54 Below is a nonprofit cabaret and restaurant in the basement of

Studio 54 Studio 54 is a Broadway theatre, Broadway theater and former nightclub at 254 West 54th Street (Manhattan), 54th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York, U.S. Opened as the Gallo Opera House in 1927, it served ...

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan, serving as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Building, the ...

, New York City. Run by Broadway producers Steve Baruch, Richard Frankel, Marc Routh and Tom Viertel, 54 Below has hosted shows by such performers as

Patti LuPone Patti Ann LuPone (born April 21, 1949) is an American actress and singer. After starting her professional career with The Acting Company in 1972, she soon gained acclaim for her leading performances on the Broadway and West End stage. Known f ...

Ben Vereen Benjamin Augustus Vereen (né Middleton; October 10, 1946) is an American actor, dancer and singer. He gained prominence for his performances in the original Broadway productions of the musicals ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', for which he received ...

, Sierra Boggess,

Peggy King Peggy King (born February 16, 1930) is an American jazz singer. She was a member of big bands led by Charlie Spivak, Ralph Flanagan, and Ray Anthony. Career "Pretty Perky Peggy King", as she was called, appeared on ''The George Gobel Show' ...

Lea Salonga Maria Lea Carmen Imutan Salonga, ( ; born February 22, 1971) is a Filipino singer and actress. Known primarily for her work in theatre, she has starred in musicals on Broadway and in the West End. Her accolades include a Tony Award and a L ...

, Marilyn Maye, Luann de Lesseps and Barbara Cook.

History

54 Below opened on June 3, 2012. Its designers include architect Richard H. Lewis, set designer John Lee Beatty, lighting designer Ken Billington, and sound designer Peter Hylenski. Scott Wittman also serves as Creative Consultant. Jennifer Ashley Tepper serves as the Director of Programming at 54 Below. 54 Below features a variety of musical artists and styles, including musical theatre, opera, and jazz, the last of which was featured in a series co-produced with WBGO. In September 2015, 54 Below announced a creative alliance with performer and singer, pianist, and music revivalist

Michael Feinstein Michael Jay Feinstein (born September 7, 1956) is an American singer, pianist, and music Revivalist artist, revivalist. He is an archivist and interpreter for the repertoire known as the Great American Songbook. In 1988, he won a Drama Desk Spec ...

, becoming Feinstein's/54 Below. This partnership ended in July 2022, and the club reverted to the name 54 Below. At the

75th Tony Awards The 75th Tony Awards were held on June 12, 2022, to recognize achievement in Broadway theatre, Broadway productions during the 2021–22 season. The ceremony was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with Ariana DeBose serving as host ...

54 Below was the recipient of a 2022 Tony Awards Honor for Excellence in the Theatre. On April 18, 2023, 54 Below announced they have transitioned to become a

nonprofit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

Awards

* 2013 BroadwayWorld New York Cabaret Award **

: Show of the Year (''Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda'') ** Sondheim Unplugged: Best Variety Show/Recurring Series **

Terri White Terri White is an American actress and singer. The daughter of traveling musicians Bill White and Gertrude Hughes, White has appeared in '' Nunsense 2: The Sequel'' (1994), '' Ain't Misbehavin (1978), '' Barnum'' (1980), '' Welcome to the Clu ...

: Best One-Show Special Event (''Blues to Broadway'') ** Alex Rybeck: Best Musical Director for Sibling Revelry with the Callaway Sisters ** Jackie Hoffman: Best Musical Comedy Performance (''Old Woman, New Material'') ** Laura Benanti: Best Female Celebrity Vocalist (''In Constant Search of the Right Kind of Attention'') ** Susie Mosher: Best Host/Producer for Variety Show or Open Mic (''Backstage'') ** Ann Hampton Callaway &

Liz Callaway Liz Callaway (born April 13, 1961) is an American actress, singer and recording artist, who is best known for having provided the singing voices of many female characters in animated films, such as Anya (Anastasia), Anastasia in ''Anastasia (1997 ...

: Best Duo or Group Show (''Sibling Revelry'') ** Ahrens & Flaherty: Best Revue (Nice Fighting You: A 30th Anniversary Celebration) ** Jason Robert Brown: Best Original Song for a Cabaret Show ("Twenty-Six Names") **

Jane Monheit Jane Monheit (born November 3, 1977"Jane Monheit." ''Contemporary Musicians''. Vol. 33. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale, 2001. Retrieved via ''Biography in Context'' database, 2017-05-07.) is an American jazz and traditional pop singer. Early life Mo ...

: Best Jazz Vocalist *2013 Bistro Awards **

Justin Vivian Bond Justin Vivian Bond (born May 9, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and actor, who is transgender. Described as "the best cabaret artist of

heir Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offi ...

generation" and a "tornado of art and activism", they first achieved prominence under the pseud ...

** Jenifer Lewis ** Maurice Hines * 2013 June Briggs Award: Excellence in Destination Management Services * 2013 Concierge Choice Award: Nightlife *

MAC Awards The MAC Awards, established in 1986, are presented annually to honor achievements in cabaret, comedy and jazz. They are administered by the non-profit Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs (MAC), founded in 1983, and voted on by the MAC member ...

: Board of Directors Award (2013) * 2013 Nightlife Award

Selected performers

Among the performers who have performed at 54 Below:

Popular culture

54 Below was used in the setting of the ''

Downton Abbey ''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. It first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV (TV network), ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United St ...

'' parody ''Downton Abbey the Musical''. It was also featured in the third season of the webseries ''

Submissions Only ''Submissions Only'' is a comedy web series about the casting and audition process for Broadway theater. It centers around aspiring actress Penny Reilly ( Kate Wetherhead) and her friend, casting agency director Tim Trull ( Colin Hanlon), and the ...

''.

Recordings

A partnership with Broadway Records has produced live albums of selected shows performed at 54 Below.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Cabaret in New York City Restaurants in Manhattan Music venues in Manhattan Midtown Manhattan Studio 54