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POSTS FROM JANUARY, FEBRUARY & a bit of MARCH 2007 GOSSIP GOSSIP March 4, 2007 10:32 AM What fabootastic Avenue Q star will be in the current revival of Les Miz? Is it: Ann Harada? A little birdie told me that Harada, the fantastic original Christmas Eve will be soon starring in Les Miz. This is just GOSSIP GOSSIP but my heartfelt wishes go out to Ann Harada! She deserves it and if Les Miz is hiring her they are indeed lucky. Have a nice day. Corine To Those Asking About My Site March 3, 2007 10:08 AM Hi, I want to let you know that I hired new webmasters and some very exciting changes will be happening in the next week or so. First, I will be able to add my own photos to my blog soon. That should happen very soon. In addition I will be having video on my site in the distant future which will also include video interviews with Chefs. Please read my blog daily. It will be updated three or more times a day. Best, Corine GOSSIP GOSSIP- MUSTO ON ONSTAGE! March 3, 2007 10:06 AM Hi, If you live in NYC, check out my favorite gossip columnist on channel 1. He is so funny and so talented. (I adore him) You can watch Musto this evening at 7:30 and tomorrow at 9:30 AM and 7:30 PM and Monday at Midnight. I want my Musto TV! He is faboo, xxoxoxo Corine Upcoming Theater Schedule March 3, 2007 12:59 AM This Weekend I am seeing: 1. Howard Katz 2. The Gazillion Bubble Show 3. Jackie with a Z I look forward to seeing Euan Morton in Howard Katz and Jackie Hoffman in Jackie with a Z. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. All my best, Corine PS Get out there and see a Broadway show or a fantastic cabaret show. xoxoxo Laurie Beechman Schedule March 3, 2007 12:36 AM The Laurie Beechman Theatre located within The West Bank Café is pleased to announce upcoming performances in March NEW YORK – It is with great pleasure that The West Bank Café announces upcoming performances to be presented in The Laurie Beechman Theatre. The West Bank Café is located at 407 West 42nd. St., at Ninth Avenue. For reservations, please call 212.695.6909, between the hours of 12pm and 8pm. The Laurie Beechman Theatre has a rich tradition of presenting cutting-edge work, which has played a role in shaping American theatre and live performance. Since the 80’s, the theatre has staged numerous plays and hosted a myriad of live performance events. This March, the theatre is proud to announce an exciting and eclectic line-up of performers and performances, all of which will take place in the gorgeous eighty seat venue. Please note there is a $15 food and/or beverage minimum at each performance, with the exception of The After Party. All major credit cards are accepted. Wed, Mar 7 @ 7pm Karen Jacobsen - $15 cover Fresh from the release of her new CD, Kissing Someone Else, at Joe’s Pub, Karen Jacobsen will perform her uplifting, timeless piano driven songs at the grand piano. Thur, March 8 @ 7pm Todd Almond - $15 cover Kicking off our series of composers sharing their own work, acclaimed actor/composer Almond presents an evening of his own music. Fri, March 9 @ 7pm Tim DiPasqua & Michael Holland - $15 cover The second in our composer's series, Holland and DiPasqua, two of the most innovative voices writing today, join forces to present a one night only concert featuring their own compositions. Sun, March 11 @ 7pm Courter Simmons (Beauty and The Beast National Tour) and Leonard Sullivan (Hairspray National Tour) in Duel Belters - $15 cover These two vocal forces of nature come together to belt out tunes that the women always get… ‘cause the men’s songs are all too low!’ Thur, March 15 @ 7pm Brian Feinstein - $10 cover Our composer's series continues with the man behind off-Broadway's Mimi Le Duck. Special guests Malcom Gets and Melissa Errico. Fri, March 16 @ 7pm Julie Gold - $15 cover Our composer's series concludes with Julie "From a Distance" Gold – best known for penning the Bette Midler classic. Accompanied by the magnificent vocals of Emily Bindiger and Margaret Dorn. Sunday, March 16th @ 7pm David Gurland – $16 cover The third performance of the DGUR in Concert series will celebrate the male singers and songwriters from the 1970’s and 1980’s. David is thrilled to have special guests Eddie Varley and Mike McCardle. The evening will feature musical direction from this year’s Bistro Award-winner, Ray Fellman, and will include a special performance from Bistro Award winner Rob Maiter. Monday, March 19 @ 7pm & Sunday, March 25 @ 5pm Bob O’Hare: From There to Here - $15 cover Featuring songs by Sondheim, Rodgers & Hart, Flanders & Swann, Dr. Seuss, Bricusse & Newley, Jerry Herman, Marc Blitzstein and others, Bob makes his NYC cabaret debut. Fridays, March 23 and 30, Saturdays, March 24 and 31 @ 8:30pm Quarter to Three – $25 cover An absorbing new play from Lynn Lobban: funny, heartbreaking, terrifying & profoundly human. Featuring: Natalie Barback, Molly Camp, Kristen Stewart Chase, Lynn Lobban, Joy Franz, Sarah Kiefer & David Licht. Monday, March 26 and Tuesday, March 27 @ 7pm Moving Forward, Looking Back - $11 Cover A new musical revue by Michael Mahler, conceived by Michael Mahler and Jessica Redish, featuring Michael Buchanan, Andrea Chamberlain, Cait Doyle and Willis White. To hear songs from the show, please visit: www.myspace.com/m4ward. Every Friday, 10:30pm – 2am The After Party – no cover, no minimum Our ridiculously successful, weekly schmoozefest for the theatrically inclined continues. Special guests this month include Broadway’s Sally Wilfret, the hilarious duo of David Gurland and Rob Maitner (with Tracy Stark) and Donna Vivino. Our Leading Lady! March 2, 2007 3:57 PM I can't wait to see this production!!!! Charles Busch is one of my favorite playwrights!!!! MANHATTAN THEATRE CLUB’S OUR LEADING LADY Manhattan Theatre Club’s world premiere production of Charles Busch’s OUR LEADING LADY directed by Lynne Meadow begins previews tonight, February 22 at New York City Center, Stage II (131 West 55th Street). The production opens on Tuesday, March 20. The cast features (in alphabetical order): Reed Birney (Gavin DeChamblay), Barbara Bryne (Maude Bentley), Maxwell Caulfield (Harry Hawk), Ann Duquesnay (Madame Wu-Chan), J.R. Horne (Major Hopwood), Kate Mulgrew (Laura Keene), Kristine Nielsen (Verbena Morris), Amy Rutberg (Clementine Smith) and Billy Wheelan (W.J. Ferguson). Charles Busch (The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife) returns to Manhattan Theatre Club with a truly original play about the theatre. Laura Keene (Mulgrew), a 19th century American stage luminary, prepares to perform at Ford's Theatre on the fateful night when Abraham Lincoln is in the audience. This new play captures the magic of the theatre as only Charles Busch can. Directing is MTC's Lynne Meadow, who staged the hit production of The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife which subsequently transferred to Broadway and had a celebrated run at the Barrymore Theatre. The design team will feature: Santo Loquasto (Set Design), Jane Greenwood (Costume Design), Brian MacDevitt (Lighting Design) and Scott Lehrer (Sound Design). OUR LEADING LADY plays: Tuesday through Sunday at 7:30 PM. Matinees on Saturday at Sunday at 2:30 PM. There will be no Saturday matinee on Saturday, February 24. Tickets are $50 and can be reserved by calling CityTix at (212) 581-1212. Group and student rates are available. For Manhattan Theatre Club season subscriptions, call (212) 399-3030. For group ticket information, call (212) 399-3000 x 134. Student tickets are $25 and are on sale for all performances based on availability on the day of the performance, up to one hour before showtime. Call (212) 581-1212 for further information. MTC at New York City Center is accessible to people with disabilities and is equipped with a hearing augmentation system. Visit www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com for more information. Visit www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com for more information. Jamie deRoy and Friends! March 2, 2007 3:53 PM Jamie deRoy & friends Kicks off Monthly Series of Thursday Nights of Cabaret Thursday, March 29th at Metropolitan Room * Eddie Brill * Penny Fuller * Hilary Kole * Victoria Shaw * Michele Ragusa Celebrated cabaret performer Jamie deRoy will kick-off a monthly series of Thursday evenings of her Multi MAC Award-winning variety show, Jamie deRoy & friends on Thursday, March 29th (7:30PM) at the New York hotspot The Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street Between 5th & 6th Avenues). The following Thursday dates will be April 26, May 31, and June 28 at 7:30PM. The March 29th evening will feature the following artists: the hilarious comic Eddie Brill; two-time Tony nominee Penny Fuller; accomplished singer Hilary Kole; Grammy Award -winning singer-songwriter Victoria Shaw; and theater’s own Michele Ragusa fresh from her noted performance in Adrift In Macao for which she received a Barrymore Award. Barry Kleinbort is the director of Jamie deRoy & friends and Paul Greenwood will serve as musical director. The colorful cabaret series, which has been thrilling New York City audiences for the past 16 years and serves as the basis for deRoy's award-winning cable television show, spotlights a wide variety of well-known entertainers and newcomers lighting up the cabaret, theater, and comedy worlds. JAMIE deROY has won eight MAC Awards, four Back Stage Bistro Awards, nine Telly Awards and CaB Magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her extensive work on both stage and screen. Jamie has appeared onstage with Joan Rivers and has headlined at many of New York’s major clubs. She has produced eight CDs in the Jamie deRoy & friends series on the Harbinger and PS Classics labels. Her theatre producing credits include Broadway: Jay Johnson: The Two and Only, Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life, Say Goodnight Gracie; Off-Broadway: Spalding Gray: Stories Left To Tell, Athol Fugard’s Exits and Entrances, Christopher Durang’s Adrift in Macao, Indian Blood, Terrence McNally’s Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged). Her TV and film producing credits include the Emmy-nominated "The Biggest Little Operas in Town" for Channel 13 and Rick McKay’s documentary Broadway: The Golden Age. Her acting credits include appearances on the television shows “Alice,” “Spiderman” and “Knight Rider,” and in the films GoodFellas, Raging Bull, See No Evil Hear No Evil, and Married to It. Onstage, Jamie appeared with Rene Auberjonois in The Threepenny Opera, as well as in The Drunkard with musical direction by Barry Manilow. Jamie deRoy & friends at Metropolitan Room at Gotham, 34 West 22 Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues) has a $20 cover charge plus a two beverage minimum. For reservations, please call (212) 206-0440. Program is subject to change. Grey Gardens Star Christine Ebersole (Wear Red Shoes and go) March 2, 2007 1:25 PM Catch a free performance by the one and only Christine Ebersole! You read it here! (Wear red shoes and go);-) I really need a pair of red shoes. I looked in my closet and I don't own one pair. “They can get you in East Hampton for wearing red shoes on Thursday…” BLOOMINGDALE’S WELCOMES GREY GARDENS STAR CHRISTINE EBERSOLE & DESIGNER STUART WEITZMAN ON MONDAY, MARCH 5, 5PM WHAT: A SPECIAL EVENT AT BLOOMINGDALE’S 59TH STREET LAUNCHING A NEW INITIATIVE WITH DESIGNER STUART WEITZMAN, INSPIRED BY THE HIT BROADWAY MUSICAL GREY GARDENS. BLOOMINGDALE’S WILL WELCOME GREY GARDENS STAR, TONY AWARD WINNER CHRISTINE EBERSOLE AND MR. WEITZMAN ON MONDAY, MARCH 5 TO ANNOUNCE THE NEW INITIATIVE: PURCHASE ANY PAIR OF STUART WEITZMAN SHOES MONDAY, MARCH 5 THROUGH FRIDAY, MARCH 9 AND 10% OF SALES WILL BE DONATED TO WOMEN IN NEED, INC. AT THE EVENT, MR. WEITZMAN WILL SPEAK AND MS. EBERSOLE WILL PERFORM A NUMBER FROM THE MUSICAL. THE TWO WILL ALSO SIGN AND RAFFLE OFF A SPECIAL RED PAIR OF STUART WEITZMAN SHOES, AND BLOOMINGDALE’S WILL DEBUT SPECIAL WINDOW DISPLAYS INSPIRED BY GREY GARDENS. WHEN: MONDAY, MARCH 5, 2007 5:00PM – 8:00PM (PERFORMANCE & PRESENTATION AT 5:30PM) WHERE: BLOOMINGDALE’S 59TH & LEXINGTON, SALON SHOES, FOURTH FLOOR OH OH OH... I CAN HEAR THE BELLS!!! March 2, 2007 9:15 AM Good Morning,(Baltimore, NYC and beyond) I heard a little rumor that Hairspray (One of my favorite shows) needs a little boost in ticket sales. Do me a favor and buy some tickets to the show. You wont be disappointed. Thank you, Have a nice day. Corine ;-) I would like Hairspray to run as long or longer than Cats! Thanks. Drama Desk Panel Hosted By Ellis Nassour and Leslie Hoban Blake! March 1, 2007 6:55 PM Drama Desk Holds Lively Panel Discussion with Creators and Producers of “Grey Gardens” and “Spring Awakening” The Drama Desk held a panel discussion, titled Moving On, with theater professionals from Grey Gardens and Spring Awakening on Wednesday, February 28, that focused on the challenges and advantages of moving theatrical productions from Off Broadway to Broadway. The discussion took place at BMI, 320 West 57th Street. The lively discussion, explored the hows, whys and wherefores necessary to move productions from Off Broadway venues, especially the not-for-profit sector, to Broadway theatres. Guest panelists were: Andrew Hamingson, Managing Director, Atlantic Theatre Company; Tim Sanford, Artistic Director, Playwrights Horizons; Michael Korie, lyricist, Grey Gardens; Tom Hulce, Producer, Spring Awakening; Michael Rosenberg, Producer/East of Doheny, Grey Gardens; and Ira Pittleman, Producer, Spring Awakening. Both Grey Gardens (Playwrights Horizons) and Spring Awakening (Atlantic Theatre Company) are current Broadway musicals that originated in the not-for-profit world of Off Broadway. Panel co-moderators were Leslie (Hoban) Blake, alternate theater critic for WFUV-FM Radio (90.7), video interviewer for TimesSquare.com and Vice President of the Drama Desk, and Ellis Nassour, lead columnist for BroadwayStars.com, contributor to Playbill and member of the Executive Board of the Drama Desk. Some thoughts about the event: Leslie and Ellis asked very interesting questions. It was very interesting and exciting. I love both Grey Gardens and Spring Awakening and was very interested in the panel. I did not want the event to end even though I had tickets to Spelling Bee. Photos will be posted later this week on this blog. PS Many years ago, I was moved by the film Amadeus and had a huge crush on Tom Hulce who is one of the Producers of Spring Awakening. It was very interesting to meet him. (Amadeus is one of my favorite films and he is my favorite performer in any film) All About Us! March 1, 2007 6:39 PM I can't wait to see this musical by Joe Stein and Kander and Ebb! More Cast Members Join “All About Us,” New Musical, Opening Westport Country Playhouse’s 2007 Season in April Westport Country Playhouse (Tazewell Thompson, artistic director, and Jodi Schoenbrun Carter, managing director) announces more actors from Broadway, film and television will join the cast of the new musical, “All About Us,” opening the Playhouse 2007 season, April 10 through April 28. Single tickets will go on sale beginning Monday, March 5, 10 a.m. “All About Us” is based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “The Skin of Our Teeth” by Thornton Wilder. Music is by Kander and Ebb (“Chicago,” “Cabaret”). Book is by Joseph Stein (“Fiddler on the Roof”). It is the humorous and poignant story of the indestructible Antrobus family who have survived a thousand calamities by the skin of their teeth. Cast members previously announced in February are Grammy, Emmy and three-time Tony Award nominee Eartha Kitt as The Fortune Teller, and Tony Award winners Shuler Hensley as Mr. Antrobus and Cady Huffman as Sabina, The Maid. Newly added cast members include Yvette Freeman as Mrs. Antrobus. She won Obie, Ovation and NAACP Awards for her performance in the play “Dinah Was,” based on the life of legendary jazz singer Dinah Washington. On television, Ms. Freeman played Nurse Haleh Adams on the NBC drama “ER.” In the roles of the Antrobus children will be Samantha Futerman as Gladys and Carlo Alban as Henry. Ms. Futerman was in the film, “Memoirs of a Geisha.” Alban has had recurring roles in “Strangers with Candy,” “Thicker Than Blood” and “The Tavern.” He has guest starred on “Law & Order,” “The Jury,” “Touched by an Angel” and the HBO prison-themed series “Oz,” and has been nominated for Young Artists Awards and an ALMA Award. Portraying the Wooley Mammoths are Eric Michael Gillett and Drew Taylor. Gillett was on Broadway in “The Frogs,” “Sweet Smell of Success” and “Kiss Me Kate.” Taylor was in Broadway’s “Sweet Smell of Success,” “Annie” and “The Secret Garden.” Ensemble members include Michael-Leon Wooley who appears in the hit film “Dreamgirls,” performing the song “Takin’ the Long Way Home,” and was in the original production of “Five Guys Names Moe”; Michael Thomas Holmes who appeared in “The Producers” on Broadway; J. Elaine Marcos who was in Broadway’s “The Wedding Singer,” “Sweet Charity,” “Wonderful Town,” “Flower Drum Song” and “Miss Saigon”; and Rachelle Rak who appeared on Broadway in “Fosse,” “Oklahoma!” and “Cats.” Others in the cast are Tony Freeman as Stage Manager, David Standish as Hologram Boy, and ensemble members Frank Vlastnick, Sally Ann Tumas and Daniel Marcus. Director is Gabriel Barre, a Tony and Drama Desk Award nominee. The production is sponsored by The Private Bank of Bank of America, and is produced in association with Jacki Barlia-Florin. I can't wait! My First Time February 28, 2007 12:32 AM Hi, I got the opportunity to cover the MY FIRST TIME benefit at New World Stages last evening. In addition to helping a great charity, I got to interview John Tartaglia, Mary Testa, Gary Maffei, Ann Harada and Heath Calvert. I had a great time. The concert was well done but I especially loved Ann's performance living out her dream of performing GODSPELL. Photo coverage and video coverage will be on my site soon. XXOO, Corine Lonely? Single? Looking To Mingle! February 27, 2007 12:43 PM Check this out!!!! Go and get your tickets now!!!!! SINGLES’ NIGHT ON BROADWAY (SinglesNightOnBroadway.com) WHAT: Kick off of SINGLES’ NIGHT ON BROADWAY a new audience development program from The League of American Theatres and Producers WHO: Fox 5's Good Day New York team, including JODI APPLEGATE, RON CORNING, MIKE WOODS, LUCY NOLAND, ANNE CRAIG, KATHERINE CREAG, serve as Media Ambassadors for Singles’ Night on Broadway, with special guests ASHLEY PARKER ANGEL and ALEXA VEGA from HAIRSPRAY, and performers from 18 participating Broadway shows. DATE: Wednesday, February 28 TIME: 5:30 – 7:30 pm (cocktail party) 6:00 pm (welcome from Good Day New York) PLACE: MADAME TUSSAUDS NEW YORK – 6th floor 234 West 42nd (Between 7th/8th Aves) Fox 5’s Good Day New personalities will KICK OFF Single’s Night on Broadway, a unique opportunity for single men and women to meet and share their common interest in Broadway. Singles’ from the tri-state area are encouraged to participate by purchasing a ticket to any of the participating Broadway or Off Broadway shows and attend a free pre-show cocktail party at Madame Tussauds New York. Singles will have the opportunity to mingle with other singles through special activities such as tarot card readings, raffles, mind reading demonstrations, speed dating, and more. Have You Seen Jackie With A Z??? February 27, 2007 11:58 AM Joe’s Pub NYC proudly announces the addition of the following show to our calendar: I hope you can make it. Jackie is one of the funniest women in comedy today. xo, Corine Tuesday, February 27 at 7:30pm Sunday, March 4 at 9:30pm Monday, March 5 at 7:30pm (SOLD OUT) Tuesday, March 13 at 7:30pm Monday, March 19 at 7:30pm (SOLD OUT) and 9:30pm Tuesday, March 20 at 9:30pm JACKIE HOFFMAN – Jackie with a Z THE REVIEWS ARE IN: IT’S A HIT! "In 'Jackie With a Z,' her delectably outrageous new show at Joe's Pub, Ms. Hoffman is continuing her love-hate relationship with the audience. She hates; they love. Ms. Hoffman leaves no comic stone unthrown. Audiences weary of a diet of politically correct pablum should find it refreshing... fast, funny and, most important, furious." - The New York Times "Hoffman's brand of bile is highly entertaining, and this fast-paced 60 minutes of stand-up comedy and satirical musical numbers should give the performer another hit run... There are enough belly laughs here to inspire hope that this supreme curmudgeon won't mellow anytime soon." - The New York Post "There are actually three things you can be sure of in life: death, taxes, and the fact that Jackie Hoffman will say something outrageous when she's on the stage of Joe's Pub. Her final, truly daring number, performed with a special surprise guest, has to be heard and seen to be believed." – Theatermania The hilarious Obie-award winner Jackie Hoffman (Garden State, Hairspray, Kissing Jessica Stein) returns to Joe's Pub, home of her smash hit The Kvetching Continues (the longest running show in Joe's Pub history) in Jackie With A Z. Hoffman, New York's most beloved hospital-bound hilarious Hebrew, has her dream cancer scare! In this latest offering, Miss Hoffman skewers regional theater, the upper west side, and gives a blow by blow account of her six day ordeal at Mt. Sinai having her hysterectomy. Come see everyone's favorite child hater without a uterus, in an all new show! Directed by Michael Schiralli, Musical Director, Bobby Peaco All Shows are $25 For more information on the venue or this performance; to schedule interviews, request photos/ticket giveaways/music and to request press tickets to this event; contact John Seroff at Joe's Pub: jseroff@publictheater.org / 212-539-8563 LOCATION: 425 Lafayette Street (between East 4th and Astor Place) NYC; adjacent to The Public Theater TICKETS: By Phone: 212-967-7555 On the Web: www.joespub.com In Person: At The Public Theater Box Office from 1pm to 6pm and at Joe’s Pub from 6pm to 10pm (both located at 425 Lafayette St.) TABLE RESERVATIONS: 212-539-8778 Purchase of tickets does NOT guarantee a table reservation; you must call to reserve seats. Seating, as well as standing-room, is available only on a first-come, first-served basis for all shows without a dinner reservation. Two drink or $12 food. It is worth it. The Genius Known As Chris Gatelli! February 27, 2007 1:21 AM Hi, Just wanted to post how much I admire and respect Chris Gatelli. I had a nice chat with him this evening about his recent show (Adrift In Macao) Have you seen this gem? NO? Run to the theater and get tickets. It is pure bliss. I laughed really hard and as many of you know that makes me happiest. Adrift In Macao made me giddy and happy. Pure fun. Someone please move this show to an open ended run. It is that good and with some work it could succeed. I LOVE THIS SHOW. XO, Corine Donna Vivino Link. February 26, 2007 4:41 PM Check out these photos of Donna Vivino. http://s148.photobucket.com/albums/s4/awinstonII/ My Night With The Leading Men! February 26, 2007 1:00 PM MY NIGHT WITH THE LEADING MEN by Corine Cohen I hate cold weather, and New York has received a double dose of it in past weeks, making it impossible to want to go out. But when Wayman Wong invited me to attend "The Leading Men II" concert, the benefit concert he organized this and last year in conjunction with his column called, you guessed it "The Leading Men," of which I'm an avid reader. I have a great deal of respect for Wayman but secretly I'm just glad he and I have the same passion and enthusiasm for the intersection of theater and cabaret. "The Leading Men II" was a joyful experience for all, just like the man himself! A few thoughts about the show, which had sold out weeks before, and didn't fail to impress: 1. Daniel Reichard from "Jersey Boys" singing: "Torch Song" from "When Pigs Fly," a hysterical song mocking our Veep Dick Cheney and got the entire audience howling. Daniel proved his "Forbidden Broadway" training has done great things for his career. I adored his performance and would say it was the favorite of the night—but don't tell the other boys! 2. Budding cabaret legend and recording artist David Gurland, nattily decked out in a pink shirt and black jacket, really ended up bringing down the house. He has such range! I adore him and his adorable boyfriend Robbie! David sang "Waiting For Life" from "Once on This Island," the classic musical of star-crossed lovers on a Caribbean island. 3. Seth Rudetsky, the emcee of his own live talkshow "Chatterbox" at the Don't Tell Mama Cabaret, and a total class act, did his piece "Deconstructing the "Sound of Music," To steal his own line he was "AHMAZING." 4. Sexy, well dressed and stunning Perry Ojeda from "Pride" had everyone sweating during "Lucky to Be Me" from "Our Town." I felt lucky to be watching him perform—and a little overheated. Who cared about the cold now? 5. Les Mis's new Marius, Adam Jacobs, impressed the entire audience with "Maria" from "West Side Story" It was breathtaking and beautiful. His voice is stunning and his wife is a lucky woman. 6. And finally Adam's co-star and veteran Broadway dreamboat Norm Lewis sang: "I'd Rather be Sailing" It was a beautiful song sung by one of the greatest performers on Broadway. It was great to see him do what he does best and wow an audience. In addition, John Tartaglia was an incredible emcee and host of this incredible Broadway Cares event and I'd like to thank him, Wayman and all those talented men for a successful and sexy night of performance and song. See you next year! To donate: http://www.broadwaycares.org More about this wonderful event in my photo coverage piece. Adrift In Macao! February 25, 2007 12:42 AM It is late so this is just going to be a few thoughts about the show. It is a limited run so I advise you to run and get tickets. I did not like this production. I LOVED IT. The women were hysterically funny, especially the woman who plays Corinna. She was outstanding. I wish they could extend this funny, charming, hysterical gem of a show. If you are sick of depressing, slow moving shows about death, war and destruction take yourself to 59 east 59th theater and laugh. I was throughly giddy from Adrift in Macao. More on this later. We will also have photos of the opening night party and a formal review of this show in the next few days. Adrift In Macao put me in a very good mood. Goodnight, Corine xxoxoxo Hi February 24, 2007 1:48 PM Just wanted to let you know that in a few days, I will have a new blog. One where I can insert photos and do more detailed photo features. Have a nice day. Corine EATFEST! February 23, 2007 2:17 PM Emerging Artists Theatre does one-act play festivals about as well as they can be done – Martin Denton, NYtheatre.com Well-written plays, a marvelous cast, and superb directing – Bryne Harrison, OOBR.com EMERGING ARTISTS THEATRE PRESENTS ITS EIGHT ANNUAL SPRING EATFEST EMERGING ARTISTS THEATRE presents the Spring EATFest, which will play a three-week limited engagement at Theatre 5 (311 West 43rd St 5th Floor—btw. 8th and 9th Ave). Performances begin Tuesday, March 13th, and continue through Sunday Apr 1st, 2007. Tickets are $18.00 and $10.00 with student ID. TDF accepted. For reservations, please call (212) 352-3101 or visit www.eatheatre.org. Series A Tuesdays and Fridays at 7 pm, Sunday at 2 pm Postcards from a Dead Dog by F.J. Harltand, directed by Troy Miller A mother and son find a way to connect through a series of postcards from their dead dog. With Jason Hare and Jacqueline Sydney* The Questioning by Frank Higgins, directed by Lorrel Manning A female American officer learns the ropes about the art of interrogation from a female Iraqi. With Alexandra Devin*, Suzan Mikiel-Kennedy, Danielle Quisenberry* ClapTrapp by Joseph Godfrey, directed by Melissa Attebery These hills are definitely alive with the sound of musicals from the entertaining Von Crapp family. With Amy Bizjak, Laura Dillman*, Steve Hauck*, Hershey Miller*, Courter Simmons*, Christopher Voeller* Series B Wednesdays and Saturdays at 7 pm, Sundays at 5 pm Vamp by Ry Herman, directed by Kel Haney Love can be a pain in the neck when the woman you fall for is certifiable With Tracee Chimo*, Blanche Cholet*, Philip Guerette, and Stacy Mayer* Tell by Rodney Lee Rogers, directed by Ian Streicher A father and daughter try to out grift each other on where their lives are headed. With Laura Fois* and Ryan Hilliard* Third Wheel by Monica Flory, directed by Ned Thorne Dating becomes so much more interesting when there's a third. With Erik Baker*, Aimee Howard*, and Claire Tyers Series C Thursdays and Saturdays at 7 pm, Saturdays at 5 pm My Name is Art by Peter Snoad, directed by Kelly Haydon Two strangers in a gallery share their views about an abstract piece of art. With Andrea Alton*, Tim Intravia*, and Scott Klavan* Some are People by Kathleen Warnock, directed by Mark Finley A different kind of summer in Provincetown, for 2 regulars and the interesting woman who can even shake up a drag queen. With Janice Mann and Karen Stanion One of the Great Ones by Chris Widney, directed by Jonathan Warman The tried and true grit of a veteran librarian proves that human is better than machine. With Jane Altman* and Marc Castle* EATFest plays the following regular schedule through Sunday, November 19th. Tuesdays at 7 pm – Series A Wednesdays at 7 pm – Series B Thursdays at 7 pm – Series C Fridays at 7 pm – Series A Saturdays at 5 pm – Series C Saturdays at 7 pm – Series B Sundays at 2 pm – Series A Sundays at 5 pm – Series B Sundays at 7 pm – Series C Tickets are $18 and are now available online at www.eatheatre.org Eddie Varley LOVE February 22, 2007 6:30 PM Catch Eddie Varley with David Gurland on March 18th!!!! I can't wait! If you love David, Robbie and Eddie as much as I do, buy tickets now! Be there or be C squared. xoxoxo, Corine 'DGUR' IN CONCERT! The third Sunday of every month at 7 PM starting January 21st 2007 for six months! Every show will have a different musical director with different musicians, and guest stars. Each Sunday will be an all new show focusing on different music -- from songs from David's acclaimed first (and only) CD to show tunes to country music....maybe even a little acoustic Madonna/Neurotica...and much more. MARCH 18TH SHOW: Sunday, March 18th at 7:00 p.m. The third performance of the DGUR in Concert series will celebrate the male singers and songwriters form the 1970’s and 1980’s. David is thrilled to have special guests Eddie Varley (from the off off Broadway production INTO THE WEEDS) and Mike McCardle (brother of Andrea McArdle, the original Annie on Broadway). The evening will be musically directed by Ray Fellman, and will have a special appearance by Bistro Award winner Rob Maitner. The evening will feature songs that envelop all the amazing genres, singers, writers and bands that made the 70’s and 80’s such a memorable musical mosaic. The artists represented will include Duran Duran, The Bee Gee’s, Barry Manilow, The Eagles, Neil Diamond, Elton John, David Bowie, and more. The performance will also include songs from David’s acclaimed first (and only) self-titled CD. Please note guest artists and repertoire are subject to change. OTHER DGUR DATES: 4/15/07 at 7 PM 5/20/07 at 7 PM 6/17/07 at 7 PM at The Laurie Beechman Theatre at the West Bank Cafe 407 W 42nd Street (@9th) www.westbankcafe.com $16 cover $15 food/drink minimum 212-695-6909 credit cards accepted FEBRUARY FROLICS: A CABIN FEVER CABARET. February 22, 2007 4:34 PM Vivino, Sofley, Daniels, Stanton, etc., in FEBRUARY FROLICS: A CABIN FEVER CABARET Donna Vivino, Marcia Sofley , Booth Daniels, Luis Villabon, Toni Stanton, Arlette Beauchamps, Jackie Krim, and Ed Smit will be performing FEBRUARY FROLICS: A CABIN FEVER CABARET, presented by Joria Productions and Richmond County Orchestra. FEBRUARY FROLICS is directed by John DeBlass, with choreography by Maria Zannieri and musical direction by Alan Aurelia . The performance schedule is as follows: Saturday, February 17th at 8:00 pm at Synagogue for the Arts, 49 White Street, NYC; Sunday, February 18th, 3:00 p.m. at The Music Hall at Snug Harbor, 1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island; and Saturday, February 24th, 8:00 p.m. at The Baronet Theater, 205 4th Ave., Asbury Park, NJ. Tickets are $15, $10 for students/seniors. Children under 12 receive free admission. For reservations call 718-390-4306. Scroll down. February 21, 2007 9:44 AM Just an fyi, you need to read about my Tuna Magico from last evening. The scroll bars are inside the curtain if you can't see it. Merci, Corine Still thinking about my Tuna heaven from last evening. AH! Dance Blog! February 21, 2007 9:28 AM This sounds interesting! I am very moved by wonderful dance. Check it out! DNA PRESENTS SPLICE: UNCONVENTIONAL SPACE featuring choreographers Amy Pivar with Alexandra Shilling and Ann Robideaux Dance New Amsterdam presents SPLICE: UNCONVENTIONAL SPACE, the combined concert of choreographers Amy Pivar and ann and alexx make dances. Expect to experience the formerly unseen through the unconventional use of space and through two unconventional perspectives. Performances will take place March 1-3 at 8:00pm at DNA’s theatre at 280 Broadway. Last seen at DNA in the breathtaking performance of (On Her Decision to Stop Wearing Clothes) this past spring, dancer/choreographer AMY PIVAR and mezzo-soprano ELAINE VALBY join forces with two powerful composer/performers, PAULA M. KIMPER and GILDA LYONS, for the latest incarnation of a five-year collaboration entitled Songs for Solo Dance and Voice. Valby’s singing sends Pivar’s body soaring through the score and into the audience’s imagination – in works including Lyons’s arrangement of the hymn Angel Band; a song by Ben Yarmolinsky on poetry by Paul Bowles; a version of the spiritual Motherless Child; and a setting of the 23rd psalm in Hebrew. This program features the world premiere of Pivar/Kimper’s Emptiness, for dancer, two voices and guitar, to a suite of poems by Mahadeviyakka, translated by Jane Hirshfield, commissioned by Amy Pivar. ALEXANDRA SHILLING and ANN ROBIDEAUX aspire to move audiences out of a traditional mind-set by presenting dance that challenges convention. Through a careful exploration this space, Ann, Alexx and four adventurous performers create and inhabit a surreal landscape inside the DNA theatre in The Long Night. Original sound by Camilla Maling. Both seasoned choreographers and performers, Ann and Alexx have presented work on water, in water and on the hard steps of an historic Lower East Side synagogue. SPLICE is made possible, in part, by a grant from Bossak/Heilbron Charitable Foundation and a grant from LMCC with the generous support of the September 11th Fund. DNA’s Spring 2007 season is made possible, in part, by funds from American Express Company, DCA, and Mertz Gilmore Foundation. Dance New Amsterdam (DNA) is a unique multi-service organization that serves dancers and performing artists through three distinct mediums: Education, Creation and Performance, all under one roof. DNA’s mission is to provide the tools, both technique and career support, for artists to establish viable long-term dance careers; act as a laboratory in which to exchange ideas and vocabularies in the creation of new work; bring emerging artists and their work to the attention of audiences; and reflect and nurture the vitality and diversity of New York City’s dance artists. DNA’s move to the landmark Sun Building in 2006 marked 22 years of service to the arts, and inaugurated DNA’s new performance space. Performances of SPLICE: UNCONVENTIONAL SPACE will run March 1-3, Thursday through Saturday at 8pm at Dance New Amsterdam, 280 Broadway, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10007. Tickets are $20 general admission, $15 for members, and are available through Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or www.ticketcentral.com. Subscriptions to DNA’s Spring 2007 Season are now available. For more information, visit www.dnadance.org. Corine's Culinary Corner (Tuna Magico, oh, la. la!) February 20, 2007 10:58 PM Hi, In a few days Chef Corner will be back on my site. Until that happens please read a few thoughts about a wonderful evening at East River Cafe. A photo tour will occur in a few weeks. Corine's Culinary Corner Food Blog! Dear Foodies, Tonight I dined at East River Cafe. 1111 First Avenue I can't wait to post the photos of the food! I recommend that you start with: 1. The Tuna Tartar (Ruby red tuna served with chives, capers, pine nuts and ginger. (11) We also tried the crab cake appetizer with fresh guacamole. It was fantastic and had very little filling. It was almost all crab. The guacamole on top made it very unique and a must! (Maryland Jumbo Crab Cake appetizer with guacamole on top)(14) A must if you like Crab Cakes! 2. Split two main courses. My favorite was the Fresh Tuna in an aromatic crust(Sesame seeds) Grand Marnier orange mango sauce, spinach and crispy sweet potatoes. My favorite dish of the evening. It was on the rare side in the center and fully cooked on the outside. It was orgasmic. I will be back for this scrumptious dish. ($22) I would also recommend the Salmon wrapped in potato. (Salmone in Crosta di Patate all Senape) Baked salmon, wrapped in potatoes. Served in dijon mustard sauce, asparagus, frisse and pine nuts. It was my second favorite entree.(19) My photographer liked this best. For dessert we split the exceptional fruit tart and the Tiramusu. The desserts are a work of art. My photographer thought the Tiramusu was the best she has ever eaten. I adored the fresh fruit tart. Tuna fans will not be dissapointed with the incredible presentation and the beautiful and large portions. Go hungry and go often. I will. The photo tour will be coming soon. East River Cafe 1111 First Avenue 212-980-3144 (We also tried the four cheese pizza, the tomato and buffalo mozzarella salad and a shrimp and pasta special. Everything was tasty but the fish was in another league. If you love tuna and salmon you need to go to East River Cafe.) This is a heaven for fish lovers. Skip the fruit, skip the pizza. Go for the fish) In addition, the owner makes you feel very comfortable and welcome in his restaurant. We started dining at 6:30 and left at 10. It is a very comfortable and exceptional place. More on this soon. I had an incredible experience. I am stuffed. Tomorrow I intend on going for a run in Central Park. What Are You Doing In March? February 19, 2007 5:27 PM Why not check out some great Cabaret at the Metropolitan Room: MARCH AT THE METROPOLITAN ROOM 3/1 7:00- Suzanne Fiore Suzanne studied voice and performed in Italy at the Spoleto Vocal Arts Festival, was a soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra, toured the country with the National tour of Ragtime and Cameron Machintosh's Oliver! 20.00 9:30- “Rendezvous - an Evening with Edith, Jacques, Charles and Friends” Featuring: Greg Purnhagen, Carmen Lamar, Katie Geissinger, Brenda Bush and Philip Anderson A dazzling and passionate revue featuring the best of Piaf, Brel and Aznavour, plus Parisian-themed classics from “friends” like Porter, Legrand and Sondheim. 25.00 3/2 7:00- Raissa Bennett “It’s Possible” Back by popular demand for 2 shows only! Raissa’s newest cabaret show, travels through the chapters and challenges of life on this earth, and the numerous possibilities that each holds for us. On Broadway, Raissa performed as "Christine Daae" in PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, and she also performed in the Los Angeles and National Touring Companies of PHANTOM. Also on Broadway, Raissa appeared in the Actor’s Fund Benefit Concert of CHESS. In the First National Tour of CATS, she pounced on the roles of "Jellylorum/Griddlebone” and "Jennyanydots”. She was thrilled to work with the original creative team of director Harold Prince, choreographer Patricia Birch, author Alfred Uhry, and composer Jason Robert Brown in the First National Tour of PARADE as "Lizzie Phagan.” 20.00 10:30- Ross Patterson and the Ross Patterson Little Big Band Ross kicks off his monthy gig at the Metropolitan Room. The first Friday of each month is JAZZ FRIDAY with The Ross Patterson Little Big Band! Accomplished pianist and arranger Ross Patterson lends his eclectic taste and style to standards and his own original tunes. Joined by Aaron Heick on sax, Antoine Silverman on violin, Tom Hubbard on bass and Eric Halvorson on drums, The Little Big Band promises an evening full of energy, great melodies and a touch of humor. 20.00 3/3 5:00- “Rendezvous - an Evening with Edith, Jacques, Charles and Friends” 25.00 8:00- Tracy Stark “Feast For The Heart” Join Tracy and her friends, as she celebrates the arrival of her new, long-awaited CD, Feast for the Heart. Tracy Stark, piano/vocals Skip Ward, bass David Silliman, drums Vocalists - Jackie Fornatale, Rob Langeder, Miles Phillips, Alisa Schiff, Michael Vaccaro, Steven Ray Watkins, Heidi Weyhmueller. 20.00 3/4 7:00- Lennie Watts “Manilow ’73-‘83” Multi Award winning vocalist, Lennie Watts, pays tribute to one of America's greatest entertainers. From "I Write The Songs" to "Weekend In New England". A fresh look at some of our all time favorite songs! 20.00 9:30- Raissa Bennett “It’s Possible” 20.00 3/5 7:00- Lennie Watts “Manilow ’73-‘83” 20.00 9:30- “Friends With Benefits” MAC Award winner Amy Wolk hosts an evening of music and comedy featuring friends from "Mamma Mia", "Hairspray", "Mary Poppins", and "Les Miz", benefitting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids. 15.00 3/6 7:00- Annie Ross Annie Ross has been an abundant contributor to the art of jazz for over 50 years. A founding member of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, considered the greatest jazz vocal ensemble of all time, her influence is present in all subsequent practitioners of vocalese. “Twisted“ has been recorded by a host of vocalists, including some not normally associated with jazz, including Joni Mitchell and Bette Midler. She toured in the 50’s with the extraordinary Lionel Hampton band, and has recorded with James Moody, Kenny Clarke, Milt Jackson, Harry Sweets Edison, the Count Basie band, Louis Armstrong, Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Chet Baker and many more. $25.00 9:30- Tim Sullivan Singer/Songwriter Tim Sullivan sings his new batch of songs with special guest Robin Brooks. 20.00 3/7 7:00- “GASHOLE” Multi-Award winning performers Karen Mack and Michael Holland are back with the latest incarnation of their popular show “Hole-O-Matic”! The audience picks the entire show from hundreds of songs in the “Hole-a-dex”. CHOSEN BEST NYC CLUB ACT, MUSICAL DUO/GROUP FOR 3 YEARS RUNNING! (Show Business Weekly 2004, 2003 & 2002) $20.00 9:30- Craig Pomranz "one of New York's most critically-acclaimed saloon singers" (New York Magazine), makes his Metropolitan Room debut! 20.00 3/8 8:00- Michael Amante The Metropolitan Room welcomes this International Recording Artist! Michael Amante, one of the most talked about upcoming American tenors on either side of the pop/classical divide, creates buzz among everyone who hears his voice. Backed by his extensive fan base and rave reviews, momentum continues to build behind this inspired artist. 30.00 10:30- Stacy Sullivan “My Romance” Stacy Sullivan returns to New York with Ted Firth as Musical Director performing highlights from her MAC Award Nominated "West on 40" along with new material from her upcoming Album. 20.00 3/9 8:00- Michael Amante 30.00 10:00- Michael Amante 30.00 3/10- 5:00- “Rendezvous - an Evening with Edith, Jacques, Charles and Friends” 25.00 8:00- Michael Amante 30.00 10:00- Michael Amante 30.00 3/11 4:00- Jenna Esposito “SMOOCH” With Fortune Esposito, guitar; Richard Schacher, piano; Saadi Zain, bass; Tom Venable, drums; Kelly Esposito-Broelmann and Sue Matsuki, backup vocals. Jenna Esposito will be singing some favorite tunes about everyone's favorite pastime...SMOOCHING! The show includes songs from such varied composers as Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, Bonnie Raitt, Rodgers and Hart, and more. 20.00 7:00- - Lennie Watts “Manilow ’73-‘83” 20.00 9:30- Jason Danieley “Love: A Work in Progress” Currently starring in Kander & Ebbs new musical Curtains on Broadway Jason, who usually is seen around town and the country performing with his wife Marin Mazzie, is making his solo debut at the Metropolitan Room. Described as an “American Popular Song – Cycle” with an acoustic folk/pop sound. Exploring that elusive thing called love. 25.00 3/12 7:00 - Lennie Watts “Manilow ’73-‘83” 20.00 9:30 – Tom Wopat Broadway and television star, Tom Wopat, returns to the Metropolitan Room for ONE NIGHT ONLY! 25.00 3/13 7:00- Annie Ross 25.00 9:30- Gino Stitson and James Uhart “CONVERSATION” New York-based Cameroonian vocal virtuoso Gino Sitson & rising star British pianist James Uhart perform tunes from their upcoming album "Conversation". NOT TO BE MISSED! 15.00 3/14 7:00- “GASHOLE” 20.00 9:30- Gino Stitson and James Uhart “CONVERSATION” 15.00 3/15 8:00- Johhny Rodgers Band Johnny Rodgers - Vocals, Acoustic Piano Danny Mallon - Drums,Percussion, Background Vocals Joe Ravo - Nylon String Guitar Brian Glassman - Double Bass. Hailed by critics, singer songwriter pianist Johnny Rodgers explodes on the music scene like a supernova. The Metropolitan welcomes this musical powerhouse. 25.00 10:00- Johnny Rodgers Band 25.00 3/16 8:00- Johnny Rodgers Band 25.00 10:00- Johnny Rodgers Band 25.00 3/17 8:00- Johnny Rodgers Band 25.00 10:00- Johnny Rodgers Band 25.00 3/18 4:00- Marieann Meringolo “Here’s To The Ladies” MAC and Back Stage Bistro Award-winning vocalist celebrates her dazzling new show & CD/DVD Release: Live at the Metropolitan Room “HERE’S TO THE LADIES!” A SALUTE TO GREAT LADIES IN SONG is a brilliant new show conceived by adored vocalist Marieann Meringolo. A celebration of wonderful songs and the Ladies who made them famous - Peggy Lee, Rosemary Clooney, Dionne Warwick, Edith Piaf, Barbra Streisand and Judy Garland are just some of the Divas that will be saluted in this very exciting and entertaining show. 20.00 7:00- Barbara Fasano “Round About” Barbara Fasano, who packed the Metropolitan room back in November with the launch of her new CD, "WRITTEN IN THE STARS" now returns with a new set, accompanied by John di Martino at the piano. The show is called "ROUND ABOUT" and in addition to singing a few Arlen tunes from her critically acclaimed album, Fasano will sing songs by Kurt Weill, Vernon Duke, Duke Ellington, Jule Styne, Jerome Kern, Carolyn Leigh and others. 20.00 9:30- “CASHINO” Comedienne Susan Mosher (Hairspray) and recording artist John Boswell star as Johnny Niagra and Pepper Cole in the NY debut of the LA cult hit, CASHINO. CASHINO combines film and live performance like never before. Each show opens with a different short film about the lives of two legendary singers and their struggle to become internet entrepreneurs. Johnny and Pepper then entertain audiences in person with a high energy, high strung and emotionally charged live set. Known for seamlessly blending 80’s pop/rock with classic show tunes, medleys include: “The Queen & I,” “Midler On The Roof,” and “The Prince & The Poppins.” Where Melissa Manchester meets “Spinal Tap”, CASHINO is the multimedia event that will rock your world! 20.00 3/19 7:00- Lennie Watts “Manilow ’73-‘83” 20.00 9:30- Jason Danieley “Love: A Work in Progress” 25.00 3/20 7:00- Annie Ross 25.00 9:00- METROJAM Come “Jam” with some of NY’s hottest singers and musicians. Listen or join in! Hosted by Joe Bachana. 10.00 3/21 7:00- “Gashole” 20.00 9:30- Joyce Lyons “Spring Is Here” After hibernating in the hills of Connecticut, Joyce Lyons returns to the warming embrace of the New York stage! Although everything has its' season, jazz is ultimately always about spring. Join Joyce, and discover your own Spring! 20.00 3/22 8:00- Marilyn Maye The Metropolitan Room welcomes back the legendary Miss Maye! Maye sang 75 times on Johnny Carson's late-night show -more than any other performer. Carson called her a "super singer," and Doc Severinsen said she was his "favorite girl singer." Critic Rex Reed described her as "mesmerizing." A MUST SEE!! 25.00 10:30- Marilyn Maye 25.00 3/23 8:00- Marilyn Maye 25.00 10:30- Marilyn Maye 25.00 3/24 8:00- Marilyn Maye 25.00 10:30- Marilyn Maye 25.00 3/25 4:00- Marieann Meringolo “Here’s To The Ladies” 20.00 7:00- Marilyn Maye 25.00 9:30- Kathleen Landis and Evan Stern "Let's Misbehave! A Jazz Era Romp" Legendary singer-pianist Kathleen Landis teams up with up and comer Evan Stern for a music filled journey through the Prohibition years. 25.00 3/26 7:00- Lennie Watts “Manilow ’73-‘83” 20.00 9:30- Steven Brinberg is “Simply Barbra” The Diva makes her much anticipated return to the Metropolitan Room! SPECIAL GUEST: STAR OF EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, SAM ARCHER! 25.00 3/27 7:00- Annie Ross 25.00 9:30- The Nate Birkey Quartet Birkey's live performances, as well as his newest CD combine straight-ahead jazz with occasional detours into blues, Latin Jazz, gospel, and even country; but maintain a cohesive sound throughout which is passionate, intelligent and haunting. For his debut at the Metropolitan, Nate will be revisiting the music of Chet baker, one of his life-long idols, as well as performing some of his original compositions.15.00 3/28 7:00- “Gashole” 20.00 9:30- Joyce Lyons “Spring Is Here” 20.00 3/29 7:30- Jamie deRoy and Friends Jamie deRoy has been declared "The Fairy Godmother of Cabaret" because she has helped so many performers in the cabaret world. But life is much more than a cabaret for the versatile performer, who is equally celebrated as an actress, record producer, and talk show host. Join Jamie and guests for an evening of comedy and music. 20.00 10:30- Marilyn Maye 25.00 3/30 8:00- Marilyn Maye 25.00 10:30- Marilyn Maye 25.00 3/31 5:00- Jennifer Pade Jennifer Pade makes her Metropolitan Room debut for two performances. Her torchy voice weaves an urban thread of musical sophistication. Innovative interpretations of the American popular songbook and more reaffirms that indeed the cabaret nightlife is alive and well in New York City. Jennifer's show, directed by Lina Koutrakos, with arrangements by Rick Jensen, promises to satisfy any discerning music lover! 15.00 8:00- Marilyn Maye 25.00 10:30- Marilyn Maye 25.00 COMING TO THE METROPOLITAN ROOM IN APRIL: EUAN MORTON! KRISTINE ZBORNIK! LAUREL MASSE! TAMMY GRIMES! BRYAN BATT! BILL MCKINLEY! KIM GARFUNKLE! “THE BOBS”! TERESE GENECCO! ADI BRAUN! AND “THE FABULOUS PINK FLAMINGOS”! The Metropolitan Room 34 West 22 (between 5th and 6th Ave.) Reservations strongly suggested (212) 206-0440 Each show has a 2 drink minimum Credit cards accepted Schedule subject to change. Check out www.metropolitanroom.com GOSSIP GOSSIP February 19, 2007 11:57 AM Hungry and in a rush I ran into Michael Riedel, Broadway bad boy at my favorite Times Square hangout Raku. Riedel, known for making havoc and picking one star to ruin each year was charming and adorable. He was sitting in the middle of a large group of beautiful women having fun. He is always charming when I see him. He seemed to enjoy his delicious meal. Catch Nightlife Award Winner Lorinda Lisitiza!!! February 18, 2007 11:23 PM Wednesday, February 21st at 9:30 PM Lorinda Lisitza "Triumphant Baby" 20 Cover + 2 Beverage Minimum Call 212-206-0440 for tickets (The Metropolitan Room) Join 2007 Nightlife Award winner, Lorinda Lisitza for this special encore performance! A celebration featuring the music of Joe Iconis and Robert Maddock, recent graduates of Tisch NYU school of musical theatre. Their first collaboration "The Black Suits" (music and lyrics Joe Iconis, book Robert Maddock)has been optioned by MCC. They won a Daryl Roth Award for their second work, "Plastic! the Musical" (with Reza Jacobs. Mr. Iconis is also a recipient of a Jonathon Larson Award. The show in a nutshell ---- story songs, characters with something they have to say, crimes of great passion and depravity. Tales of Old Hollywood and 21st Century mythology---- the songs of Iconis & Maddock. The show will be directed by Brad Oscar, director of Broadway by the Year--1968 at The Town Hall. Mr. Oscar recently performed the role of the Emcee in the musical Cabaret at the Arena Stage in Washington D.C. and appeared on Broadway as Max Bialystock in the Producers. Lorinda Lisitza performed in the Off –Broadway shows Mother Courage (title role), The Threepenny Opera, Berlin to Broadway and in the York Theatre’s Musicals in Mufti series. In her 2002 cabaret debut, she won a MAC, a Back Stage Bistro, Theatermania.com “Female Debut” and was one of the Top Ten shows of the year on Cabarethotlineonline. She has performed at the Town Hall in “Broadway by the Year, 1968” and in concert in Wall to Wall Joni Mitchell at the Symphony Space, BAM and the Neue Galerie. Happy Chinese New Year! February 17, 2007 11:50 AM I love everything Chinese. I love the food. I love the clothing. I love the people. Happy New Year! PS If you love everything Chinese you should check out Radio City today. Watch the Chinese New Year Celebration. The dancers are very sleek and elegant. Happy New Year! Love, Corine Mayor Koch Shops At Fairway! February 17, 2007 12:23 AM Hey guys, Here is a funny spotting. Tonight, after spending my evening with my two closest friends we decided to shop at Fairway. I spotted Mayor Ed Koch and told one of my friends. Roni, That was Ed Koch I exclaimed. No, it wasn't, she replied. I ran into him in an aisle and introduced myself. He is a charming man. I wanted to ask him about "The Normal Heart" and his views on the AIDS Crises, but I didn't have it in me. He was very friendly and charming. Only in NYC can you spot Ed Koch buying groceries at 1O pm. I LOVE Living in NYC and I really liked meeting Ed Koch. Happy Presidents Weekend. Love and kisses, Corine John Tartaglia, Mary Testa, Heath Calvert and More. February 15, 2007 4:37 PM For Immediate Release CW 11 NEWS AND CENTER STAGE JOIN MY FIRST TIME BENEFIT SUSAN BLACKWELL HEATH CALVERT RICK CROM JEFFRY DENMAN ED DIXON HUNTER FOSTER STEPHANIE KURTZUBA MEGAN REINKING AND ASA SOMERS JOIN HUNTER BELL MATTHEW CAVENAUGH ANITA GILLETTE TERRI KLAUSNER GARRETT LONG MARY TESTA AND JOHN TARTAGLIA "MY FIRST TIME" An All-Star Concert To Benefit Quality Services for the Autistic Community (QSAC) Directed by IGOR GOLDIN Musical Direction by DAVID ANDREWS ROGERS ONE NIGHT ONLY! MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26 AT NEW WORLD STAGES TICKETS ON SALE NOW On Monday, February 26, producers Derek Collard and Gary Maffei are pleased to present "MY FIRST TIME," an all-star Broadway concert to benefit Quality Services for the Autistic Community (QSAC). Directed by Igor Goldin ("A Ritual of Faith") with musical direction by David Andrews Rogers, "MY FIRST TIME" will take place at New World Stages (340 West 50th St.) at 7 p.m. Featuring performances by Hunter Bell [title of show] Susan Blackwell - [title of show] Heath Calvert (Good Vibrations, The Children) Matt Cavenaugh (Urban Cowboy, Grey Gardens) Rick Crom (Urinetown, Footloose, The Goodbye Girl) Jeffry Denman (The Producers, White Christmas) Ed Dixon (Les Miserables, Under the Bridge) Hunter Foster (Urinetown, Little Shop Of Horrors, The Producers) Anita Gillette (Moonstruck, Carnival, Cabaret) Terri Klausner (Evita, Sophisticated Ladies) Stephanie Kurtzuba (The Boy From Oz, Mary Poppins) Garrett Long (The Spitfire Grill, Seussical) Megan Reinking - (Lestat, Dracula) Asa Somers (Grey Gardens, Taboo) John Tartaglia (Avenue Q, Beauty and the Beast) Mary Testa (On The Town, 42nd Street, Regrets Only) The Concert will be opened by CW 11 News at 10 Anchor Jim Watkins and closed by students from Center Stage Players from the Center Stage Theatre Company in Westport, CT singing Seasons of Change from RENT joined by a possible surprise guest. The concert features a variety of first-hand stories and songs from the performers' own "first" experiences, such as the first show they were in, their first professional stage success or the first show or star that inspired them to follow their hearts to Broadway. Additional performers will be announced soon. Director Igor Goldin received the 2006 Award for Excellence in Direction for his work on "Common Grounds" in the 2006 New York Musical Theatre Festival. Previously with NYMF he directed Joseph and David Zellnik's World War II musical "Yank!" His Off-Broadway credits include the critically acclaimed New York premieres of "A Ritual of Faith" (The Lion Theatre) and the musical "The Snow Queen" (The Triad). Tickets for this one-night-only event can be reserved by calling QSAC directly at 212-244-5560 ext. 2035. Tickets are priced at $25, $45 and $65. For further information on "MY FIRST TIME" and QSAC, please contact Derek Collard at derektravis@mac.com or visit Mis Understanding Mammy Is A MUST SEE! February 15, 2007 9:24 AM EMERGING ARTISTS THEATRE Proudly Presents the World Premiere of CAPATHIA JENKINS in (mis)UNDERSTANDING MAMMY The Hattie McDaniel Story Written by JOAN ROSS SORKIN Directed by DAVID GLENN ARMSTRONG Musical Supervision by LANCE HORNE FOUR-WEEK OFF-BROADWAY LIMITED ENGAGEMENT FEBRUARY 7TH – MARCH 4TH AT THEATRE 5 TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT EATHEATRE.ORG Capathia Jenkins is Hattie McDaniel in EMERGING ARTISTS THEATRE’s premiere of (mis)UNDERSTANDING MAMMY: The Hattie McDaniel Story. This play with music will be part of the company’s second annual Triple Threat, which premieres three full-length plays by emerging playwrights. (mis)UNDERSTANDING MAMMY: The Hattie McDaniel Story will play a four-week off-Broadway engagement at Theatre 5 (311 West 43rd St., 5th Floor—btw. Eighth and Ninth Avenues). Performances begin Wednesday, February 7th, and continue through Sunday, March 4th. Tickets are $40.00 and $20.00 with student ID. TDF accepted. For reservations, please call (212) 247-2429 or visit www.eatheatre.org to purchase tickets online. CAPATHIA JENKINS is making her dramatic debut portraying Hattie McDaniel. She received rave reviews for her performance in the Broadway hit Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, and has also starred in Broadway productions of Caroline, Or Change, The Civil War, and Bacharach and David’s The Look of Love. Jenkins reflected on this phenomenal opportunity: “I am honored, humbled and thrilled to be playing Hattie McDaniel. This project is definitely a highlight of my career, to portray the first black woman to win an Oscar for Gone With The Wind and that’s just one aspect of this extraordinary woman’s life. The chance to do a challenging dramatic piece at Emerging Artists Theatre where they nurture new works is an actor’s dream.” (mis)UNDERSTANDING MAMMY: The Hattie McDaniel Story is a play with music that reveals a side of Hattie McDaniel’s life that few people knew. Hattie achieved stardom by becoming the first African-American to win an Academy Award, but she paid a high price for fame. By playing a succession of maids and cooks, most notably Mammy in Gone With the Wind, she became the target of an unrelenting campaign against “Mammyism” led by Walter White of the NAACP, who thought her roles were shameful and degrading to their race. Despite her own efforts to bring dignity and humanity to her roles, within seven years of winning her Oscar, her film career was virtually destroyed. The play is set in 1952 at the Motion Picture Country Home and Hospital in Woodlands Hills, California, where Hattie is battling breast cancer. In her weakened state of mind, she imagines that Walter White has come to visit her and possibly reconcile their differences. For the first time Hattie directly confronts her most vocal critic to prove to him that she was in fact a credit to her race. In recounting her miraculous life story as the daughter of a slave who became a world-renowned movie star, Hattie proudly illuminates a life that was too often misunderstood. JOAN ROSS SORKIN, the playwright, chose Hattie McDaniel as the subject of her latest work because “the highs and lows of her remarkable life are so ripe for dramatization.” The play goes beyond the historical facts to explore Hattie’s emotional journey in meeting the challenges of pursuing her career in the face of public criticism for the very work that made her famous. Sorkin is “thrilled to be working with David Glenn Armstrong and Capathia Jenkins on this endeavor. Between David’s creative vision and Capathia’s exuberance, audiences will be fascinated and charmed by the Hattie recreated in the play. Best of all, Capathia gets to sing her heart out, recalling Hattie’s nightclub days before arriving in Hollywood.” DAVID GLENN ARMSTRONG, the play’s director noted, “When I first read the script, I was absolutely stunned by this astonishing no-holds-barred portrait of Hattie McDaniel’s personal battles against those who accused her of perpetuating racial stereotypes. The play so beautifully counterbalances the tragedy in Hattie’s life with her amazing perseverance and resilience.” Lance Horne (Broadway’s Little Women) will serve as musical supervisor for the production, which features scenic design by Robert Monaco, costume design by Amy Elizabeth Bravo, lighting design by Jenny Granrud and sound design by Ned Thorne. Jenny Granrud is the stage manager and Daniel Haley will be the associate director. (mis)UNDERSTANDING MAMMY: The Hattie McDaniel Story plays the following regular schedule through Sunday, March 4th. Wednesday, 2 p.m. Friday, 7 p.m. Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, 5 p.m. Please NOTE: There will be NO late seating for this production. Tickets are $40 (group rates available) and are now available online at www.eatheatre.org or by calling 212-247-2429. Tickets may also be purchased in person on the day of the performance at Theatre 5, 311 West 43rd Street, 5th Floor. BIOGRAPHIES CAPATHIA JENKINS (Hattie McDaniel) took a show-stopping turn in the Broadway hit Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, and has also starred in Broadway productions of Caroline, Or Change, The Civil War and Bacharach and David’s The Look of Love. She has appeared in numerous Off-Broadway productions, including the recent York Theatre revival of Godspell, The Princess and the Black-Eyed Pea and After Hours. Her national and European tours include Dreamgirls, Bubblin’ Brown Sugar, Sophisticated Rhythms and Uptown Saturday Night. Television credits include The Practice, Law & Order, Law & Order: SVU, The Sopranos, 100 Centre Street, Third Watch, Corn, Mari X and America’s Most Wanted. Capathia just released her debut CD with composer Louis Rosen entitled South Side Stories available on cdbaby.com. Capathia can also be heard on the film soundtracks of Chicago and Legally Blonde 2. www.capathiajenkins.com . JOAN ROSS SORKIN (Playwright): Emerging Artists Theatre Company: Sweating it Out, The Confessional (& PBS pilot), Glimmer of Hope, L-O-V-E (published by United Stages), A Brooklyn Tale (Double Decker); Anyplace But Here (Lab). Samuel French One-Act Festival: Chasing Tigers (Finalist); Going Too Far, L-O-V-E, Therapy, New York-Style, Breaking Up Is Hard To Do. Other Off-Off Broadway plays: The Survival Collection. Regional: Anyplace But Here, A Brooklyn Tale, Survival, Fleetwood Stage/The Foundry/Platform (New Rochelle, NY); Soup’s On!: Honorable Mention, Cincinnati Celtic World Festival (Cincinnati, OH); Soft Whisper, Vortex Theatre (Albuquerque, NM). Musicals: Isabelle and The Pretty-Ugly Spell (co-book): 2005 New York Musical Theatre Festival (Outstanding New Family-Oriented Musical by TalkinBroadway.com), Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre (Coral Gables, FL 2005 Winner, National Children’s Theatre Festival), The York Theatre (developmental reading series, NYC), ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop (NYC), Summer Stage 2002 (commission-Drexel Hill, PA); The Real McCoy (co-book): BlackJacks Festival, NYU/CAP21 (workshop). Opera: Strange Fruit (libretto): NYCity Opera VOX 2003: Showcasing American Composers, commission—Long Leaf Opera (Chapel Hill, NC—premiere, July 2007), Finalist, O’Neill Music Theater Conference. Member: Dramatists Guild, BMI Musical Theatre Workshop, Emerging Artists Theatre Co. (NYC). Sorkin was formerly an attorney on Wall Street. DAVID GLENN ARMSTRONG (Director) has staged over 125 productions and workshops seen in 49 states including work at the NY Shakespeare Festival, Walnut Street, Long Wharf, Manhattan Theatre Club, NYMF, Arkansas Rep, Mason Street Warehouse, Anchorage Opera, Iowa Shakespeare, Pacific Repertory Opera, New Dramatists, Aaron Davis Hall, NY International Fringe Festival and the York. He has premiered works by Jonathan Larson, Joan Ross Sorkin, Steven Fisher, Ed Dixon, Bill Zeffiro, Jack Lechner, Denver Casado, Sam Davis, Peter Yarin and Douglas Parker. David is the former artistic director of both Denver’s Ascot Theatre and the Harrisburg Opera and was a founding member of the Directors’ Company for NYU’s Graduate Dramatic Writing Program. Corporate industrials have taken him around the world, including upcoming stops in Dubai, Shanghai and Moscow. He is proudest of the diversity of his work and may be the only director in recorded history to have helmed productions of Dreamgirls, Romeo and Juliet, Nunsense and Don Giovanni. LANCE HORNE (Musical Supervisor) has written musicals, scores for plays, dance and classical works seen at NY Theatre Workshop, Joe’s Pub, Lincoln Center, Mark Taper Forum, NAMT, NY Musical Theatre Festival, Lucille Lortel, HERE, American Opera Projects, The Zipper, Spiegeltent, Juilliard, NYU, Bard and Interlochen. Opening numbers for Actors Fund and BC/EFA Gypsy of the Year ’04, ’05, ’06. Vocal Arrangements for Little Women, Broadway and national tour. BM, MM, The Juilliard School. Faculty: Juilliard, NYU & EAMA, Paris. 2006 Jonathan Larson Award. Residencies: O’Neill Center NMTF, Franklin Furnace, HERE: HARP, TheatreWorks Palo Alto, Centennial University, Interlochen, The New School, CAP21. Recordings: Songs from an Unmade Bed (Ghostlight), One Life, Many Voices (One Life to Live), Little Women (Ghostlight), A Season’s Promise (New World Records). TV: ABC’s Lincoln Center Tree Lighting starring Sesame Street, NBC’s 80th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: King Tutenstein Float for Diana DeGarmo & The Phoenix Boys Choir. His band Lance Horne & The One Night Stands has upcoming performances on both coasts, Vegas, London and South Korea, releasing their first album this season. This play shows what an incredible talent Ms. Jenkins is. She is fantastic. A must see! Catch Eric Comstock On Monday! February 14, 2007 11:02 PM One of my favorite performers is playing at the Metropolitan Room! Check it out! Sunday, February 18th to Monday, February 19th at 7:00 PM Eric Comstock "ERIC COMSTOCK SALUTES THE MANHATTAN MASTERS" 25 Cover + 2 Beverage Minimum 212-206-0440 for tickets A NEW SHOW EACH WEEK! (Feb. 18, 19) THE MUSIC THAT MAKES ME DANCE: A JULE STYNE SONGBOOK (Feb. 25, 26) LUSH LIFE & OTHER SALOON SONGS Eric Comstock, acknowledged to be one of the premier performers and preservers of the Great American Songbook, debuts MANHATTAN MASTERS, a series of four different shows that honor New York-based songwriters. Included in the four is an encore of his acclaimed Jule Styne show, which was presented by Lincoln Center's American Songbook in 2006. "Complementing Mr. Comstock's suppleness as a performer is an ingenious musical wit .. " -- Stephen Holden, The New York Times "Eric Comstock is keeping a cherished tradition alive for a new generation.” Rex Reed, The New York Observer ERIC COMSTOCK , pianist, vocalist, arranger, writer, and raconteur, as been described as “suave, smart, funny, and utterly delightful ... an ingenious musical wit ... an ideal balance of swinging precision and good-humored warmth” by Stephen Holden of The New York Times and “an icon in the making” by The New Yorker. Eric and his trio launched three new concert programs in 2006: a tribute to composer Jule Styne, “The Music That Makes Me Dance”, at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Allen Room, “Mostly Strayhorn”, an evening of songs by Billy Strayhorn and Duke Ellington, and “Remembering Charles DeForest”. In 2005, Eric added the role of acclaimed recording artist to his success as an entertainer with his third and latest CD, “NO ONE KNOWS”, a refreshing mix of standards and rarities by Duke Ellington, Benny Carter, Stephen Sondheim and other masters of pop and jazz. “Comstock has a voice that flows as smoothly as rye and sweet vermouth over ice ... jump for joy!” raved JazzTimes critic Christopher Loudon. The title song is a Billy Strayhorn song being given its premiere vocal recording. Solo New York engagements include Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series, Birdland, Iridium, The Oak Room at the Algonquin Hotel, Feinstein’s at The Regency and The Supper Club. Concert appearances include Carnegie Hall (JVC Jazz Festival and the Harold Arlen Centennial Concert), Alice Tully Hall, Symphony Space, Merkin Hall, Town Hall and the 92nd Street Y’s “Jazz in July” festival. Eric is the co-creator of three critically acclaimed shows which tour coast to coast: “Our Sinatra”, which ran over 1,300 performances Off-Broadway; “Made for the Movies: A Hollywood Songbook”, a jazz spin on American film music that ran two consecutive years at the Algonquin’s Oak Room; and “Singing Astaire”, which enjoyed a long run at the legendary jazz club Birdland. He has been featured on CBS’s Early Show, CNN’s Showbiz Today, National Public Radio’s Fresh Air with Terry Gross and JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Public Radio International’s The Next Big Thing with Dean Olsher. He has been profiled in Newsday, The San Francisco Chronicle, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, The San Francisco Examiner, The Star Ledger and magazines such as Time Out New York, Avenue, Savvy, Gavin, and Cabaret Scenes. His work has been referenced in articles in Vanity Fair and The New York Review of Books and the recent books Intimate Nights and The American Songbook. Eric has published articles on the lyricist E.Y. (Yip) Harburg, the composer Cole Porter, jazz musician Freddy Cole and the entertainer Bobby Short. Eric’s solo recordings include “NO ONE KNOWS,” “ALL HART,” and “YOUNG MAN OF MANHATTAN.” In 2006, he appeared as a guest on Barbara Fasano’s Harold Arlen CD “WRITTEN IN THE STARS” (Human Child Records) and with Audra McDonald, Kelli O’Hara, Marin Mazzie, Rebecca Luker, and Victoria Clark on PS Classics’ “JULE STYNE IN HOLLYWOOD.” In Rex Reed’s words, “Eric Comstock is a busy little wunderkind, keeping a cherished tradition alive for a new generation.” Eric lives in New York with his wife, vocalist Barbara Fasano. Sad That You are Snowed In? Celebrate V DAY ON SUNDAY INSTEAD! February 14, 2007 6:39 PM Happy Valentine's Day from David Gurland. If you can make it I would suggest it. I am celebrating Valentine's Day with David since I am snowed in my apt today. Hope you can make it. He is amazing! This Sunday DGUR IN CONCERT #2 ALL COUNTRY MUSIC NIGHT! (We should call it ALL GRAMMY Winners night) Featuring songs by the Dixie Chicks, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Faith Hill, Glenn Campbell, KD Lang, Loretta Lynn and more Special guests Lisa Asher (2007 Nightlife Award Winner Outstanding Female Vocalist) and Randi Driscoll (Songwriter of”What Matters” featured in the NBC film, "The Matthew Shepard Story"). The evening will be musically directed by Tim DiPasqua (2007 Nightlife Award Winner Outstanding Revue-Variety performance) Sunday February 18th, 2007 7PM NEXT DAY is a HOLIDAY!!!!! 407 W 42nd Street (@9th) www.westbankcafe.com $16 cover $15 food/drink minimum 212-695-6909/Reservations suggested. Credit cards accepted. Feinstein's At The Regency! February 13, 2007 2:24 PM FEINSTEIN’S AT THE REGENCY UPDATED WINTER / SPRING 2007 SEASON DIAHANN CARROLL “Both Sides Now” March 6 – 17 BETTY BUCKLEY “Singin’ For My Supper” March 27 – April 7 JACKIE MASON “All New: A Pre-Broadway Comedy Workout” April 10 – 21 DONNY OSMOND “Love Songs of the 70’s” April 24 – 28 LINDA EDER May 1 – 12 FEINSTEIN’S AT THE REGENCY plays the following schedule: Tuesday through Saturday at 8:30 PM with late shows on Friday and Saturday at 11:00 PM. PLEASE NOTE: There will be no late shows for Ms. Carroll’s engagement. Ms. Buckley’s shows have a $60.00 cover; all shows listed above have a $75.00 cover. All shows have a $40.00 minimum. Jackets are suggested, but not required. FEINSTEIN’S AT THE REGENCY is located at 540 Park Avenue at 61st Street in New York City. For ticket reservations and club information call (212) 339-4095, or visit Ticketweb.com or feinsteinsattheregency.com. ------------------------------------------------------------ FEINSTEIN’S AT THE REGENCY SUNDAY & MONDAY NIGHT SERIES WINTER / SPRING 2007 MICHAEL CAVANAUGH March 4 – 5 BOBBY BELFRY “Where Or When” March 11 GIANNI RUSSO March 12 and May 7 CRISTINA FONTANELLI April 9 JUDI MARIE CANTERINO & FRIENDS April 15 RON GARTNER April 16 EILEEN FULTON April 22 – 23, 29 – 30 JEFF HARNAR “Dancing In The Dark” May 6, 13, 20, 27 and June 3, 10, 17, 24 HARVEY GRANAT May 14 and 21 BRANDON CUTRELL CD Release Event June 4 RENDEZVOUS – AN EVENING WITH EDITH, JACQUES, CHARLES & FRIENDS June 11 and 18 The special Sunday and Monday Night Series at FEINSTEIN’S AT THE REGENCY has performances at 8:30 PM. Bobby Belfry, Judi Marie Canterino, Eileen Fulton, Brandon Cutrell and Rendezvous and have a $25.00 cover charge. Michael Cavanaugh, Gianni Russo, Jeff Harnar, Cristina Fontanelli and Harvey Granat have a $40.00 cover. All shows have a two drink minimum. Jackets are suggested, but not required. FEINSTEIN’S AT THE REGENCY is located at 540 Park Avenue at 61st Street in New York City. For ticket reservations and club information call (212) 339-4095, or visit Ticketweb.com or feinsteinsattheregency.com. Broadway Playhouse- Irving Berlin! February 12, 2007 11:38 PM Kaufman Center Presents Broadway Playhouse Irving Berlin (Annie Get Your Gun) at Merkin Concert Hall, Sunday, March 11, 2006 at 11:00am New York, NY, 2/5/06—Kaufman Center presents the season’s final show in its acclaimed new family series, Broadway Playhouse, Sunday, March 11 at 11 AM in Merkin Concert Hall. The concert will focus on the music of Irving Berlin and his musical Annie Get Your Gun. Host Sean Hartley will be joined by an engaging cast of singer/comedians including Jason Robinson and Kathryn Markey, and music director Jihwan Kim for this family-friendly exploration of Broadway’s great musicals. The concert will include sing-alongs, interactive games and prizes, audience participation and a mini-musical version of Berlin’s Classic Annie Get Your Gun. ABOUT ANNIE GET YOUR GUN ANNIE GET YOUR GUN is a romantic comedy about a true American legend, Annie Oakley, the greatest sharpshooter of her time. Annie loves fellow sharpshooter Frank Butler, and he loves her, but Frank’s preconceptions of what a girl should be, and the fact that Annie is a better shot than he is, keep getting in the way. The show’s hit-packed score is one of the greatest ever written for Broadway, including “There’s No Business Like Show Business”, “You Can’t Get A Man With A Gun”, “Anything You Can Do”, “I Got the Sun in the Morning” and “Doin’ What Comes Natur’lly.” ABOUT IRVING BERLIN Irving Berlin once said, "a patriotic song is an emotion and you must not embarrass an audience with it, or they will hate your guts." This philosophy made him one of America's most outstanding writers of patriotic songs from World War I through World War II. Berlin was born Israel Baline in Eastern Russia on May 11, 1888. He was one of eight children born to Leah and Moses Baline. His father was a shochet (one who kills animals as prescribed by Jewish religious laws) and the synagogue’s cantor. His family moved to New York in 1893 to escape the Russian pogroms . At the age of eight, he took to the streets of New York City’s Lower East Side to help support his family after his father’s death. In the early 1900s he worked as a singing waiter in many restaurants and started writing songs. His first published hit was "Marie from Sunny Italy;" his successes continued through the years. During World War I, he wrote the musical Yip, Yip, Yaphank, which was produced by the men of Camp Upton. The big hit song in this musical was "Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning," which reflected Berlin's aversion to rising early. This musical raised more than $150,000 to build a service center at Camp Upton. On Armistice Day, 1938, he introduced "God Bless America," sung by Kate Smith. This song threatened to replace the national anthem because of its patriotism and popularity. He wrote the musical This is the Army, in the midst of World War II which raised $10 million for the Army Emergency Relief. Hits from this musical were "This is the Army, Mr. Jones" and I Left My Heart at the Stage Door Canteen." He also wrote several patriotic songs for the American Red Cross such as "Any Bonds Today?," "Arms for the Love of America," and "Angels of Mercy". A prolific writer, Berlin composed more than 900 songs, 19 musicals and 18 movie scores. Some of his songs that have become classics include "There's No Business Like Show Business," "Easter Parade," and "White Christmas." He is the top money maker among songwriters in America. In 1924, songwriter Jerome Kern observed, "Irving Berlin has no place in American music. He is American music." On February 18, 1955, President Eisenhower presented him with a gold medal in recognition of his services to the country by composing patriotic songs. Berlin assigned the copyright for "God Bless America" to the God Bless America Fund, which has raised millions of dollars for the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. Berlin's World War I doughboy uniform and many of his original patriotic scores are on display in the Jewish War Veterans Museum in Washington, D.C. Irving Berlin died on September 22, 1989, at the age of 101. ABOUT SEAN HARTLEY Sean Hartley is a teacher, director, playwright, lyricist and composer. His works for television include songs for the Disney Channel’s The Book of Pooh and Bear in the Big Blue House. He was nominated for a 2003 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics for the off-Broadway production of Cupid and Psyche, which received its world premiere at the Village Theater in Seattle and has been produced subsequently at regional theaters across the country. His musical Little Women, with songs by Kim Oler and Alison Hubbard, has also been produced at several regional theaters, including the Spirit of Broadway in Norwich, CT. He is currently working on several projects, including King Matt, Buddy’s Tavern, Dysfunctional Fables and Snow, for which he is writing book, music and lyrics. He is the Director of the Theater Wing at the Kaufman Center in New York City, where he produces the concert series Broadway Close Up and Broadway Playhouse, and is the artistic director for the Poppy Seed Players. He is currently on the faculties of the Lucy Moses School and the Special Music School of America. Kaufman Center presents BROADWAY PLAYHOUSE IRVING BERLIN (Annie Get Your Gun) 129 W. 67th St. (between Broadway and Amsterdam) Sunday, March 11, 2007 at 11:00 AM Single tickets are $20 Call the Box Office at 212 501 3330 or order online at www.merkinconcerthall.org Broadway Playhouse is made possible in part with support from ASCAP, BMI, Helene Blue Musique, Brown/Levande Family, Edward T. Cone Foundation, Barbara Bell Cumming Foundation, Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, the Edith Meiser Foundation, Janis and Alan Menken Foundation, Niederhoffer Foundation, Rodgers and Hammerstein Foundation, Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc., Shaw Family, Phyllis Fox and George Sternlieb Foundation and with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency. Special thanks to the friends and supporters of the Kaufman Center’s Theater Wing. Merkin Concert Hall receives support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation. Unwind With Wine! February 12, 2007 11:35 PM Dear Wine and food lovers. You should check out this event. I went to another wine event and it was a blast. Hope you can make it! Unwind with Wine™ Presents “Breaking All the Wine Rules” With Wine Educator Joshua Wesson of Best Cellars on February 26, 2007 WHAT Unwind with Wine™, a new wine tasting club, is delighted to host an iconoclastic wine tasting, “Breaking All the Wine Rules,” with the exuberant and amusing wine educator Joshua Wesson, who is also the founder of Best Cellars, a revolutionary NYC wine shop that takes the guess-work out of finding amazing bottles for under $15. Joshua will take on “taboos” like pairing white wine with red meat or wine with salad or artichokes. Our tasting will include six different kinds of wine unconventionally matched with dishes by Chef Pnina Peled of Ristorante Cinque Terre at the Jolly Hotel Madison Towers. Joshua Wesson is a leading authority on pairing wine with food. He writes for numerous national magazines and has appeared on several national morning shows including The Today Show and The CBS Early Show. WHEN Monday, February 26, 2006, 6:30 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. COST & R.S.V.P. $75 Space is limited. To R.S.V.P. and make payment, please visit http://www.unwindwithwine.com/events.html There will be no registrations or payments at the door. WHERE Jolly Hotel Madison Towers, 22 E. 38 Street (near Madison Avenue) ABOUT UNWIND WITH WINE™ Unwind with Wine™ (www.unwindwithwine.com) is an educational wine tasting and networking club that was founded by Hanna Lee of Hanna Lee Communications, Inc. in the summer of 2006. It features monthly tastings that cover the basics of wine with renowned wine journalists, authors and educators. Past speakers have included Eric Asimov, chief wine critic of the New York Times. Tastings go beyond wine to include a three-course tasting dinner prepared to match the wines and professional networking opportunities like our “60-Second Shameless Plug.” RISTORANTE CINQUE TERRE SPECIAL PROMOTIONS Aphrodisiac Valentine’s Day Tasting Menu This dinner showcases ingredients with purported aphrodisiac qualities and is priced at $80 per person, which includes a glass of Prosecco and a rose for each lady. http://jollymadison.com/pdf/ValentinesDay07.pdf Jersey City Theater February 12, 2007 5:05 AM JERSEY CITY THEATER CENTER Proudly Presents their Inaugural Production the World Premiere of LAND O’FIRE a new play written by LUIS SANTEIRO Starring DACYL ACEVEDO* SATOMI BLAIR MALACHY OROZCO JOSEPH MESIANO JASSIM LONE IAN LASSITER MARISA MARQUEZ *performing courtesy of actor’s equity association directed by JORGE CACHEIRO THREE-WEEK LIMITED OFF-OFF BROADWAY ENGAGEMENT FEBRUARY 16TH – MARCH 3RD AT THE WINGS THEATRE TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT WINGSTHEATRE.COM JERSEY CITY THEATER CENTER is pleased to announce their inaugural production, the World Premiere of LAND O’FIRE, a new play written by Luis Santerio and directed by Jorge Cacheiro. LAND O’FIRE will play a two-week limited engagement at The Wings Theatre, located at 154 West Christopher Street, New York, NY. Performances begin Friday, February 16, and continue through Sunday, March 3. LAND O’FIRE was the recipient of the National Latino Playwriting Award in 2005. Based on the story of two voyages of the HMS The Beagle to Tierra del Fuego in the 1830’s, Land O’ Fire is the story of South American Indians plucked from their home and transported to Victorian England to be “Christianized.” The growing attachment of one of the Indians, Jemmy Button, to his surrogate father, Captain Fitzroy, leads to inevitable heartbreak when Fitzroy returns the Indians to their home. Told from the point of view of the Indians, Land O’Fire is a remarkably timely work, hilarious at times yet always keenly insightful in its examination of life interfered with and forever damaged by association with a “superior” culture. The production features scenic design by J. Wiese, costume design by Debra Otte, with assistant design by Stephanie Cathro, who will also be doing the puppets. The lighting will be designed by Joe Doviak and sound designed by David Lawson. Marla Meisner will be composing music for the production. LAND O’FIRE plays the following regular schedule through Sunday, March 3: Wednesday at 8 p.m. Thursday at 8 p.m. Friday at 8 p.m. Saturday at 8 p.m. There are added 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. performances on Sunday, February 18th, at 25th. Tickets are $18 (students $15) and are now available online at www.wingstheatre.com or by calling 212-627-2961. BIOGRAPHIES LUIS SANTEIRO (Playwright) is a long-time writer of SESAME STREET, for which he has received fourteen Emmy Awards. He was also head writer of the first bilingual sitcom, QUE PASA, U.S.A.?, which aired on PBS and earned him another Emmy. His theatre work includes The Lady from Havana, A Royal Affair, Our Lady Of The Tortilla, Praying With The Enemy, The Rooster and the Egg, Mixed Blessings, and the musical Barrio Babies, with won both the Richard Rodgers and Edward Kleban awards. He recently completed his first novel, Dancing With Dictators. JORGE LUIS CACHEIRO (Director) has a long history of developing new work for both the commercial and experimental theater. He has directed world and/or west coast premiere plays by such prominent American playwrights as Harry Kondoleon, David Lindsay–Abaire and Eduardo Machado. His productions have been seen at major Off-Broadway theaters and at regional houses throughout the country. His own original projects in the experimental arena have received awards from the National Endowment for the Arts in the areas of directing, producing and opera/music theater and from the New York State Arts Council as a visual artist. He is the co-artistic director of Jersey City Theater Center and teaches at Montclair State University. The Jersey City Theater Center is dedicated to contributing to Jersey City’s cultural and entertainment scene by presenting provocative and challenging new theater work that embraces the diverse realities of the local Jersey City community, as well as the major issues of our times. Working with award winning local and national artists from all artistic disciplines, the Jersey City Theater Center’s goal is to help Jersey City earn an international reputation for innovation and excellence in the performing arts. Olga Levina, Jorge Cacheiro and Ben LoPiccolo formed JCTC in July 2006. The Wings Theater Company is an award-winning international direction and design partnership, uniting twelve talented professionals behind a shared artistic philosophy. Formed in 1997 by Robin A. Paterson, the studio aims to provide context, contact and community for theatrical creation, youth development and new media exploration. Lennie Watts Salutes Barry Manilow!!! Live At The Met!!!! (The Metropolitan Room) ;-) February 12, 2007 4:24 AM Hey there, Join me for my farewell to showbiz (at least for now). I've been doing shows since 1987, and I've had a Barry Manilow song in every one. I'm finally doing a show of all Barry!! Believe it or not, I've only done one of these songs in a past show. Hope you can join us for this great night of music! For more information and to buy tickets: 212-206-0440 Lennie is incredible! Check out his last few shows. Say it isn't so, Lennie. We love you! ;-) The show is a salute to Barry Manilow. The first show is 3/4, 3/5, 3/11 at the Metropolitan Room. Check out Lennie Watts fantastic show. I can't wait. Buy Something Sweet And Cuddly At Broadway Bears! February 10, 2007 11:22 PM Still need a gift for Valentine's Day? Buy something special for your loved one at Broadway Bears! ;-) Get your tickets now! Http;//www.broadwaycares.org Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Presents BROADWAY BEARS 10 The event will be hosted by Bryan Batt with Lorna Kelly serving as auctioneer. Below is a list of stars that will be in attendance and the shows they will be representing: Andrea Martin (CANDIDE Revival), Josh Strickland (TARZAN), Alice Playten (OLIVER), Jose Llana (THE KING & I / SPELLING BEE), Donna Lynne Champlin (SWEENEY TODD), Barrett Foa (SPELLING BEE), Sondra Lee (PETER PAN / HELLO DOLLY), Marge Champion (HELLO DOLLY), Patrick Page (HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS), Felicia Finley (WEDDING SINGER / AIDA), Cely Onrubia (FLOWER DRUM SONG- Original Broadway Cast), Andrea Mcardle (ANNIE), Stephanie D’Abruzzo (AVENUE Q), Stephen Bogardus (MAN OF Lamancha- Revival), Dana Moore (WILL ROGERS FOLLIES), Danielle Ferland (INTO THE WOODS), Jennifer Smith (PRODUCERS), Capathia Jenkins (MARTIN SHORT), Stephen Hanan (CATS), Jane Carr (NICHOLAS NICKELBY), Christopher Sieber (SPAMALOT) And Christopher Kenney (THREEPENNY OPERA). WHAT: Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS presents the tenth annual BROADWAY BEARS auction. This year the auction will feature forty autographed bears from the following productions: Aida; Annie; Candide; Cats; Dracula, The Musical; Flower Drum Song; Grey Gardens; Hello, Dolly!; Into the Woods; It’s a Bird…It’s a Plane… It’s Superman; Jersey Boys; Les Misérables; Man of LaMancha; Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me; Mary Poppins; My One and Only; Once on this Island; Once Upon a Mattress; One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; Peter Pan; Rent; Spamalot; Sweeney Todd; Taboo; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; The King and I; The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby; The Pajama Game; The Producers; The Threepenny Opera and The Wedding Singer. WHEN: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9 AUCTION AT 8:00 PM WHERE: B.B. King Blues Club & Grill (237 W. 42nd St, between Broadway & 8th Avenue) Family Matinees Series At Merkin Concert Hall! February 9, 2007 12:04 PM Kaufman Center Presents FAMILY MATINEES A POPPY SEED PURIM Featuring The Poppy Seed Players & Kaufman Kids at Merkin Concert Hall, Sunday, February 25, 2007 at 11:00am New York, NY, 2/5/07 —The Kaufman Center presents a beloved favorite in the Family Matinees series, A Poppy Seed Purim. This colorful musical retells the traditional Purim story of how Queen Esther and the dimwitted King Achashveros overcame the wicked Haman and saved the day. Kaufman Center’s own Sean Hartley has created a musical filled with colorful costumes, catchy songs, audience participation, and a wretched villain. Under Hartley’s artistic direction, the show is performed by The Poppy Seed Players, the Center’s resident adult theatre troupe, whose regular performers include Steve Brennan, Kathryn Markey and Joe Teig, as well as Hartley. The Kaufman Kids, a chorus of children from the Kaufman Center’s two schools, Lucy Moses School and Special Music School, will also perform. The Family Matinee series features original musical theater works by some of New York’s most promising writers. The Poppy Seed Players were formed to create and perform a wide range of musical theater pieces for children and their families focusing on aspects of Jewish culture including Bible stories, holidays, folklore and history. The Players conduct in-school residencies, showing children how to create their own musical theater works. Following the performance, audience members will enjoy free Hamentashen, a traditional Purim cookie, and will get a chance to meet the actors. The show is intended for children ages three and up. The Poppy Seed Players’ final performance in the Family Matinees series will be on Sunday, March 25th, a world premiere, titled The Adventures of Mottel, the Cantor's Son, a new musical by Peter Morris and Mat Eisenstein based on a comic masterpiece by Sholom Aleichem (Fiddler on the Roof). The story centers on Mottel, a feisty young Russian boy who makes a hilarious and poignant journey from the shtetl to Ellis Island. For ages four and up. Kaufman Center presents FAMILY MATINEES SERIES A POPPY SEED PURIM 129 W. 67th St. (between Broadway and Amsterdam) Sunday, February 25, 2007 at 11:00 AM Single tickets are $18 Call the Box Office at 212 501 3330 or order online at www.merkinconcerthall.org About Merkin Concert Hall Renowned for its acoustics, accessibility and innovative programming, Merkin Concert Hall is the recipient of multiple awards for Adventurous Programming, most recently from ASCAP/Chamber Music America in 2002–03. The Hall is a division of the Kaufman Center, which also includes the Lucy Moses School (a community arts school) and the Special Music School (a New York City public school for musically gifted children). A not-for-profit organization founded in 1952, the Kaufman Center occupies its own facility, the award-winning Goodman House, located in Manhattan’s Lincoln Square arts district. The Center is an unsurpassed cultural resource where people of all ages can experience the joy of artistic creation, expression and appreciation. Poppy Seed Players performances are made possible in part with support from the Fink Foundation, Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation and the Adolph and Ruth Schnurmacher Foundation. Special thanks to the friends and supporters of the Kaufman Center’s Theater Wing. Merkin Concert Hall receives support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and the Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation. The Poppy Seed Players “Planting New Seeds” commissioning program is made possible with the support of Andrea Brown, Rosalind Devon, Charles Dimston, Connie and Leonard Goodman and Kara Unterberg and Roy Niederhoffer BATT BOY LIVE AT THE MET! I'M IN A BATT FRAME OF MIND. February 9, 2007 10:40 AM I covered Bryan Batt's new show at the Metropolitan Room. It was hysterical. What else would one expect from one of the funniest of Forbidden Broadway Alum! The best part of his show were his campy and funny numbers. Some of my favorites: 1. Skanky Whore. (Just over the top) 2. One Can Make Love Alone (Hysterical) 3. I AM WHAT I AM (LA CAGE AUX FOLLES) 4. I'M IN A NEW YORK STATE of Mind Batt never ceases to amaze me with his talent. My favorite number was when he sang "I AM WHAT I AM" from LA CAGE. I did a talk back with the cast of LA CAGE and Bryan participated. It meant a lot to me that he was there and I loved that production very much. It was an excellent show. I did not want the show to close as it is a favorite. I especially loved the dancers and of them Andy Pellick!!!! Hopefully someone will bring it back to Broadway where it belongs. Hope to see Batt in a new Broadway production very soon. In the meantime, you can see Batt this Sunday at BB KINGS when he hosts my favorite Broadway Cares Event, Broadway Bears! Tickets: http://www.broadwaycares.org Fun With Wine And Cheese! February 7, 2007 12:19 AM Dear Foodies, This event sounds like a great time! Hope you can check it out. FunWithWine.com Presents Swiss Fondue and Wine Party Date and Time: Tuesday, February 13, 2007 at 7:00 PM Location: Grant Gallery 7 Mercer Street (Between Canal and Grand Streets) Description: Join FunWithWine for a great night of Swiss Fondue and winter wines to match. For those of you who attended our holiday wine party in December, you will know what a great hit the Fondue was. We are psyched to offer an intimate evening of fondue, which will be paired with great wines for the winter. This event will feature Hot Wein, as well as a line-up of wines which are suited for drinking during the cold winter months: Hot Wein - we will be offering our version of Hot Spiced Red Wine, which is universally served at all pubs and restaurants in Switzerland in the winter. White Wines Domaine Weinbach Riesling Cuvee Theo 2004 (Alsace) Hundred Acre Gold 2004 (Australia/Napa) Clearview Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2002 (New Zealand) Truchard Chardonnay 2005 (Carneros) Red Wines Bodegas LAN Crianza 2003 (Rioja) Gladiator Nero d Avola 2002 (Sicily) Rutherford Ranch Merlot 2003 (Napa) Clone 5 Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (Napa) Marquis Phillips Sarahs Blend 2002 (Cabernet/Shiraz Blend from Australia) 2005 (Australia) Hundred Acre Pure Love "Barossa Jack" Shiraz 2005 (Australia) Rocky Creek Zinfandel 2004 (Napa) Fondue Friendly Food Pairings French Bread, cubed Kielbasa Apple-Chicken Sausage Crudite Platter Because fondue is a difficult item to serve en mass, we are limiting this event to 100 guests. This event has sold out over the previous 4 years, so we suggest you make your reservations early! This event will run from 7 to 10 PM. Cost: $50 RSVP & Cancellation Policy You may make a reservation by clicking on the GREEN "Reserve Your Place" button, and paying with your VISA or Mastercard. For more information, or to pay by phone, you may call our 24 hour answering service and order hotline, at 877-WINE-199 or (212) 560-5155 Broadway By The Year Schedule!!! February 6, 2007 11:58 PM If you have never seen the Broadway By The Year series, I would advise that you buy some tickets. I have been covering them for the last three years and I have enjoyed them all. My favorite was Unplugged with Brent Barrett and Marc Kudisch. Monday, February 26, 2007 The Broadway Musicals of 1928 Featuring songs from among: The Three Musketeers, The Greenwich Village Follies, Present Arms, Blackbirds of 1928, Grand Street Follies, The New Moon, Paris, Animal Crackers, Whoopee and more! Tickets are now on sale through Ticketmaster by phone at 212- 307-4100 or at Ticketmaster.com. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Monday, March 26, 2007 The Broadway Musicals of 1938 Featuring songs from among: The Cradle Will Rock, Right This Way, I Married An Angel, Hellzapoppin, Knickerbocker Holiday, Leave it to Me, The Boys From Syracuse and more! Tickets are now on sale through Ticketmaster by phone at 212- 307-4100 or at Ticketmaster.com. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Monday, April 30, 2007 The Broadway Musicals of 1959 Featuring songs from among: Gypsy, Fiorello!, Once Upon A Mattress, Take Me Along, The Sound of Music, and more! Tickets are now on sale through Ticketmaster by phone at 212- 307-4100 or at Ticketmaster.com. ------------------------------------------------------------- Monday, June 18, 2007 The Broadway Musicals of 1964, Part II Featuring songs from among: Hello Dolly!, What Makes Sammy Run?, Funny Girl, Anyone Can Whistle, High Spirits, Fiddler on the Roof, Golden Boy, I Had a Ball, and more! Without repeating a single number from our concert five years ago, we will have a night full of famous and fabulous songs. Tickets are now on sale through Ticketmaster by phone at 212- 307-4100 or at Ticketmaster.com. I love these events. Check it out!!! Raku Info. February 6, 2007 1:13 AM Hi, I just wanted to let you know that I go to Raku several times a week and that is why a roll was named after my site. I eat there on a regular basis but I wont be there everyday from 5:00-6:30 or 9-11. I do go several times a week. It is my hangout for a reason. It is great fish! Take advantage of the special rates and you might even meet me there. Cheers, Corine ;-) The Leading Men 2- Blog! February 5, 2007 11:40 PM Hi, I don't like cold weather but when Wayman Wong invited me to attend The Leading Men 2, I could not resist. For the last several years, I have been a reader of Wong's wonderful Leading Men column. I respect him for many reasons but my favorite is his passion for theater and cabaret. Something we share. His concert tonight was a joyful experience just like the man himself! In the next few days we will post some great photo coverage backstage before the show, during the show and after the show. It should be up soon. The concert was exceptional. Here are a few thoughts about the show. 1. Daniel Reichard was hysterical singing: "Torch Song" from "When Pigs Fly" It was a funny song mocking Dick Cheney and it had the entire audience howling. It was very funny and I hope to hear it again in Daniel's next concert. Daniel proved his "Forbidden Broadway" training has done great things for his career. I adored his performance and would say it was the favorite of the night. 2. David Gurland, brought down the house! He has such range! I adore him and his adorable boyfriend Robbie! David sang "Waiting For Life" from "Once on This Island" 3. Seth Rudetsky did a very funny signature dish!!!! Deconstructing the "Sound of Music" (I really admire Seth, he is hysterical and clever and a class act) He was fantastic or I should steal his line "AHMAZING" 4. Sexy, well dressed and stunning Perry Ojeda had everyone sweating during "Lucky to Be Me" from "Our Town" I felt lucky to be C watching him perform! 5. Adam Jacobs, impressed the entire audience with "Maria" from "West Side Story" It was breathtaking and beautiful. His voice is stunning and his wife is a lucky woman. 6. Norm Lewis sang: "I'd rather be Sailing" It was a beautiful song sung by one of the greatest perfomers on Broadway. It was great to see him. In addition, John Tartaglia was an incredible emcee and host of this incredible Broadway Cares event. Next up for Broadway Cares is Broadway Bears. Broadway Bears is one of my favorite events of the year. Please buy your ticket now! To donate: http://www.broadwaycares.org More about this wonderful event in my photo coverage piece. Culinary Corner Wine Blog! February 4, 2007 10:32 PM I was invited to a great wine event last week. At that event I won a bottle of Mionetto Sergio Rose'!!!! It is a sparking red wine. It is light. Fruity. A cross between red wine and champagne. I love it! Try it. I found a new favorite. If anyone ever wants to buy me a gift this would be it! Incredible Program For Children Of All Ages! February 4, 2007 6:58 PM I took my 2 year old niece to a wonderful theater experience at Merkin Concert Hall. If you have a child, a niece or nephew and you want to expose them to a wonderful theater experience this program is a must! My two year old Niece loved it! The next program is on March 11th. Grab a child and go! http://www.kaufman-center.org/tc/mch0607/playhouse_020407.php Next up: Irving Berlin on March 11th. http://www.kaufman-center.org/tc/mch0607/playhouse_031107.php Pre And Post Corine's Corner Happy Hours at Raku February 4, 2007 12:30 AM Hi, I am thinking of doing a once a month get together for Corine Corner readers and friends. The first one will be planned. Raku is a very small and intimate place. I was thinking we could meet for 1.5 hours. Please write to me and let me know when you can make it. In addition, if you plan on coming I would ask that you make a donation yourself to Broadway Cares if you can. Thank you, Corine www.broadwaycares.org Best! New schedule for Corine Corner readers; There will be A Corine's Corner Happy Hour Monday 5-6:30 and After A show 9- 10 Tuesday 5-6:30 and 9-10 Wed: 5-6:30 and 9-11 Thursday 5:6:30 and 9-11 Friday: Regular menu. Mention Corine's Corner for a free red wine or sake with any entree. Happy Hour 9 till close. Sat 5-6:30 and 9-11 Sunday 5-7 PM Enjoy!!! More On The Rockers Rehearsals February 3, 2007 5:56 PM Last week was such a blast. Being able to finally interview Norm Lewis, Titus Burgess, Billy Porter and Kathy Brier was a dream come true. I have always wanted to interview all of these stars. I actually did interview Norm but for 1 minute. I also interviewed Kate Taylor who is one of the nicest people on the planet. In fact all of the people are wonderful. I did an indepth interview with Brier who has one of the greatest voices on earth. I will let you know when the video will be up. I had so much fun. Have a good day, Corine PS I am exhausted. I interviewed someone almost everyday last week. I am pooped! Mamma Who Blogged Me! February 3, 2007 4:20 PM Hey, I got a really nice letter from a woman who reads my blog on a daily basis. I just wanted to thank her for her kind words. Please tell your friends. PS I just thought the title would make a perfect Forbidden Broadway skit. Get it? Mamma who blogged me (Instead of bore me) LOL, C PS Spring Awakening is my favorite show of the season. PSST...... This Just In From David Gurland. (and Lisa Asher, 2007 Nightlife Award Winner) February 3, 2007 4:09 PM I'm a little bit Country, so I decided it was time for another shameless plug (For David Gurland and Lisa Asher) Well, I only put Lisa in there so she will come back to my blog. (She is amazing and such a nice gal) (Only saying gal because it is a Country theme.. Ya'll) The reviews are in!!!! “David Gurland returns to his roots with a vengeance...the best thing he's done in years. Gurland's edgy tenor soared through a variety of unexpected and iconoclastic material. 'Dgur in concert 2007’...it's a winner!” David Hurst, NEXT Magazine and Cabaret Scenes magazine So, after a show stopping evening of Show tunes, the second performance of the ‘DGUR in CONCERT’ series will be on February 18th. This will be an ALL COUNTRY MUSIC NIGHT! For this performance, I am overjoyed to have special guests Lisa Asher (2007 Nightlife Award Winner Outstanding Female Vocalist) and Randi Driscoll (Songwriter of”What Matters” featured in the NBC film, "The Matthew Shepard Story"). The evening will be musically directed by Tim DiPasqua (2007 Nightlife Award Winner Outstanding Revue-Variety performance) Will be kickin off our cowboy boots and singin a little Dixie Chicks, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Faith Hill, Glenn Campbell, KD Lang, Loretta Lynn and more!. Sunday February 18th, 2007 7PM- And hey it’s a holiday weekend. MOONSHINE FOR EVERYONE!!! DGUR in Concert #2-COUNTRY MUSIC 407 W 42nd Street (@9th) www.westbankcafe.com $16 cover $15 food/drink minimum 212-695-6909/Reservations suggested. Credit cards accepted. (YA'LL Check it out or Robbie will make you wear his pearls/ ;-) Some Happy News! February 3, 2007 10:15 AM As many of you know I'm just wild about sushi. Last evening I was given a small honor. Raku sushi, one of my favorite sushi hangouts named a roll after my site. I was touched! In addition, they named a happy hour after my site and special deals for all of you! If you adore quality sushi you should go to Raku during happy hour for some incredible deals. Corine's Corner Happy Hour is 5-6:30 everyday at Raku: Red wine- $2.50 a glass Sake-$2.50 a glass or $1.00 shooters The Corine's Corner roll is Spicy Shrimp Tempura with avocado and cucumber and it is only $5.00. Spicy Salmon-(My favorite roll) is only $4.00 Kirin Beer is only $3.00 a bottle. Steamed shrimp shumai is only $2.50. So if you are looking for a great deal in Times Square check out Raku. Cheers, I'll drink to that. PS Stay tuned, I am planning a monthly get together at Raku very soon. 252 West 47th. 212-719-9055 Enjoy!;-) February Is The Month Of Love- Fight AIDS! February 1, 2007 9:59 PM Donate or attend Broadwaycares events. Teddy Bears are coming up! My favorite event of the year. http://www.broadwaycares.org/events/bears.cfm http://www.broadwaycares.org/events/bearsindex.cfm?Edition=2007&Start=1&End=10http://broadwaycares.stores.yahoo.net/broadwaybears.html Don't forget about the Leading Men concert: http://www.broadwaycares.org/events/leadingmen2.cfm For more info and for donations: http://www.broadwaycares.org Thank you, Happy Love Month. PS (Love is very important but AIDS is still here. Protect yourself and help others with HIV and AIDS) Nightlife Awards Photo Coverage on site! February 1, 2007 9:46 PM Hi, Hope you checked out some photos of the Nightlife Awards. They are on the top of the homepage. Check out some of the photos. Hope you like them. Best, Corine Top 6 High Points of The Nightlife Awards(Liza With A Z, She's Terrific!) January 31, 2007 5:14 PM I wanted to post about some of the high moments of the Nightlife Awards: 1. Christine Ebersole doing a number from her incredible concert at the Metropolitan room with Billy Stritch. It was amazing both times! The woman is an incredible performer and has chemistry with Billy Stritch. It blew me away (TWICE) 2. Lorinda's Yolanda! She is so hysterical and she was over the top at the Nightlife Awards.( I also saw this twice and both times blew me away) 3. Freddy Cole, was just adorable! His charming performance made me realize how much I love Jazz. 4. Scott Coulter's charming and touching speech about his love of children. (It was touching and I cried a little) 5. Lennie Watts on stage with Mary Bond Davis. It was funny. Lennie was shy! (I love Lennie) 6. My favorite number of the evening was sung by Paula West! I have never seen her perform before and I have become her biggest fan. Seeing Liza was a trip and than talking about it with Pedi was hysterical. The Nightlife Awards were a lot of fun. The Great Divorce- Times Review!(photos by Maryann Lopinto) January 31, 2007 2:45 PM Congratulations to my friends at the Great Divorce. Check out this rave review. PS I am not the target market for this play but was very impressed with the acting and I adored the Iguana puppet!    The first two photos are of cast members and my favorite lizard in the play. The third photo is of my very close friend Felicia. She is the best. The Biggest Reason To Smile!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! January 31, 2007 12:51 AM This is so exciting. I was fortunate to attend a concert version of Violet at Playwrights Horizons! I am so excited about this. Hope I can attend. More info: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/105327.html Congratulations, Bob Blume! January 31, 2007 12:14 AM Bob won an award this past Monday Evening. Congratulations!!! ******************************* On Monday night at the National Arts Club, the St. George's Society of New York, the leading British charitable and social organization in the United States founded in 1770 held its monthly Theatrical Arts event at the National Arts Club. The entertainment, produced by Theatre Producer Margot Astrachan, featured the evening's Host, Broadway Star Jim Dale with guest TV/Film Actor, Geoffrey Holder and a special musical performance by Cabaret legend, Steve Ross. Mr. Holder, looking a lot friendlier then when seen in the James Bond film, Live and Let Die (he has mellowed since then) and Jim Dale (looking almost as fit as when he starred in Barnum with Glenn Close) had the audience roaring as they related anecdotes from their respective careers. Steve Ross with his charming wit and personality at the Piano gave the evening the perfect capper. Anyone interested in knowing more about the St. George's Society can visit their site at www.stgeorgessociety.org. ****************************************************** Unwind With Wine! January 30, 2007 11:42 PM I was invited to a fantastic event tonight. It is called Unwind With Wine. It was hosted by Hanna Lee Communications and it was one of the best events I have ever attended. The wine was exceptional. I even won a bottle of sparkling Rose. I bet a lot of you didn't know this but I am an event planner. As an event planner I have attended many fabulous events with wine. Hanna's event was outstanding. Tonights event was hosted by famous restaurant critic Bob Lape and his wife Joanna Pruess who wrote many cookbooks and most recently "Seduced by Bacon". Seduced by Bacon is already in it's third printing. Pruess is an award- winning food author and has published over ten cookbooks. She has been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Food Arts, Saveur, Food and Wine and the Associated Press. She has also published "Fiamma, The Essence of Contemporary Italian Cuisine(formerly Eat Tea) and Supermarket Confidential(formerly Supermarket Epicure) Mrs. Pruess also co- authored the D'Artagnan Glorious Game Cookbook. Bob Lape is known for his column in Crains New York Business and many other restaurant columns. I used to work with Bob many years ago (He was my restaurant critic for a TV show I produced in New York) He is a charming and intelligent man. The event was a tremendous success. I had a great time. Dear Foodies if you live in the NYC area I highly advise you to check out Hanna's events. It was a wonderful evening and I hope to go to all of her events. More later. Best, Corine Check out her events at: http://www.unwindwithwine.com Cheers!!!! PS In addition to the wine tasting we sampled a few of the recipes from her book. I loved the Scallop wrapped in Bacon and the Kobe Beef wrapped in Bacon. There was also Bacon flavored ice cream which was all the rave at my table. This Just In From Nightlife Award Nominee, Eric Comstock! January 30, 2007 11:21 PM Hi, friends-- MANHATTAN MASTERS opens this Sunday and Monday @ 7pm at the Metropolitan Room with a very exciting program saluting one of Broadway's finest composers, Charles Strouse. Charles gave us "Annie", "Golden Boy", "Applause", and "Bye Bye, Birdie". His song hits include "Tomorrow", "I've Got A Lot Of Livin' To Do", and "Put On A Happy Face". Charles Strouse has graciously agreed to sing a few of best songs at opening night, Sunday, February 4. In addition to Sean Smith on bass and Vito Lesczak on drums, reedman Frank Wess will be with us. Frank just received the Jazz Master Award from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and has been a jazz star for over fifty years, as a leader and composer and with the bands of Lucky Millinder, Billy Eckstine, and Count Basie. In fact, Frank left the Basie band in 1964 to play in the pit orchestra for Charles Stouse's "Golden Boy". Please join us at the Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street) this Sunday and Monday, February 4 & 5 @ 7pm! For reservations, call: 212.206.0440. MANHATTAN MASTERS continues next weekend with a new program, and carries on with a different show every week February! All About Joe Stein (All About Us) January 30, 2007 10:50 PM Hi, I am a very fortunate individual. My old saying used to be "It Sucks To Be C" Not today. Today, I interviewed Joseph Stein, his wife and one of the nicest Producers on the planet(And Liz Smith she is a female) Jacki Barla Florin. The interview was done in person over lunch at Vico restaurant on 93rd and Madison. It was a lot of fun. The interview will be posted in a few weeks. It does not suck to be me. Photo by Brad Balfour of Times Square.com More later, Corine ;-)  A Memoir of Judy Garland- John Meyer and Judy Blazer! January 29, 2007 2:18 PM I went to this last evening and it was brilliant! Judy Blazer is incredible. There is a funny line in "God or Merman" "Are you a Judy Queen or a Merman Queen" Even though I am not gay I love both. Note to all Judy queens: You need to see this show!!!! Judy makes you believe! I loved it. From http://www.metropolitanroom.com/ Call: 212-206-0440 for tickets! Sunday, January 28th to Monday, January 29th at 7:00 PM John Meyer and Judy Blazer "Heartbreaker- A Memoir Of Judy Garland" 20 Cover + 2 Beverage Minimum The show is a dramatization of Meyer's recently published book, Heartbreaker, which details his attempt to rescue the entertainer from her demons during the last year of her life. Songwriter Meyer will be playing himself opposite Ms. Blazer, whose B'way credits include Titanic and Me & My Girl. The hour-long show features songs from Garland's repertoire along with five Meyer originals. Books will be on sale at the performances. I didn't know what I was in for. Within forty-five minutes of our meeting, Judy Garland came up to me and, pointing first to herself, then to me, mouthed the phrase "I'm with you." What she meant was, Take me the hell out of this claustrophobic hellhole. She'd been living free in Richard's Carnegie Hall studio, but had to endure a kind of smothering attention from Richard and his gay friends that was rapidly becoming unbearable. "I mean really," she remarked later, "it's like being in the beige hole of Calcutta." So I took her out of there. I'd come down simply to sing a song for Judy, a song I'd composed called "I'd Like to Hate Myself in the Morning (and Raise a little Hell Tonight)" and she -with her marvelous sense of humor- had embraced the number instantly. In fact, she insisted on learning it the next afternoon, in my parent's apartment. You see, I spirited her away from Richard and took her to live with me. And, incidentally, with my mother and father. You see, I couldn't very well ask them to leave, it was their apartment, a big floor-through at 993 Park Avenue in New York City. I'd recently moved back, having lost my |