Just some of the many celebrities who have performed at (or just came to enjoy) Jim Caruso's BROADWAY AT BIRDLAND concert series. (Photos are thumbnailed.  Click on the photo to view it full-sized.)

Pianist Billy Stritch, BOY FROM OZ co-stars Stephanie J Block & Hugh Jackman, Jim

GREY GARDENS star Christine Ebersole and composer Stephen Sondheim

Composer Stephen Schwartz and COMPANY star Raul Esparza

How did CAST PARTY come about?

It was fate! I had been hired to do PR for a now-defunct nightclub. There was nothing happening in the space, so I decided to throw a holiday party for my friends. At some point, we all gathered around the piano and the night really started to pick up. We sang 'em all, and stayed till 3am. The next day, the club asked if I would do it again every week. I couldn't imagine that anyone would come back, but they did, and the word spread about the scene that was happening. I swear, hosting an open mic was the furthest thing from my mind! And here we are, five years later, packing Birdland, the best music room in the country, week after week! Not to be self-serving or anything.

I’ve had the pleasure of attending and performing at CAST PARTY. For those who haven’t, describe a typical night at CAST PARTY.

The word 'typical' is not a word that you'd use to describe Cast Party. ABC-TV called it "Extreme Open-Mic," which is pretty accurate. Just when you think we have a rather ordinary line-up of talent, some random superstar will wander onto the stage. We have a weekly cast of regular characters, too, like some surreal Hollywood Squares with showtunes. Bob Dolphin, the 82-year old singer/tap dancer, jazzes-up the crowd every week. Christine Lavin, a world-class folk singer, tries out new material every Monday, wearing her multi-color high-tops and occasionally twirling light-up batons. We've had Australian didgeridoo players, belly dance troups, faux-Carol Channings, and the actual Liza Minnelli. If you are a pop music fan, Phoebe Snow, Denise Williams and Jon Bon Jovi would have made you happy. Big-time Broadway composers like Stephen Schwartz (Wicked), Jason Robert Brown (Parade), Larry O'Keefe (Legally Blonde), Bobby Lopez & Jeff Marcus (Avenue Q), and Lisa Lambert & Bob Martin (Drowsy Chaperone) have shown their stuff. The late, great Betty Comden sang "100 Easy Ways To Lose A Man," from Wonderful Town. After a re-cap of the Academy Awards, Liza sang, "Oscar," the Kander & Ebb song she performed on the actual award telecast a while back! In between all the glitz, there are wonderful performances by cabaret and show folk, jazzers, some amazing newcomers, and a few people who should, frankly, be arrested for loitering in front of a microphone. But that's all part of the fun!

You also host the BROADWAY AT BIRDLAND concert series. What are some of the acts that will be appearing in the series in the coming months?

The Broadway at Birdland series I produce, in association with TheaterMania.com, has been a weekly event for almost 5 years! The showbiz glitterati was flocking to Birdland for Cast Party every Monday around 9:30, but we wanted to get 'em there earlier! To do that, we have showcased some of the biggest and brightest names on the scene. Coming up, we have Laura Bell Bundy (currently starring in Legally Blonde), Billy Stritch, Natalie Douglas, The Guytunes, Stephanie J. Block, Linda Lavin, Patrick DeGennaro, Amanda Green, Nancy Anderson, Larry O'Keefe, Donna Lynne Champlin, Kate Shindle & Michael John LaChiusa, Sam Davis, Jeffry Denman, Klea Blackhurst, Jason Graae, Jeremy Shoenfeld, Sam Harris, Lucie Arnaz, and Mo Rocca. I'm exhausted!

You’ve written a number of celebrity interviews for InStyle Magazine and Theatremania.com among others. What do you feel makes a great celebrity interview?

A celebrity interview is only as good as the celebrity! In my writing, as well as my radio interviews, I try to interview the smartest and wittiest folks I can find. Some people just know how to be interviewed. They have a duffle bag filled with stories, interesting thoughts, and the occasional bon mot. I'm not a good enough interviewer to turn dull into dazzling. I watch a genius like Letterman with awe.

Tell us about your phenomenal gig – touring with Liza Minnelli! What the show about? What cities are still left on the tour?

Singing and dancing on the road with Liza has been an absolute ball. I opened for her several times about 15 years ago, then worked in a production capacity on Minnelli On Minnelli. Nothing prepared me for the thrill of doing production numbers with her! I'm part of the Kay Thompson Tribute of the concert. Kay was Liza's godmother, and also happened to be the vocal arranger at MGM, an actress (Funny Face) an author (Eloise) and a great friend of mine. After she left MGM, she created one of the most talked-about nightclub acts in history, called Kay Thompson and the Williams Brothers. Cortes Alexander, Clarke Thorell, Johnny Rodgers and I are re-creating the Brothers' incredibly close harmonies, which Kay arranged. Of course, just crooning while sitting on a stool wasn't good enough for Liza. We have to DANCE. And I mean, we are dancing our feet off to some of the fastest tempos known to man. The travel has been astonishing - Antwerp in April (there's a song there), Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, and Brasil. Oh, Las Vegas, where we met Carrot Top, Siegfried and Roy in the same night. I sure hope we book the show in New York - you all have to see this!

On Kathy Griffin’s Bravo series MY LIFE ON THE D-LIST, Kathy was trying to contact you to try to get you to persuade Liza to attend her Carnegie Hall concert. Did she manage to reach you and did you help her out?

It's a shattering fact that I received more calls and emails when Kathy Griffin mentioned me on her TV show than I have from any performance I've ever done in my life! She did reach me about getting Liza to her Carnegie Hall concert. Liza was very intrigued by the idea, but was going out of town on the day of the concert. I know how much Kathy loves Liza, so I have made it my mission to introduce them. Something tells me Kathy will have cameras stationed, so stay tuned. And, how much do we love Kathy Griffin? She is, quite possibly, one of the most naturally funny people on the planet, and I don't care what list she thinks she's on.

You’ve met and worked with so many big stars. Are there any that are no longer with us that you wish you could have introduced on stage at CAST PARTY?

Fred Ebb was one of my favorite human beings ever. It would have been a delight to introduce him to the crowd at Cast Party, especially knowing how much he loved to perform. I think Liza would back me up in saying that his performance of Liza With a Z was rather definitive. I mean, truly hilarious.

For more on Jim Caruso and his projects visit:

Jim's Official Website
CAST PARTY Official Website
Here! on Broadway With Jim Caruso (Podcast)

Information on the BROADWAY AT BIRDLAND series available at Birdland Jazz.com