Urban Stages WINTER RHYTHMS 2012 Begins Tonight

Urban Stages (Frances Hill, Founding Artistic Director), in association with producer/director/lyricist Peter Napolitano announces a series of musical evenings entitled WINTER RHYTHMS 2012, beginning on Tuesday, December 4 and running through Friday, December 15, 2012 at Urban Stages Theatre (259 West 30th Street). Tickets are $25 per show (both shows in one night, $40). Beer and wine will be available for a $3 donation. Tickets may be purchased on www.smarttix.com or 212 868-4444.

WINTER RHYTHMS 2012 marks the fourth year that Urban Stages has brought noted musical artists to its stage during the holiday period. Proceeds from this critically acclaimed musical series helps to fund Urban Stages’ On Tour Outreach Program, bringing over 300 FREE “arts in education” presentations to libraries and schools throughout the five boroughs.

The celebrated cabaret entertainer and Tony nominee Karen Akers will open WINTER RHYTHMS 2012 at Urban Stages on Tuesday, December 4 with her acclaimed tribute show to the songs of Cole Porter entitled Anything Goes: Karen Akers Sings Cole Porter with musical direction by Don Rebic. This special Patron’s Night Performance will be followed by dinner at Seven Restaurant. Tickets are $125.

Other performers to present solo/duo shows in the series are Tony nominee Adriane Lennox and Broadway veteran Andrea Frierson with The Barry Levitt Trio, jazz vocalists Mary Foster Conklin and Cleve Douglass, cabaret artists Julie Reyburn, Susan Winter, Marissa Mulder and Erin Cronican, Broadway and television veteran Carole Demas, multi-instrumentalist Sean Hagerty and singer/songwriter Lora-Faye Whelan.

Special one night only group performances include musical director/pianist Bill Zeffiro’s “Birthday Tribute to Frank Sinatra” hosted by TV personality Bill Boggs with a cast of cabaret notables including Karen Oberlin, Terese Genecco, Shaynee Rainbolt, Ronnie Whyte, Valerie Lemon, Stacy Sullivan and Jenna Esposito, Talise Trevigne performing At the State of Venus and Emmy winner Glen Roven’s “Santa Fe Songs” , opera star David Okulitch and others to be announced, musical director/pianist Barry Levitt’s ”Jazz Jam” with vocalists Kat Gang, La Tanya Hall and Gabrielle Stravelli; “Very Special Material,” an evening of the songs of Sean Harkness, Nicholas Levin and Tracy Stark with performers to be announced; and a special closing night concert, “From All of Us to All Of You: Seasonal Songs and Disney, Too” with a cast to be announced.

Musical theatre is represented by performances of songbook revues and excerpts from new American musicals including “The Songs of Douglas J. Cohen”, Peter Napolitano’s “Songs From a Wedding, a Penthouse, and a Pinocchio,” featuring Tony nominee Robert Cuccioli; Anita Hollander’s “Still Standing”; Mary Liz McNamara’s “The Good Girl in Concert”; “Smile On My Face: The Songs of Richard Eisenberg”; and “Hopelessly in Love: The Lyrics of Tom Toce”.