Actors Theatre of Indiana (ATI) will present A Night with Billy Stritch – “Billy’s Place” as the next in the ATI Live at Feinstein’s shows. This performance will take place Thursday, Aug. 26 at Feinstein’s Cabaret Club located inside The Hotel Carmichael in Carmel. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with the show starting at 7:30.
Stritch
Stritch is an award-winning pianist and singer, known to audiences across the country for his many solo concert performances and as accompanist and musical director for Liza Minnelli, Tony Bennett, Marilyn Maye, Linda Lavin and Christine Ebersole. He has created his own weekly Facebook livestream music show called “Billy’s Place.” Every week, he spotlights a different composer or performer from The Great American Songbook.
The London Jazz Times raved, “Billy Stritch is one of the finest, most entertaining piano players and singers on the planet!” following a 2018 performance.
The show at Feinstein’s will feature his favorite songs from well over 50 online shows. Expect to hear music by Cy Coleman, Hoagy Carmichael, Barry Manilow, Rodgers and Hart, as well as original compositions and selections from the Brazilian bossa nova canon. He’ll also be sharing intimate stories from his varied and wide-ranging career.
“Mr. Stritch gives one hell of a show. He’s stylish, sophisticated, and an incredible talent… (his) execution is flawless: he finds power and passion in everything he plays. Music lovers would do themselves a great disservice by missing out on this stellar entertainer,” stated Paul Broussard in Stage Click Magazine in New Orleans.
Stritch is one of the premier singer-pianists on the New York and national jazz and cabaret scenes. He began his career in Houston, Texas, where he formed the vocal trio Montgomery, Plant and Stritch. The trio performed all over New York and Europe from 1983 until they disbanded in 1990. A chance meeting with Liza Minnelli in March 1991 resulted in her asking him to create vocal arrangements for the record-breaking extravaganza Liza Stepping Out at Radio City Music Hall. In addition to his 25-year collaboration with Liza, Stritch recently toured with the legendary Tony Bennett as Tony’s pianist and musical director.
A solo entertainer in his own right, he has performed his own shows (including tributes to Mel Tormé and Cy Coleman) in concert halls and nightclubs across the country. He also serves as music director for such leading vocalists as Linda Lavin, Christine Ebersole, Paulo Szot and Marilyn Maye. He is the co-writer of the Grammy-winning song “Does He Love You” recorded by Reba McEntire and Linda Davis. When he’s not on the road, he is the pianist for Jim Caruso’s Cast Party open mic night every Monday at New York’s legendary Birdland Jazz Club and he and Jim hold forth on Sunday nights at Bemelmans’ Bar in Manhattan’s fabled Carlyle Hotel.
Currently during COVID-19, he is hosting his own weekly Facebook livestream show “Billy’s Place,” celebrating The Great American Songbook with songs and stories from his varied career. The show airs every Thursday evening at 8 p.m. on his Billy Stritch Facebook page. He has recorded five solo CDs and his latest CD release Billy’s Place (Club44 Records) is a collection of his favorite songs from these online concerts.
ATI is pleased to bring this amazing talent to Feinstein’s in Carmel. ATI formed a partnership earlier in 2021 with Feinstein’s and has been presenting local and national artists once a month. Shows are scheduled through October 2021. Feinstein’s was modeled after the legendary Feinstein’s / 54 Below in New York. Two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy Award-winning musician Michael Feinstein officially opened Feinstein’s Cabaret Club in The Hotel Carmichael in May 2021.
“Actors Theatre of Indiana is honored to partner with Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael in presenting local and national top-quality entertainment for our ATI Live at Feinstein’s” series,” said ATI Co-founder Don Farrell. “Feinstein’s is known world-wide as being a sophisticated destination for live-music of world-class musical talent.”
Get tickets at atistage.org or by visiting prekindle.com/events/feinsteins-cabaret. The doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30. An American Bistro influenced menu will be available when the doors open. This special one-night engagement performance is underwritten through a generous donation by Rob and Natalie Manges.