Kaye Ballard News

Two cabaret nightclub singers walk into a bar... There's no joke, but there are a LOT of laughs with The Showbroads

Musical Theatre West celebrates the holiday season with the classic movie-turned- Broadway musical Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn December 6-15 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach.  Tickets are on sale now at www.musical.org, by calling (562) 856-1999, or at the Musical Theatre West Box Office.  Tickets start at $20.

Steven Brinberg a?' best known for creating and performing Simply Barbra, the acclaimed all-live homage to the legendary Barbra Streisand a?' will produce and host an all-star tribute to Marvin Hamlisch at Catalina Jazz Club (6725 West Sunset Blvd) in Los Angeles, CA on Thursday, October 24 at 8:30 PM. The evening will feature Edie Alyson (Little Shop of Horrors), Alan Bergman (Two-time Oscar-winning lyricist), Herve Coeur (Haitian singer and songwriter), Kay Cole (A Chorus Line, Bye Bye Birdie), Mary Bond Davis (Hairspray), Fay DeWitt (Flahooley), Nancy Dussault (Two-time Tony nominee), Joshua Finkel (Kiss of the Spider Woman), Ilene Graff (Grease, I Love My Wife), Natalie Lander (a?oeLegally Blonde: The Search for Elle Woodsa??), Ashley Fox Linton (Wicked), Melissa Manchester (Grammy winning singer and songwriter), J. Elaine Marcos (A Chorus Line), Barbara Minkus (Funny Girl), Jenny O'Hara (The Odd Couple, Promises Promises), Noah Weisberg (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Jennifer Westfelt (Wonderful Town, a?oeYoungera??), and David Zack (Sweet Smell of Success). Michael Lavine serves as Music Director. For tickets and information, please call (323) 466-2210 or visit SimplyBarbra.com.

Long before Broadway's saturation with jukebox musicals and song catalog shows, Ben Bagley, a producer of modestly-financed Off-Broadway revues, added to what was then musical theatre's long title trend (HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESSWITHOUT REALLY TRYING, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM...) and created a charming revue titled THE DECLINE AND FALL OF THE ENTIRE WORLD AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF COLE PORTER.

Last month, Gretchen Reinhagen kicked off her monthly residency at Pangea, downtown's destination for alt-cabaret. Reinhagen thrilled the audience with her big voice, soulful music-making, and uproarious comic observations on everything from the Paleo Diet, public transportation, and fraught relationship with the health care industry. On Tuesday, October 15, she returns to Pangea to deliver another evening's entertainment that's sure to tug at the heartstrings and bust guts each in equal measure.

Nightlife, Bistro and MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs) Award winning artist, Gretchen Reinhagen kicked off her residency at the downtown supper club, Pangea earlier this month. She returns to Pangea on Tuesday, October 15th, and continues monthly on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 7PM. What began as an encore of Reinhagen's sold out CD Release Show, Take It With Me at the Laurie Beechman in February, has become a brand new version of the show, adding a rotation of special guests and an ever changing comic monologue. The cabaret will continue to highlight the music of the CD by the same title, with a few of the songs and stories changing each month. 'The hope' says Reinhagen, 'is that this new platform gives us an opportunity to share music from the album, while also being able to feature different artists each month, and new comedy sets each month, so that no two shows are the same and audience members may return regularly knowing they'll be seeing something new.' Also joining her on stage will be two of the album's band members, Music Director Tracy Stark and Bassist Tom Hubbard. Barry Kleinbort directs.

Steven Brinberg and his show Simply Barbra a?" the acclaimed all-live homage to the legendary Barbra Streisand a?" will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the film Hello, Dolly! with a special concert tour this fall. It will launch this Saturday, September 7 with a sold-out show at the Milford Arts Center (Milford, CT) and will continue in London for three shows at The Crazy Coqs (October 14-16), Martinis Above Fourth in San Diego, CA (October 23), and The Green Room 42 in New York, NY (November 6). The show features songs from and stories about the film, as well as other Streisand hits right up to her current album Walls. Brinberg will also appear at an all-star tribute to Marvin Hamlisch at Catalina Jazz Club in Los Angeles, CA on October 24. For tickets and information, please visit SimplyBarbra.com.

Though the 1976 musical SO LONG, 174th STREET didn't even last a fortnight on Broadway, it wouldn't be surprising to see the York Theater Company's completely delightful revised version, ENTER LAUGHING, THE MUSICAL, return the Joseph Stein/Stan Daniels effort to the main stem someday, especially if director/adaptor Stuart Ross' slam-bang mounting keeps getting a little snazzier and a little funnier every time they bring it back.

TROUPERS, the documentary about growing old in Hollywood, proves it's never too late to follow your dreams.

The desert's own Bill Clifford will perform 'Broadway, Bill's Way - Part Deux' at the Arthur Newman Theatre in Palm Desert on Sunday, April 7, 2019 at 2 PM as part of the on-going Les Michaels' Cabaret On Sundays Series. With him will be Wayne Abravanel on the baby grand piano. Tickets are $15 cash at the door and the Arthur Newman Theater is located at 73750 Catalina Way in Palm Desert. Doors open at 1 pm and show time is 2 pm.

THE GREEN ROOM 42 Broadway's newest intimate concert venue will present Steven Brinberg in the latest edition of Simply Barbra, his acclaimed all-live homage to the legendary Barbra Streisand, for two Wednesday night shows, April 17 and May 15, both at 7:00 PM. The evening celebrates the 50th anniversary of the film Hello, Dolly! and features songs from and stories about the film, as well as other Streisand hits right up to her current album Walls. Christopher Denny will serve as Music Director.

Birdland Jazz Club will present vocalist Lorna Dallas for one night only in Stages, an all new show at The Birdland Theater (315 West 44th Street) on Monday, February 11, 2019 @ 8:30 pm.

It's tons of fun and enchanting, despite some weaknesses with the show's new book.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Today top stories include the Oscar nominations, a Broadway show being filmed for Netflix, and much more!

Actress, Singer and Comedienne Kaye Ballard died today, January 22, 2019, peacefully at home in Rancho Mirage, CA at age 93 after a brief illness.

 The 30th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (PSIFF) announced that the festival's opening night will be the screening of All is True directed by Kenneth Branagh on Friday, January 4.  The festival will close with Ladies in Black, directed by Bruce Beresford on Sunday, January 13. The Festival will screen 223 films from 78 countries, including 48 premieres (4 World, 13 North American and 31 U.S.) from January 3-14, 2019.  The line-up includes a focus on cinema from France, India and Mexico, Premieres, Talking Pictures, Book to Screen, Special Presentations, FLOS: Foreign Language Oscar Submissions, Gay!La, Local Spotlight, Modern Masters, True Stories, World Cinema Now, a 30-film retrospective of selections from past festivals (free screenings sponsored by Desert Care Network and National Endowment for the Arts), and more.   

The International Opera Institute presents a celebration of Streisand and Sinatra in 'The Concert That Never Was' At The Indian Wells Performing Arts Center on November 10 at 7:30 pm. 'The Concert That Never Was' is a concert between Frank Sinatra and Barbra Streisand that was planned but never took place. This stellar evening will be performed by Opera and Jazz Diva Rose Kingsley, Actor and Entertainer Richard Shelton and The Bob Corwin Trio. I had the chance to catch up with Ms. Kingsley to talk about her storied career and the upcoming Streisand/Sinatra Concert. Here are a few excerpts from that interview:

The RRazz Room New Hope, Bucks County's Supper Club, presents Nicky Ciampoli in Nicky as Carol Channing: A Musical Revue. Take a step back to the time when live musical theater was king and when night club acts were touring. Carol Channing, known for her Broadway roles, was a reigning queen of the nightclub circuits.

THE GREEN ROOM 42 will present Steven Brinberg in the latest edition of Simply Barbra, his acclaimed all-live homage to the legendary Barbra Streisand, on Saturday, September 22 at 7:00 PM.