Cole Escola, acclaimed for his inspired musical performances in Joe's Pub's recurring smash Our Hit Parade and Casserole Live, the live performance component of his hit television series, Jeffery & Cole Casserole, returns to Joe's Pub following eagerly anticipated solo debut there in January. With Cole's broad showmanship and sweetheart charm, his act hearkens back to a time when the great ladies of stage and screen dazzled the crowds in smoky rooms all over town. An exciting bill of standards, showtunes, Motown and original material brought to life by Cole's decidedly fresh perspective and raw energy under the direction of Ben Rimalower (Leslie Kritzer is Patti LuPone at Les Mouches) and featuring a band led by Bistro Award-winner Ray Fellman. Cole Escola premieres at Joe's Pub (425 Lafayette Street) on FRIDAY, MAY 20th at 11:30 PM and FRIDAY, MAY 27th at 11:30 PM.
COLE ESCOLA is best known as one half of the comedy duo Jeffery & Cole of Logo's "Jeffery & Cole Casserole." They also have a series of popular YouTube videos created under the moniker "The VGL Gay Boys" and have played several sold-out shows in NYC including "Party 'n' Play" and "Jeffery & Cole Casserole LIVE" both at Joe's Pub and "Jeffery and Cole Make it Bigger" at the HOT! Festival at Dixon Place. Solo, Cole has appeared on Law & Order as a special needs teenager with blood on his hands, played a sexy stork in platforms in "Puppy Love: A Stripper's Tail" at PS 122, and sings Taylor Swift covers regularly at the monthly variety program "Our Hit Parade" at Joe's Pub. He is petite and frightening.
BEN RIMALOWER directed Joy (Actors Playhouse, Out Magazine: "Top Ten Theatre"), The Fabulous Life of a Size Zero (Daryl Roth/DR2 Theatre), Project Lohan (La MaMa E.T.C.), Snoopy! starring Sutton Foster (Symphony Space), And/or (Hot Festival) and Sodom the Musical (Kraine Theatre) as well as staged readings for Second Stage, The York, Dixon Place and Ensemble Studio Theatre. He conceived and directed Leslie Kritzer is Patti LuPone at Les Mouches (Time Out New York Award) and subsequently produced Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records' long-awaited recording, Patti LuPone at Les Mouches (#25 on Billboard "Heatseekers" Chart), digitally restored from archival tapes of LuPone's legendary live 1980 performances. In venues such as Joe's Pub, Ars Nova, The Zipper Factory, San Francisco's Plush Room and Los Angeles' Upright Cabaret, Ben has earned the title the "Midas of Cabaret" (The Advocate) helming a slew of solo shows for artists including Alec Mapa, Cole Escola, Our Lady J, Natalie Joy Johnson, Lindsey Alley, Molly Pope, Wendy Ho, John Hill, Scott Nevins, Kate Pazakis and Lance Horne in addition to producing and hosting the Laurie Beechman Theatre's recurring variety show, Saturday Night Underground. In 2011, he has directed the premieres of Rachel Shukert and Michael Schulman's You Like Me, An Evening of Classic Award Acceptance Speeches and Paul Iacono's Prince/Elizabeth. Ben writes the column, The New Old Gay for akawilliam.com and is currently at work on his first solo performance piece, recently chronicled in The New York Times feature, "The Impresario Who's Keeping the '80s Spirit Alive Downtown." Assistant Director credits include Lonny Price's productions of A Class Act (Manhattan Theatre Club, Broadway and Tokyo) and A Little Night Music (starring Patti LuPone, George Hearn and Zoe Caldwell) as well as the Emmy-winning Sweeney Todd. Ben studied Theatre Arts at U.C. Berkeley where he was the founding Artistic Director of BareStage (now celebrating its 15th anniversary).
RAY FELLMAN: (Musical Direction/Arrangements) New York, M.D. credits include: Stephen Schwartz's Off-Broadway production of Captain Louie (Little Schubert Theater); The Tutor by Gerle/Wood (59 E 59); .22 Caliber Mouth dir. Diane Paulis (Ohio Theater); Rosemary and Time starring Liz McCartney (Laurie Beechman). Regional: Blood Drive by Shenkin/Derfner, Iron Curtain by Weiner/Mills, Buddy's Tavern by DeFelitta/Oler/Hubbard, dir. Warren Carlysle (O'Neill Center Musical Theater Conference); Les Miserables, Phantom, Sweeney Todd (Fulton Theatre, PA); Sweeney Todd (Teatro Nacional Sucre, Quito, Ecuador); Amahl and the Night Visitors (Aiken Prod. Nat'l. Tour). M.D. 2007 Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs Awards at B.B. King's. 2007 Backstage Magazine Bistro Award for musical direction of The After Party (Laurie Beechman Theatre) hosted by Brandon Cutrell. As a cabaret artist, Ray has been seen behind the piano at such venues as Feinstein's at Loewe's Regency, The Oak Room at The Algonquin, Jazz At Lincoln Center, The Metropolitan Room, The Laurie Beechman Theatre and The Duplex Cabaret Theatre with such artists as Anne Runolfsson, Liz McCartney, Karen Mason, Lauren Molina, Kristy Cates, Susie Moser, and MADtv's Nicole Parker. Ray has been on music staff for NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program, Mid America Productions at Carnegie Hall, The Utah Festival Opera Company, and A Yuletide Celebration with the Indianapolis Symphony starring Judy Kaye. Ray divides his time between NYC and Bloomington, Indiana where he is a Professor at Indiana University.
TICKETS ($15): 212-967-7555 : www.joespub.com
In Person: At The Public Theater Box Office from 1pm to 6pm and at Joe's Pub from 6pm to 10pm (both located at 425 Lafayette St.)
