NewsPHOTO CALL: Tony Danza, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Lea DeLaria, Lilla Crawford and More in Don't Quit Your Night JobStage and screen actor Tony Danza, Tony Award-nominated songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and Annie star Lilla Crawford were among the artists who performed in the January installment of Don't Quit Your Night Job, the popular variety show series of comedy, music and offbeat performances, at 54 Below.
By
Matthew Blank
January 21, 2014
The series, which has returned to New York City for a three-month engagement, offered its final 11:30 PM show Jan. 16. The first show was held Nov. 21 and the second was held Dec. 19.
0
of
Tony Danza, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Lea DeLaria, Lilla Crawford and More in Don't Quit Your Night Job
Hosted by Steve Rosen, Sarah Saltzberg and music director Dan Lipton — with a visit from David Rossmer, plus DJs Andrew and Andrew — Don't Quit promised an "array of special guests each month" where "Broadway and improv meet… and make out!"
Also joining Rosen, Saltzberg and Lipton at the Jan. 16 installment were Derrick Baskin (Memphis), Tony nominee John Ellison Conlee (The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence), Crawford (Annie, "Into The Woods"), Lea DeLaria ("Orange is the New Black"), Alexander Gemignani (Les Misérables), Jason Kravits (Relatively Speaking, "The Michael J. Fox Show"), Tony-nominated songwriters Pasek and Paul (A Christmas Story, Dogfight), Ephraim Sykes (Motown, Newsies), Tony nominee Mary Testa (Disaster! Queen of the Mist) and Danza (Honeymoon in Vegas).
Damien Bassman was featured on drums, and Rachel Maier stage managed. Proceeds from the shows — presented with Shoshana Feinstein — benefit Open Doors, TDF's theatre arts mentoring program for high school students.
Don't Quit Your Night Job began in 2006 at Joe's Pub. The one-off benefit grew into a ten-month, sold-out run, and a commercial Off-Broadway production followed in 2007. Subsequently, Don't Quit Your Night Job has played the Zipper Factory, The Julia Miles Theater and (le) Poisson Rouge.
Don't Quit guests have included Huey Lewis, Hank Azaria, Julianna Margulies, Michael McKean, Marc Shaiman, Alicia Witt, Marvin Hamlisch, Anthony Rapp, Sara Ramirez, George Wendt, Bebe Neuwirth, David Hyde Pierce, Julie White, Patrick Wilson, Andrea Martin, Kelli O’Hara, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Mo Rocca and Josh Gad.
The new jukebox musical featuring the songs of Huey Lewis and the News follows a Chicagoan whose failed band leads to him returning to corporate America.