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Marilyn Maye, Lesli Margherita & More Set for 54 Below This Week

By: Apr. 20, 2015
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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.

REEFER MADNESS REUNION CONCERT, April 20 at 7PM & 9:30PM

Observe your 4/20 in style with the concert version of REEFER MADNESS celebrating the 10th anniversary of the hit Showtime movie! Featuring original cast members and special guest stars, this two-night-only event will "melt your resistance down like hot Velveeta." REEFER MADNESS tells the cautionary tale of Jimmy Harper, a "sweet-as-Shirley-Temple-dipped-in-pudding" American teenager, who is viciously dragged into a downward spiral of sex, debauchery, and jazz music by the deadly drug assassin known as Marijuana (pronounced "mare-a-hwua-na"). Join Jimmy, Mary Lane, Sally, Jesus Christ, and the Benjamin Harrison High School cast of Green Grow the Lilacs as we celebrate William Randoph Hearst and everything that is great in the U.S. of A! Think you can handle the high? Presented by the same team who brought you last year's star-studded, sold-out success at New World Stages. Reefer Madness features a book and score by Dan Studney and lyrics and book by Kevin Murphy. Starring original stage & movie cast members: Lori Alan, Christian Campbell, John Kassir, Harry S. Murphy, Amy Spanger, Robert Torti and also starring: Andrew Aaron Berlin (A Christmas Story, the Musical), Saum Eskandani (Disaster!), Kristen Martin (Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark), Heather Parcells (Soul Doctor, A Chorus Line), Ryann Redmond (If/Then, Bring it On), Lauren Molina (The Skivvies, Rock of Ages), Directed by Ilana Ransom Toeplitz, Consulting producer is Christian Campbell and Produced by Shoshana Feinstein. $55-65 cover charge. $100 premium seating. $25 food & beverage minimum.

54 SINGS THE BEATLES, April 21 at 7PM & 9:30PM:

In February of 1964, The Beatles landed in America. Their first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9th was watched by a reported 73 million people, and huge crowds gathered at Broadway and 54th to spot John, Paul, Ringo, and George. Now, 54 Below invites you to come back to the block that started it all, as 54 Sings the Beatles! Scott Coulter produces and directs a cast of Broadway and cabaret stars in thrilling covers of the songs that stirred a generation including "Hey, Jude," "Let It Be," "She Loves You," "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," "With a Little Help from My Friends," and more. Be sure to get a "Ticket to Ride" and share in this musical journey down "The Long and Winding Road" of The Beatles! Featuring a mix of NYC's top vocalists from Broadway and cabaret, including Constantine Maroulis (Rock of Ages), Noah J. Ricketts (Beautiful), Michael Campayno (NBC's "The Sound of Music Live"), Marissa Mulder (award-winning vocalist), Rachel Bay Jones (Pippin), Mary Testa (Xanadu), Karen Mack (MAC Award winner), Phyllis Pastore, Scott Coulter (star of the Emmy-nominated A Christmas Carol: The Concert), David Perlman, Lauren Fox and more! $35-45 cover charge. $70 premium seating. $25 food & beverage minimum.

JOSHUA THEW, April 22 at 9:30PM:

After a triumphant 54 Below debut this past fall, Joshua Thew returns with a new cabaret performance. He is no stranger to the stage. A classically trained singer, and a versatile dancer, Joshua has been performing since his school days in the UK. More recently as a dancer with the New York City Ballet, Joshua has performed in a wide range of works including Jerome Robbins' West Side Story Suite, Christopher Wheeldon's Soiree Musicale, and Lynne Taylor-Corbitt's The Seven Deadly Sins alongside Patti LuPone. A soulful performer, Joshua presents an evening of heartfelt folk songs, blues and current pop favorites that reflect his experience as a young artist in New York City. Joshua confronts the realities of love and the challenges of twenty-something life with songs like "Come Rain Or Come Shine" and "A Song For You." With guest appearances from Broadway pals to be announced, Joshua presents a heartfelt evening that is sure to entertain and inspire. Musical Director: Peter Hodgson and special guest: Barrett Doss from Broadway's You Can't Take It With You. $25-35 cover charge. $60 premium seating. $25 food & beverage minimum.

MARILYN MAYE, April 23 & 25 at 7PM & April 24 at 8:30PM:

Back by overwhelming popular demand! Any evening with Marilyn Maye is a special event, but the particular magic of Her Way is its melding of two unique artists, one in spirit, the other in the flesh, into an evening in the theater that boasts not just one but two living legends. It doesn't get any better than this. Of course, Marilyn Maye is an artist for connoisseurs and her powerhouse delivery and chatty rapport with the audience is what holds the evening together and electrifies the proceedings. The aptly named production is an unabashed valentine to the late superstar, from the Super Singer that pays tribute to Sinatra's career with an immensely talented peer's interpretations of the songs that made Sinatra famous. It's a full-scale labor of love for another performer that is rarely seen from an artist of Maye's stature, and that is exactly what makes the show a must-see experience. $55-75 cover charge. $105-115premium seating. $25 food & beverage minimum.

JENNIFER SHEEHAN, April 23 at 9:30PM:

STARDUST: A NIGHT IN THE COSMOS. "Young, good-looking and very astute, Ms. Sheehan gives you hope. Drawing from a deep well of feeling, she interprets lyrics from the point of view of someone who knows who she is and conveys empathy in a voice that glows with insight." -The New York Times.Multiple award-winning performer Jennifer Sheehan and her stellar quartet celebrate the beauty, wonder and romance of the night sky in a song-studded 54 Below evening featuring songs as dazzling and diverse as the stars above - including music from Pink Martini, Duke Ellington, Sergio Mendes, Melody Gardot, David Bowie, Joni Mitchell and Kurt Weill, just to name a few. It's a celebration of the many ways we come to love the night sky - as wide-eyed children who look up in wonderment, as young lovers who fall under its enchantment, and as star-gazers of all ages who contemplate love and life on this small blue dot in the universe. And, of course, the stars spark our imagination about what lies beyond... so the show also features some fascinating stories about new discoveries about our star-studded cosmos. One might say it's a show that goes where no show has gone before. Jennifer Sheehan, a critically acclaimed, multi-award winning vocalist, starred in the premiere episode of the new WNET/WLIW (PBS) TV series, "66th and Broadway," which aired throughout February 2015. Sheehan has performed at Carnegie Hall, as the guest of Michael Feinstein, and at Jazz at Lincoln Center, 54 Below and Town Hall in New York, among other renowned venues. Her solo shows have entertained audiences at Café Carlyle, Feinstein's, Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, the Savannah Music Festival, Ely Cathedral (U.K.), the Historic Asolo Theatre in Sarasota, The Royal Room in Palm Beach, the Juilliard in Aiken Festival, The Gardenia in L.A., The Metropolitan Room, The Laurie Beechman Theatre, the Sheldon Concert Hall in St. Louis and many other concert and cabaret venues around the country. The winner of the first Noël Coward Competition Award and the first-ever recipient of the Margaret Whiting Award, Sheehan also is the recipient of the Dorothy Loudon Award, the Julie Wilson Award and the Donald F. Smith Award for outstanding interpretation of the Great American Songbook. Sheehan also performs in concerts and in the theater, most recently in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular as one of six vocalists, and regionally, starring as Betty Haynes in White Christmas. She has performed in shows at the 92nd Street Y, Guild Hall in East Hampton, the York Theater in New York, the Bard Summerscape Festival, Boston Musical Theater, and on national tours. A Cabaret Scenes review of her debut album, You Made Me Love You, proclaims, "It is rare that one singer has as much going for her as Jennifer displays on this disc." $25-35 cover charge. $65 premium seating. $25 food & beverage minimum.

AMY JO JACKSON, April 23 at 11:30PM:

"Amy can do it all...She is a goldmine." - Sigourney Weaver. Amy Jo Jackson invites you to share in a night of raucous revelry and high-class tomfoolery, as she takes you through a set list as eclectic as her wardrobe. From Aznovar to Sondheim to the Scissor Sisters, prepare for a wild ride with this unapologetically ferocious and singular performer. As an actress, Amy Jo has been seen Off-Broadway in Cole Porter's Nymph Errant and in multiple shows with the lauded Exit, Pursued by a Bear, as well as all around our fair country in everything from Into the Woods to The Rocky Horror Show. Also a highly successful Voice and Speech professional, she is the dialect coach on the Tony Award-winning Kinky Boots and the Voice and Text Director on the Drama Desk Award winning The Mysteries at The Flea. Musical Direction by Brian Nash and Direction by Will Nunziata. $15 cover charge. $30 premium seating. $20 food & beverage minimum or two drinks.

BADIA FARHA, April 24 at 11PM:

Joined by a six-piece band, Badia Farha (aka Lady Rose) brings her original songs and "R&B/Soul +" style to 54 Below. Lady Sings For You features original songs from Badia's solo album Still Waiting? and newly released radio hit "Don't Know," as well as a tribute to Carmen McCrae and Aretha Franklin and a bit of bossa nova jazz. As an NYC-based singer, songwriter, and actress, Badia has been seen off-Broadway in Sistas: The Musical and Joe Iconis' Things to Ruin, at A Tribute to Alan Menken at Lincoln Center, as well as in the national and international tours of Little Shop of Horrors and Rent. Badia was also a back up singer for "America's Got Talent." $20 cover charge. $45 premium seating. $20 food & beverage minimum or two drinks.

DONNA VIVINO, April 25 at 9:30PM:

After her sold out show at 54 Below, Donna Vivino returns for another witty evening of songs and stories as she shares the stage with former co-stars and castmates from Wicked, Submissions Only, Hairspray, Les Miserables and many more. Broadway fell in love with Donna when, in 1987, she created the role of Young Cosette in the original Broadway production of Les Miserables. Since then, she's danced through the 70's (Saturday Night Fever), sung with the nicest kids in town (Hairspray), laughed it up with Martin Short (Fame Becomes Me), & defied gravity as one of Wicked's most beloved Elphabas. One night only! $30-40 cover charge. $70 premium seating. $25 food & beverage minimum.

LESLI MARGHERITA, April 25 at 11:30PM & April 26 at 9:30PM:

An evening of sheer entertainment, All Hail the Queen is totally more than a cabaret. It's a Vegas-style nightclub act. Olivier Award winner Lesli Margherita (Matilda, Zorro) takes the "reigns" from the likes of Bette Midler and Liza Minnelli. Commanding the room with sass and bawdiness - plus some self-deprecating humor for good measure - Miss Margherita sings and struts her way through the 70-minute set, which includes twists on old songs and new favorites (courtesy of musical director/arranger Brett Ryback). With hilarious storytelling and showstopping numbers, the evening offers something for everyone. There will be feathers. There will be sparkles. And you better believe there will be worshipping. ALL HAIL THE QUEEN! All Hail the Queen, written and conceived by Margherita, will be directed by Lauren Bass with musical direction & arrangements by Brett Ryback (Murder for Two) and produced by Jordan Bass & Lauren Bass. $25-35 cover charge. $45-55 premium seating. $25 food & beverage minimum.

SONDHEIM UNPLUGGED, April 26 at 7PM:

A celebrated New York event since 2010, the BroadwayWorld and Bistro Award-winning series Sondheim Unplugged features some of Broadway and cabaret's most dynamic voices, accompanied by piano only, delving into the musical world of Broadway's master composer. Expect tunes from A Little Night Music, Company, Into the Woods, Follies, Passion, Dick Tracy and more. Past special guests have included original Sondheim cast members such as Len Cariou, Jim Walton, Donna McKechnie & Chip Zien - so you never know who might drop in. Sondheim Unplugged is hosted by series creator Phil Geoffrey Bond, who will fill the audience in on Sondheimien facts, history & assorted tidbits of theatrical lore! Come join the party! Special Guests: George Lee Andrews (A Little Night Music's original Frid), Ken Jennings (Sweeney Todd's original Tobias), Sarah Rice (Sweeney Todd's original Johanna), Jim Walton (Merrily We Roll Along's original Franklin Shepard) and featuring: Natalie Arneson, Joshua Dixon, Matt Farnsworth, Eric Michael Gillett, Blaine Krauss, Rob Maitner, Lucia Spina and Thom Christopher Warren. $30-40 cover charge. $70 premium seating. $25 food & beverage minimum.



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