5 NYC Hotel Lounge Acts You Can't Miss

June 30, 2011 at 10:17 AM | by ASchechter | Comments (0)

It's New York. And there's plenty to see and hear. So we've made it a little easier for you with this list of five performances that take place inside hotels�from lounge schmaltz to late-night hip hop, you'll never find yourself bored in a Manhattan hotel again!

Barbara Carroll at the Oak Room ($35)

You'll have to wait until the fall season starts up, but Barbara Carroll's Sunday brunch series at The Algonquin is some kind of New York rite of passage. Don't worry if you've never heard of the songs�just watch Carroll's 80-year-old hands glide nimbly over the polished black and white keys, and be mesmerized. The scene is complemented by delicious brunch fare like shrimp avocado ceviche ($16) and cinnamon apple stuffed brioche French toast ($18)�but beware the $25 food minimum.

Comedy Extravaganza at the Ace New York ($5)

Providence native Matt McCarthy hosts this monthly comedy night every second Monday at 7:30pm (the next will be July 11). Though the Ace New York has made use of DJs, live musicians, film screenings, and, most interestingly, book readings, they manage to attract yet another audience in their downstairs Liberty Hall space. Musical comedy, video, sketch comedy, and, of course, stand-up, all play into this variety show. "Standup comedy...is easily the purest form of art available," says McCarthy, "a man alone, using his mind as his instrument." We couldn't have said it better ourselves.

Chamber Magic at the Waldorf-Astoria ($75�$100)

He's performed magic for David Letterman on national TV, so he must be pretty good. Magician Steve Cohen takes over a suite inside the Waldorf-Astoria twice every Friday (7pm and 9pm) and three times on Saturdays (2pm, 7pm, 9pm), and audiences can't get enough of him! We think it has something to do with the intimate setting (a plush, dim-lit hotel suite on Park Avenue is bound to put anyone in the mood for magic), which break down the "fourth wall" of Cohen's illusions. Though ticket prices are slightly more than what you'll pay for a similar act downtown, we bet your date will be impressed by your choice of venue.

Jazz at Salon Millesime

The New York Times was suitably impressed by the talent they witnessed upon entering Salon Millesime, a jazz lounge inside the Carlton Hotel. Check out the scene�which includes a Steinway baby grand piano and Bose sound system�every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights between 6pm and 1am. Tonight and next Thursday, enjoy some funk sounds by trumpeter Igmar Thomas. Says Erika Hamilton, the restauran't music coordinator, "We've had everyone from Ne-Yo to Estelle to Lil' Kim." (Check out photos of Lil' Kim inside the hotel here).

Silent Sundays at the Gershwin ($10)

Similar to the Unsilent Film Series developed over at downtown music venue Le Poisson Rouge, Silent Sundays at the Gershwin Hotel offer performers a chance to accompany silent films. Next up on the calendar is pianist Joel Forrester (7pm), who will play along to Brats, a 1930s Laurel & Hardy comedy, The High Sign, another comedy from 1921, and Dream of a Rarebit Fiend, from 1906. Check the Gershwin's calendar, as they tend to schedule a wide variety of music, theater, comedy, and other offerings (there even have two performance spaces!)

[Photos: New York Times, Chamber Magic, Ace Hotel, Millesime, and Gershwin Hotel.]

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