Wilson Joins Brinberg's 'A Simply Barbra' Holiday Spectacular

Julie Wilson, the legendary theatre and cabaret star, will make a guest appearance at Steven Brinberg's "A Simply Barbra Holiday Spectacular." She joins the previously announced Tituss Burgess and The Broadway Boys. The event will benefit The Ali Forney Center, New York's primary emergency housing resource for homeless LGBT youth. "A Simply Barbra Holiday Spectacular" will play at Symphony Space (2357 Broadway at 95th Street) on Saturday, December 20 at 8 pm.

Steven Brinberg is the premiere Barbra Streisand impressionist, having performed his show to international acclaim both on stage and television, including performances with frequent Streisand collaborator Marvin Hamlisch, who said of Brinberg's performance, "You almost think, ‘My God! Is that really her?'" Christopher Denny, Mr. Brinberg's long-time collaborator will serve as the evening's musical director.

Tickets are $25-$65 (VIP tickets at $100-$125 include a post performance reception) and may be obtained in person at the Symphony Space box office (Tuesday-Sunday, 12pm to 6pm), over the phone by calling (212) 864-5400 (Tuesday-Sunday, 12 pm to 6 pm), and online at symphonyspace.org.

Julie Wilson's career dates back to the 1940s with performances at the Latin Quarter and the Copacabana. She made her Broadway debut in the 1946 revue Three to Make Ready, and later replaced Joan Diener in Kismet. Additional Broadway credits include The Pajama Game (1954), Jimmy (1969), Park (1970), and Legs Diamond (1988), for which she received a Tony Award nomination as Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She toured in Show Boat, Panama Hattie, Silk Stockings, Follies, Company, and A Little Night Music. West End credits include Kiss Me, Kate, South Pacific, and Bells Are Ringing. While in London, she studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Her discography includes My Old Flame, Live From the Russian Tea Room, Julie Wilson At the St. Regis, and collections from to the songbooks of Stephen Sondheim, George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Kurt Weill, Harold Arlen, and Cy Coleman.

Steven Brinberg has been called "Absolutely brilliant! Affectionate and wickedly funny" by Time Out New York, while the NY Daily News called him "A first-rate Second Hand Rose. His musical mimicry is amazing." Brinberg has appeared with Marvin Hamlisch and the Symphony Orchestras of Dallas, Milwaukee, Buffalo and Norfolk, as well as an appearance with Barbara Cook and the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center, and at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh. He recently narrated the New York City Gay Men's Chorus concert at Avery Fisher Hall, written especially for him by Terrence McNally.

Brinberg has performed at Stephen Sondheim's birthday concert at the Library of Congress; at Carnegie Hall with Uptown Express; and on Broadway in the concert version of Funny Girl with Whoopi Goldberg. Simply Barbra has twice toured Australia, New Zealand, and England, last year ending in a West End run at the Arts and Playhouse Theatres. The show has also played Singapore; Hong Kong; Sag Harbor (Bay Street Theatre); Philadelphia (Walnut Street Theatre), San Francisco (New Conservatory Theatre), Los Angeles (Cinegrill); Sun Valley (Bruce Willis' Liberty Theatre), Atlantic City (Taj Mahal), Windsor, Ontario (Windsor Casino); Provincetown (Town Hall); Miami Beach (Colony Theatre): Houston (Theater Lab Houston); Albany (Empire Center); Arlington (Signature Theater); St. Louis (Sheldon Concert Hall); Chicago (Davenport's); and 3 sold out turns at The Mohegan Sun Casino.

His film credits include Camp, Boys Life, and Next Year in Jerusalem. Mr. Brinberg's television appearances include The Rosie 0'Donnell Show, Sally Jessy Raphael, Jerry Springer, Bert Newton, Kerri Anne (Australia), Fox News Channel and MTV's Celebrity Death Match as the voice of David Spade. He appeared in two workshops of Ken Page's musical, Nightlife, at Manhattan Theatre Club and Westbeth Theatre Centre, and in Ivanov at the Jewish Rep.

A two-time Mac and Bistro award winner, Brinberg's CD Simply Barbra Live in London is available on Jay Records, and The Duets Album features performances with Kaye Ballard, Mimi Hines, Debbie Gravitte, Karen Mason, and many others.

Titus Burgess Broadway credits include The Little Mermaid (Sebastian), Jersey Boys and Good Vibrations. He has appeared in The Wiz at the La Jolla Playhouse, and as a soloist at the Prague Philharmonic's tribute to American composers. His solo CD, Here's To You, is available on iTunes.

The Broadway Boys A collection of the hottest male voices currently working on the New York stage. Through their dynamic vocal prowess and redefining arrangements, the Boys add elements of Pop, Funk, Gospel, Jazz, and Folk to show tunes and classic pop songs. Performing in groups of six, the Boys are able to explore harmonies rarely presented by Broadway singers.

The Ali Forney Center was started in June of 2002 in response to the lack of safe shelter for LGBT youth in New York City. They are committed to providing these young people with safe, dignified, nurturing environments where their needs can be met, and where they can begin to put their lives back together. AFC is dedicated to promoting awareness of the plight of homeless LGBT youth in the United States with the goal of generating responses on local and national levels from government funders, foundations, and the LGBT community. AFC had a previous sold-out benefit concert at Symphony Space in 2005 with Bea Arthur: Back on Broadway (& 95th Street).

Symphony Space When Symphony Space opened its doors in 1978 with its first production, Wall to Wall Bach, it gathered together an eclectic group of musicians, professional and amateur, well-known and emerging. What began as a natural outgrowth of the cultural epicenter that is the Upper West Side, traditionally home to many of the great actors, writers, dancers and musicians of our time, remains a unique melding of world-class artistry with the informality and intimacy of a neighborhood salon.

Photo credit: Pablo Pimienta

www.symphonyspace.org
www.simplybarbra.com
www.aliforneycenter.org

 

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