Lopez & Marx Join Foa, Harada, D'Abruzzo in AVENUE Q SWINGS! Tonight!

[Caruso]

Posted: 10/3/05 at 1:06pm

Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez, the Tony Award-winning composers of AVENUE Q, have just signed on to perform some of their trunk songs in tonight's AVENUE Q SWINGS! benefit at Birdland. The musical extravaganza will also feature very special guest stars singing songs from Avenue Q in jazz, classical and other surprising arrangements. At press time, the cast includes Broadway performers Barrett Foa, Ann Harada, Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Christian Anderson, Karen Mason, and Christine Pedi. The musical director for the show will be composer/arranger Mary Ann McSweeney, who plays bass each night in the Avenue Q orchestra on Broadway.

The event will be a benefit for The Jazz Foundation of America and the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic, both of which have been helping musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina find temporary and permanent housing, free healthcare and musical instruments.


WHAT Avenue Q Swings
WHEN Monday, October 3 @ 7:00 PM,
WHERE Birdland (315 West 44 Street, NYC)
CALL 212-581-3080
CLICK www.instantseats.com/birdland10/3
$25 cover + $10 food/drink minimum
InstantSeats

[Born2shine87]

Posted: 10/3/05 at 11:31pm

Bump, how was it?

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 10/3/05 at 11:45pm

PLEASE tell me SOMEONE went!

[Greg-4now]

Posted: 10/4/05 at 1:43am

I went. Got there late so I missed the about 15 or 20 minutes. It was really good...I wish I could remember who sang what songs (that's the A.D.D. kicking in) Stephanie was incredible. Jeff and Robert did a song (that was cut from the show) sung between Kate Monster and Nicky (i think) about Kate getting a jury duty notice. Nicky convinces her to "Tear it Up"...a very funny song. It should never been cut. Foa was terrific as well. Someone I didn't recognize did "You Can Be As Loud As the Hell You Want (When You're Makin' Love)" and she was incredible.

Sorry...very fuzzy on the details...had a great time tho!

[Born2shine87]

Posted: 10/4/05 at 2:03am

Would that have been Laura maybe?

[teth]

Posted: 10/4/05 at 2:30am

I remember back before summer that they said they were planning to release an Avenue Q Swings CD by the end of the year. Does anyone know if this is still happening?

[Corine2]

Posted: 10/4/05 at 8:29am

What did the woman look like? I bet it was Pedi, she is faboo.

[IssaMe]

Posted: 10/4/05 at 10:33am

It was Pedi.

The CD is not yet recorded and no deal has been made to do it yet. It should be done. It is a brilliant concept and all the songs worked fantastically well without puppet voices and cast members singing the songs of OTHER cast members.

Not only did Laura sing about "give me a quarter" near the end but she used the song as an opportunity to auction off a seat in the orchestra pit of Avenue Q (and threw in a dinner with herself and Barrett Foa)...it was a quickie one-minute auction and the top bid was $600...(the whole event was a benefit for New Orleans musicians).

Everyone was brilliant. Of special note was Foa's rendition of Kate Monster's mix tape song which included not only the titles of the songs on the mix tape as is done in the show... but newly inserted snipets of the songs mentioned - so it was completely rewritten and expanded for this special performance...it was hilarious and his little dance in the middle of it was great.

Ann sang an AMAZING "Fine Line" very bluesy and jazzy...and there wasn't a dud in the bunch - every performance was a show-stoppper.

The evening SHOULD have been recorded - and filmed - and broadcast - and preserved for all time because it was simply terrific!

And the club was PACKED!

Bravo, Brava.

Updated On: 10/4/05 at 10:33 AM

[Corine2]

Posted: 10/4/05 at 10:41am

Sucks to be me.
I had family obligations but would have loved to have seen this!
Hope they do it again.
This time they should give to AIDS in Africa. A huge problem.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 10/4/05 at 2:23pm

I could't pass up my row A seat for Sweeney Todd, otherwise I had planned on going! Hope they do the recording, it sounds great!