"Jim Caruso's Cast Party" at Birdland, 315 W. 44th St. in NYC is undeniably the most fun you can have on a Monday nite in Manhattan(with your clothes on). Comedian/singer Jim Caruso hosts this wild open mike that features some of the best cabaret singers in New York--and many a star has been known to stop in for the party(from Liza Minnelli to Jon Bon Jovi!) Anyone that wants to sing has to put their name on the sign-up sheet and Jim will bring them up. Several years ago I worked with Jim Caruso on a New York TV show called "Cafe DuArt"--so a few Mondays ago I re-introduced myself to Jim, dropping by Birdland to watch the Cast Party unfold. On Mon., August 1st after my weekly gig at Nino's Tuscany on W.58th St., I took a cab down to Birdland and eventually sat in doing Todd Rundgren's "Hello It's Me" on their awesome Boesendorfer piano(one of my fave songs). Pianist Billy Stritch--a jazz/cabaret legend in Manhattan is the usual accompanist each week but will vacate the piano for other instrumentalists, and it was great to meet him and play their piano. So if you're visting NYC on a Monday--by all means come see me at Nino's Tuscany but ALSO rush over to catch "the Cast Party"--read more about it at http://www.castpartynyc.com/ .