Yeah, I’ll be busy the next few months. Check it out:
April 18, 2012: Attending the Broadway opening night of the hit British stage comedy “One Man, Two Guvnors,” directed by my good friend, Nicholas Hytner (of War Horse, The History Boys, and my personal favorites (of course) Sweet Smell of Success and Carousel). How could I not be excited to see “Falling trousers, flying fish heads, star-crossed lovers, cross-dressing mobsters and a fabulous on-stage band”? Check out the show’s hilarious website here.
April 23, 2012: 4th Annual Greenhouse Project Event at the Top of the Standard Hotel in Manhattan. The Greenhouse Project is a program of NY Sun Works that builds sustainable urban greenhouse farms on the rooftops of public schools. Funds raised from the event will produce sustainable science education operations. I’m performing on behalf of my daughter Grace’s school, and the event’s committee includes Lauren Bacall, Cameron Diaz, and Sam Robards. For more info on the event, which also includes a live auction and music by celebrity DJ Mia Moretti, visit: http://nysunworks.org/support/events.
April 25, 2012: I couldn’t miss the opening night of “The Columnist,” starring John Lithgow, my great co-star from Sweet Smell of Success, as the beloved/feared powerful political columnist Joseph Alsop. David Auburn and Daniel Sullivan who collaborated on Proof are behind this fascinating new play, set in the 1960s when secrets about the lofty Alsop’s life began to emerge. Read this Daily Beast essay by John about playing Alsop, and see the play’s website for a lot more info.
April 27, 2012: Donna Murphy and I will announce the nominations for the 57th Annual Drama Desk Awards April 27 at 9:30 AM at Feinstein’s at Loews Regency. More info on Playbill.com.
April 27, 2012: For the second year in a row, I am emceeing the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) “Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow.” This year I will be joined in the hosting duties by none other than Ana Gasteyer of SNL fame. This event is an amazing evening where new dancers and choreographers get to really show their stuff and be discovered. The event begins at 7 pm at David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center. For more info on who’s performing and tickets, visit http://www.YAGP.org.
April 30, 2012: 29th Birthday Gala for the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall. Tony Award-winning playwright Terrence McNally is hosting the gala, which will honor the Tony Award-winning and Oscar-nominated songwriting team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Ragtime, Once On This Island, etc). The event, entitled Journey On, starts with a concert at Carnegie Hall, where a host of Broadway singers are appearing, including me. Find out more here.
May 3, 2012: A Broader Way benefit performance. A Broader Way Foundation, founded by Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs, my good friends from The Wild Party, offers girls from underserved communities an outlet for self-expression and creativity through arts-centered programs. The emphasis is on building self-esteem, developing leadership qualities and striving for personal and social achievement. I’m really looking forward to being part of this special night. For more info on this organization, check out http://www.abroaderway.org/
May 14, 2012: Performing at the non-profit Keen Company‘s Annual Benefit “The Understudy Evening,” at The Manhattan Penthouse. This company is near and dear to my heart as it’s the company that produced The Good Thief, a one-man play I did with them a decade ago. Visit here for more info about the benefit.
May 26, 2012 (Memorial Day weekend): I’m appearing with Ana Gasteyer in an evening of song called “One Night, Two Voices, Three Cheers” at the Bay Street Theatre, a not-for-profit 299-seat professional regional theatre in Sag Harbor, NY. To find out more about our show click here.
*SPECIAL EVENT*
June 26–30, 2012: A great-sounding new nightclub & restaurant called 54Below (located below Studio 54 on 254 W 54th Street) opens in style in early June by featuring Patti Lupone for an unprecedented 13-show cabaret stint, then followed by me, appearing for 7 consecutive shows, June 26-30. I’m calling my show “Under the Influence,” where I revisit formative pop music standards from the 1970s and ’80s. Read this excellent article in the NYTimes about the creative team bent on bringing back “a place where Justin Vivian Bond and Ben Vereen can live under the same roof.” For ticket info, click here. Hope to see you there!