Ritzel and Anderson Celebrate Johnny Mercer, July 28

Ricky Ritzel and Leslie Anderson will play the Metropolitan Room (34 W. 22nd St.) on Saturday, July 28th at 8 PM.

"Since 2003, Ricky Ritzel and Leslie Anderson have been dedicated to the songs of Johnny Mercer, one of America's most prolific songwriters & lyricists. Born in Savannah, Georgia in 1909, Johnny Mercer won 4 Academy Awards, scored hundreds of motion pictures, had 7 shows on Broadway and wrote over 600 published songs. Ricky & Leslie can do almost 400!," state press notes.

"Johnny Mercer: A-Z is a result of working a variety of bars and cabaret rooms throughout New York City & doing evenings of Mercer songs in alphabetical order, with different tunes every week. Together, they have created 3 award-winning revues: 'The Johnny Mercer Birthday Show,' 'Mercer at the Movies' and 'Johnny Mercer Sings - the songs he didn't write." In the new show, they will present a different show each month, consisting of songs in (hopefully) alphabetical order, to celebrate their favorite American musical genius."

Ritzel has been a fixture on the nightclub and cabaret scene for over 20 years and has received the most Cabaret awards of any performer, including 13 Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs, MAC Awards, in 8 different categories.

An accomplished solo performer who has performed all over the US and in London & Paris, Rhe has also accompanied such greats as Vivian Blaine, Ruth Warrick, Arthur Prysock, Varla Jean Merman, Julie Wilson, Lenora Nemetz and Miss Coco. He was featured musician/sidekick on Sandra Bernhard's Radio Show on Sirius Satellite Radio and was musical director for the Sally Rand Tribute at Town Hall featuring Bebe Neuwirth, Donna McKechnie, Marge Champion, Karen Mason, and directed by Tony Stevens. With famed Chicago jazz vocalist Spider Saloff, Ricky created several award winning revues such as 1938, which was recorded on the Kopathetics label, "Porgy & Bess: a Cabaret Concert and Ira and Others." He also starred as Jimmy Durante in "Schnozzola!"  He is half of the kooky "Lounge does Top 40" duo, The Lounge-O-Leers, with 5 CD's on the Emenar label.

As an actor, his roles include Snug in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Third Priest in Murder In The Cathedral, Dr. Rance in What The Butler Saw, Jonathan in Oh Dad Poor Dad..., and various roles in History Of The American Film. He can also be seen in the film Trick. He recently performed in Las Vegas as Jimmy Durante in "Stop the Music!" at the Cashman Theatre, with Sharon McNight as Sophie Tucker.

Anderson has been a piano bar/cabaret performer for several years and her work has favored her with various awards and opportunities. She has performed several times at Iridium Jazz Club & always enjoys the opportunity to work with jazz aficionados. She recently received the 2007 Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC) Award for Outstanding Piano Bar Performer along with her musical director, Ricky Ritzel, received the 2007 MAC Award for Best Revue for "Johnny Mercer Sings - the songs he didn't write." They continue to appear in New York with their Mercer A-Z - The Revenge series. Anderson recently appeared in Eric Michael Gillette's show "Hook Line & Singer" at the Metropolitan Room, as well as weekly appearances in various NYC piano bars.

She has performed on Broadway with the National Actors Theatre, working with such performers as Tony Randall, Jack Klugman and Jerry Stiller. In December of 2005, she returned to the Broadway stage, for a one-night-only AFA Benefit concert performance of A Wonderful Life, starring Brian Stokes Mitchell, Judy Kuhn and David Hyde Pierce. Anderson appeared on the Town Hall stage in "The Broadway by the Year" series "Musicals of 1929." The recording of that show was released in March of 2007.

Tickets are $20.00 and there is a two-drink minimum.  Call (212) 206-0440 for reservations.  Visit www.metropolitanroom.com for more information.

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