Cast Party AND…Karen Akers Takes Us to Paris!

A Note From Jim

Jim Caruso at Liza at 80 at Carnegie Hall

Billy Stritch, David Saffert, Jillian Snow & Jim Caruso, Photo by Jenoa Harlow

A Love Letter to Glorious Theatrical Madness

Billy Stritch and I recently wandered into “Liberace and Liza,” expecting a clever spoof. What we discovered instead was something far rarer: an evening that is musical, very funny, unexpectedly moving, and fueled by a genuine affection for its subjects. The humor is fearless, and never cruel. Talk about rare! We left as devoted disciples of David Saffert and Jillian Snow’s delightfully off-center universe, and if you have the chance to see it, don't miss a reminder that the best comedy often comes from a place of enormous love.

Last Week

Another unforgettable Monday brought us the brilliantly eccentric creators of Liberace and Liza, Broadway's Francesca Mehrontra, currently starring as Christine in Masquerade, and the astonishing Ivy Sailing, a 12-year-old talent who already performs with the confidence and charisma of a seasoned star. At Cast Party, you truly never know who will step up to the microphone...and that's exactly the fun of it.

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Kris Monson, June Cavlan, Matt Baker, Hannah Celeste, and Aaron Seeber

Ivy Sailing, Photo by Matt Baker

Coming Up

Karen Akers Returns to Paris!

Monday July 13 — 7:00 PM

One of our all-time favorite storytellers returns to the Birdland stage on Monday, July 13 at 7:00 PM, as the incomparable Karen Akers reunites with her longtime musical director Alex Rybeck for an encore presentation of Come With Me To Paris. On the eve of Bastille Day, Karen shares her lifelong love affair with France through an elegant evening featuring songs by Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, Jacques Brel, and a newly translated Édith Piaf classic by Sheldon Harnick. If anyone can transport you to Paris without leaving Midtown Manhattan, it's Karen Akers.

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From the Archives

Billy Porter & Marty Thomas, Photo by Jim Caruso

This week marks 22 years since Cast Party found its forever home at Birdland. What began as one Monday night became a New York tradition, thanks to generations of remarkable performers and the audiences who've cheered them on ever since.