Stephen Sorokoff - Page 37

The Friars Club hosted a one night only event last night that will be remembered for many years by Ben Vereen.  Chita Rivera brought him to the club for what Ben thought was a small dinner in his honor.  When Ben walked out of the elevator the huge mahogany  doors of the Milton Berle Room and Barbra Streisand Room swung open to a capacity crowd of Friars shouting "SURPRISE" and singing Happy Birthday.   It was an emotional happy celebration as Ben's many friends toasted the legendary performer and humanitarian.  Friar Board Member and Chairman of the Friars Admission Committee Bill Boggs officially made Ben Vereen an Honorary Friar.  As Bill pointed out to Ben in his presentation,  " I have the power to bestow this title on you….. being an Honorary Member entitles you to walk into the club at any time, enjoy a great meal in the Frank Sinatra dinning room…..and pay for it! "  

Christine Ebersole who is currently appearing at Cafe Carlyle dropped in to say "hello" to her friends Jim Caruso and Billy Stritch during their Sunday night residency in Bemelmans .  Of course it wasn't just a "hello".  The lucky folks at The Carlyle got to hear some great singing by Christine, with Billy Stritch at the piano adding some vocal harmonies.  You never know who's going to come in and say "hello" to the sophisticated duo, and now that Billy is also Tony Bennett's pianist/conductor.

Show business tour de force Jamie deRoy brings her star-packed Jamie deRoy & friends cabaret show to New York's famed Birdland, Sunday, October 16, at 6 p.m.

Michele Lee brought her new concert show - Nobody Does It Like Me, The music of Cy Coleman last night to the Razz Room at The Prince Theatre in Philadelphia, PA.  and Broadwayworld was there.

The New York Pops started it's 34th season off with a glorious concert celebrating the legacy and timeless works of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. In the closing concert of his inaugural season in 2010, music director and conductor Steven Reineke celebrated the music of Lerner and Loewe and the response was so heartwarming that he decided it was the right time to revisit the material.

Tonight, October 14, 2016 at 8:00PM, The New York Pops, led by Music Director Steven Reineke, will launch its 34th season at Carnegie Hall's Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage, celebrating the legacy and timeless works of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe.

Barrington Stage Company (BSC), the award-winning theatre in Downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership of Artistic Director JuliAnne Boyd and Managing Director TriStan Wilson,  hosted its annual New York City Benefit, BSC In NYC last night to celebrate the acclaimed BSC Musical Theatre Lab and honor its co-founder and Artistic Producer William Finn and Broadwayworld was there. 

Multiple Tony Award-winner Christine Ebersole made her highly anticipated return to Cafe Carlyle with an all-new show titled After The Ball, last night and Broadwayworld was there. The engagement runs through October 22.

The celebrities were both on and off stage at the Triad as "New York's funniest show Celebrity Autobiography turned another page at the Triad last night and BroadwayWorld was there. 

Chicago-based vocalist Sam Fazio returned toFeinstein's/54 Below for a special evening on October 8th. He was accompanied by pianist Chris White and bassist George DeLancey.

Some of Broadway's most interesting and talented show business personalities are starting to stream through the WABC studio where famed talk show host Joey Reynolds holds court every Sunday at 9pm on Cumulus talker WABC/770. Joey will also be streamed on iHeartRadio, and his friend Art Vuolo says the Sunday show "will be added to 790 AM KABC Los Angeles, and syndication will begin thanks to William G. Nye and Mike Cave." Joey's long career stretches back to the early 1960s in Hartford (WPOP, WDRC), Buffalo ("KB Radio" WKBW), Cleveland (WIXY), Detroit (WXYZ), L.A. (KMPC) and Philadelphia (both WIBG and WFIL). Joey's first guest on his inaugural show was WABC icon Cousin Brucie who is currently hosting shows on SiriusXM. This weekends show biz guests featured comedians Pat Cooper, Steven Scott and Broadway producer Jamie deRoy.

Ian Finkel, the World's Greatest Xylophonist and Elliot Finkel, concert pianist extraordinaire offered a first-hand account of the incredible career of their father Fyvush Finkel last night in a touching memorial at the Metropolitan Room.  Fyvush had been performing in English and Yiddish roles for nine decades before his passing this summer.  His last engagement was at Mr. Finn's Cabaret in the Berkshires, and he had invited the cheering audience at the end of the show to come to his  94th birthday celebration on Oct 9th at the Metropolitan Room.  The evening instead was celebration of his life on stage with the performances by family and friends performing his songs, stories, and jokes.  To quote one of Fyvush's jokes, if he were present he would have opened the evening by saying, "I'm celebrating my 94th birthday today!"  after the applause died down he would then look around and  continue…."but I realize looking at this audience, it's no big deal!"

Nicole Henry returned to Feinstein's/54 Below last night after her sold-out engagement this past Spring and Broadwayworld was there.

Marieann Meringolo's show "Between Yesterday and Tomorrow" The Songs of Alan & Marilyn Bergman has been playing at Feinstein's/54 Below and Broadwaywolrd was there for the closing night. The New York Times' Stephen Holden has noted, 'Ms. Meringolo, a singer who bares some physical and vocal resemblance to Barbra Streisand...is not shy about emoting in grand style. She also has a sense of humor that comes into play at appropriate moments."

Horton Foote's The Roads To Home opened last night at the Cherry Lane Theatre and Broadwayworld was there for the festivities.  The Roads To Home is a Primary Stages production in association with Catherine Adler and Jamie deRoy. It's run has been extended throughSunday, November 27, 2016.

 Critically acclaimed artists Stacy Sullivan and Todd Murray brought a thought provoking, sometime humorous, and musically entertaining look at the very human quandary of 'should I stay or should I go with '  with their show Separate Ways to Feinstein's/54 Below last night and Broadwayworld was there. They say that breaking up is hard to do; most certainly. But with writers such as George Gershwin, Joni Mitchell, Adam Guettel, Adele, we find that skies can be sunny blue or grey, and goodbyes can be happy. Songwriters have looked for ways to express the angst of people's need to be joined and separate at the same time. Todd and Stacy are masters at bringing honesty and life to their lyrics.

Tommy Tune and an overflow audience at The Triad on 72nd street met Patrick Rinn last night, and Broadwayworld was also there.  

Tony Award-winner Laura Benanti made her Cafe Carlyle debut last night and Broadwayworld was there. The five-time Tony nominee opened the Carlyle's fall season with Tales from Soprano Isle, which featured songs from Laura's career along with humorous anecdotes and experiences that she has encountered on and off the stage and screen. Laura just completed her Tony nominated role as Amalia Balash in the hit Broadway musical She Loves Me, She also recently garnered rave reviews for her hilarious portrayal of Melania Trump on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Laura told the opening night Cafe Carlyle audience that it was not only her Cafe' debut. As she gently patted her 5 month pregnant tummy she said it was also her daughter's.

Freddie Roman, of Catskills On Broadway fame and past Dean of the Friars Club was the MC of a Borscht Belt evening in the Jerry Lewis Monastery last night and BroadwayWorld was there.

Beloved director, producer, screenwriter and actor Martin Scorsese was honored by the Friars Club with their highest tribute last night, and BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the evening below! The Entertainment Icon Award was given to Scorsese, whose career spans more than 50 years, and who will be one of only a handful of recipients of the award in the Club's 100-year history.