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MICHAEL STERLING (Producer) - Sterling’s Upstairs at Vitello’s opened its doors June 9, 2006 and is produced by Michael Sterling of Michael Sterling & Associates (MS&A), the Los Angeles-based entertainment public relations company - in conjunction with Vitello's; the legendary, world renowned restaurant. The prestigious Cabaret West organization cited Sterling's Upstairs with its coveted "Spotlight" for the September and October, 2007 issues of their monthly membership magazine.
Associate Talent Producers are musical theatre aficionado John Peters and MS&A associate and musical theatre star Tony Monsour.
Sterling's Upstairs is the only supper-club of its kind in in the greater Los Angeles area dedicated to presenting the best of Broadway performers and Nightclub artists featuring the music of Broadway, the Great American Songbook, Retro Pop, select Contemporary Pop, and Popera (the bridge between Pop and Opera). Sterling's seductive decor is reminiscent of the quietly elegant supper clubs of New York back in the day.
Upon its opening, Mr. Sterling dedicated the club to his longtime friend and mentor: the late Rosemary Clooney (1928 - 2002). For 56 years, Ms. Clooney was one of music's most radiant stars and a critically acclaimed interpreter of the Great American Songbook. She not only taught Mr. Sterling about timeless American music and its brilliant composers, but to always pursue his dreams. Producing a supper-club was one of them.
Since Mr. Sterling began his career, he has represented such stellar clients as The Bee Gees, Donny and Marie Osmond and the Osmond Brothers, George Harrison, Richard and Karen Carpenter, "Mama" Cass Elliot, Jim Croce. Elizabeth Taylor, Lance Armstrong, Scott Hamilton, David Copperfield, Joan Collins, Alan Thicke, David Brenner, Susan Anton, Andy Gibb, Tai Babilonia & Randy Gardner, and Robert Goulet, to name but a few.
Aside from his celebrity clientele, he has also represented various national theatre tours including the 30th anniversary, full scale production of "The Fantasticks" starring Robert Goulet; the U.S. National tour of "Broadway on Ice" starring Scott Hamilton and Dorothy Hamill; and "Sometimes Late at Night" with Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager. National arena tours include eight consecutive seasons (2000-2007) of "Stars on Ice" and the 2002 U.S. "Tour of World and Olympic Gymnastic Champions."
In Los Angeles, he has represented such award-winning theatre productions as "Like A Dog on Linoleum" starring Leslie Jordan, "Don’t Buck with Me!" (later titled "Now Hear This!") starring Kathy Buckley; the much heralded "Renaissance Geek" (later titled "Straight Up with a Twist") starring Paul Stroili; "Lemonade" starring Maxwell Caulfield and Heather Tom; and "Behind the Counter with Mussolini" starring Marco Greco, among others. He has also handled numerous Emmy Award-winning television specials, celebrity books and albums.
As a producer, Mr. Sterling not only co-produced (with Scott Hamilton) "Time Traveler" for Sea World of California but wrote and directed the production which played to nearly one million visitors at the park’s 7000 seat Nautilus Amphitheatre. He also co-produced (with Vera Goulet) "Together Again for The First Time" starring Robert Goulet, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O’Connor and Rip Taylor at the Aladdin Theatre for The Performing Arts in Las Vegas; "Now Hear This!" on Broadway(with co-producers Scott Hamilton and David Hyde Pierce) starring five-time American Comedy Award nominee and America's first hearing impaired comedienne Kathy Buckley; and the highly successful "Joan Ryan and A Few Good Men" with special guest stars composer David Friedman, Broadway star Sean McDermott and American Idol Associate Musical Director Michael Orland at Feinstein’s at the Cinegrill located in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
Mr. Sterling also returned to directing Broadway musical theatre in Los Angeles and received critical acclaim for both the 2005 West Coast revival of "Dames at Sea" and "The Sound of Music" in 2006.
Since its opening, Sterling’s Upstairs has hosted some of the most prominent Broadway and Nightclub performers in Los Angeles. Among them: Broadway stars and Motion Picture and Television stars Dean Butler ("Into the Woods" on Broadway and longtime co-star of TV's worldwide hit series "Little House on the Prairie;") Eric Millegan (Fox Network's hit series "Bones;" Jenna Gavigan and Heather Lee from Gypsy with Bernadette Peters); Broadway star Rachel York, one of the most radiant stars of the Great White Way ("City of Angels," "Les Miserables," "Kiss Me Kate," "Victor/Victoria," "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels;"); Tam Bernier Evans - star of over 1500 performances of "Mamma Mia!" on Broadway, in Toronto and Las Vegas; Kevin Earley (www.kevinearley.com), co-star of both the 2008 mega Broadway spectacle "A Tale of Two Cities" and "Thoroughly Modern Millie" on Broadway, and a frequent guest soloist at the Hollywood Bowl; Star of Disney's Beauty and the Beast U.S. National Tour Danyelle Bossardet; the fabulous Marion Ramsey from both Broadeway and motion pictures such as the hilarious Police Academy series of films one through six; Nita Whitaker, Musical Theatre star and thirteen-time, undefeated Star Search Champion; 2008 Los Angeles Ovation Award winner for Best Actor in a Musical - Robert J.Townsend; International singer Toni Morrell (www.tonimorrell.com); San Francisco Cabaret star Russ Lorenson; Stepfanie Kramer, co-star of the NBC hit series “Hunter”); Ilene Graff, multiple Broadway star, Grammy nominee and co-star of the ABC hit series “Mr. Belevdere”; Broadway star and two-time Grammy nominee Amick Byram; Composer, Performer, Arranger and Musical Director Nelson Kole; 2007 Los Angeles Ovation Award nominee and Musical Theatre star Tricia Kelly; Musical Theatre and television star Joan Ryan (NBC's hit teen series Saved by the Bell; Theatre, Television and Film star Maura Knowles; the distinguished Broadway star Mary Gutzi; and the phenomenal award-winning power pop trio of Filipino-American Broadway stars Three of a Kind who set an unprecedented record of six sold-out engagements at the club between April 7 and November 4, 2007.
Additionally, distinguished, regional musical theatre stars such as Shaun Samaro, Cassandra Murphy, Adam Simmons, Rita Tarin, Peter Welkin, Allen Everman, Jamil Chokachi, Ben McLain and Paul Peglar (also known as BaulPointPen); Steve Kirwan; Jeanie Brandes, Stewart Rose, 4 Friends (Wayne Moore, Brenda Silas Moore, Bryan Miller, and Gilmore Rizzo), Tricia Ridgway & Allyson Jones, Amanda Abel, Emily Allerton, Eydie Allyson, Erika Amato, Sylvia Brooks, Kathy Buckley, Maripat Davis & Richard Osborn, Matt DeMars & Sierra Rein, Julie Dickson Jackson, Renee Laramore, Bernadette Colette Peters, Paul Stroili, Kelby Thwaits, Jeanne Page, Yvette Ayers, and Jamie Angelise; and Nightclub and Recording Stars Blair Late, Antony Field, Perry Wood and Tiba! Sandy Zacky and Mike Clifford have played the stage at Sterling’s ... to name but a few.
In November and December, 2006, Sterling’s Upstairs created "LA’s Next Great Stage Star 2007," one of the most electrifying live talent searches ever presented in Los Angeles. Out of two hundred hopefuls, eighteen competitors were selected to compete weekly in front of a live audience and a rotating panel of ten of LA theatre’s most distinguished producers, directors, casting directors, agents and vocal coaches. The seven night, sold-out competition was won by Merissa Haddad who received a $1000 cash prize and a headlining debut at Sterling’s Upstairs which was presented to a sold out audience on April 14, 2007. Now an annual event, LA's Next Great Stage Star 2008 sold out with the wonderful Jantre Haskin taking the title. Our 2009 competition took place in January, 2009 and was an unprecedented success with musical comedy sensation Theresa Anne Swain unanimously proclaimed the winner. Ms. Swain's sold out, headlining debut at Sterling's on May 16, 2009 was nothing short of triumphant.
MEDIA SUPPORT OF STERLING’S UPSTAIRS:
Local, national and international media support has included such positive remarks and awards as:
Best Live Entertainment - Los Angeles Daily News 2008 Readers Choice Award:
“LA’s Cabaret Destination” – Los Angeles Times (2006);
“Sterling’s Upstairs at Vitello’s Restaurant in Studio City celebrated their 1st anniversary with a crowded house and a cool sense of chic cabaret. Over the last eight months, Sterling’s has provided Los Angeles a splendid supper-club atmosphere unmatched in this sprawling city.” Broadwayworld.com (2006)
“If life is indeed a cabaret, then entrepreneur Michael Sterling is about to start living” – Los Angeles Daily News (2006)
“Most Welcome New Venue in Los Angeles - 2006.” – Reviewplays.com
“There was a time when the Greater Los Angeles area rivaled New York City for the status of world capitol of the cabaret. During the heyday decades of the 40s, 50s and 60s, there were well over a hundred local live music venues featuring standup singers, live bands, comics and a plethora of novelty acts. Though the Cabaret has become nearly extinct, Studio City-based Sterling’s Upstairs at Vitello’s Restaurant is carrying on this highly entertaining tradition within its cozy confines.” – Pacifica Radio Network (national, but heard locally on KPFK FM (90.7)- (2006)
Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's is located at 4349 Tujunga Avenue, Studio City, CA 91604. Attendance is by reservation only. For reservations and further information - call Sterling's Upstairs at (818) 754-8700. Please note that our reservation line is not located at Vitello's Restaurant.
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO VIEW THE PHOTOS BELOW TO YOUR LEFT IN THE "HEROES" SECTION. PHOTOS INCLUDE THE GREAT, LATE ROSEMARY CLOONEY AND THE MANY GIFTED PERFORMERS WHO WILL BE HEADLINING STERLING'S AND THOSE WHO HAVE HEADLINED THE CLUB SINCE OUR 2006 OPENING. THEY ARE OUR (INDEED) OUR "HEROES" BY THE SIMPLE FACT THAT THEY ARE PART OF OUR QUEST TO PRESERVE THE ART FORM OF CABARET CONCERTS.
THE VIDEO BELOW IS THAT OF ONE OF OUR FAVORITE FRIENDS: BRITAIN'S RAY QUINN. RAY WAS NOT ONLY AN AWARD-WINNING TELEVISION STAR, BUT THE RUNNER UP OF ENGLAND'S "THE X FACTOR" NATIONAL TALENT COMPETITION PRODUCED AND JUDGED BY SIMON COWELL WHO ALSO PRODUCED RAY'S FIRST STUDIO ALBUM FOR WORLDWIDE RELEASE AFTER HIS EXTRAORDINARY RISE TO FAME THROUGHOUT EUROPE AND HERE IN THE U.S. RAY IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE TOP TIER TALENT PRESENTED AT STERLING'S UPSTAIRS. CHECK OUT RAY QUINN .. A TRIPLE THREAT ENTERTAINER.