59E59 Theaters Launches Cabaret with THE 1959 BROADWAY SONGBOOK

59E59 Theaters (Elysabeth Kleinhans, Artistic Director; Peter Tear, Executive Producer) welcomes Jeff Harnar with critically acclaimed cabaret show THE 1959 BROADWAY SONGBOOK. THE 1959 BROADWAY SONGBOOK begins performances on Wednesday, December 3 for a limited engagement through Friday, December 12. The performance schedule is Tuesday - Friday at 8:30 PM; Saturday at 6:30 PM and 9:30 PM; and Sunday at 3:30 PM and 7:30 PM. Please note, the performance times for Friday, December 12 are at 6:30 PM and 9:30 PM. Tickets are $25 ($17.50 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or go to www.ticketcentral.com. For more information, visit www.59e59.org.

Jeff Harnar's THE 1959 BROADWAY SONGBOOK is a musical revue celebrating the 21 musicals running in New York during the Golden Age of Broadway. From Gypsy, The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, West Side Story, Bells Are Ringing, The Music Man and more, a cast of four, featuring Mr. Harnar, Klea Blackhurst, Anna Bergman and David Gaines, toasts this pinnacle of The Golden Age of Broadway.

Rex Reed called THE 1959 BROADWAY SONGBOOK, "Big Voices, Big Talents and One Great Song After Another!" The New York Times called it "Superb!" and the Chicago Tribune
declared the show
"A Hit!"

BIOGRAPHIES:
Jeff Harnar is an award-winning New York cabaret, concert and recording artist. Jeff's New York cabaret engagements include The Oak Room at the historic Algonquin Hotel, Feinstein's at The Regency and, most recently, The Metropolitan Room. His numerous Carnegie Hall appearances include both the Cole Porter and Noel Coward centennial galas, a solo concert at Weill Recital Hall and as Michael Feinstein's special guest in his July Styne tribute at Zankel Hall. Jeff's two seasons of "The American Songbook in London" at The Jermyn Street Theatre were Critic's Choice in The Times, London for eight weeks. This spring Jeff will launch the return of The Cabaret at Pizza on the Park London. Since 1991 Jeff has appeared in eleven of the popular "Lyrics and Lyricists" concerts at The 92nd Street Y and made his debut as Artistic Director and Host in 2008 with an expanded concert version of "The 1959 Broadway Songbook" featuring Special Guest Donna McKechnie. Television appearances include "The 1959 Broadway Songbook" (PBS) and as the singing host of "Gershwin on Ice" starring Dorothy Hamill (A&E). Jeff tours nationally with Shauna Hicks in their symphony "Pops" concert "I Got Rhythm: Mickey & Judy's Hollywood," appearing most recently at New York's Town Hall. Jeff's solo recordings include "Dancing in the Dark" (PS Classics), "Sammy Cahn All the Way," "Because of You: Fifties Gold" and "The 1959 Broadway Songbook" Jeff has won 3 MAC Awards (Manhattan Association of Cabaret) and 4 Back Stage Bistro Awards.

Klea Blackhurst is best known for her award-winning solo shows: Everything The Traffic Will Allow, her acclaimed tribute to Ethel Merman; and, Autumn in New York: Vernon Duke's Broadway. Her most recent show teaming with Billy Stritch, Dreaming of a Song: The Music of Hoagy Carmichael, received a 2007 Backstage Bistro Award. Klea's concert appearances include the London Palladium, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, eight Mabel Mercer Foundation Cabaret Conventions, Carnegie Hall with Michael Feinstein, Oklahoma! at London's Royal Albert Hall, and New York's 92nd Street Y (Leo Robin & Cole Porter). Klea's theatre credits include: In New York - Bingo, By Jupiter, Radio Gals, Oil City Symphony; Regional - Chicago, The Great American Trailer Park Musical, Red Hot and Blue, Anything Goes. TV and radio: "Law and Order: SVU," "The Rosie O'Donnell Show," "Sesame Street," "A Prairie Home Companion." CD recordings: "Everything The Traffic Will Allow" and "Autumn in New York: Vernon Duke's Broadway" and the recently released "Dreaming of a Song: The Music of Hoagy Carmichael" (Ghostlight Records).

Anna Bergman has been hailed by The Washington Post as "a songstress who has triumphed in everything from Broadway-flavored tunes to opera arias and the sultry innuendoes of the cabaret chanteuse". Career highlights: Lincoln Center's American Songbook (with Barbara Cook); concert version of The Light in the Piazza (as Margaret) with Adam Guettel, Seattle's Intiman Theatre; the Kennedy Center's Sondheim Celebration in A Little Night Music; as soloist in Carnegie Hall's Ira at 100, at the White House and with the Pasadena Pops Orchestra. Other concert appearances: London's Cafe Royal; London's Lost Musicals with Kitty Carlisle Hart; Waltz Of My Heart: The Music Of Ivor Novello (BBC-TV), International Festival, Cardiff Wales; Mr. Gershwin Goes To Washington (as Diana Devereaux), Music Festival of the Hamptons; Chicago Humanities Festival; Manaus Opera House, Brazil; New York Festival of Song; Lyrics & Lyricists. Theatre: Kiss Me Kate (Kate), Three Sisters (Masha), Falsettoland (Cordelia), Camelot (Guenevere), The Cryptogram (Donny), Three Postcards (Big Jane), The Beggar's Opera (Lucy), The Merry Widow (Valencienne), Blood On The Dining Room Floor (Rose, opera, NY world premiere). Solo Concert-Cabarets: Kennedy Center, Feinstein's at Loews Regency, Algonquin's Oak Room, Stanhope Hotel, Prince Music Theatre, Caramoor and Strathmore Centers, Colony Hotel, Crest Theatre, Guild Hall, Le Chat Noir. Award-winning CD "Souvenir and "Kurt Weill In America" (LML Music).

David Gaines' most recent theater credits include serving as the musical director for Old Wicked Songs and The Immigrant (both at Westport Country Playhouse), and Picon Pie (Lamb's Theater). David's NYC credits include Playwrights Horizons, the Public Theater, the Vineyard, the York and others. He has served as musical director for composer Liz Swados on several projects (BAM/Next Wave, La Mama, NY Stage & Film) and has worked as an audition pianist/rehearsal pianist on many Broadway and off-Broadway projects. He has served as faculty member of cabaret conferences at the Perry Mansfield School of the Arts (Steamboat Springs, CO) and the O'Neill Theater Center (Waterford, CT), where he musical directed three cabaret evenings for actress/singer Penny Fuller. He has also been a member of the faculty of the Playwrights Horizons Theater School/NYU Tisch for the past nine years. As musical director/accompanist, David recently played a program for Andrea Marcovicci, and has worked with cabaret artists Jeff Harnar, KT Sullivan, Eric Michael Gillett and Georga Osborne, among others. His arrangements and orchestrations can be heard on the Jamie DeRoy compilation CDs "Tis the Season," "Family" and "The Real Thing."

 

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