Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – Checking up on Birdland’s pair of vivacious variety shows: JIM CARUSO’S CAST PARTY and THE LINEUP WITH SUSIE MOSHER

• By drediman
• September 6, 2021
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Although Birdland has long been associated with New York’s storied jazz scene, the club’s location just off of Times Square in the Theater District has inevitably meant that a diverse array of talent beyond the jazz milieu was destined to grace the stage(s) of the legendary venue. Perhaps no other of the club’s shows epitomize this diversity in talent than its two vivacious and long-running variety shows: Jim Caruso’s Cast Party and The Lineup with Susie Mosher – both of which I had a chance to revisit over the summer. Here are my thoughts.

JIM CARUSO’S CAST PARTY
Birdland Jazz Club

Arguably one of the marquee events at Birdland has been Jim Caruso’s Cast Party (RECOMMENDED), an open mic cum variety show that’s has been consistently running at the club every Monday since way back in 1993. The weekly show is synonymous with its host, the supremely quick witted and amusingly caustic Jim Caruso, whose steadfast love for cabaret and live performance has kept this ship afloat. To note, Cast Party is a maximalist experience that regularly spills over the three hour mark, sprawling well past your bedtime (particularly on a Monday night). Nevertheless, my recent visit found Mr. Caruso, impeccably dressed as always, and his incomparable band – Billy Stritch at the piano, Steve Doyle on bass, and Daniel Glass on drums – in fine form and fresh as a daisy from lockdown. What the show brings to the table is a touch of urbane old New York, a quality that should be cherished in a city that’s fast evolving. Never mind that the talent is all over the place (participants include bored housewives to Tony-winners; Cast Party is an open mic, after all), there’s a genuine thrill to the unpredictability of it all, as if riding on a speeding train – to God knows where – that’s fast careening off the tracks.

THE LINEUP WITH SUSIE MOSER
Birdland Theater

More compact and tightly curated is The Lineup with Susie Mosher (RECOMMENDED), which takes place on Tuesdays at Birdland Theater, the club’s relatively new subterranean second space that’s intended for more intimate performances. But don’t take length as a barometer for entertainment value. Ms. Mosher (who has appeared on Broadway in Hairspray and Off-Broadway in NEWSical The Musical) is one of the funniest women in New York, and her variety show is an invariably good time. As a host, she’s certainly just as caustic and witty as Mr. Caruso. However, she chucks his urbane, polished mannerisms aside in favor of a more outrageous, in-your-face approach. Her style may be too much (i.e., “grating”) for some, but I find her to be an absolute hoot, especially when she embarks on one of her famously improvised, anything goes musical numbers (yes, she will go there!). Despite her over-the-top demeanor, there’s a real generosity of spirit that underlies her schtick, which makes her even more endearing. For The Lineup, Ms. Mosher is regularly accompanied by the game and fabulous music director Brad Simmons, who is an accomplished performer in his own right.