Klena and More Set for 54 Below this Week

By: Jul. 14, 2014
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Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com or call (646) 476-3551.

Lindsay Mendez AND Derek Klena, July 14 at 7PM:

Known to New York audiences for playing Rose and Birdlace in Dogfight, and fresh off a run as Elphaba and Fiyero in Wicked, Lindsay Mendez and Derek Klena join forces once again, this time on the stage of 54 Below. The two will perform a rousing, eclectic evening celebrating the music they love and their genuine friendship. Directed by Dogfight bookwriter Peter Duchan. Musical direction by Dogfight and Wicked's Bryan Perri. $45-55 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

Jenny Lee Stern, July 14 at 9:30PM:

Current Rocky cast member Jenny Lee Stern makes her 54 Below debut with her brand new show Just a Girl. This former Forbidden Broadway star and up and coming diva garnered critical acclaim for her takes on Judy, Patti, Bernadette and more! Here, she serves up the best of them and beyond singing her favorites from rock to musical theatre to country. Come along on a hilarious and sentimental adventure as this pint-sized powerhouse leads you in story and song through her life balancing Broadway and motherhood. And, meet the GIRLS who've influenced and inspired her. $30-40 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum or two drinks.

BROADWAY SINGS Justin Timberlake, July 14 at 11:30PM:

Join us as some of Broadway's brightest talents sing completely new arrangements of the hits of Justin Timberlake in the next concert of the BROADWAY SINGS concert series. More than 20 Broadway performers will be accompanied by a full jazz band playing brand new, original orchestrations of the pop icon's greatest songs. The concert is the sixth of the series hailed by the New York Times as "sheer brilliance"; previously honored were Adele, Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder, and Amy Winehouse. Performers will include Tony winner Lena Hall (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), Shaleah Adkisson (Rent), Darren Bluestone (Avenue Q), Max Chernin, Ben Fankhauser (Newsies), Jason Gotay (Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark), Amber Iman (Soul Doctor), Marcus Paul James (Motown The Musical), Jay Armstrong Johnson (On The Town), Crystal Joy (Motown The Musical), Mykal Kilgore (The Book of Mormon), Derek Klena (Bridges of Madison County), Corey Mach (Godspell), Chris McCarrell (LES MISERABLES), Andy Mientus (LES MISERABLES, Smash), Marla Mindelle (Cinderella), Jillian Mueller (Bye Bye Birdie), Shannon O'Boyle (Once), Ciara Renée (Pippin), Zak Resnick (Mamma Mia), and Natalie Weiss (Everyday Rapture). $50 premium seating. $25 general seating. $20 food & beverage minimum or two drink minimum.

Lara Teeter, July 15 at 7PM:

Join Tony nominee and Broadway veteran Lara Teeter for his New York City cabaret debut, sharing his journey as artist, teacher, husband and dad. Enjoy the Great American Songbook in the hands (and feet!) of this song and dance man. Broadway credits include On Your Toes (Tony nomination), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Happy New Year, and The Pirates of Penzance. Other credits include: the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz at Madison Square Garden, Don Lockwood in the national tour of Singin' in the Rain, Will Parker in the national tour of Oklahoma!, Buddy Plummer in Follies at Barrington Stage Company, Steven Kodaly in She Loves Me at the Ahmanson Theatre, and Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady at North Shore Music Theatre. Other credits: New York City Opera's Naughty Marietta and The Most Happy Fella at Lincoln Center; Lyric Opera of Chicago's Street Scene; Carnegie Hall portraying Henry Higgins in a tribute to the work of Lerner & Loewe, and, most recently, Show Boat with both Houston Grand Opera and Washington's National Opera Theatre, directed by Francesca Zambello. $25-35 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

IT COULD BE WORSE- SEASON 2 LAUNCH CONCERT, July 15 at 9:30PM:

Broadway vets Mitchell Jarvis and Wesley Taylor's critically-acclaimed "It Could Be Worse," was a humble yet cherished web series amongst our community. After winning a slew of online indie awards and raising over 70K on Kickstarter to shoot a second season, the "awesomely addictive" dark comedy was acquired for cable television. The Washington Post said ICBW was "what Smash might have been...had it found a looser and sharper-witted footing." The all-star cast is comprised of Megan Hilty, Taylor, Jarvis, Adam Chanler-Berat, Gideon Glick, Alison Fraser, with recurring cast members Nancy Opel, Roger Rees, Stephanie J. Block, Paris Remillard, Sebastian Arcelus, and guest stars like Audra McDonald, Katharine McPhee, Laura Benanti, Brian D'Arcy James, Jeremy Jordan, and Debra Messing...it's no wonder the theater crowd can't get enough! Join us as we celebrate the much anticipated Season Two, along with the launch of both seasons on Hulu, streaming July 17th! Hang with the stars of ICBW! Watch exclusive scenes from the new season! Listen to performances from the cast and guest stars! Or just party and raise a toast! The night will be hosted by Brennan Brown (Person of Interest, Breaking Bad), and performing will be Wesley Taylor (Smash, The Addams Family, Rock of Ages), Mitchell Jarvis (Rock of Ages, Fiddler on the Roof), Megan Hilty (Smash, Wicked), Adam Chanler-Berat (Peter and the Starcatcher, Next to Normal), Stephanie J. Block (Wicked, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Anything Goes), Marc Shaiman (Catch Me If You Can, Hairspray), Jenn Damiano (Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, Next to Normal, Spring Awakening), Bryce Ryness (First Date, Hair), Blake Daniel (Spring Awakening), Lauren Molina (Rock of Ages, Sweeney Todd), Rob Morrison, and more! $35-45 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

FLEUR SEULE: SWING ERA SOPHISSTICATION, July 16 at 7PM:

After hit engagements at Row NYC, the Refinery Rooftop Hotel, and ELLA Lounge, Fleur Seule makes their 54 Below debut. Fleur Seule plays Swing Era hits and Jazz standards that will transport you to the 1930s and 1940s: The times of hep cats and swingin' tunes. Led by vocalist Allyson Briggs, this dynamic band of old souls will have you humming and tapping your feet along to classics, and enjoying songs from the vault that you've never heard before. Come reminisce in a time of no cares as you relive songs made famous by Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., The Andrews Sisters, Edith Piaf, Marlene Dietrich, and many more artists who contributed to the Big Band sound. $25 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

Ben Crawford, July 16 at 9:30PM:

One of Broadway's most versatile voices makes his 54 Below solo debut. Ben Crawford has appeared on Broadway in Shrek (Shrek), Big Fish, and Les Miserables, and is also known for his powerful performances in musicals including 35MM, Jasper in Deadland, and both Merrily We Roll Along and Irma La Douce at Encores. Ben is known for bringing back the sound of Broadway's classic baritone, and has appeared in concerts with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, the Naples Philharmonic, and the National Orchestra in Ottawa, Canada. Having understudied both Brian D'Arcy James and Norbert Leo Butz on Broadway, Ben was selected to star in the recent acclaimed Broadway documentary The Standbys. He appears on several Original Broadway Cast Recordings, as well as on the soundtrack for Disney's Frozen. Join Ben for a night of incredible music- from classic Broadway to Justin Timberlake to radio jingles written during long days of unemployment. Ben will sing it all. Heck, let's make up a song too! With stories from the Great White Way the night's bound to be can't-miss! $25-35 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

ASTAIRE AND ROGERS: CHEEK TO CHEEK WITH Steve Ross & Karen Oberlin, July 17 at 7PM:

Karen Oberlin and Steve Ross, two award-winning cabaret and concert performers, join forces in a new show entitled Astaire and Rogers: Cheek to Cheek. Before coming together in this tour de force performance, Mr. Ross toasted Fred Astaire and Ms. Oberlin gave tribute to Ginger Rogers in I Won't Dance: The Songs of Fred Astaire (York Theater) and the Ginger Rogers centennial celebration, respectively. Now, Fred has found his modern-day Ginger in this new concert celebrating the most beloved duo in celluloid history. Mr. Ross and Ms. Oberlin will include duets and solos from Fred and Ginger's ten films together, with songs from Golden Age masters Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, the Gershwins, Jerome Kern, and others. These masterful performers will bring to life such hits as "They Can't Take That Away From Me," "The Way You Look Tonight," as well as Ginger's "We're In the Money" and "Embraceable You," and Fred's "Night and Day" and "Something's Gotta Give." Karen Oberlin and Steve Ross's Astaire and Rogers: CHEEK TO CHEEK evokes the style, smarts and sass that have kept Fred and Ginger known and loved throughout the 20th century, 21st century, and beyond. $30-40 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

Melanie Stace, July 17 at 9:30PM:

International singing star Melanie Stace will perform her critically acclaimed one woman show Steppin' Out at 54 Below. Melanie recently wowed audiences in her New York debut at The Metropolitan Room, and at Feinsteins, where her show was voted one of the top twelve shows to see in NYC by Edge Magazine. Melanie has also played The Empire Plush Room in San Francisco, The Pizza On The Park in London, the Rrazz Room in San Francisco, and recently completed six seasons starring as Madame Zinzanni for the World Famous Teatro Zinzanni, in both Seattle and San Francisco. In addition, Melanie has done 5 six month seasons in Europe for Palazzo in Munich, Amsterdam, Vienna, Rotterdam and most recently Nurnberg. "Her voice is incredibly powerful, often siren-like, extremely engaging and enormously expressive!" - Lynne De Menna, Cabaret Scenes Magazine. "She has a voice that can handle a tender ballad like "Embraceable You" but also belt out a brassy 'How Lucky Can You Get.' I am writing about the best British import since Shirley Bassey, Melanie Stace." - Ron Forman, Sweet Sounds Radio, WKRB 90.3 FM. "On the off chance that there was anyone in the room who didn't appreciate what extraordinary chops Melanie Stace possesses, they only had to listen to her powerful rendition of "Birth of the Blues." Returning to the bridge twice, she escalated the volume and intensity each time before subsiding into Cole Porter's "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye," ending on a gentle note for an exceptional evening". - Jerry Osterberg, Cabaret Scenes Magazine. "Take the opportunity to go see and hear this wonderful, entertaining, joy and love filled show!" Jim Lahti, Riveting Riffs Magazine. $25-35 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

FRIENDSHIP, FABLES, AND FUN: A NIGHT WITH CHRIS AND HARRISON, July 17 at 11:30PM:

Join Anselmo & Kaufman, the youngest writing team ever accepted to participate in NYMF, as they make their 54 Below debut! Their unparalleled wit and charm will keep audiences doubled over in laughter and enjoyment as they sing songs, recount their childhood at French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts, and share stories about their upcoming debut musical, Fable. With the help of some of their friends, this is sure to be a night to remember. Watch as history is made on 54th street, and this fresh and inventive writing team breaks into the scene! $10 cover charge. $20 food & beverage minimum or two drink minimum.

LiLlias White, THE BIRTHDAY SHOW, July 18 at 8PM & July 19 at 8PM & 11PM:

After taking 54 Below by storm this spring, LiLlias White returns with a brand new show. This ultimate Broadway diva will celebrate her birthday week at 54 Below by sharing songs about the ups & downs, the ins & outs of love. Expect showstopping numbers from Cy Coleman, Nina Simone, Alan & Marilyn Bergman... and songs ranging from brand new rock covers to oldies to hits from the Studio 54 heyday. Tony Award & Emmy Award winner LiLlias White (The Life, Dreamgirls, Fela, Hercules) is a force of nature, and her 54 Below performance is one that you will never forget. $40-50 cover charge for 8PM shows. $30-40 cover charge for 11PM show. $25 food & beverage minimum.

DAVIS & JOHNSON PRESENT THE SONGS OF Johnny Mercer, July 18 at 11PM:

One man and his pen helped to shape the musical landscape forever. That man was Johnny Mercer, Savannah, Georgia's favorite son. Now, acclaimed vocalist Clay Johnson, along with tenor sax-man and past president of The Friends of Johnny Mercer, Jeremy Davis, pay tribute to one of the greatest songwriters in American history. Through the music, the lyrics and the stories behind them, Savannah residents Davis and Johnson tip their hats to the man, the legend and the legacy of Johnny Mercer. All across America, audiences have fallen in love with Jeremy Davis and Clay Johnson. Along with the greatest songs, the best original arrangements and phenomenal musicianship, these two sophisticated Southern gentlemen bring their rich friendship and charm to the stage. Fashioned in the style and swagger of the legendary entertainers lead by Frank Sinatra, Davis & Johnson are putting their own contemporary stamp on the Great American songbook. Their show features Johnny's tunes, but includes a heckuvalot more! $25-35 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

I FEEL A SONG COMIN' ON, July 20 at 7PM:

On Sunday, July 20th at 7 pm, join Liz Callaway and Peter Gallagher as they host a memorable night of music featuring two acclaimed song stylists, Carol Skarimbas and Larry Woodard in their highly acclaimed show I Feel a Song Comin' On. These two seasoned pros provide an unforgettable night of great songs and exhilarating vocals, with all proceeds benefiting the programs and Services of The Actors Fund (www.actorsfund.org). Carol's stunning voice has been heralded by The New York Times ("...Impressive! Everything one could ask for"). She has performed roles with New York City Opera and symphonies across the country. With a cabaret resume that features Merkin Concert Hall and Danny's Skylight Room, Carol's remarkable range stretches from Strauss to Sondheim. The MAC award winning singer/pianist Larry Woodard has performed at the Metropolitan Opera, the Russian Tea Room, The Oak Room as well as The White House. The New York Times called Larry "a first rate performer of all musical categories." He has worked with an astonishing assortment of vocalists, from Kathleen Battle and Kiri Te Kanawa to Celeste Holm and Dixie Carter. $75-100 cover charge. (Ticket includes open bar and canapés)

ASPECTS OF ANDREW: LLOYD WEBBER @ 54, July 20 at 9:30PM:

Cats. The Phantom of the Opera. Evita. Jesus Christ Superstar. Starlight Express. Sunset Boulevard. Aspects of Love. Song & Dance... the list goes on. 54 Below is delighted to tip our hat to the artistry of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, the celebrated composer who has left an indelible mark on Broadway, the West End & popular music. Featuring a rotating cast of some of Broadway and cabaret's best, Aspects of Andrew runs the gamut from the humor of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and By Jeeves, to the high-flying (adored) diva tunes that populate some of the most beloved musicals of the past half century. Turbans, masked deformity, roller skates, singing felines, love-starved hat designers, Mary Magdalene... expect it all at Aspects of Andrew. "Jellicle cats come out tonight!" Guests include: Kelli Rabke, Julie Reiber, Leenya Rideout, Rob Maitner, Derrick Cobey, Heather MacRae, Julie Reyburn, Brian Charles Rooney, Raissa Katona Bennett, Leah Horowitz, and special guest Karen Mason. $30-40 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.



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