Woody Allen live with his jazz band

Every Woody Allen fan knows the director plays a mean clarinet, but did you know that for many years you could have seen Woody Allen playing live in Manhattan?

The Woody Allen & The Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band used to perform at The Carlyle, the famous cafe on the Upper East Side, several Mondays a year. The shows stopped during the pandemic, and we're still waiting for Woody Allen's band to return to the stage.

They haven't played any new shows since 2022, but I'm leaving this piece up in the hope that the maestro comes back to treat us to a few notes off the movie screen 🤞.

Woody Allen live at the Carlyle

For more than 15 years, Allan Konigsberg played several Mondays a year at the Café Carlyle, inside the elegant Hotel Carlyle (wonderful if you want to relive New York's golden age).

Those who made it to the Carlyle shows saw Allen walk in suddenly with his black leather case, watched him assemble his instrument on a table, then take the stage for a little over an hour and leave immediately, exactly as he arrived, in silence.

Dates

The season of Woody Allen shows at the Carlyle usually ran from January to June each year, as long as it didn't clash with the shoot of whatever film he was making. Occasionally he played in other months too.

No new show dates have been announced since 2022.

Schedule

Woody Allen's concerts took place Mondays from 8:45 pm to 10:00 pm.

Guests were advised to arrive by 7:30 pm at the latest.

Café Carlyle has a «chic attire» dress code, so leave the sportswear at home. Men are required to wear a jacket.

Prices

The privilege of watching the maestro play jazz cost a pretty penny. On top of the cover charge, there was a minimum spend:

• General Admission: $165 per person + $75 minimum spend
• Premium Seating: $215 + $75 minimum spend
• Bar Seating: $120 + $25 minimum spend (21 and over only)

As you can see, the cheapest option was the bar seat, where you had to spend at least $25 on drinks (ask for plenty of ice and nurse that drink as long as you can). That works out to $145.

As Woody Allen admirers, we honestly don't think it's crazy to pay that much to be face to face with him. $145 is a bit more than a good seat at a Broadway show.

If the Woody Allen shows ever come back and you decide to make this «investment» in your fandom and sit at a table (general or premium admission), contact the Café Carlyle directly to book online or by phone (+1 212 744 1600).

For bar seating there are no reservations. It's first come, first served, so get there early.

The Café Carlyle

The discreet, elegant Hotel Carlyle, home to the cafe, has been a celebrity magnet since it opened in 1955. Regulars have included Elizabeth Taylor, Steve Martin, Warren Beatty and Paul Newman, among others.

Better still, in the 1960s it was President John F. Kennedy's favorite hotel when he traveled to New York, and the story goes that Marilyn Monroe visited him incognito when Jackie Kennedy wasn't around.

So yes, staying at the Carlyle is a classic New York experience.

Woody Allen and the Carlyle

At least a couple of Woody Allen films have scenes set at the Café Carlyle: it's where Allen's date with Dianne Wiest takes place in Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), and there's also a scene from Hollywood Ending (2002).

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Café Carlyle address

Café Carlyle.
35 East 76th St, Upper East Side, Manhattan

How to get there:

Subway line 6. 77th St station