Broadway Night Off, the weekly performance series at Madame George—the subterranean bar and nightspot located at 45 West 45th Street—continued September 21 with headliners Aisha Jackson (The Great Gatsby, The Notebook, Paradise Square) and Rebecca Larkin (Avenue Q tour).
Watch the video of Jackson performing “If I Were Your Woman” in the video above, where she also spoke of developing the role of Daisy in The Great Gatsby on Broadway in workshop.
The weekly performances allow Broadway actors the opportunity to sing
“anything except for Broadway music—what would they never get a chance
to sing on the big stage,” Danny Lipsitz, who manages music at the club
and books its talent, previously told Playbill.
READ: Every Monday, Stage Performers Shine at Madame George’s Broadway Night Off
The Monday evening series, co-directed by Lipsitz and by Cynthia Fung, features three sets of music. This past week, the first set highlighted the house band, which includes Jack Redsecker on keyboard, PJ Roberts on bass, and Alex Raderman on drums. The trio of musicians (often joined by Lipsitz on various instruments and vocals) offered “Isn’t She Lovely,” “Autumn Leaves,” “The Way You Make Me Feel,” “I’ve Got the World on a String,” and “Old Fashioned Love.”
Host Diva LaMarr, who interviews the talent throughout the evening, opened the second set with “Hot, Hot, Hot” before welcoming Larkin, who sang “Golden,” “Cheek to Cheek,” and “Gloria.” LaMarr performed “Just My Imagination,” followed by two songs from Jackson: “If I Were Your Woman” and “Orange Colored Sky.”
LaMarr opened the third set of the evening with “Minnie the Moocher,” followed by Larkin’s “Hit ‘Em Up Style” and “Don’t Lose Sight.” Guests Keemar Davis, Aaron Paterson, Jayna Elise, and Brian Vaulx offered, respectively, “Rock Steady,” “You and I,” “Proud Mary,” and “What You Won’t Do for Love.” Jackson subsequently returned with “When Sunny Gets Blue” and “If I Ain’t Got You,” the latter also featuring Vaulx. The evening concluded with all the performers joining voices for “What’s Up (What’s Going On)?”
Upcoming Broadway Night Off performers will include Rachel Webb and Aaron Nicholas Patterson (September 28), and Zurin Villanueva and Max Chernin (October 5).
The Midtown venue, it should be noted, offers music six nights a week, but it’s only on Mondays when theatre lovers can see their favorite Broadway artists, as well as up-and-coming theatre performers delight.
Warning: The club is a bit hidden—with no marquee, only the name
projected onto the
sidewalk reveals its location. And visitors have to knock on the door to
gain
entrance. But the intrigue only adds to the exclusive feel. Upstairs it
may be hush hush, but downstairs, it’s positively bustling. Located
underground, Madame George overflows with warmth, from its comfortable,
plush chairs and couches to its genial booking manager, charmingly
friendly general manager, and attentive waitstaff.
Fionnan Gallagher is the general manager of Madame George with classic cocktails curated by mixologist Marshall Minaya. A menu of shareable bites is also available.
There is a $10 cover charge for Broadway Night Off. Guests
have the option to make a reservation for priority seating for an
additional fee or minimum spend. The bar also hosts a Broadway Happy
Hour nightly from 5–7 PM.
Visit MadameGeorgeNYC.com. To book reservations for Broadway Night Off, click here.