Craig Neier News

The silent auction item at The New York Pops annual gala/concert held at Carnegie Hall and the Mandarin Hotel in April, offered a pianist to play at your private party complete with catering by Trattoria del Arte. The Pops Concert and Gala's proceeds help finance The Pops/Ed Programs. For the third year, the winning bidder got much more than she bargained for. Not only did the advertised pianist (Stephen Sorokoff) appear, but also a slew of New York's must celebrated keyboard artists and entertainers joined the festivities.

Do you want to have the best birthday party ever? First…. be talented and admired entertainers who have lots of talented friends. Then, have many adoring fans and a large loving family. Next, have Sunny Sessa and Craig Neier create and produce your celebration at the Friars Club. The Friars Club which is the ground zero gathering place for show business folks and one of a kind events (most recent the Billy Crystal Icon Award Gala) hosted Will & Anthony Nunziata's Birthday Bash last night and here is a look inside the celebration.

Deborah Grace Winer was certainly on the right track last night as she hosted her latest creative musical adventure 'New York: Big City Songbook' at the new Birdland Theater. Deborah is well known to New Yorkers for the imaginative and quality presentations she produced for the Lyrics & Lyricists Series at the 92Y, which she led for 9 seasons. It's difficult to construct a show for New Yorkers about New York, we've seen it all…haven't we? but this smart show with vocalists Klea Blackhurst, La Tanya Hall and Nicolas King (real New Yorkers because as Deborah pointed out they come from everywhere) offered a kaleidoscopic vision of life in the city.

Seven-time Grammy Award-winner Gladys Knight, known as the 'Empress of Soul' performed at the 23rd Annual LIFE 'Lady in Red' Gala and BroadwayWorld was there.

Still witty, smart and funny at 95 years of age, the legendary comic Marty Allen was hosted (not roasted) at a Friars Club lunch.  Emmy Award winning Friar Bill Boggs interviewed Marty about his long career in show business.  Marty worked as an opening act for stars such as Sarah Vaughan, Eydie Gorme and Nat King Cole gained enormous fame when he teamed up with singer Steve Rossi and made 44 appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.  In 1961 and 1962 Allen appeared on Broadway in Let It Ride! at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre and then went on to perform in the pre-Broadway tour and Broadway performances of I Had A Ball.

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.

After a year on the road performing in some of the country's top performing arts centers and Symphony concert halls, twin brothers Will & Anthony Nunziata brought their Showstopper Concert to the HIghline Ballroom last night and BroadwayWorld was there.  Check out the photos below.