MARY VAN ARSDEL with MICHAEL ORLAND

Sat., April 19.  MARY VAN ARSDEL, with MICHAEL ORLAND.   Widely known for originating the role of “Miss Shingle” in the first National Broadway tour of the Tony-Award-winning A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, and for originating the role of “The Bird Woman” in the first National Broadway tour of Mary Poppins, Ms. Van Arsdel was also “killed” by John Malkovich in the feature film, In the Line of Fire.   She also originated the role of the cornflakes-throwing “Jetta” in Angry Housewives, and portrayed Nancy Reagan in Rap Master Ronnie.  In her considerable career, she has accumulated 3 Drama-Logue Awards and an LA Drama Critics Circle Award along with many other nominations.  One of her favorite roles was as “Mama Rose” in Gypsy, but classically trained in opera, she has also had principal roles in “Phantom” and Candide, and sang in Leonard Bernstein’s Mass at the Hollywood Bowl.  She has performed her one-woman show at 54 Below in Manhattan, and brings it to us with direction and staging by Jason Graae and with musical direction by the much sought-after pianist, arranger, and vocal coach, Michael Orland, who for 16 years was Associate Musical Director on American Idol.