"TALENTED PERFORMERS, FRIENDLY PEOPLE and TIME TO MINGLE…FANTASTIC" AWoW's SHOWCASE at THE CELL THEATRE

“As a first time visitor … I really enjoyed everything about the evening. Talented performers, friendly people, time to mingle … fantastic. I will be back for certain.”  Clyde Berger

 

Sybil Scoby
Sybil Scoby

 

Sybil Scoby, portraying Donna Summer, took us all down memory lane, reminding us of how great it was to watch and listen to Donna’s disco.  For many, Sybil’s renditions of Donna’s songs reignited memories of an era gone by.  A feel good musical experience to begin the evening.

 

 

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Annette Homann
Annette Homann

Violinist Annette Homann returned to her classical roots with a performance of the 1st movement of Serge Prokofiev’s Violin Sonata, crafting a performance of  technical skill and passion.  Switching gears, Annette held the audience rapt with virtuosic fiddling during her second piece, Caprice No. 2 by Mark O’Connor. 

 

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David Sharp and Noel Lawlor
David Sharp and Noel Lawlor

Noel Lawlor followed with a superb rendition of the “Muse Of Fire” speech from Shakespeare’s Henry V. In this scence, Shakespeare asks his audience for their willing suspension of disbelief, to come along with him on an epic journey on land and sea using only their imaginations as he depicts vast battle scenes over a period of time during the 100 year war between England and France, with just a few actors on a bare stage.  Spellbinding performance from Noel. 

 

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Melissa Ritz
Melissa Ritz

Melissa Ritz brought “glitz” to Artists Without Walls Showcase. Melissa  impressed with a skillful assortment of singing, tap dancing and character work from her award-winning one-woman show, Journey of a Bombshell: The Ina Ray Hutton Story. Melissa’s show makes its west coast debut in March in Las Vegas, where audiences are sure to be charmed by her talents.   

  

 

Nancy Redman
Nancy Redman

Award-winning actress and comedian Nancy Redman was described as brilliant, hilarious, and hysterically funny in the her preview of her sci-fi comedy, The Doctor Is Not In , exploring the hypocrisy of Hippocrates. She demonstrated perfect comedic timing in her performance, which is directed by Austin Pendleton.  Nancy can be seen in a benefit performance of the play at the Dorothy Strelsin Theatre, Abingdon Theatre Company, 312 W. 36th Street, NYC on Sunday, March 15, 2015 at 7pm.  Ticktes are $20.  Use Code DOC315 for a $15 ticket

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Amy Virginia Buchanan
Amy Virginia Buchanan

 

Amy Virginia Buchanan’s lilting tunes tricked us–seeming simple and sweet–but then tugged on our coldest, furthest heart strings. She has a gentle, chatty voice that floats above a steel ukulele, and weaves stories about whales and birds and boats and other such things. She sings about loneliness and love, clearly knowing the pain of it, but also remaining optimistic and hopeful. Her joy on stage is palpable, and by the end we were all pleased to have the chance to sing along.

 

 

"Lily Sparks" including Kg Noble, Niamh Hyland, Margaret LaBombard and Mick Fumento
“Lily Sparks” including Kg Noble, Niamh Hyland, Margaret LaBombard and Mick Fumento 

Niamh Hyland brought her rock band Lily Sparks to Monday’s Showcase and although they kept it acoustic, the band absolutely rocked the crowd with their original tunes. Niamh’s voice revealed surprising new dimensions to those familiar only with her traditional and acapella singing talents. Their passionate final song, “Ressurection,” gave the audience at taste of what’s to come in their full electric show at Arlene’s Grocery on Friday, March 6th, 7pm. Not to be missed! 

 

The next Artists Without Walls’ Showcase at The Cell will be on March 24, 6:45pm. For more information on Artists Without Walls write to info@artistswithoutwalls.com

 

 

Photos by Vera Hoar. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ARTISTS WITHOUT WALLS' SHOWCASE at THE CELL: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH, 6:45.

Amy Virginia Buchanan
Amy Virginia Buchanan

The weather may be cold and dreary but inside The Cell Theatre, tomorrow night, Monday 2/16, 6:45, there’ll be great cheer and warmth, not to mention a wonderful array of talent as Artists Without Walls presents it’s February Showcase.  Here’s the lineup:

 

Amy Virginia Buchanan is a musician, actor, writer, and producer, hailing from the midwest and living in Brooklyn. She recently released her first album, “I’ll Sing You Songs When You Aren’t Around,” and is presently writing an EP loosely titled “You/Me/Us.” 

 

Annette Homann
Annette Homann

 

Violinist Annette Homann, who recently performed her CD release program in NYC, will be playing a piece by Russian composer Serge Prokofiev and a dazzling fiddling piece by Mark O’Connor, which she played at her CD show.

 

 

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Noel Lawlor
Noel Lawlor

 

You may have seen Noel Lawlor perform a scene from “Shakespeare” a number of months ago. Good news: Noel will be returning to The Cell performing the Prologue from Henry V, in which Shakespeare asks his audience for their willing suspension of disbelief, to come along with him on an epic journey on land and sea, using only their imaginations as he depicts vast battle scenes during the 100 years war between England and France with just a few actors on a bare stage.  

 

 

Melissa Ritz
Melissa Ritz

 

Actor/dancer/singer/writer Melissa Ritz will perform an excerpt from her award-winning one-woman show Journey of a Bombshell: The Ina Ray Hutton Story. Based on true events, 1930’s famed Big-Band leader Ina Ray Hutton found success and heartache on the stages of Broadway and beyond, with a secret she couldn’t afford to reveal at that time.

  

 

Nancy Redman
Nancy Redman

 

Award-winning actress and comedian Nancy Redman stars in THE DOCTOR IS NOT IN, her sci-fi comedy exploring the hypocrisy of Hippocrates, directed by Austin Pendleton at Abingdon Theatre Company Dorothy Strelsin Theatre 312 West 36th Street, 1st Floor  NYC Sunday, March 15, 2015 at 7pm For her recent “The Doctor Is Not In,” performed twice in the United Solo Theatre Festival 2014 at Theatre Row, Redman has been honored with the Best Comedian Award.

 

 

Sybil Scoby
Sybil Scoby

 

And there’ll be a fair share of rock and pop including former world-touring back-up-singer and native New Yorker Sybil Scoby, who’ll  pay tribute to Donna Summer, the woman who inspired her to sing, and Lily Sparks, a local rock band consisting of AWoW cofounder Niamh Hyland, Kg Noble and Margaret LaBombard. Here’s how one critic described Lily Sparks: “If Heart and Joan Jett had a baby and sent it to boarding school with Florence and the Machine you’d get a hard rocking band with killer vocals called Lily Sparks!” 

 

Lily Sparks
Lily Sparks

 

The bar will be open at 6:45, so you can come and “chill out” or, as the case may be, “warm up” and chat with new and old friends before the event. We have an amazing line up from Shakespeare to “stand up,” from a disco icon to a “Bombshell,” from classical violin to Irish fiddling mixed with the virtuosic techniques in the style of Paganini and Tartini, and some “folk” and “rock.” This is going to be great. Hope to see you there

 

The Cell Theatre is located at 338 W23rd St.