Jim Caruso's CAST PARTY Heads to Miami Tonight
By: BWW News Desk May. 28, 2015
Recently, Caruso and musical director Billy Stritch have taken the extreme open mic on the road, celebrating talent in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Dallas, Chicago and London. Now, the dynamic duo will bring the musical madness to Miami, debuting at Cabaret South Beach on May 28.
We spoke with Caruso about the upcoming events, the history of Cast Party, and his role as "the talent whisperer."
How do you describe Cast Party to in uninitiated?
Cast Party is an open mic for the Broadway, jazz, cabaret, pop, country, folk, comedy, polka and ventriloquial communities! It's been called the most 'extreme' open mic on the planet, because of the excellent musicianship, the wide variety of musical styles, and the occasional superstar drop-in!
How did it start?
I had taken a break from performing, and was doing press for a now-defunct nightclub. Nothing was going on at the venue, and I was writing press releases for drink specials and wanting to jump off the roof. I happened to throw a party for friends on a Monday night, and everyone I'd ever known showed up. There happened to be a piano, so thanks to my bff pianist Billy Stritch, we all entertained each other till the wee hours. The next day, the manager of the room asked if we'd do it again every Monday. It's now 12 years later, we're at Birdland and we haven't missed one Monday!
What's the process for performing at Cast Party?
Everyone needs to show up with sheet music for a snappy, peppy, upbeat tune. That's our only rule! We keep the energy up, because it's a Party, and ballads seem to weigh the evening down. I put everyone's name on a list, and we're off and running, creating a very unpredictable and spontaneous variety show!
After presiding over 14,000 Cast Party performances over the years, one article called you "The Talent Whisperer."
It sounds like a reality show, doesn't it? Good talent has always been my passion, and I've always loved show people! It's a thrill to give someone a stage on which to perform...it let's them show us who they are. Billy and I feel like it's our own version of "The Ed Sullivan Show!"
What are some of your most memorable moments at Cast Party?
Liza Minnelli announced her divorce at Cast Party. You don't forget that. Carol Channing spoke about arts education, then launched into "Before The Parade Passes By." Martin Short asked if he could try out new material he was to perform on "Letterman" the following night. A hula-hoopiste had 50 hoops going at the same time. There were 11 ukulele players playing "Bye Bye Blues." A choir of 80 Australian high schoolers sang a medley of show tunes. We've seen a four-year-old singing from "Les Miserables" and a 94-year old tap dancer. There have been 9 Elphabas, 2 Miss Americas and 3 Osmonds!
What can we expect from the debut of Cast Party in Miami?
First of all, we can't wait to see Edison Farrow's new room! My friends Miss Coco and Charles Busch are all booked there, so we sure are in excellent company! Billy and I have performed around Florida for years, and know a lot of brilliant performers there, and we've heard rumors that some swell folks are going to join us! We can't wait to see who shows up to sing! Our fingers are crossed for some musical theater types, some jazzers, a little bit of salsa, and a few of the indefinable types! Bring on the hula-hoops!
"Jim Caruso's Cast Party" with Billy Stritch is set for tonight, May 28 at 8pm at The Cabaret South Beach, 233 12th Street, Miami Beach, FL. For more information, call 305-763-8799 or visit TheCabaretSouthBeach.com. Interested in performing? Email caruso212@aol.com for more information! CastPartyNYC.com
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