After years of playing well with others – whether singing backup for friends’ shows, or crooning alongside a cast of puppet characters – Jennifer Barnhart stepped into the spotlight and slayed in her debut solo cabaret on March 31st, fittingly titled, “It’s About Time!” at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, downstairs at the Westbank Cafe on 42nd Street.
“Sesame Street”‘s Alan Muraoka was at the helm of an evening of stories, silliness and song as the statuesque and gifted comedienne shared the journey that led her to two of the most famous streets in the world: Broadway and Sesame Street.
Ms. Barnhart was accompanied by music director Gary Adler, bassist Jim Donica and percussionist Michael Croiter, all of whom were in the original Avenue Q orchestra. She was joined by puppeteer Rick Lyon.
Her entertaining set list included: “It’s Today,” “I Had Someone Else,” “Moonlight Savings Time,” “I Love Rock & Roll, “Just in Time,” “Natural Woman” sung with Cleo the Lion, “Black Coffee,” “Not Perfect,” “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “Barcelona” with Rick Lyon and the Bad Idea Bears, “Drinking for Two,” “Poisoning Pigeons in the Park” with Mrs. T. Roz, “Brave,” “Crazy World,” “Save Your Sorrow for Tomorrow”. She sang followed “Let the Rest of the World Go By,” as her encore.
Catch Ms. Barnhart in her second performance on Sunday, April 7th at 7:00 pm. Click here for tickets.
Jennifer Barnhart (Performer) was an Original Broadway Company member (Outer Critics Circle Award) of the smash Tony Award-winning hit Avenue Q, and she remained with the show in the role she created for its entire six-year run on Broadway. As a puppeteer, Jennifer has performed on numerous children’s television shows, most notably “Between the Lions,” “Bear in the Big Blue House,” “Johnny & the Sprites,” “Julie’s Greenroom” (with Julie Andrews, for Netflix), and “Sesame Street,” where she plays Zoe. Some favorite ‘human’ roles include: Lady Macbeth, Goneril and Veronica in God of Carnage (Alabama Shakespeare Festival), and Officer Randy in Superior Donuts (The Arden Theatre). She has also appeared on “Law & Order: SVU” (once as a puppeteer) and was the Speaker of the House on Season 5 of “House of Cards”. Jennifer’s voice can be heard on various educational apps, and as a narrator for the YA novel The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle (Penguin/Random House). Website: www.jenniferbarnhart.com Follow on Instagram: #iamjenbarnhart
Alan Muraoka (Director) NY directing credits: Avenue Q (Off-Broadway Resident Director), Telly Leung: Telly on a Sunday (Birdland-November 2018), The Report (NY Fringe), Kung Fu (Signature Theatre-AD), Ann Harada: American Songbook (Lincoln Center), Awesomer & Awesomer!!! (Triad Theatre), The King and I (Harbor Lights Theatre), Telly Leung: Playlist and What Makes a Man? (54 Below), Ali Ewoldt: From Phantom to Phantom (54 Below) Grand Hotel (NYU/Cap 21), Falsettoland (NAATCO), John Tartaglia AD-LIBerty (Joe’s Pub) & Christmas Eve With Christmas Eve (BC/EFA Benefits). Regionally: South Pacific & Once On This Island (Olney Theatre),The King and I, Xanadu, Disney’s High School Musical and Disney’s High School Musical 2 (all at Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma), Disney’s High School Musical (MUNY, Casa Manana), Urinetown (Trinity University), and Up In The Air (Kennedy Center-AD). Television: “Sesame Street,” Macy’sThanksgiving Day Parade. As an actor, Alan is most recognizable for his role in the Emmy Award winning series, “Sesame Street,” where he plays “Alan,” the proprietor of Hooper’s Store. He has appeared in 7 Broadway shows; Aladdin, Pacific Overtures, Mail, Shogun, the Musical, My Favorite Year, The King and I (with Lou Diamond Phillips and Donna Murphy), and most notably Miss Saigon, where he played the lead role of the Engineer. Member SSDC & DGA. Website: www.alanmuraoka.net Follow on Instagram: #alanathoopers
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia is also an internationally published and exhibited photographer, a multi-platform journalist, and a publicist. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman and Hide and Seek. She is profiled in Jade Magazine and Playbill.com.
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