Maria Friedman in cabaret at the Café Carlyle

Café Carlyle announces the return of Maria Friedman in cabaret from the 2 May - 3 Jun 2006.

Maria Friedman will offer a program of material from her new recording (Now and Then) which includes 'Finishing The Hat,' from Sunday In The Park With George, Cole Porter's 'I Happen To Like New York,' Rodgers & Hart's 'My Romance' and Charlie Chaplin's 'Smile,' as well as dramatic numbers by French composers Jacques Brel ('If You Go Away') and Michel Legrand ('Now and Then').

Ms. Friedman will be accompanied by a duo of piano and bass.

Maria Friedman has starred in the London versions of major American musicals like Chicago, Passion, Lady In The Dark, Ragtime, and Sunday In The Park With George. She recently made her much-anticipated Broadway debut in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Woman In White. She captivated the national media and theatre fans around the world with the stunning announcement she had been diagnosed with breast cancer while performing in previews. Maria went through intense medical treatment, but returned to the stage just in time for her triumphant opening night. Her performance was hailed by Broadway critics as 'deeply expressive,' 'gifted and gutsy,' 'shattering performance,' 'completely authentic and seldom less than inspiring' and 'She sings with effortless expressiveness while delicately exploring the humor, pluckiness and melancholy self-reproach of her heroine,' raved Variety.

From musical theatre to plays, film, television, radio, concerts and recording, Maria Friedman is one of Britain's finest actresses, with an unprecedented three Olivier Awards and seven nominations for her work in musical theatre. She won her first Olivier Award for her one-woman show Maria Friedman: By Special Arrangement at London�s famous Donmar Warehouse and a second Olivier Award followed for her performance as 'Fosca' in Passion. Her performances in Sunday In The Park With George and Lady In The Dark, both at the Royal National Theatre, earned her two more Olivier Award nominations. Other work for the stage includes Blues In The Night, April In Paris and the National Theatre's production of Ghetto.

Maria also starred in the West End as 'Roxie' in Chicago, for which she gained another Olivier Award nomination; as 'Sukie' in The Witches of Eastwick; 'Mother' in Ragtime (for which she won her third Oliver Award); and The Woman in White, which won Maria a historic seventh Olivier nomination. She has also appeared as the Narrator in the film video of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and has made numerous recordings.