The 54 Below Podcast

Maria-Christina Oliveras caught the attention of NYC theater fans with an explosive, show-stopping turn in David Byrne and Fatboy Slim’s multiple award-winning musical Here Lies Love. On August 6, she brings her gift of storytelling and unique style to Feinstein’s/54 Below in an electrifying night of music and surprises. In this episode, she joins our Director of Marketing, Nella Vera, for a chat about her career, her collaborations with renowned artists, including Tony nominee Alex Timbers, and why she’s chosen this particular time to do her first solo cabaret show.

Maria-Christina has performed extensively on and off-Broadway, regionally, internationally, and in film and television. Her career is distinguished by her transformational character work in a number of world premieres, including roles in Kiss My Aztec (by John Leguizamo, Tony Taccone, David Kamp, Benjamin Velez, directed by Tony Taccone), Amélie (by Craig Lucas, Daniel Messe and Nathan Tysen, directed by Pam MacKinnon), Soft Power (by David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori, directed by Leigh Silverman), El Huracán (by Charise Castro Smith, directed by Laurie Woolery), and Pretty Filthy (by Bess Wohl and Michael Friedman, directed by Steve Cosson). She has appeared on Broadway in Amélie, Machinal, and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.

For information about Maria's show at Feinstein's/54 Below, visit https://54below.com/events/maria-christina-oliveras/

Learn more about Maria on her website: www.mariachristinaoliveras.com

Follow Maria on Instagram: @mcoliveras

Credits

The Feinstein’s/54 Below podcast is hosted by Nella Vera, Kevin Ferguson, and Grace Benigni and produced by Bailey Everett and Michael Galvez, with support from the Feinstein’s/54 Below marketing staff.

Original artwork design by Philip Romano.

Follow Nella on Twitter and Instagram at @spinstripes.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tony Award® nominee Adam Pascal joins us as we celebrate his return to Feinstein’s/54 Below. The star of RENT, Aida, Something Rotten!, Cabaret, and Pretty Woman, among others, chats with our Director of Marketing, Nella Vera, about life during the pandemic, recalls highlights from his career, and tells us what audiences can expect from his solo show.

For information about Adam's upcoming shows, visit 54Below.com

To view a video of Adam singing "One Song Glory.," visit https://youtu.be/hloIgAU6I0o.

Credits

The Feinstein's/54 Below podcast is hosted by Nella Vera, Kevin Ferguson, and Grace Benigni and produced by Bailey Everett and Michael Galvez, with support from the Feinstein's/54 Below marketing staff.

Original artwork design by Philip Romano.

Follow Nella on Twitter and Instagram at @spinstripes.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Derrick Baskin is a Grammy and Tony-nominated artist for his astounding performance in Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations. Other noteworthy Broadway credits include Memphis The Musical, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Film/TV credits include The Good Lord Bird starring alongside Ethan Hawke, Marshall with the late Chadwick Boseman, and three seasons on Hulu’s critically acclaimed sitcom Difficult People.

Derrick joins Nella Vera, Director of Marketing at Feinstein's/54 Below, to chat about his upcoming cabaret show, meeting the real Otis Williams, and how his earlier life abroad shaped his worldview.

For tickets and information visit: https://54below.com/events/derrick-baskin/

Watch a clip of Derrick performing: https://youtu.be/OykdNdEwDZU

*****

Credits

The Feinstein's/54 Below podcast is hosted by Nella Vera, Kevin Ferguson, and Grace Benigni and produced by the Feinstein’s/54 Below marketing staff.

Original artwork design by Philip Romano.

Follow Nella on Twitter and Instagram at @spinstripes.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An episode for Sondheim fans!

This week, we turn our focus to Sondheim Unplugged, one of the most popular and long-running series presented at Feinstein’s/54 Below. A celebrated New York event since 2010 (It’s a Hit!), the show features some of Broadway and cabaret’s most dynamic voices, accompanied by piano only, delving into the musical world of Broadway’s master composer. In December 2020, Sondheim Unplugged was recorded and streamed as part of 54 Below Premieres, the club’s new streaming series. God, That's Good!

We are joined by creator and host Phil Geoffrey Bond and performer Lucia Spina.  

Phil Geoffrey Bond created Sondheim Unplugged, the long-running, award-winning monthly series, in 2010 and has served as its producer and host ever since. His novel, The Last Year at Low Tide, is currently available on Amazon from Chess Books as are his other titles — My Queer Youth, Small Town Confessions, The Fall of Mrs. Parsons, The Disney Diaries, and All the Sad Young Men. Phil has served as Director of Programming for The Duplex Cabaret Theatre, The Laurie Beechman Theatre as well as Feinstein’s/54 Below, where he later became Director of Original Programming. He is the recipient of seven Manhattan Association of Clubs and Cabarets (MAC) Awards, two Backstage Bistro Awards, a Broadway World Award, and a Nightlife Award.

Lucia Spina made her Broadway debut with The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Rona Lisa Peretti) in 2006. Her Broadway credits include Kinky Boots (original cast), South Pacific, Legally Blonde (Enid), and Les Miserables. Off-Broadway, she originated roles in Silence! The Musical (Catherine/Senator Martin) and Fugitive Songs. She toured the country with Legally Blonde, and her regional work includes credits at Goodspeed Opera House, Long Wharf Theater, Baltimore Center Stage, Barrington Stage, Milwaukee Rep, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, and The Hangar Theater, as well as Sunday in the Park With George (Nurse/Mrs./Harriett) and Anyone Can Whistle (Osgood) at the Ravinia Festival (Lonny Price, director; Paul Gemignani, musical director). She has sung with the acclaimed American Pops Orchestra and has graced cabaret stages all over New York City garnering her Best Female Vocalist for BroadwayWorld’s 2015 Cabaret Awards. www.luciaspina.com

Sondheim Unplugged premiered online Saturday, December 26, 2020, and is available on-demand through January 23, 2021. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at www.54below.com/Sondheim. 

View clips from the show:

Natalie Douglas sings “Losing My Mind” https://youtu.be/j9FLx8Z4Qfg

Telly Leung sings “Being Alive” https://youtu.be/viXRnxui0Uc

All music clips in this episode are from Sondheim Unplugged at Feinstein’s/54 Below, filmed on December 5, 2020:

“Being Alive” from Company, music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, featuring Joe Goodrich on piano

“The Ladies Who Lunch” from Company, music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, performed by Lucia Spina

“Marry Me a Little” cut from Company, music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, performed by Nicholas Rodriguez 

“Move On” from Sunday in the Park with George, music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, performed by Lucia Spina & Nicholas Rodriguez 

“Something’s Coming” from West Side Story, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, performed by Darius de Haas 

“Losing My Mind” from Follies, music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, performed by Natalie Douglas 

“Being Alive” from Company, music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, performed by Telly Leung 

“Anyone Can Whistle” from Anyone Can Whistle, music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, performed by T. Oliver Reid

Instrumental from “Beautiful Girls” from Follies, music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, featuring Joe Goodrich on piano

Credits

This podcast is hosted by Nella Vera and produced by Grace Benigni, with support from the Feinstein’s/54 Below marketing staff.

Original artwork by Philip Romano.

Follow Nella on Twitter at @spinstripes 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s our biggest and most enchanting episode ever! To celebrate the streaming debut of Broadway Princess Holiday Party, we chatted with the delightful cast, Broadway’s original princesses: Laura Osnes (Cinderella), Susan Egan (Beauty and the Beast), and Courtney Reed (Aladdin). They are joined by special guest prince Adam J. Levy (Waitress) and musical director and Fairy Godfairy Benjamin Rauhala (Fiddler on the Roof).

They reveal the key to playing some of the most beloved and iconic characters on Broadway, talk all things Princess, and reminisce about some memorable moments on stage.

The Broadway Princess Holiday Party is available to on demand through December 26 at www.54Below.com/Princess.

See a clip of the show:  https://youtu.be/q1o2dtrYv9s

For news about the Broadway Princess Party and upcoming tour dates, visit: www.BroadwayPrincessParty.com

Credits

This podcast is hosted by Nella Vera and produced by Grace Benigni, with support from the Feinstein’s/54 Below marketing staff.

Original artwork by Philip Romano.

Follow Nella on Twitter at @spinstripes 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marilu Henner is a star of television, film, and the Great White Way. 

On Broadway, she has appeared in Over Here!, Pal Joey, Social Security, Chicago, and most recently, Gettin’ the Band Back Together. She was also part of the National Tour casts of Grease and Annie Get Your Gun.

She began her film career in 1977 with “Between the Lines,” and has since appeared in "Cannonball Run II," "Johnny Dangerously," "L.A. Story," and "Noises Off” among many others.

She has also appeared in TV shows such as “Evening Shade,” “Batman: The Animated Series,” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Most notably she starred in the classic 80’s tv series “Taxi.”

Marilu sat down with our Director of Marketing, Nella Vera, to talk about her multi-platform career, taking on strong female roles, and her superior memory skills.

*Since this recording, Marilu has added a performance on Jun 1 at 7:00pm.

For tickets and information visit: https://54below.com/events/marilu-henner/

Watch Marilu sing “Roxy” from Chicago: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wE3bLUtZrc

Watch Marilu perform on “Dancing With The Stars:” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYI17r1we3c

Watch Marilu discuss her Hyperthymesia on “60 Minutes Australia:”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpTCZ-hO6iI

Credits

This podcast is hosted by Nella Vera and Adrian Karnani and produced by Grace Benigni, with support from the Feinstein’s/54 Below marketing staff.

Artwork by Philip Romano.

Follow Nella on Twitter at @spinstripes and Adrian on Instagram at @adriankarnani.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our guest today is Nicole Henry, Soul Train Award winner who has been described as “….a paragon of perfection… the vocal love child of Whitney Houston and Sarah Vaughan." She has performed in more than 30 music festivals worldwide and in some of the world’s most famous venues.

She will be playing her show, Nicole Henry Sings Whitney Houston on March 3 and 17 at Feinstein’s/54 Below. 

Nicole sat down with our Director of Marketing, Nella Vera, to discuss her major inspirations, performing in venues across the world, and Whitney Houston’s lasting influence on audiences.

See Nicole sing “I Am Changing” from Dreamgirls:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaVfa7H434s

See Nicole perform “One Moment In Time:” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pM3-kblapiI

Credits

This podcast is hosted by Nella Vera and Adrian Karnani and produced by Grace Benigni, with support from the Feinstein’s/54 Below marketing staff.

Artwork by Philip Romano.

Follow Nella on Twitter at @spinstripes and Adrian on Instagram at @adriankarnani.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Joining us today are Matt Dahan & Kelly Lynne D’Angelo, writers of the emotional and explosive pop-rock musical Starry, about brothers Vincent and Theo van Gogh. 

Matt and Kelly have written two full-length musicals together including The Count of Monte Cristo and Starry. Matt is also the Music Director for Starkid, the internet sensation behind A Very Potter Musical that helped launched Darren Criss to fame. Kelly is also a professional Dungeon Master at Wizards of the Coast and freelance television writer.

Following a sold-out engagement with us in 2019 and coming off their Edinburgh Fringe Festival concert series, Matt and Kelly return to the Feinstein’s/54 Below stage with a song-cycle presentation of Starry. 

Matt & Kelly sat down with our Director of Marketing, Nella Vera, to discuss what draws them to stories from the 19th century, the importance of Theo van Gogh to his brother’s story, and how they found Starry’s sound.  

See the cast of Starry sing “On The Threshold of Eternity:”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUT7r-0xHc4

See the cast of Starry sing “The Road:”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_aR5kYvlPg

See Mariah Rose Faith sing “Enlightenment:” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JatNSMT8n4M

Credits

This podcast is hosted by Nella Vera and Adrian Karnani and produced by Grace Benigni, with support from the Feinstein’s/54 Below marketing staff.

Artwork by Philip Romano.

Follow Nella on Twitter at @spinstripes and Adrian on Instagram at @adriankarnani.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guests are longtime friend of the club Alice Ripley and her frequent collaborator Christopher Schelling.

Alice, who has been hailed by The New York Times as “simply astonishing,” is a consummate Broadway star, a versatile film and TV actor, and a distinguished singer-songwriter. She earned her first Tony Award nomination in 1997 with her brilliant work in the legendary Side Show, before winning the 2009 Tony Award for “Best Actress in a Musical '' for her performance as Diana Goodman in the Pulitzer Prize-winning Next to Normal. She has also originated roles in such Broadway productions as The Who’s Tommy, Sunset Boulevard, and, most recently, American Psycho.

Alice is joined today by her collaborator of nearly 40 years, Christopher Schelling, who is also a founding member of Ripley, the band formed by Alice in 2001. Christopher has served as musical director and manager for a number of other pop rock/cabaret performers. Additionally, his literary agency represents such bestselling authors as Augusten Burroughs, Rainbow Rowell and Kathy Valentine of the Go-Go's.

Alice and Christopher sat down with our Marketing Associate, Adrian Karnani, to discuss memories from these iconic original casts, revisiting Sunset Boulevard, and creating original music for the last decade.

For tickets and information visit:

https://54below.com/events/alice-ripley-crossovers/

See Alice sing “As If We Never Said Goodbye:”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7nUF5yeU3A

See Alice sing “I’m Alive:”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJEX5t0l1Hs

See Alice sing “I Dreamed A Dream:”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWHpILm5PCI

Credits

This podcast is hosted by Nella Vera and Adrian Karnani and produced by Grace Benigni, with support from the Feinstein’s/54 Below marketing staff.

Artwork by Philip Romano.

Follow Nella on Twitter at @spinstripes and Adrian on Instagram at @adriankarnani.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our guest today made his Broadway debut at the age of 16 in the title role in Dear Evan Hansen. He was the winner of the Best Actor Award at the 2018 National High School Musical Theatre Awards (known more commonly as the Jimmy Awards). 

Andrew joined our Director of Marketing, Nella Vera, to discuss how he related to the role of Evan, his theatre company Zneefrock Productions, and heading off to Harvard this Fall.

For tickets and information visit:

https://54below.com/events/a-newsical-hope/

See Andrew sing “Only Us:” 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l97Nza8mtc

See Andrew’s Jimmy Awards performance of “I Love Betsy:”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4HGSE2dd9Y

Watch the original (8th grade) cast of Star Wars: A New(sical) Hope: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ySOIYKMyXc

Credits

This podcast is hosted by Nella Vera and Adrian Karnani and produced by Grace Benigni, with support from the Feinstein’s/54 Below marketing staff.

Artwork by Philip Romano.

Follow Nella on Twitter at @spinstripes and Adrian on Instagram at @adriankarnani.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices