Jim Caruso's Cast Party and TheaterMania.com are proud to present “THE JEFF BLUMENKRANTZ SONGBOOK” Monday, September 8, 2008 at 7:00pm, as part of the long-running, Nightlife Award-winning concert series Broadway at Birdland.

Broadway stars Theresa McCarthy, Alysha Umphress, and Sally Wilfert will join cellist Peter Sachon and acclaimed Tony-nominated composer JEFF BLUMENKRANTZ to sing “THE JEFF BLUMENKRANTZ SONGBOOK."  BLUMENKRANTZ’s work has been heard in the New York productions of Urban Cowboy, The Audience, and Audra McDonald's song cycle "The Seven Deadly Sins" at Carnegie Hall.  His songs have been recorded and performed by such notable singers as Audra McDonald, Victoria Clark, Lauren Kennedy, Megan Mullally, Maria Friedman, and Sutton Foster.

BLUMENKRANTZ's career as a songwriter began at Northwestern University, where he was a four-year contributor to the celebrated Waa-Mu Show.  While pursuing a career as an actor in New York, he joined The BMI Workshop and participated in the Dramatists Guild's Musical Theatre Development Program and Jonathan Larson Fellowship and is the 2001 recipient of the BMI Advanced Workshop Harrington Award.  His one act musicals, “Woman with Pocketbook,” written with Annie Kessler and Libby Saines, and “Precious Little Jewel,” written with Libby Saines, have been performed at regional theatres and have both won the Ten Minute Musical Competition.  2005 marked the publication of The Jeff Blumenkrantz Songbook, a piano/vocal folio of twenty ongs, and the first episode of The Jeff Blumenkrantz Songbook Podcast, a performance and interview show featuring Jeff's songs sung by some of musical theatre's great talents.  In 2008, Jeff produced The BMI Workshop Songbook Podcast, which featured twenty new songs from the members and alumni of the  famed musical theatre writers' workshop. He is currently collaborating with lyricist/librettist Beth Blatt on a new musical entitled Hashi.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

WHEN: Monday, September 8, 2008 at 7:00p.m.
WHERE: Birdland, 315 West 44th Street (between 8th & 9th Aves), NYC
Tickets: $25 + $10.00 Food/Drink Minimum (Per Person)
Tickets can be purchased Online: www.BIRDLANDJAZZ.com
or by Telephone: 212.581.3080.

In the future:  Laurel Massé (September 15), Michele Lee (September 22), Betty Buckley (September 23 - 27), Alexander Gemignani (September 29), Capathia Jenkins & Louis Rosen (October 6), Jason Robert Brown (October 13), Ron Abel (October 20) and Kirsten Childs (October 27).

BY NOW YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD SOME BUZZ ABOUT PATRICK DeGENNARO'S Vocal Technique Workshops. The client list reads like a 'who's who' of the Cabaret and Broadway communities. Classes start again in September and there are a limited number spaces available. Read about the Workshops, get the full calendar of dates, info about the teacher, the technique, and check out the testimonials from Karen Mason, Lina Koutrakos, John McDaniel and others at www.vocaltechnique.com

BILLY STRITCH AND CHRISTINE EBERSOLE, "SUNDAY IN NEW YORK": selections culled from the pair's recent sold out run at The Metropolitan Room in NYC. In a review of that performance, Stephen Holden of the New York Times commented: "Ms. Ebersole, a bright, zany soprano and ebullient clown, can whirl on a dime and evoke an inexpressable sorrow under a facade of garrulous pluck. When she adds a spinning vibrato to her lemony voice, she can turn into a playful latter-day Kathryn Grayson or Jeanette MacDonald. Mr. Stritch, a pop-jazz pianist and gifted arranger, is a solid exponent of the gregarious, swinging Vegas style epitomized by Steve Lawrence." Listen to song samples, buy the CD, and learn about all things Billy Stritch at www.billystritch.com.

TEDD FIRTH, OF THE CAST PARTY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, is a New York City based accompanist, jazz pianist and arranger. He has accompanied many renowned artists, including Lee Ann Womack, Faith Prince, Tom Wopat, Margaret Whiting, Maureen McGovern and Marilyn Maye. Among the jazz musicians he has worked with are John Pizzarelli, Houston Person, Benny Golson and Joe Morello. Mr. Firth's New York appearances include the Blue Note, Birdland, the Iridium, the Algonquin, the Rainbow Room, Carnegie Hall, and the Russian Tea Room. Tedd's arrangements have been performed by the Philadelphia Pops and the Ocean City Pops. Find him on MySpace Music at www.myspace.com/teddfirth.

STEVE DOYLE, THE CAST PARTY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA BASS PLAYER, has been an active part of the jazz and cabaret scene in New York for the past 18 years, performing with many internationally renowned artists including Bucky Pizzarelli, Billy Stritch, Tony Desare, Rigmor Gustafssen, Klea Blackhurst, Hilary Kole, Dave Stryker, Steve Slagle, Christine Ebersole, Pekka Pylkannen, Stephanie Block, K.T. Sullivan, Emily Skinner, Freddie Bryant, Marilyn Maye, Lari White and many others. Get the full scoop and check out his 1997 CD, Presence, at www.stevedoyle.com .

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.

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 my amazing friend Liza Minnelli quite a bit this next year! We're celebrating 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, Tiger Martina and I are working hard to approximate the blend and unique sound that Bob, Dick, Don and Andy Williams brought to Kay's ingenius vocal arrangements. With dazzling direction and choreography by Ron Lewis, and old pal Billy Stritch at the piano, this project is an absolute dream come true!

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.

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