Lorna Luft, PIPPIN 50th Anniversary Concert, and More to Play 54 Below Next Week

Additional performances include FIFTY KEY STAGE MUSICALS and 54 SINGS RIHANNA.

By: Feb. 04, 2023
Lorna Luft, PIPPIN 50th Anniversary Concert, and More to Play 54 Below Next Week
Get Access To Every Broadway Story

Unlock access to every one of the hundreds of articles published daily on BroadwayWorld by logging in with one click.




Existing user? Just click login.

Next week, 54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club & Private Event Destination, presents some of the brightest stars from Broadway, cabaret, jazz, and beyond. A recipient of the 2022 Tony Awards Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, 54 Below celebrates Broadway musicals and writers of the past and present, promoting an ongoing engagement with their work. To purchase tickets or for more information, visit www.54Below.com or call (646) 476-3551.

PIPPIN: THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST REUNION CONCERT - FEBRUARY 6 & 7 AT 7:00 PM & 9:30 PM

The performance on February 7 at 7:00pm will also be livestreamed. For more information, click here.

We've got magic to do when 54 Below presents Pippin: The 50th Anniversary Original Broadway Cast Reunion Concert. Legendary original 1972 Broadway cast members reunite to share stories and songs from the landmark Tony Award-winning musical, with its iconic score by Stephen Schwartz. You'll hear "Corner of the Sky," "Magic to Do," "I Guess I'll Miss the Man," "Extraordinary," "No Time At All," and more. Produced and directed by original cast member Walter Willison, with music direction by Michael Lavine. Join us, for this once-in-a-lifetime event. It's time to start livin'!

Starring John Rubinstein, Joy Franz, Candy Brown, Cheryl Clark, Gene Foote, Will D. McMillan, Jennifer Nairn-Smith, Pamela Sousa, Walter Willison, and Leland Palmer, with Aaron Lee Battle.

7:00pm performance: $65-$85 cover charge ($73-$95 with fees). $110-$125 premium seating ($122.50-$139 with fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

9:30pm performance: $45-$75 cover charge ($51-$84 with fees). $85-$110 premium seating ($95-$122.50 with fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

FIFTY KEY STAGE MUSICALS: THE CONCERT! FEAT. Len Cariou, Kevin Chamberlin, & MORE - FEBRUARY 8 AT 7:00 PM

This performance will also be livestreamed. For tickets and more information, click here.

"This book is an absolutely wonderful resource for all students of musical theatre and also for all devoted theatergoers. Well researched thoughtfully compiled it is a great addition to the study of this form that we all love." -John Doyle, Tony Award-winning director (Sweeney Todd, Company)

"An extraordinary resource for students of musical theatre or for any theatre-lover, Schneider's book is a celebration of the art form and the key moments that shaped it. He wisely knows the best way to ensure its future is by understanding its past." -Susan Stroman, Tony Award-winning director/choreographer (Crazy for You, The Producers)

"If you consider yourself a lover of musicals, you must read Fifty Key Musicals." -Jerry Zaks, four-time Tony Award-winning director (Guys and Dolls, Hello, Dolly!)

Those are just some of the praises for new book Fifty Key Stage Musicals by Robert W. Schneider and Shannon Agnew.  Now this book, which rounds-up fifty of the musicals whose creations were seminal in altering the landscape of musical theater, is being given a one-night-only concert with the artists who helped create these monumental musicals.

Join us on February 8th for an evening of songs and stories, performed by the legends themselves who had a front row to history.

Author Robert W. Schneider (Behind The Curtain: Broadway's Living Legends) will be on hand to share trivia and anecdotes about the landmark musicals that changed not only the theatre, but the world. Expect some of Broadway's favorite artists to make an appearance and take a musical stroll down memory lane.

Featuring George Lee Andrews, Caitlin Belcik, Jim Brochu, LaDonna Burns, Len Cariou, Kevin Chamberlin, Beth Fowler, Alexandra Amadeo Frost, Janine LaManna, Lee Roy Reams, and Mark William.

Produced by Robert W. Schneider.

Music direction by Michael Lavine.

$45 cover charge ($51 with fees). $75 premium seating ($84 with fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

54 SINGS RIHANNA, FEAT. ALYSSA WRAY, CAROLINA RIAL, & MORE! - FEBRUARY 8 AT 9:30 PM

Rihanna will not appear at this performance.

With OUR Super Bowl, Rihanna's half time performance, coming up... we felt this was appropriate. "Shut Up and Drive" to 54 Below and celebrate the music of and icon that is badgalriri in 54 Sings Rihanna. From the timeless hits of "Disturbia" and "SOS" to some of her "newer" bops "Love on the Brain" and "This is What You Came For," you're in for quite a ride. Directed and produced by Kate Coffey and Jenna San Antonio, 54 Sings Rihanna will be the warm-up act for what will be a historic set on Super Bowl Sunday. Featuring TikTok stars, new music artists, and Broadway up n' comings alike, let's make 54 Below our own personal halftime show. See you there! Music direction by Brian Russell Carey.

Featuring Jaelyn Alexander, Kate Coffey, Robin Dunavant, Hannah Ellowitz, Tali Green, Eli Hamilton, Genevieve Joers, Emily Kay, Claire Kwon, Braden Phillips, Carolina Rial, Gabriella Joy Rodriguez, Molly Russo, Jenna San Antonio, Carson Stewart, Jae Weit, and Alyssa Wray.

$40 cover charge ($45.50 with fees). $65 premium seating ($73 with fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

Lorna Luft: 70, GIRL, 70 - FEBRUARY 9-11 AT 7:00 PM

Join Lorna Luft as she celebrates her 70th birthday this February at 54 Below! Lorna will share her adventures of growing up in entertainment through songs made famous by her mother, renowned film legend Judy Garland, tales of old Hollywood and Broadway, and favorite tunes from the Great American Songbook. With song and story, Lorna will take audiences on a journey through 70 years of a life filled with strength, resilience, and gratitude.

Born to legendary entertainer Judy Garland and producer Sid Luft, Lorna Luft made her performing debut singing on "The Judy Garland Show." Since then, she has had dozens of starring and guest-starring roles on film and television, ranging from Grease 2 and Where the Boys Are '84 to the series "Murder She Wrote" and "Sean Saves the World." Lorna was co-executive producer of "Life with Judy Garland," the 5-time Emmy award-winning miniseries based on her best-selling memoir, Me and My Shadows.

For the past several years, Lorna has been starring in American and British productions of Irving Berlin's White Christmas. Her other theatrical credits include her Broadway debut in Promises, Promises; Off-Broadway's Snoopy and Extremities; the national tour of They're Playing Our Song; a British tour of Pack of Lies; and Gypsy, Grease, Guys and Dolls, Mame, and The Unsinkable Molly Brown, among many others.

Lorna is also a gifted concert and cabaret artist, performing in the world's most prestigious venues, including The Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, The London Palladium, and L'Olympia in Paris. Her highly acclaimed multi-media production, Songs My Mother Taught Me-The Judy Garland Songbook, melds one of the world's most familiar songbooks with personal memories. It won two Ovation Awards, and a CD based on the show was released by First Night Records.

$65-85 cover charge ($84-$95 with fees). $125-135 premium seating ($139-$150 with fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

JOHN & JEN: A CONCERT CELEBRATION, FEAT. Andrew Lippa, Rachel Tucker, & Lewis Cornay! - FEBRUARY 9 AT 9:30 PM

Join us at 54 Below for a heart-rendering evening featuring the songs of John & Jen! From the award-winning composer of The Addams Family, Big Fish, and The Wild Party, John & Jen is an emotional rollercoaster that explores the dynamics of family relationships. Starring Olivier Award nominee Rachel Tucker and introducing Lewis Cornay, this brand new and adapted version of this timeless musical plays in person for the first time in the US following a 5-star sell out run in London and successful stream on BroadwayHD.

This production is the world premiere of a brand new updated version of the show by Andrew Lippa and Tom Greenwald, with orchestrations by Jason Robert Brown and Andrew Lippa.

Featuring an all-star cast, this concert is produced by Bray Products Ltd., directed by Guy Retallack with musical direction by Andrew Lippa.

Starring Rachel Tucker and Lewis Cornay.

$50 cover charge ($56.50 with fees). $80 premium seating ($89.50 with fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

COMEDIANS EARNESTLY SINGING MUSICAL THEATRE - FEBRUARY 10 AT 9:30 PM

This performance is also being livestreamed. For tickets and more information, click here.

The New York Comedy scene's best-kept secret is that your favorite comics all are former theatre kids. Zach Schiffman and Reid Pope (famously not BFAs) bring together New York's funniest together for one night to let them live out their forgotten dream. The brightest names in comedy belt their hearts out to their favorite musical theatre songs and you won't want to miss it!

Featuring Tessa Belle, Walker Caplan, Sydney Duncan, Jess Elgene, Emily Evans, Esther Fallick, Arti Gollapudi, Rachel Horwitz, Gus Laughlin, Gara Lonning, Richard Perez, Karolena Teresa, Chloe Troast, Jamie Linn Watson, Garrett Williams and more!

Music direction by Jessie Rosso.

Produced by Claudia DeTrempe, Hali Letlow, and Hailey Cohn.

$40 cover charge ($45.50 with fees). $70 premium seating ($78.50 with fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

LOVE SONG SATURDAY NIGHT! FEAT. Haley Swindal & MORE - FEBRUARY 11 AT 9:30 PM

If there is one night during the week when you want - need? - to hear love songs, well, it's got to be a Saturday night. And we've got the most romantic, the most glorious - and always the most famous - love songs in the world for you in Love Song Saturday Night. From Broadway, country, pop, R & B, and more, you will hear the songs that make your heart beat a little bit faster. And they will be performed by a richly talented cast of stars that sing not from the page, but from the soul.

Created by NYC impresario Scott Siegel exclusively for 54 Below, this monthly show that always emerges on a Saturday night, is the place to swoon, raise a glass, and maybe share a kiss. Nothing says romance like music, and nothing is more exquisite than love on a Saturday night! Music direction by Ross Patterson.

Featuring Avery Bank, Lianne Marie Dobbs, John Easterlin, Adan Gallegos, A. J. Hunsucker, Ben Jones, Kendrick Jones, Ryan Knowles, Tyler McCall, Sophie Rapeijko, Adam B. Shapiro, and Haley Swindal.

$50 cover charge ($56.50 with fees). $85 premium seating ($95 with fees). $25 food & beverage minimum.

LIVE AT 54 BELOW

54 Below's new series is designed to make more shows accessible to fans all over the world. "Live from 54 Below" will feature LIVE performances of current shows on the calendar, streamed directly from Broadway's Living Room. Seven cameras will capture the excitement of being at the venue - all paired with the club's dramatic lighting and award-winning sound design. To recreate the live experience, all shows will be presented exclusively at the time of performance with an in-house audience and will not be available on demand afterwards.

The following performances will be streamed live. For tickets, visit www.54Below.com/LIVE

PIPPIN: THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST REUNION CONCERT February 7 at 7:00pm ET / Tickets $25 ($28.50 with fees.)

FIFTY KEY STAGE MUSICALS: THE CONCERT! February 8 at 7:00pm ET / Tickets $25 ($28.50 with fees.)

COMEDIANS EARNESTLY SINGING MUSICAL THEATRE February 10 at 9:45pm ET / Tickets $25 ($28.50 with fees.)

SAFETY INFORMATION:

54 Below is committed to the health of its performers, staff, and guests and has created a Safety Plan to ensure safe conditions along with optimum performing conditions. Additional information on our safety protocols can be found here. 54 Below has installed improved air circulation and filtering systems as well as added plexiglass barriers between some tables. Based on CDC and New York State guidelines at the time of performance, safety protocols and seating capacity may change, and policies may be adjusted as is appropriate.  

MORE ABOUT 54 BELOW:

54 Below was founded as a place for the Broadway community to celebrate Broadway performers, both established and new, who sing not only the music of Broadway and the Great American Songbook, but also new material intended for Broadway and off-Broadway stages. The club features fine dining and superb scenic, lighting, and sound designs entirely imagined by Broadway designers. For performers, writers, musicians, and more, 54 Below gives opportunities to advance their craft, expand their repertoires, and develop their voices in a way that is more personal, making them stronger as artists.  It gives Broadway fans an opportunity to see their favorite artists in a different way, deepening their relationship and understanding of their talent. 

A recipient of the 2022 Tony Awards® Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, 54 Below celebrates Broadway musicals and writers of the past and present, promoting an ongoing engagement with their work. It is also a place for innovation in musical songwriting and performance. Collaborations born at 54 Below give rise to and help develop new theatrical projects and new musicals. In addition, its popular streaming video activities and audio recordings support these activities, helping to build a new Broadway audience worldwide, both in age and geography.

54 Below is one of the most in-demand performance venues in the city, presenting over 700 shows each year. Unique in its mission, it has become an indispensable member of the Broadway ecosystem, providing a place for seasoned and emerging artists to hone their craft, try out new work, grow their fanbases, and gather as a community. The management team includes Proprietors and nine-time Tony Award® winning Broadway producers Steve Baruch, Richard Frankel, and Tom Viertel, Creative and Programming Director Jennifer Ashley Tepper, and restaurant General Manager Mandisa Boxill.

Located at 254 West 54th Street, the club presents live shows at 7pm and 9:30pm. Tickets and information at 54below.com.




Videos