The Skivvies, SONDHEIM UNPLUGGED & More Set for 54 Below this Week

Coming up this week, 54 BELOW, the performance venue located just below the legendary Studio 54 at 254 West 54th Street, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz and beyond:

THE MUSIC OF Shaina Taub, January 20 at 7PM:
Shaina Taub is a Vermont-raised, New York-based performer and songwriter, honing her unique breed of lyrical pop brewed with folk and soul. She was Ars Nova's 2012 Composer-in-Residence, and is currently performing in the hit electropop opera, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. Join Shaina, Duncan Sheik, and her band for an intimate evening at 54 Below featuring songs from her musical theater projects and recent albums, and celebrate the release of her new single, 'Harvest'. $25-35 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

THE MUSIC OF Jeff Thomson, January 20 at 9:30PM:
Join us for a star studded night featuring the best of Broadway performing songs with music by award-winning composer Jeff Thomson. The cast will include Constantine Maroulis, Andi Alhadeff, Andrea Ross, Katie Thompson, Deborah S. Craig , Natalie Weiss, Jason Gotay, Emma Hunton, Alex Brightman, Preston Sadlier, Ellyn Marsh, John Arthur Greene, Frankie James Grande, Marissa Rosen, Alexa Green, F. Michael Haynie, Molly Ranson and Marty Thomas Presents DIVA. The evening will highlight material from the upcoming musicalsJAWBREAKER, PUMP UP THE VOLUME, TRAILS as well as several yet to be revealed projects. Directed by Broadway's Jen Bender, musical directed by Joshua Stephen Kartes and produced by Ashley Kate Adams, this will be a performance not to miss! $25-35 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

Ariana DeBose, January 20 at 11:30PM:
In an intimate cabaret setting, Ariana DeBose (Bring It On, Motown) defies limitations of gender, age & race in TYPED OUT. In collaboration with Ben Rauhala (music direction), Kurt Crowley (arrangements), & two-time Tony nominee Terrence Mann (creative consultant); Ariana investigates what it is to be ethnically ambiguous in a world that thrives on labels. Audiences can expect a variety of mash-ups, medleys and more! $20 cover charge. $20 food & beverage minimum or Two Drink minimum.

Edward Hibbert, January 21 at 7PM:
Broadway's Edward Hibbert returns to 54 Below with his hit cabaret show, after a sold-out run in February! Best known as Gil Chesterton the restaurant critic on TV's Frasier, Broadway and off-Broadway audiences have delighted in his varied performances in The Drowsy Chaperone, Curtains, Jeffrey, and the upcoming It Shoulda Been You. In Can't Something Be Done?, Edward presents an evening of irreverent stories and songs by Cole Porter, Noel Coward, and also contemporary songwriters. Enjoy stories of Edward's travels from England to the Great White Way...and beyond. Featuring Musical Direction by Sam Davis and Direction by Mark Waldrop. $25-35 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

BACKSTAGE, January 21 at 10PM:
Introducing the new Backstage, moving from late night to PRIME TIME! Join us as Susie Mosher (recently named the Broadwayworld Cabaret Award's Best Variety Show Host) guides the crowd through an evening of music, mayhem and full throttle belting, with special guests from Broadway and beyond dropping in to perform. This week's exciting cast includes Caroline Rhea ("Sabrina, The Teenage Witch"), Alice Ripley (Next to Normal), Patrick Page (Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark), Donna Vivino (Wicked), Jonatha Brooke (recording artist), Scott Coulter, Amy Lynn and the Gun Show and Siren. NPR had this to say: "The best thing happening right now might just be the weekly Backstage. Hosted by the ridiculously funny Susie Mosher and pianist Brad Simmons who clearly is the man, it's two feel-good hours among New York's theater people, who seem like they're having a really fine time. Can't recommend it highly enough!" $25 cover charge. $10 food & beverage minimum. At this week's Backstage is Caroline Rhea ("Sabrina, The Teenage Witch"), Alice Ripley (Next to Normal), Patrick Page (Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark), Donna Vivino (Wicked), Jonatha Brooke (recording artist), Scott Coulter, Amy Lynn and the Gunshow and Siren. $25 cover charge. $10 food & beverage minimum.

Carole J. Bufford, January 22 at 7PM:
Having starred in the best-reviewed nightclub show of 2013 (13 out of 13 rave reviews, including the NY Times and the Wall Street Journal), Carole J. Bufford starts 2014 with a brand new show at 54 Below on January 22 at 7 PM: Shades of Blue, a throbbing and thrilling show full of tempestuous blues numbers from their southern roots to their northern heights. Culled from material spanning a century, Shades of Blue delves into the odyssey of the blues with material made famous by the likes of Bessie Smith, Johnny Cash, The Animals, The Beatles, Amy Winehouse, Ruth Brown and more! From sly and sexy comedy numbers to high drama, Carole is a singer/actress who always raises the stakes on everything she sings. $25-35 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

Kevin Dozier, January 22 at 9:30PM:
MAC and Backstage Bistro Award-winning vocalist, Kevin Dozier, makes his 54 Below debut, on the eve of his 50th birthday. Featuring standards, Broadway, jazz, and pop songs from Kevin's studio recordings, "Love-Wise"and "Love's Never Lost", as well as new arrangements set for Kevin by the incomparable Marilyn Maye, you will be taken on a journey exploring love and the passage of time. Hear the singer The Huffington Post described as "immensely likable...he brings to his crooning a tone remarkable for its simultaneous vulnerability and power. One of those romantic outings that might in an earlier time have been described as songs for swinging lovers. $25-35 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

SIDDARTHA THE MUSICAL, January 23 at 7PM, January 24 at 7PM & 9:30PM:
Fresh off of its smash-hit European tour, Siddhartha, The Musical makes its American premiere with three special concert performances at 54 Below. Inspired by Herman Hesse's timeless novel, the musical tells the story of Prince Siddhartha's spiritual quest for enlightenment with a sizzling, Italian and South Asian-influenced pop-rock score that features raw, sexy performances. This adaptation of one of the world's most iconic emotional journeys will delight fans of the novel, and audiences who appreciate the unique transformative power of musical theatre. Written and directed by Isabeau with music by Isabella Biffi and Fabio Codega, the show was originally developed in the Italian prison system. The special concert performances of Siddhartha, The Musical will be narrated in English and performed in Italian and is presented by Gloria Grace Alanis, Fabrizio Carbon and Broadway International Entertainment.$40 cover charge includes a cocktail reception.

Donna Vivino, January 23 at 9:30PM:
After her sold out show at 54 Below last fall, Donna Vivino returns for another witty evening of songs & stories, including selections from her recent debut recording, Beautiful Dreamer! 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 Elphaba's. One night only! $25-35 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

COMEDY COCKTAILS WITH Christine Pedi, January 23 at 11:30PM:
Featuring Christine Pedi, Jeffrey Richmond, Jackie Hoffman, Cristy Candler and Mickey Cusumano, Michael West, Julie James, and MORE! Musical comedienne & impressionist Christine Pedi brings her favorite funny friends together to shake & stir up some hysterical comedy concoctions (musical & otherwise). Silly songs and other diversions from some of the wildest wits on & off Broadway make it an incredibly happy hour & late night laugh lounge. $12 cover charge. $20 food & beverage minimum or Two drink minimum.

KT Sullivan & Mark Nadler, January 25 at 8PM:
KT Sullivan and Mark Nadler, two of cabaret's most lauded artists, invite one and all to A Swell Party-RSVP Cole Porter,celebrating the timeless words and music of the supreme musical sophisticate of the 20th century whose witty, naughty & romantic songs continue to enthrall audiences today as they did in the Jazz Age. Among the selections are It's De-lovely, I've Got You Under My Skin, Let's Do It, In The Still of the Night, Night and Day & Begin the Beguinatta. $40-50 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

THE SKIVVIES, January 25 at 11PM:
This "musically thrilling" undie-rock, comedy-pop duo don't just strip down their musical arrangements, they literally strip down to their underwear to perform their distinctive mashups and eccentric originals for cello and ukulele, with touches of glockenspiel, melodica, and a surprising array of under-used instruments. Award-winning singer-actors Lauren Molina (Marry Me a Little, Sweeney Todd, Rock of Ages) and Nick Cearley (All Shook Up) became YouTube sensations as The Skivvies, with living room videos that displayed their powerful harmonies as well as their powerful abs. Those clips led to live shows that The Wall Street Journal called "smart, sophisticated...ingenious," and Out Magazine, "The Skivvies have managed to carve out a niche that we never knew needed to exist: part Weird Al- parody and part sexy burlesque...and unusual explosion of satire and sultry." They also have a single and music video directed by Augusten Burroughs, bestselling author of Running With Scissors. They will be joined by special guest stars who will strip down and rock out. Expect a hilarious evening of genre-hopping pop perfection. $25-35 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

SONDHEIM UNPLUGGED, January 26 at 7PM:
A new twist on our hit monthly Sondheim tribute is coming your way this January when we present an evening of all DUETS from the treasured cannon of the master! Expect tunes ranging from A Little Priest, The Ballad of Booth and Agony, to favorites from shows like Passion, Into the Woods and Sunday in the Park with George. A celebrated New York event since 2010, the Bistro Award-winning series Sondheim Unplugged features some of Broadway and cabaret's most dynamic voices, accompanied by piano only. Past special guests have included original Sondheim cast members such as Len Cariou, Victoria Mallory, 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: Claybourne Elder (Road Show's original Hollis), Eric Micheal Gillette (Broadway's The Frogs), Annie Golden (Assassins' original Lynette 'Squeaky' Fromme), Leah Horowitz (Young Heidi, 2011 Broadway revival of Follies), Sarah Rice (Sweeney Todd's original Johanna), and Melanie Vaugn (Sunday in the Park with George's original Celeste #1). Featuring: Eric Comstock, Harris Doran, John Treacy Egan, Matt Farnsworth, Barbara Fasano, Rob Maitner, T. Oliver Reid, Brian Charles Rooney and Lucia Spina. $25-40 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

SIMPLY STREISAND, January 26 at 9:30PM:
In this celebration of all things Babs, some of Broadway and cabaret's finest voices celebrate the music of a legend. From Funny Girl to The Way We Were to little gems from A Star is Born, Yentl and her more than 45 best-selling albums, Barbra Streisand has stood the test of time like no other artist. At Simply Streisand, you'll hear an array of music from her catalogue, accompanied by a three piece band with narration from 54 Below's own Director of Original Programming (and host of the popular Sondheim Unplugged), Phil Geoffrey Bond, who will fill the audience in on special bits of Striesand lore, history, assorted tales and out and out gossip (from her penchent for perfection to her affair with Don Johnson, Simply Streisand is a show that changes with every performance!). From her humble beginnings in the cabarets of Greenwich Village straight through to her mega-stardom, Simply Streisand covers it all! Featuring the Barry Levitt Trio. $30-40 cover charge. $25 food & beverage minimum.

FIERCE BELTING BLACK GIRLS, January 26 at 11:30PM:
NYC's The Growing Studio presents a night of SANGIN'! With performances that cross race and gender lines by the best of The Growing Studio, "Fierce Belting Black Girls" will feature everyone's favorite knock-your-socks-off-songs that will raise the roof. Cast members include Leanne Brunn, Courtney Daniels, Madge Dietrich, Danyel MissDany Fulton, Stevi Incremona, Brandi Knox, Jose Luaces, Destinee Rea, Matthew Moore, Gavyn Pickens, Kristine Reese Tighe, Khadijah Rolle, Cassandra Sandberg, Katie Travis, and John Wascavage. $5 cover charge. $20 food & beverage minimum or two drink minimum.

To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com or call (866) 468-7619.

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