November is here, which means we will gorge ourselves on two things: turkey and 54 Below shows. This month, Broadway’s living room offers return engagements of favorite concerts by Alice Ripley, Jarrod Spector, Emily Skinner, Paulo Szot and Joanna Gleason, plus a heaping helping of new and exciting shows. Read on as Broadway.com counts down 10 must-see November attractions, and then gobble up tickets to 54 Below while you can.
10. Soar Away with Come Fly With Me
Grammy and Emmy Award winner John McDaniel (The Rosie O’Donnell Show, Annie Get Your Gun) makes his New York directorial debut on November 21 with Come Fly With Me, a celebration of the lyrics of Sammy Cahn and the music of Jimmy Van Heusen. Direct from its premiere at the O’Neill Theater Center, Come Fly With Me stars Linda Hart, Jeff Harnar, Nicolas King and Jennifer Sheehan. Escape from the city's hustle and bustle and fly away with this stylish musical revue.
9. It’s His Party and He’ll Dish If He Wants To
Broadway great Lee Roy Reams recreates his 40th birthday celebration in the one-night-only show My 40th Birthday on November 10. The star of Hello, Dolly!, La Cage aux Folles, 42nd Street, Applause and The Producers takes the stage to perform classic songs by Cy Coleman, Jerry Herman, Charles Strouse and Jule Styne and dish about his experiences on the Great White Way. If you like your birthday cake with a side of showbiz gossip, this is the concert for you!
8. They Might Be Witches, But Boy, Are They Funny
The worst part about Halloween falling on a Thursday is that you could only have a weeknight-appropriate amount of fun. But all that changes on November 2 when four of Broadway’s funniest, big-voiced ladies come together to celebrate All Hallows Eve in the sidesplitting show Silly Witches. Who better to spend the extra hour of daylight savings time with than Jackie Hoffman, Mary Testa, Christine Pedi and Kristine Zbornik? This quartet can haunt us anytime.
7. Heidi Blickenstaff Is Your Man in Meet John Doe
New Yorkers, don’t let the chance pass you by to see [title of show] star Heidi Blickenstaff’s celebrated performance in the musical Meet John Doe. Members of the 2007 Ford's Theatre cast, including Blickenstaff and James Moye, reunite on November 26 to sing selections from the jazz-inspired show, adapted from Frank Capra's 1941 film of the same name. For a sneak peek of Blickenstaff and Co. in action, check this video from the Ford Theatre Gala.
6. An All-New Evening With Adam Pascal
Adam Pascal, the popular star of Rent, Aida, Memphis and Cabaret, is back at 54 Below with his musical partner Larry Edoff on November 19. This new, one-night-only concert includes the duo’s signature versions of classic Broadway songs, pop rock standards and original compositions. Caution: Pascal’s powerful vocals in such an intimate setting may induce goosebumps.
5. From Madison County to Vegas With Jason Robert Brown
Did you miss the out-of-town productions of The Bridges of Madison County and Honeymoon in Vegas, and want to hear the scores everyone is talking about? Feeling nostalgic about The Last Five Years and Songs for a New World? Then head to 54 Below November 18 through November 23 for Jason Robert Brown’s return concert engagement. This Tony-winning composer is performing his most beloved tunes as well as never-before-heard pieces. Expect guest appearances from the casts of both new shows!
4. Katie Rose Clarke Says So Long Oz, Hello Texas
Beautiful Broadway ingénue Katie Rose Clarke, known for her starring roles in Wicked and The Light in the Piazza, is tapping into her Lone Star roots for a new solo show at 54 Below. On November 13, Clarke takes the stage to perform a mix of folk classics, acoustic pop, rock and roll and original songs. You’ve seen her make magic in the bubble, now see what she can do with a guitar and cowboy boots.
3. Get Lost, Darling, with Andrea Ross & Derek Klena
RSO Fest, the ongoing celebration of composer Ryan Scott Oliver, continues on November 4 with the scandalous new musical Darling. Set in Boston’s seedy underground world of sex, drugs and jazz in 1929, the staged presentation stars Wicked’s Derek Klena and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s young protégée Andrea Ross (who gets her own solo concert at 54 Below on November 14). RSO Fest ends on November 18 with Jasper in Deadland.
2. Robin De Jesus Breaks It Down with Sex, Love & Spanish Soul
Two-time Tony nominee Robin De Jesus is getting personal with fans at 54 Below. In his new show Crush to Crushed, the In the Heights and Domesticated actor discusses love, crushes, break ups, hook ups, sex ed and lust while grooving to the sounds of pop, rock, Spanish soul and show tunes. Give your abs a pre-Thanksgiving workout with this hilarious and sexy concert on November 24 and November 25.
1. Spend a Strings Attached Night with Christine Ebersole
Christine Ebersole takes the stage at 54 Below for the first time November 6-8 with an old-time celebration of her new album Strings Attached. Backed by the Aaron Weinstein Trio, the two-time Tony Award winner, who currently appears on TV’s Sullivan & Son and American Horror Story: Coven, puts her spin on standards from the ’20s, ‘30s and ‘40s. Enjoy an old-fashioned cocktail and some classic music with this timeless star.