Provincetown CabaretFest 2018 Features Slate Of 28 Performers

The soulful songs and glamorous nightlife of the 1950s will swing once more when CabaretFest returns to Provincetown May 31 to June 3. Twenty-eight cabaret entertainers from Boston, New York City, Florida and Palm Springs, will participate in ten live shows, a Q&A luncheon panel session, two performance workshops, two Marilyn Maye Master Classes, and enjoy parties and networking along with VIP pass holders. The VIP pass includes entry to all the live shows, opportunities to monitor workshops and invitations to private parties. Festival Producer Patricia Fitzpatrick sums it up like this: "Where else can you walk a few yards, see and hear so many of the nation's top cabaret performers in one place? Only in Provincetown. Provincetown is like Broadway with sand."

The performers will work with seasoned accompanists who carry impressive Broadway and New York City cabaret credits of their own. Boston's Tom LaMark will serve as one of two Music Directors for the festival, joining veteran Music Director Brian Patton. Patton has performed as a vocalist in the Northeast and in New York City for over twenty years and is a noted accompanist and arranger in the Boston area. LaMark is a vital part of the Boston cabaret scene, and has worked with greats such as Aretha Franklin, Anthony Newley, Buddy Rich, Dizzy Gillespie. He has performed in major venues, from Broadway to Carnegie Hall, from the Rainbow Room to Boston's TD Garden, to A.R.T. in Cambridge, MA.

On both May 30 and May 31, renowned cabaret artist Marilyn Maye (who just celebrated her 90th birthday) will present two Master Classes. Maye works with performers by sharing her vast knowledge, which is based on a lifetime of performing. Ella Fitzgerald regarded Maye as "the greatest white, female singer in the world." The Smithsonian Institution has installed Maye's work in the pantheon of other greats such as Billy Holiday, Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland. Outside of New York City, it is a rare event for singers to be able to take her master class. Tickets to participate in Maye's master class will be sold separately at www.provincetowncabaretfest.com . Candidates will be coached by Ms. Maye and perform before an audience at the festival's closing brunch show. Students can also audit the master class. Auditors will not work directly with Ms. Maye and do not perform at the Sunday brunch show. Space for the master class is limited.

May 31 will also feature the kick-off event for all performers and VIP pass holders at the Harbor Hotel's hip lounge, featuring both an open mike and the "Cam & Max" DJ duo (spinning 1950s dance tunes).

On June 1, some twenty-five seasoned performers will appear at The Crown & Anchor's Paramount Room in "Music, Music, Music", featuring the golden era of pop music, from the sizzling crooners of the Rat Pack to the driving beats of Rock and Roll, to the soothing harmonies of Soul.

On June 2, acclaimed cabaret star Jeff Harnar brings his show "The 1959 Broadway Songbook" to The Paramount Room as the festival headliner. Harnar has received numerous industry awards, including: three Backstage Bistro Awards; two Manhattan Association of Cabaret (MAC) Awards as Best Male Vocalist; and The Noel Coward Foundation Cabaret Award. Known for his velvety baritone voice, Harnar's vast repertoire has earned him recognition in The New York Times as "the most important male cabaret performer since Michael Feinstein." Harnar's cabaret work has headlined major New York City venues, from The Algonquin Hotel's Oak Room and Feinstein's at The Regency, to Birdland, The Iridium, and Carnegie Hall.

The festival's Lifetime Achievement Award, previously awarded to Bobby Wetherbee and Marilyn Maye, will be announced in April, and presented during the festival.

Festival workshops and most shows will take place at The Crown and Anchor Inn complex in Provincetown, according to CabaretFest producer Patricia Fitzpatrick. The White Wind Inn and The Harbor Hotel will host related special events and many Provincetown inns, hotels and restaurants will also be offering festival-related discounts. "We offer an incredible variety of learning and entertainment opportunities during CabaretFest," says Fitzpatrick. "If you love the intimacy of the cabaret experience, if you love the sophistication and swing of the 1950s, you can't help but love CabaretFest 2018."

Ticket prices vary from single-show tickets to the VIP Pass (which invites the VIP Pass holder to festival events, private parties and all ten cabaret shows). Enrollment and seating for the Marilyn Maye Master Classes is limited and requires a separate purchase.

For information about all CabaretFest events, tickets, sponsor hotels offering discounted rates and dining discounts, please visit the website www.provincetowncabaretfest.com or like us on Facebook at Provincetown CabaretFest. Show tickets are available at The Crown & Anchor box office and on their ticketing page www.onlyatthecrown.com.

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