Jim Caruso's Cast Party and TheaterMania.com are proud to host America's comedic treasure Mo Rocca in MO ROCCA 'CROSS AMERICA, Monday, April 28, 2008 at 7:00pm, as part of the long-running, critically-heralded and popular concert series Broadway at Birdland. Performing along with Mo Rocca will be Charles Osgood (Host of “Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood”), Annaleigh Ashford (Wicked), Stanley Bahorek (Spelling Bee), Julian Fleisher (singer-songwriter-host) and Brian O'Brien (Spamalot).

Mo Rocca asks “Who would beg to differ with Lee Greenwood when he sang "I'm Proud to be An American?” No one, except perhaps those freaky secessionists up in northern Vermont. But sometimes in loving America, we forget to love our individual states. Each has its own state bird, flower, tree, even soil and seashell. (Oregon's is the Hairy Triton. Gross).” In "MO ROCCA 'CROSS AMERICA", humorist and actor Mo Rocca pays tribute to the specialness of our states. It's an evening of fun, factoids, prize giveaways and song, as Mo's friends sing about their home states. Country Roads, Take Me Home To...California, Here I Come, Right Back...Home Again in Indiana!  As any singer can tell you, a nation is only as strong as its weakest state.

Mo Rocca is a contributor to NBC's “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and CBS's “Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood” and is known for his off-beat news reports and satirical commentary.  His “Five Minutes With …” segment is featured weekly on LXTV's “First Look New York.” A former correspondent for Comedy Central's “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” he can be heard regularly on NPR's hit weekly quiz show “Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me” as well as “All Things Considered.”  Creator and host of AOL's “Mo Rocca 180°” (www.morocca180.com), Rocca's blog provides side-splitting and insightful observations on everything from the Presidential election to pop culture news.  Please call Birdland at 212-581-3080 or www.BirdlandJazz.com.

CABARET PERFORMER AND PRODUCER JAMIE DEROY WILL PRESENT A SPECIAL EVENING WITH LARRY GATLIN AND THE GATLIN BROTHERS on Tuesday, April 29th (9:30PM) at the New York hotspot Metropolitan Room. Renowned for their mastery and art of perfect family harmony that spawned some of country music’s most memorable hits, Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers rekindled their ole’ gospel music flame with the 2005 release of “Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers Sing Their Family Gospel Favorites,” and in so doing, lit the way towards their 9th Grammy nomination. Visit www.gatlinbrothers.com for more information. An evening with Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers at Metropolitan Room (34 West 22nd Street /between 5th and 6th Avenues) has a $35 cover charge plus a $15 minimum. For reservations, please call (212) 206-0440. Program is subject to change.

BROADCAST YOURSELF...BEFORE SOMEONE DOES IT FOR YOU. Introducing... "I." An ongoing collaborative web series. A story told in snippets. At www.youtube.com/ichannel -OR- www.connectwithi.com. "I." (also referred to as "iChannel") is an ongoing interactive web series in which a man's life is taken over by an online audience - YOU. Together, Sebastian Arcelus (Jersey Boys), Craig DiFolco, and Michael Izquierdo (New Jerusalem) have forged a path into the world of truly interactive television by directly linking the "subject" to his "audience" in this comically existential adventure. With 34 episodes already filmed and more on the way, they invite you to join in and connect with "I." Is your life worth watching? Check out "I." PLEASE NOTE: Texts that appear in "quotes" within the episodes are actual user comments. If you comment or post a video response, it may very well appear in a future episode.

THE BROADWAY SEASON IS IN FULL SWING and one of the most exciting new openings of the year is the official launch of Audience Rewards, the only experiential rewards program created for theatergoers and patrons of the performing arts. Audience Rewards is proud to offer premiere experiences and entertainment benefits to the loyal fans of Broadway.  All you have to do is join. Membership is FREE. And, as a fan of Jim Caruso's Cast Party and Broadway at Birdland, we will give you a gift of 500 points to get you started toward earning Broadway tickets, unique memorabilia, special experiences and tickets to arts and entertainment events. Membership also includes invitations to VIP receptions and special offers on dining, travel and, of course, Broadway shows. Visit www.AudienceRewards.com to sign up to get many exciting benefits including special presentations and offers brought to you by Jim Caruso and Audience Rewards.

BILLY STRITCH HAS A NEW CD AND A NEW WEBSITE! At last, Billy Stritch has his own dot-com - and a brand-new album to boot! While you're at the site (created by the Cast Party Webmistress, Kate Botello), peruse Billy's bio, find out where he's playing and read reviews. Listen to clips of Billy's latest, Billy Stritch Sings Mel Tormè, and pick up a copy for yourself and someone you love.

For everything Billy Stritch: www.billystritch.com.

JIM CARUSO…THE PARTY CONTINUES ON CD: Caruso: Live and In Person, with Billy Stritch on piano. "Jim is funny, facile and fabulous! He performs with charm, wit and style, and is vastly entertaining." -- Michael Feinstein. "A cabaret-lover's dream!" -- Chip Deffaa, New York Post. "An unbeatable act of jazz, pop, comedy and conversation that is different from anything else in town." -- Rex Reed, New York Observer. "This impish, twinkling-eyed performer exudes the buoyant spirits of a conetmporary vaudevillian…with an extremely tart lemon tucked firmly in his cheek." -- Stephen Holden, New York Times.

ELAINE PAIGE , THE "FIRST LADY OF BRITISH MUSICAL THEATRE," HOSTS AN ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS WEEKLY RADIO SHOW on BBC Radio 2 every Sunday night.  The program is devoted to musical theatre and film music from Hollywood, Broadway and the West End.  The celebrated star of Evita, Cats, Chess and Sunset Boulevard has interviewed a host of stars including Angela Lansbury, Sir Elton John, and Michael Feinstein, and continues to delight audiences with a unque mix of show music and juicy interviews. Click on BBC: Elaine Paige on Sunday to hear the current show.

KEN KLEIBER'S OFFERING VIDEOGRAPHY SERVICES. You have the talent, you booked the room and the crowds came. But what about that sought-after agent who was escorting his star client to a premiere? Or that family member who got stuck out-of-town due to inclement weather? Or that best friend who got the 24-hour flu? They can all re-live your shining performance through the magic of digital video. Videographer Ken Kleiber (host of TV, internet & radio’s "That’s Kentertainment!") not only interviews the stars, he films them too. With over 6 years of videotaping experience, Ken has filmed hundreds of hours of cabarets, concerts, live theatre, dance recitals, comedy sets, interviews, on-tape auditions, parties and more. For more information on Ken’s videotaping, copying and transferring services, please contact Ken at kentertain@yahoo.com. Don’t let that once-in-a-lifetime moment be…just once!

MINNELLI & CARUSO: TOGETHER AGAIN… I'm beyond excited to tell you that I'll be performing on the road with myamazing friend Liza Minnelli quite a bit this next year! We're re-creating Kay Thompson and the Williams Brothers' historic nightclub act that took the world by storm in the late 40's and early 50's. Cortes Alexander, Johnny Rodgers, Brian Lane Green and I are working hard to approximate the blend and unique sound that Bob, Dick, Don, and Andy Williams brought to Kay's ingenious vocal arrangements, with Billy Stritch will be at the piano. Watch this space for details… hopefully we'll be coming to a theater near you!

ON THE CD, AT THE MOVIES, DAVE KOZ, A MULTI-GRAMMY NOMINATED SAX PLAYER with two gold albums and ten top 5 hits to his credit, takes center stage on eight instrumentals: "Over The Rainbow," "As Time Goes By," "The Pink Panther," "Summer of '42," "Cinema Paradiso," "Schindler's List," "It Might Be You" and " The Shadow of Your Smile." The 40-piece orchestra enlisted by Koz and producer Phil Ramone provides a majestic, sweeping soundscape for the saxophonist and his guest vocalists, including Vanessa Williams, who contributes an exquisite version of "The Way We Were," and Johnny Mathis, who perfectly captures the bittersweet quality of "The Shadow Of Your Smile," from The Sandpiper. Other highlights include Anita Baker's elegant rendering of "Somewhere," from West Side Story and Donna Summer's shimmering version of "A Whole New World," from Disney's Aladdin. Barry Manilow duets with Koz on a hip arrangement of Henry Mancini's " Moon River," and India.Aire delivers a deeply personal performance of "It Must Be You," from Tootsie. At The Movies is a must-have for music and film lovers everywhere. Disappear into another world and spend some time At The Movies.

SQUIGS DRAWS THE STARS. Justin 'Squigs' Robertson is well known in the Los Angeles theatre community for capturing show biz folks in pen and ink, and his acclaim is quickly spreading across the country. He loves sushi. His favorite song is 'It's Only A Paper Moon'. And he genuflects upon merely hearing the name of Al Hirschfeld. His whimsical illustration and design is aided and abetted by his parallel career as an actor and entertainer. You can visit for a look at Squigs' take on such talented friends of Cast Party as Jeff Blumenkrantz, Julia Murney, Christine Ebersole, Victoria Clark, Kelli O'Hara, Bob Martin and Liza Minnelli. www.squigsink.com

OUR UPDATED T-SHIRT is now available in Tootsie-Roll brown with safety-cone orange trim, as seen at left, where Jim reveals his secret identity as -- Superhost! Show your love for a certain Monday night Open Mic extravaganza by wearing this 100% cotton, Peruvian-made, American-printed piece of art! The wry "Got Mic?" logo is on the front, and our logo is on the back. They're only $20 and available if you click http://www.castpartynyc.com/Goods.htm.

TheaterMania.com:
"The Party simply glows with New York nightlife ambiance. It feels like a throwback to another era but it has this era's top-notch entertainers dropping in to schmooze, sing, eat, and drink. Caruso consistently provides a flow of exciting singers, and he's definitely hip, cool and classy all by himself."

Bookings for Jim Caruso's Cast Party® for theaters, arts presenters, corporations and private events:

Ligeti Artists LLC
Peter Ligeti
mrligeti@aol.com
212.396.1111

For online booking information, click: The Show Store

This newsletter brought to you each week by Jim Caruso and Traverse City Web Design.