It’s a good week to be on the East Coast of the US if you want to check out Best Bets: June 22nd – June 28th. Take a look!
CYRILLE AIMÉE – Birdland Jazz Club – New York, NY – June 23rd – June 27th
Remarkable vocalist Aimé offers up ten sets this week at Birdland in New York. She’s such a versatile artist that she could make each and every one of those sets different. She can sing jazz with the best of them. She sings Sondheim’s material so well, he was a fan. Her most recent album was a live recording that was so good, Cyrille Aimée: 4.24 that it would make anyone who heard it want to see her live.
In short, if I were in New York, I would want to attend at least two sets, just to see and hear what she would do.
For tickets and more information, please go HERE.
LIZA! AT 80: A CELEBRATION IN SONG AND DANCE – Carnegie Hall – New York, NY – June 25th
I’ll say right up front I hope this one-night celebration of Liza Minnelli is being filmed for PBS Great Performances.
Though she turned 80 in March, the wait to celebrate is going to be worth it in this concret presented by Transport Group.
The performers include Kate Baldwin, Lauren Blackman, Mario Cantone, Kristin Chenoweth, Nikki Renée Daniels, Damon Daunno, Dez Duron, Claybourne Edler, Stephanie Gibson, Robyn Hurder, Beth Leavel, Diva LaMarr, Bonnie Milligan, Donna Murphy (reason alone to see any show), Lauren Patten, Khori Petinaud, Andrew Rannells, Elizabeth Stanley, Ali Stroker, Alysha Umphress, Jessica Vosk, Marisha Wallace and Natalie Weiss.
Appearing to speak about Liza with a Z will be Candice Bergen, Jim Caruso, Nicole Fosse, Julie Halston, Isaac Mizrahi, Susan Stroman and Doug Wright.
The hosts are Mo Rocca and Marc Shaiman.
To top it all off, the script for the show was written by Liza.
Joey Chancey is the musical director and Jack Cummings III directs.
For tickets and more information, please go HERE.
FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DE JAZZ DE MONTREAL – Various Venues – Montreal, Canada – June 25th – July 4th
Another jazz festival to consider for your summer pleasure. This one includes performances by Sullivan Fortner (solo), Melody Gardot, Charles Lloyd Quartet, Ibrahim Maalouf, Nicholas Payton Trio, Joshua Redman Group, Kamasi Washington and plenty more. (All these selections have links to their specific concerts.)
Montreal Jazz Festival gives out awards each year and this year’s recipients, all of whom will be performing are:
Najib Fenaoui (Oliver-Jones Award), Kokoroko (Antônio Carlos Jobim Award), Christian McBride (Miles Davis Award), Cécile McLorin Salvant (Ella Fitzgerald Award) and Patrick Watson (Spirit Award).
For the complete schedule, tickets and more information, please go HERE.
CRAZYSEXYCOOL – THE TLC MUSICAL – Arena Stage – Washington, D.C. – Now – August 9th
OPENING NIGHT: June 26th
I gave up long ago the idea that I can do battle with jukebox musicals. A few turned out to be pretty damn entertaining so why not give them all the benefit of the doubt.
So can a musical about the trio that gave us No Scrubs, Waterfalls, Red Light Special, Unpretty and more work?
There’s certainly the rise to fame and the tragedy of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes’ untimely death in a car accident in Honduras in 2002. She also burned a boyfriend’s house down. And they had to file bankruptcy due to the horrible contracts they signed.
Holli’ Gabirelle Conway plays Tionne ‘T-Boz’ Watkins; Jade Milan plays Lopes and Stoney B. Woods plays Rozonda ‘Chilli’ Thomas.”
Kwame Kwei-Armah is the writer director and Chloe O. Davis is the choreographer.
This production is likely a pre-Broadway run.
For tickets and more information, please go HERE.
LUCINDA CHILDS: MOMENTARY REPRISE – Fisher Center at Bard – Annandale-on-Hudson, New York – June 26th – June 28th
Legendary choreography is celebrated AND DANCES in these three performances at Bard’s Summerscape 2026.
The program opens with 2024’s Actus, a duet set to the music of Johann Sebstian Bach danced by Sharon Milanese and Caitlin Scranton.
That’s followed by Geranium ’64 which is a work Childs revisited 60 years after she first created it. Childs will be performing this solo.
The first act closes with Available Light, part 2 set to the music of John Adams. The company performs this work.
The company returns to open the second act with 1984’s Field Dance 2 which is set to music from Philip Glass’ Einstein on the Beach.
After an interlude by pianist Anton Batagov, the performance closes with 2024’s Distant Figure, also set to music by Glass. This will be performed by Robert Mark Burke, Katie Dorn, Kyle Gerry, Milanese, Matt Pardo and Scranton.
Actus, Geranium ’64 and Distant Figure are North American premieres.
For tickets and more information, please go HERE.
That’s all for Best Bets: June 22nd – June 28th. Wherever you live or wherever you find yourself, go see a show! Enjoy your week!
Main Photo: Cyrille Aimée (Photo by Drew Bordeaux/Courtesy Arc Artists)