BIRDLAND presents “HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD!” the musical revue starring BILLY STRITCH, CAROLE J. BUFFORD and LIAM FORDE

BIRDLAND THEATER will present the New York debut of the musical revue “Hooray for Hollywood!” on Thursday, June 15 at 8:30 PM. This enthralling tribute stars Billy Stritch, Carole J. Bufford, and Liam Forde singing favorite classics from Hollywood’s golden age, all to benefit The Mabel Mercer Foundation. “Hooray for Hollywood!” is a melodic reminder of the many voices that we heard in song on the silver screen, including Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Judy Garland and more. Devised by writer and producer Barry Day, the show has enjoyed a multi-year run at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida. There is a $30 music charge. Birdland is located at 315 West 44^th Street in New York.

“Hooray for Hollywood!” features timeless hits that are synonymous with the movies, including “The Trolley Song,” “Make ‘Em Laugh,” “One for My Baby,” “Moon River,” “As Time Goes By,” “Two for the Road,” “Put the Blame on Mame,” and many more. These are the songs that gave movies a voice – the iconic, familiar tunes that evoke fond memories with just a few notes. According to creator Barry Day, “Music has always had a potent effect on the movies, after all, how can you hear ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ and not envision Gene Kelly twirling his umbrella along that soggy sidewalk? Or see Humphrey Bogart looking into his bottomless glass as Dooley Wilson sings ‘As Time Goes By’and Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers romancing as they dance ‘Cheek to Cheek’?”

Billy 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 of 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 as accompanist and opening act for Liza, Billy 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. Billy also serves as musical director for such leading vocalists as Linda Eder, Christine Ebersole and Linda Lavin. He is the co-writer of the Grammy-winning song “Does He Love You,” recorded by Reba McEntire and Linda Davis, and recorded again last year by Reba and Dolly Parton. When he’s not on the road, he is the pianist for Jim Caruso’s Cast Party open mic night every Monday at Birdland Jazz Club and he and Jim hold forth on Sunday nights at Bemelmans’ Bar in Manhattan’s fabled Carlyle Hotel. Named the Best Musical Director four times by BroadwayWorld, Billy’s 2022 birthday engagement at Birdland was the winner of Best Vocal Jazz Show of the year. During Covid-19, he hosted his own weekly Facebook live-stream show “Billy’s Place,” celebrating the Great American Songbook with songs and stories from his varied career. He has recorded five solo albums and his latest release Billy’s Place (Club44 Records) is a collection of his favorite songs from these online concerts.

Carole J. Bufford has become one of the most sought-after young performers in the New York nightclub and jazz scene. Her recent shows, “speak easy” (featuring the Grammy Award-winning Vince Giordano & The Nighthawks) and “Body & Soul” earned her rave reviews across the board, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Carole is the recipient of a Nightlife, Bistro and BroadwayWorld Award for Outstanding Vocalist. She has traveled across the US (The Colony’s Royal Room in Palm Beach; Venetian Room in Dallas; Cabaret 313 in Detroit; Broadway by the Bay in San Mateo; Upright Cabaret in Los Angeles) and recently made her London Debut to great critical acclaim. Carole was featured in Michael Feinstein’s Great American Songbook series at Jazz at Lincoln Center. She has been spotlighted in numerous “Broadway By the Year” concerts, both at The Town Hall and in California. Bufford originally hails from Lincolnton, GA where she grew up on healthy doses of Liza Minnelli, Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Dinah Washington, and Bessie Smith.

Liam Forde is a pop/jazz vocalist and songwriter whose authentic points of view create something fresh while drawing from a decidedly 1960s soundscape that encompasses the dry wit of Noel Coward, the infectious rhythms of Stevie Wonder, and the sweeping grandeur of classic Hollywood soundtracks. In The Wall Street Journal, Will Friedwald raved “the boy wonder never fails to find precisely the right note.” Peter Marks in The Washington Post praised Liam’s “breakout performance.” Forde has been the recipient of many honors, including the Bistro Award for “Performer on the Rise,” the Nightlife Award for “Outstanding Male Vocalist,” the Mabel Mercer Foundation’s Julie Wilson Award, and a Helen Hayes Award for “Outstanding Performance.” In addition to headlining shows in New York and London, he has performed concerts in Paris at L’Auguste Théâtre, Café Universel, and Le Carré Parisien. His debut album Great to Be Here, called a “dreamy pop debut” by Huff Post, features original songs that blend cosmopolitan pop and a vintage sound with contemporary influences like Jon Batiste, Lake Street Dive, and Rufus Wainwright.

Barry Day retired to write full-time after a distinguished career in international advertising. He has published to date 16 books on Noël Coward and the same number of shows. Day is Literary Advisor to the Coward Estate and Chair of the Coward Archive. He has also written books about Oscar Wilde, P.G. Wodehouse, Raymond Chandler, and Dorothy Parker. His shows on Johnny Mercer, Rodgers & Hart, and Kander & Ebb, in addition to “Hooray for Hollywood!,” have been produced in New York, Chicago, London, Paris, Los Angeles, and Palm Beach. He was Communications Advisor to Sam Wanamaker when he undertook his historic project to rebuild Shakespeare’s Globe in London’s Bankside. Day’s bookThis Wooden ‘O’ tells the story. Queen Elizabeth awarded him the O.B.E. (Order of the British Empire) “for services to British Culture in the U.S.”

BIRDLAND THEATER will present “Hooray for Hollywood!” on Thursday, June 15 at 8:30 PM. There is a $30 music charge and a $20 food and beverage minimum. Birdland is located at 315 West 44^th Street (between 8^th and 9^th Avenues) in Manhattan.For reservations, please call (212) 581-3080 or visit www.BirdlandJazz.com.