Amanda Green, Jamie deRoy, Johnny Rodgers et al. Set for Birdland Season
Jim Caruso and TheaterMania.com have announced the third season of 7pm Monday night concerts featuring top Broadway/cabaret performers and songwriters at Birdland (315 West 44th Street, NYC), as follows:
September 12: Jamie deRoy & Friends Present Strings Attached
Among the performers scheduled to appear in this benefit for the NYC Police Foundation are Broadway’s Ann Crumb and Leenya Rideout (violin, guitar, mandolin); comedian/guitarist Demetri Martin; violinist Todd Sullivan; singer/ songwriter Randi Driscoll; and Margaret Dorn of The Accidentals. The evening will include a rare performance by David Buskin and Robin Batteau (guitar, mandolin, violin, piano). Strings Attached will be directed by Barry Kleinbort; Lanny Meyers will serve as musical director.
September 19: The Johnny Rodgers Band
Rodgers celebrates the release of his new CD Box of Photographs, which also features Joe Ravo on guitar, Danny Mallon on drums, and Brian Glassman on bass. Released by PS Classics, Box of Photographs showcases piano-driven pop tunes, irresistible harmonies, and Rodgers’ powerful vocals.
September 26: Capathia Jenkins & Louis Rosen
Broadway’s Capathia Jenkins (Caroline, or Change, The Civil War) and award-winning composer Louis Rosen come to Birdland for an evening of jazz and blues. They will reprise “12 Songs on Poems by Maya Angelou,” which enjoyed sold-out performances when it premiered this past March. The rest of the concert will include songs from Dream Suite, set to the words of Langston Hughes, and new songs from Rosen’s cycle-in-progress South Side Stories. Pianist David Loud will join Jenkins and Rosen.
October 13: Avenue Q Swings!
This event will feature musical theater stars singing songs from Avenue Q in jazz, classical, and other surprising arrangements. Among those scheduled to perform are Stephanie d’Abruzzo, Karen Mason, Sally Mayes, and Christine Pedi. The musical director for the show will be Mary Ann McSweeney, who plays bass in the Avenue Q orchestra on Broadway.
October 10: A Night Of Music Celebrating The Matthew Shepard Foundation
Starring Randi Driscoll, Jason & DeMarco, and many special guests.
October 17: Amanda Green & Tom Kitt Play With Themselves
A premature retrospective from the writing duo that’s bringing High Fidelity to Broadway next season. Green and Kitt will amuse and amaze; surprise guests will abound.
October 24: And Then I Wrote…The Songs Of Steve Marzullo
Conductor/composer Steve Marzullo has lined up a dazzling cast of Broadway babies including Michael Arden, Judy Blazer, Liz Callaway, Darius DeHaas, Michael Gruber, Terry Klausner, Alix Korey, Rebecca Luker, Ric Ryder, and Michael Winther to sing his pop-tinged songs.
October 31: Christine Lavin in FolkZinger
The “21st century’s singing Mark Twain” celebrates the release of her new album with The Accidentals, Ervin Drake, Julie Gold, Brian Bauers, Julie Garnyé, and other surprise guests.
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The cover charge for each concert is $25 plus a $10 food/drink minimum. (The October 10 concert is a benefit, with $50 and $100 VIP tickets also available.) Tickets may be purchased through the Birdland box office by phoning 212-581-3080 or online at www.instantseats.com/birdland. Jim Caruso’s Cast Party, the open-mic extravaganza, will follow each concert. A full dinner menu is available at Birdland every night until 1am.
