The 54 Below Podcast

For this special live taping of the Feinstein’s/54 Below Podcast at BroadwayCon 2020, we were joined by Broadway favorites Jelani Remy and Amanda Jane Cooper.

Jelani Remy is currently starring as Eddie Kendricks in Ain't Too Proud! The Life and Times of The Temptations. He was last seen in the recent off Broadway revival of Smokey Joe’s Cafe  after playing Simba in Disney's The Lion King! 

Amanda Jane Cooper is known to national audiences for having played Glinda on the tour of Wicked and in 2017 she made her Broadway debut as where she starred as the show’s 15th Anniversary Glinda and also opened NBC's A Very Wicked Halloween with "One Short Day" and closed the special with "For Good" alongside Kristin Chenoweth. She took her final bow at the Gershwin on December 9th, 2018 and is now one of Wicked's longest running Glinda's. 

These stars joined our Director of Marketing, Nella Vera, to talk touring, leading blockbuster musicals, and working with Broadway legends.

For tickets and information about I Wish: The Roles That Could Have Been:

https://54below.com/events/i-wish-4/

Follow Jelani Remy on Instagram at @itsjelaniremy.

Follow Amanda Jane Cooper on Instagram at @amandajanecoop and on Twitter at @amandajanecoop.

Watch Jelani Remy perform “Somewhere That’s Green” in I Wish: The Roles That Could Have Been:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcQ7glU_uHQ

Watch Amanda Jane Cooper perform “Notice Me Horton” in I Wish: The Roles That Could Have Been: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDcvZO94sFE

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.

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John Hill is an actor, producer, TV and radio personality. 

John starred as Jason McConnell in the off Broadway cult favorite, BARE: A pop opera and also performed in the original Broadway productions of Hairspray, The Boy From Oz and the National Tour of Miss Saigon. Currently, he is a producer of Bravo’s “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” and co-host of “Andy Cohen: Live” on Sirius XM. He also hosts his own show radio show, “The Feels” on SiriusXM. 

On March 11, he brings his signature brand of performance to the Feinstein’s/54 Below stage for the East Coast premiere of The Feels: Live, where he will mix the high energy of his live radio show, his insider Bravo gossip, and his cabaret/musical theatre chops for a very special evening. 

John sat down with our Director of Marketing, Nella Vera, to discuss his journey from Broadway to Bravo!

For tickets and information visit:

https://54below.com/events/john-hill-with-special-guests-andy-cohen-and-michelle-collins/

Follow John on Instagram at @johnarthurhill

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

This week we are joined by internationally-acclaimed singer, songwriter and recording artist Anthony Nunziata.

Anthony has performed hundreds of concerts over the past few years headlining major performing arts centers, theaters, symphony concert halls and private events across the country and around the world. He recently appeared in the Netflix film "The Last Laugh" opposite Chevy Chase and Richard Dreyfuss. This Brooklyn-born, classically trained singer is hailed by Broadwayworld as “an explosion of love and entertainment” and recently co-headlined Carnegie Hall for two sold-out concerts with the New York Pops Symphony Orchestra.

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​This February, he brings his soulful and lyrical tenor voice to Feinstein’s/54 Below for a show called Amore: The greatest love songs. He and his world-class band will re-imagine classics such as “Unchained Melody,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You,” “Can’t Help Falling In Love With You,” “The Prayer,” “O Sole Mio,” “Somewhere,” and many more.

Anthony sat down with our Director of Marketing, Nella Vera, to discuss putting his spin on classic love songs with his twin brother, writing original compositions, and previews his special Valentine’s Day show.

For tickets and information visit:

https://54below.com/events/anthony-nunziata-2/

See Anthony sing “O Sole Mio:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4H2xuBrIaM&feature=youtu.be

See Anthony sing “Will You Be My Everyday?:”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sunNCom1EZA&feature=youtu.be

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.

Music Credits

“Will You Be My Everyday?”

Music & Lyrics by Anthony Nunziata, Jeff Franzel, Tom Kimmel

Piano: Eugene Gwozdz

Saxophone: Daniel Dickinson

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

This week we are joined by two-time Tony Award® nominee Christine Andreas.

Our guest today is Christine Andreas, a multiple-award-winning singer, actress, and two-time Tony nominee. She most recently appeared on Broadway as Jacqueline in the recent revival of La Cage aux Folles with Kelsey Grammer, and also created the role of Marguerite in The Scarlet Pimpernel. She captured theatergoers’ hearts as Eliza Doolittle in the 20th anniversary production of My Fair Lady, as Laurey in Oklahoma! as well as her performance in On Your Toes (Tony® Nomination). Audiences across the country remember her portrayal of Margaret Johnson in the much-acclaimed national tour of The Light in the Piazza.

Her concerts include Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, Café Carlyle & Feinstein’s/54 Below.

Christine’s most recent show, PIAF-No Regrets, was recorded in London with a 36-piece orchestra and is now available both on CD and in a limited edition collectors vinyl release.  

Christine sat down with our Director of Marketing, Nella Vera, to discuss how Broadway has changed with modern sound systems, the process of originating a role, and how life imitated art during her time in The Light In The Piazza.

For tickets and information visit:

https://54below.com/events/christine-andreas-3/

See Christine rehearsing for her Bemused show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_Bg1ftap5Y

Listen to Christine sing “Fly Me To The Moon”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI0FPxCHtEc&list=OLAK5uy_lnTB-MAz4W_S3kIOKaC7KyWTPLfjZxn30

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

This week we are joined by our final composer from the New Writers at 54! Series, Helen Park.

Helen's recent work includes KPOP, her Off-Broadway musical debut for which she co-wrote music and lyrics. Produced by Ars Nova, Ma-Yi Theatre Company and Woodshed Collective, the critically acclaimed show received a sold-out, extended run in NYC and was awarded the 2018 Richard Rodgers Award and the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical.

Helen also composed music for Baked Goods for which she won the 2018 Samuel French Short Playwriting Contest. She is currently writing songs for a new Animated Feature musical film called Over the Moon, directed by Academy Award winner Glen Keane and produced by Pearl Studios and Netflix. The film is slated for a 2020 global release.

She is the first Asian composer or lyricist to win a Lucille Lortel Award and is a three-time Drama Desk Award Nominee.

Helen sat down with our Director of Marketing, Nella Vera, to discuss the evolution of KPOP, her new endeavors composing for film, and her special guests for Jan 29!

For tickets and information visit:

https://54below.com/events/new-writers-at-54-helen-park/

Follow Helen on Instagram at @mshelenpark and on Twitter at @HelenHjPark

Watch the trailer for KPOP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WMQ1o5unhU 

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

This week we are joined by two more of the artists from our New Writers at 54! Series, Andrew R. Butler and Mark Sonnenblick.

Andrew R. Butler is a Jonathon Larson Grant winning-composer, writer and performer. His composition credits include the Lucille Lortel Award winner for Outstanding Musical Rags Parkland Sings The Songs Of The Future, and four musicals co-written with playwright Andrew Farmer. As an actor, he has performed in productions from theaters such as Ars Nova, SoHo Rep, and Theater For A New Audience. He also writes and performs with the longstanding musical comedy group Political Subversities. 

Mark Sonnenblick is a composer, lyricist and scriptwriter whose credits include Midnight at The Never Get, which was nominated for a bunch of off-Broadway awards last season, as well as Independents, Ship Show, Stompcat in Lawndale, and Dragons Love Tacos with TheatreworksUSA. He has also been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and received a Jonathan Larson Grant and the Harold Adamson Lyric Award.

Andrew and Mark sat down with our Marketing Associate Adrian Karnani to discuss their path into musical theatre, the evolution of new works, and their upcoming solo shows.

For tickets and information visit:

Andrew R. Butler: https://54below.com/events/the-songs-of-andrew-r-butler/

Mark Sonnenblick: https://54below.com/events/new-writers-at-54-mark-sonnenblick/

Connect with Andrew on Twitter at @ANDREWrBUTLER and on Instagram at @andrewrbutler

Keep up with Mark at http://www.marksonnenblick.com/ 

See Andrew R. Butler sing “100 Years of Subterranean Blues : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpzcoBVdkyQ

See Mark Sonnenblick’s sing “Moving”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdFYqQ0hb3w

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

Two composers from our New Writers at 54! series join us for this week’s episode. 

Rona Siddiqui is the award-winning composer and lyricist behind the autobiographical comedy Salaam Medina: Tales of a Halfghan, which completed a workshop at Playwrights Horizons in November 2019. She has also created standalone pieces for The NYC Gay Men’s Chorus, Broadway Inspirational Voices, and Wicked’s 16th Anniversary Commemoration and music directed the Michael R Jackson’s A Strange Loop. 

Billy Recce is a MAC award-winner, and a recipient of the York Theatre Company’s NEO Award. He is a writer, composer, performer, and is the youngest writer ever selected for the New York Musical Festival for his show, Balloon Boy: The Musical. He released his debut album “The Perks of Being A Snowflake” in 2018 and his show A Musical About Star Wars is currently running off-Broadway at the St. Luke’s Theatre.

Rona and Billy sat down with our Marketing Associate Dylan MacDowell to discuss the new series, their individual journey as writers, and what sparks inspiration.

For tickets and information visit:

Rona Siddiqui: https://54below.com/events/new-writers-at-54-rona-siddiqui/

Billy Recce: https://54below.com/events/snowflake-songs-the-music-of-billy-recce/ 

Connect with Rona on Twitter at @RonaSiddiqui 

Connect with Rona on Instagram at @CrazyFingers10

Connect with Billy on Twitter at @BillyRecce

Connect with Billy on Instagram at @TheBillyRecce

See Billy Recce sing “Unironic Love Song”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVtTpnfrh6M 

See Rona Riddiqui's song “Change the World”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JaRPU-FXeY

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

Acclaimed performer Seth Sikes joins us for the second episode of the Feinstein’s/54 Below Podcast. A cabaret singer whose award-winning show Seth Sikes Sings Judy Garland has been performed across the country, Seth has been called “the best male singer of his generation on the cabaret scene” by Theatre Scene and “one of the saviors of the Great American Songbook as we continue into the 21st century” by NY Arts Review. In addition to his Garland tribute shows, his repertoire also includes homages to other great ladies of song and theater, such as Liza Minelli, Bernadette Peters, and others. Off-stage, Seth is a director whose credits include assistant director on shows such as Tribes and The Nance. Most recently, he served as the associate director for the Tony winning musical The Band’s Visit directed by his long time collaborator David Cromer.

This New Year’s Eve, Seth and his seven-piece band will usher in a new decade with a roaring 20s show at Feinstein’s/54 Below!

Seth sat down with our Director of Marketing, Nella Vera to chat about his upcoming show, his obsession with Judy Garland, and about his journey from Paris, Texas to NYC.

For tickets and information visit: https://54below.com/events/seth-sikes-new-years-eve/

Connect with Seth on Twitter and Instagram: @sethsikes

See Seth sing “Get Happy”: https://youtu.be/CY7jgP-MHfI

See Seth sing “Zing Went the Strings of My Heart”: https://youtu.be/BRcrFMvbk1c

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

A Tony and Grammy Award nominee, Broadway leading man Norm Lewis joins us for the inaugural episode of The Feinstein’s/54 Below Podcast. Norm talks to the club’s Marketing Director, Nella Vera, about his holiday show, dream roles and upcoming projects. 

Throughout his distinguished career, Norm has taken on some of the most iconic roles in theater. He is known for playing Javert in the 25th Anniversary Concert of Les Misérables, as well as for his leading roles in The Little Mermaid, Sweeney Todd, and the 2018 Tony Award-winning revival of Once on This Island. He received a Tony Award® nomination for his portrayal of Porgy in The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess opposite Audra McDonald. In 2014, he made history as the first African American to play the title role in The Phantom of the Opera on Broadway, performing alongside his The Little Mermaid co-star Sierra Boggess.

Norm has also been seen in TV shows such as “Scandal,” “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt,” and “Blue Bloods.” In 2018, he appeared in the NBC television event “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.” Since 2015, Norm’s annual appearances at Feinstein’s/54 Below have become a holiday tradition. This year, Norm brings us his show Naughty & Nice, featuring songs he’s performed over the last five years and, plenty of show tunes, and favorites from the 2018 release of The NORM LEWIS Christmas Album.

View Norm singing at Feinstein’s/54 Below: https://youtu.be/j0UbFUtrjLU

View Norm and Sierra Boggess in The Phantom of the Opera: https://youtu.be/lCAdkACAH78

Follow Norm Lewis on Twitter: @normlewis777 and on Instagram: @thenormlewis

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

The Feinstein’s/54 Below Podcast will take you behind the scenes at the world-famous Broadway supper club.  

Known as “Broadway’s Living Room,” the club is a destination for acclaimed stars of the stage and music world and their fans. We invite you to join us for as we sit down and chat with the performers who grace our stage – they will inspire us with stories about their journey to Broadway, share news about their upcoming shows and projects---and make us laugh with some backstage stories that you may not have heard before!

Hosted by Feinstein’s/54 Below Director of Marketing, Nella Vera, and Marketing Associate, Adrian Karnani, and produced by Grace Benigni, with interviews by the Feinstein’s/54 Below staff.

Part of the Broadway Podcast Network.

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