Ann Hampton Callaway: Here's To Life
54 Below254 W 54th St, New York 10019
Ann Hampton Callaway brings Here’s To Life to 54 Below with her award-winning trio. The program moves through standards by Arlen, Porter, Rodgers and the Bergmans, songs by contemporary writers, and Callaway’s own work. Billed as a Tony-nominated singer-songwriter, she frames the evening around material that has shaped her life in music, with the trio supporting a set that connects the Great American Songbook to her songwriting.
Born and raised in Chicago, Callaway is known for her Tony-nominated performance in Swing! and for writing and singing the theme to The Nanny. A champion of the Great American Songbook, she is also an improviser who creates songs from audience prompts. Her songs have appeared on seven Barbra Streisand CDs, and her performance history includes work with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, plus Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops. JazzTimes called her a “superbly intelligent, singularly creative pop-jazz stylist”; Stephen Holden wrote in The New York Times, “For sheer vocal beauty, no contemporary singer matches Ms. Callaway.”
A nonprofit cabaret venue dedicated to live music, 54 Below is a listening room where audiences gather to experience legendary artists performing in a dedicated space. The atmosphere is elegant and intimate, with a focus on the music and the performers. The room is designed for seated audiences, offering close proximity to the stage, and the experience is centered around the show rather than conversation or drinking. Shows are ticketed and require advance purchase, with a nonprofit mission that supports the arts. The venue has a strong reputation for excellence in theatre, as recognized by a 2022 Tony Award nomination.