LaChanze, Stephanie J. Block, Lead Lineup for Bay Area Cabaret Season

Bay Area Cabaret announces its 16th Season of shows that includes a stellar and diverse lineup featuring many performers making their Bay Area Cabaret debuts, as well as the return of several favorites. This season also marks Bay Area Cabaret's tenth season in residence at the legendary Venetian Room (Fairmont Hotel, 950 Mason Street atop Nob Hill).

The 2019-2020 season opens on Sunday, October 13, 2019 at 7:30 pm with Broadway legend Maurice Hines performing Tappin' Thru Life with the DIVA Jazz Orchestra. In this very personal show, Maurice taps audiences through his incredible career in a jazzy song-and-dance celebration that pays tribute to his brother Gregory (Maurice and Gregory appeared together on the stage of The Venetian Room) and other performers who inspired him from Frank Sinatra to Lena Horne. Backed by his tap protégés, The Manzari Brothers, as well as the acclaimed all-female DIVA Jazz Orchestra, Maurice offers his distinctive take on American standards.

The Season

On Sunday, November 10, 2019 at 7:30 pm with the Bay Area debut of Tony Award nominee LaChanze (The Color Purple and Summer:The Donna Summer Musical), performing her autobiographical piece, Feeling Good.

Later that month on Sunday, November 24, 2019 at 5 pm brings the solo Bay Area debut of Carole J. Bufford, one of the most sought-after young performers in the New York City cabaret and jazz scene, in her show You Don't Own Me: Fearless Females of the Sixties.

The new year kicks off with the return of two of Bay Area Cabaret audiences favorites: John Pizzarelli at 4:00 pm on Sunday, January 19, 2020, and Stacey Kent on Thursday, February 27, 2020 at 7:30 pm. San Francisco audiences who saw Max von Essen on Broadway, where he earned a Tony nomination for originating the leading role in American in Paris, played to spellbound audiences in Anastasia or saw him in the recent national touring production of Falsettos, will enjoy his Bay Area Cabaret debut, Call Me Old Fashioned, accompanied by the acclaimed jazz pianist Billy Stritch on Sunday, March 8, 2020 at 5:00 pm.A Very Jazz Cabaret on Sunday, April 26, 2020 at 7:30 pm is a show that will feature a special surprise guest (star performer to be revealed this Fall).

The Bay Area Cabaret 2019-2020 season finale is on Sunday, May 10, 2020 at 7:30 pm showcasing the Bay Area concert debut of Stephanie J. Block, winner of the 2019 Tony Award for her star turn in The Cher Show and well known to Broadway audiences from Wicked, Anything Goes, and her Tony-nominated performances in Falsettos and The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

"Bay Area Cabaret in the swanky Venetian Room at the iconic Fairmont Hotel is the epitome of a sophisticated night out on the town in San Francisco," says Marilyn Levinson, Founding Executive Producer of Bay Area Cabaret. "Reveling in the elegant surroundings, mingling with friends and other music-lovers while you savor the performances of both acclaimed and rising stars is an unparalleled experience. The intimate setting offers a magical connection between the artists and their audience. Both audiences and performers have said that they can sense the venue's rich musical history the minute they set foot in the room."

www.bayareacabaret.org