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Photo Coverage: Luba Mason Brings MIXTURA to 54 Below
By: Stephen Sorokoff Apr. 10, 2015
54 Below presented a special night with LUBA MASON - the Broadway star of Chicago, Jekyll & Hyde, The Capeman, among many others, last night and Broadwayworld was there. Fresh off the smash success of the Off-Broadway musical Pretty Flilthy - for which she was hailed as "outstanding" by The New York Times, "deliciously droll" by The Hollywood Reporter and "straight up and affecting" by The New York Daily News - she will present an updated version of her concert Mixtura. Luba's trademarked blend of different musical currents, Mixtura is hybrid musical format consisting of various styles that can also be in any language. The 54 Below evening will include the work of diverse songwriters such as Van Morrison ("Moondance"), Cole Porter ("Love For Sale"), Kander & Ebb ("All That Jazz") and Lou Reed ("Pale Blue Eyes"), in addition to original songs from her Brazilian jazz album Krazy Love. Mixtura will also feature a special version of her breakout number "Beautiful" by Michael Friedman from Pretty Filthy. You can watch the song "In Performance" from The New York Times here. Previous incarnations of Mixtura were called "powerful" by The Huffington Post and "rapturous musical heaven" by Times Square Chronicles. The evening will feature musical director and arranger Felipe Fournier on vibes.
LUBA MASON is a Broadway and recording artist called "a powerfully emotional song interpreter" (All Music Guide), blessed with "a celestial voice (Los Angeles Times), who's "a fiery spark that ignites onstage" (Houston Voice). The classically trained singer, actor, dancer and pianist with the impressive Broadway pedigree really knocks you out with not only her stunning vocal range but also her extraordinary versatility as a performer. A native New Yorker and first generation American of Slovak descent, Luba was accepted to Circle in the Square Theatre School and New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Straight out of school, Luba was plucked by Tommy Tune to sing and dance on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning The Will Rogers Follies. She went on to impress director Trevor Nunn, who cast her in the American premiere of Sunset Blvd. But it was director/impresario Des McAnuff who placed Luba front and center as sex bomb Hedy LaRue next to Matthew Broderick's J. Pierpont Finch in the celebrated first Broadway revival of How To Succeed In Business... Featured roles in Paul Simon's The Capeman and opposite the legendary comedian Sid Caesar in Sid Caesar & Co. preceded Luba's return to center stage as she starred in the Broadway production of Jekyll & Hyde and then, as Velma Kelly opposite Brooke Shields' Roxie Hart in the smash musical Chicago.
Tapped by Ruben Blades (her cast mate in The Capeman) as a guest vocalist for his 2003 Grammy Award-winning CD Mundo, Luba's seamless segue from the New York stage to the Hollywood scene, gave her a chance to tackle dramatic roles in guest-starring parts on "Forever," "Person of Interest," "Law & Order," "NYPD Blue," "New York Undercover," and opposite Jeff Goldblum in the psychic detective series, "Raines."
As a recording artist and now wife of Latin superstar Ruben Blades, Luba has released two critically-acclaimed albums: Collage (PS Classics), a beautiful marriage of Latin, pop, jazz and poetry, and Krazy Love, (Sunnyside Records), debuting her impressive songwriting skills executing a "cool, Brazilian mood" with an intimate acoustic sound, featuring bassist Jimmy Haslip (Yellowjackets), Renato Neto (Prince), world renowned flautist Hubert Laws and 10 time Grammy Winner Ruben Blades. Having toured the US and abroad, Luba has been a featured performer at the Panama Jazz Festival opening for Wayne Shorter, Danilo Perez and Chucho Valdez and has headlined Havana, Cuba's 40th International Music Festival as well as Costa Rica's International Music Festival. In the U.S., she has performed sold out shows at LA's famed Catalina Bar & Grill, Yoshi's in Oakland, the Blue Note in New York, Blues Alley in D.C., World Café in Philadelphia and the Regattabar in Boston. She has also headlined at Vibrato and the Cinegrill in L.A., Feinstein's, Birdland, B.B. King's, Iridium and The Metropolitan Room in N.Y. Most recently, Luba and her husband performed together on stage at Radio City Music Hall in Paul Simon's sold out benefit for the Children's Health Fund's 25th Anniversary alongside Mr. Simon, Edie Brickell, Sting, James Taylor and Stevie Wonder, and last fall at Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis and his Orchestra.
Luba Mason & Felipe Fournier, musical director/arranger
Felipe Fournier
Felipe Fournier
Michael Friedman. composer & Luba Mason
Billy Stritch, Luba Mason, Doug Major
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