FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Celia Berk’s Metropolitan Room Run Held Over Manhattan Serenade ​
Continues with Four Additional Shows Extended by popular demand, ​
2015 BroadwayWorld, Bistro, MAC and Margaret Whiting Award Winner CELIA BERK​
continues at the Metropolitan Room through October 2016. ​
Manhattan Serenade ​
returns Monday, May 16 at 9:30pm, Wednesday July 13 at 9:30pm, Wednesday August 3 at 7pm, and Friday October 14 at 7pm. Manhattan Serenade ​
was released on April 1, 2016, and was followed by four Sunday performances at the Metropolitan Room. Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote of the performance, “Ms. Berk made you feel about New York the same way a Cole Porter song makes you feel about Paris." ​
It is directed by Jeff Harnar with musical direction by Alex Rybeck. Tickets information can be found ​
here​
. The album, released on April 1, 2016, follows Celia Berk’s critically acclaimed debut ​
You Can’t Rush Spring. ​
It is Co­Produced by Tony Award­winning sound designer Scott Lehrer and renowned arranger and musical director Alex Rybeck. Lyricist David Zippel (“City of Angels,” “Hercules”), whose THE BROADWAY SONG written with Cy Coleman is receiving its first commercial recording, writes in the album’s Liner Notes: “A tribute to her hometown, this collection is anything but renditions of the obvious New York songs. ​
Manhattan Serenade​
is curated: a connoisseur’s compilation of one exquisite, undiscovered musical gem after another. Celia Berk and her arranger/conductor, the esteemed Alex Rybeck, consider themselves to be “musical truffle hounds,” and they have indeed rooted through the Great American Songbook to uncover superb, overlooked songs by the crème de la crème of composers and lyricists: Irving Berlin, Rodgers & Hart, Kurt Weill, Langston Hughes, Richard Whiting & Gus Kahn, Burt Bacharach, Rupert Holmes and Cy Coleman. There are so many reasons to love this album—the lush arrangements, the extravagant orchestrations and, of course, Celia Berk’s knowing vocals sung with charm, warmth and wit. She chooses great songs, has superb arrangements and then trusts her material. Her interpretations are honest, unadorned, and imbued with intelligence, sensitivity and an intuitive understanding of what she is singing about.” A DAY AWAY FROM TOWN is a recently discovered song by legendary songwriting team Richard Whiting & Gus Kahn, completed by musical director Hubert “Tex” Arnold. It was given to Celia Berk and Alex Rybeck by Whiting’s granddaughter Debbi Bush Whiting. Michael Feinstein has said, “There is nothing more special than finding a new song that’s classic and fresh at the same time, and A DAY AWAY FROM TOWN is just that. The combined pedigree of Gus Kahn and Richard Whiting, with an assist from Tex Arnold, have made this a long overdue winner that in my book is an instant standard.” Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks are featured on another rarity, Irving Berlin’s MANHATTAN MADNESS. A little­known Kurt Weill & Sam Coslow song, THE ROMANCE OF A LIFETIME, is teamed with Rupert Holmes’ THE PEOPLE THAT YOU NEVER GET TO LOVE. Also included is SECONDS, a Burt Bacharach/Neil Simon song written for an unproduced movie version of “Promises, Promises.” Nominated for the 2015 LaMott Friedman Award for Best Recording, ​
Celia Berk​
’s debut album​
You Can’t Rush Spring​
appeared on a number of Best of 2014 lists and has found a global audience, with airplay and sales extending across the US and into Europe, Japan, Australia and Canada. David Hurst of the New York Arts Review called it, “One of the more auspicious debut recordings of recent years… an intoxicating revelation!” Celia has made memorable appearances at Jazz at Lincoln Center and The Town Hall as part of the Mabel Mercer Foundation’s annual Cabaret Convention and will appear again in October 2016 in an evening devoted to Stephen Sondheim. For more information about ​
Manhattan Serenade​
,​
visit ​
GramercyNightingale.com/Media​
. Additional information about ​
Celia Berk​
can be found at ​
GramercyNightingale.com​
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Tracklisting for ​
Manhattan Serenade​
: MANHATTAN HOMETOWN [David Heneker; Arranged by Alex Rybeck] ALL I NEED (IS ONE GOOD BREAK) [John Kander/Fred Ebb; Arranged by Alex Rybeck; Orchestrated by Jeffrey Klitz] UP ON THE ROOF [Gerry Goffin and Carole King; Arranged by Alex Rybeck; Orchestrated by Jeffrey Klitz] SECONDS [Burt Bacharach/Neil Simon; Arranged by Alex Rybeck] MANHATTAN MADNESS [Irving Berlin; Arranged by Alex Rybeck and Vince Giordano & Earl Norman; Featuring Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks Combo Orchestra; Backups by The Gramercy Nightingales] LONELY HOUSE [Kurt Weill/Langston Hughes; Arranged by Alex Rybeck] THE ROMANCE OF A LIFETIME/THE PEOPLE THAT YOU NEVER GET TO LOVE [Kurt Weill/Sam Coslow; Rupert Holmes; Arranged by Alex Rybeck] A DAY AWAY FROM TOWN [Richard A. Whiting and Hubert “Tex” Arnold/Gus Kahn; Arranged by Alex Rybeck] I GOTTA GET BACK TO NEW YORK [Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart; Arranged by Alex Rybeck; Orchestrated by Larry Moore] 10. MANHATTAN SERENADE [Louis Alter/Harold Adamson; Arranged by Alex Rybeck] 11. SPRING IN MANHATTAN [Anthony Scibetta/Alice S. Reach; Arranged by Alex Rybeck] 12. THE BROADWAY SONG [Cy Coleman/David Zippel; Arranged by Alex Rybeck; Orchestrated by Larry Moore; Backups by The Rialtos (Joshua Lance Dixon, Jeff Harnar and Kristoffer Lowe)] 13. A TREE IN THE PARK [Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart; Arranged by Alex Rybeck] Celia Berk Upcoming Performances: Metropolitan Room – May 16th at 9:30pm Metropolitan Room – July 13th at 9:30pm Metropolitan Room – August 3rd at 7pm Metropolitan Room – October 14th at 7pm Read more of what some of the most respected individuals in the cabaret world have said about ​
Celia Berk:​
"One of the best singers I’ve heard in a long time." ­ ​
Rex Reed "Beautiful sound, style and taste in song choices." ­ ​
Michael Feinstein “Lovely understated elegance.” ­ ​
Ann Hampton Callaway​
, Singer/Songwriter/Composer “Celia delivers the message and heart behind each song with velvet intelligence.” Amanda McBroom​
, Songwriter/Composer of “The Rose” "Celia Berk proved that one's "second act" can be most satisfying, that singing was her destiny." ­​
​
Melody Breyer­Grell More on ​
Celia Berk and Gramercy Nightingale Music Co.: Website​
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