RENE MARIE - I WANNA BE EVIL (WITH LOVE TO EARTHA KITT) Set for Harris Center This Week

René Marie - singer, actress, writer. Earth Kitt - singer, actress, writer. Never before has there been a vocal recording devotion to the divine Ms. Kitt and her fiery, sensual, and clever interpretations of songs. With her incredible range of vocal ability, powerful emotional resonance and strong independent streak, René is without a doubt the right artist to conceive of this historic project on the adventurous, multi-Grammy-nominated label Motéma Music. I Wanna Be Evil (With Love to Eartha Kitt) is René's third recording for the label and her 10th career album.

Eartha Kitt's daughter Kitt Shapiro, who maintains her mother's legacy via EarthaKitt.com and the company Simply Eartha, expressed her appreciation by saying, "It's wonderful that such a talented artist like René Marie has recorded the first tribute album to my mother, helping to keep her memory and spirit alive. These classic songs deserve to be heard and loved by all generations."

I Wanna Be Evil (With Love to Eartha Kitt) will take place on the intimate Stage 2 tonight, March 26, 2015 at 7:30 pm, Friday March 27, 2015 at 7:30 pm and Saturday, March 28, 2015 at 2 & 7:30 pm. Tickets are priced at $21-$29; Premium $39; Students with ID $12. Tickets are available online at www.harriscenter.net or from the Harris Center Ticket Office at 916-608-6888 from 10 am to 6 pm Monday through Saturday, and two hours before show time. Parking is included in the price of the ticket. Harris Center is located on the west side of Folsom Lake College campus in Folsom, CA, facing East Bidwell Street.

René Marie, much like Eartha Kitt, is a woman of great strength and humor who walked a similar journey. As a married Jehovah's Witness at 18 and a mother of two at 23, she only occasionally sang. When her husband of 23 years issued an ultimatum to stop singing or leave, she chose music over the turbulent marriage, self-released her debut Renaissance in 1998, and toured as Ella Fitzgerald in a regional play. She began experiencing a whirlwind of success rarely seen in the jazz world, winning over critics and receiving awards such as the Best International Jazz Vocal CD (besting Joni Mitchell) by France's Academie Du Jazz, as well as gracing the Billboard charts multiple times and becoming a headliner at major international festivals.

The brilliantly entertaining album, I Wanna Be Evil (With Love to Eartha Kitt), from which René Marie will be performing selections, burnishes the diva's reputation as the most provocative risk-taker among today's jazz vocalists. Featuring star turns by trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, trumpeter Etienne Charles and Australia's Adrian Cunningham on saxophone, clarinet and flute, René tears into Kitt's songs, including "I'd Rather Be Burned As A Witch," "C'est Si Bon," "Peel Me A Grape" and a classic rendition of "My Heart Belongs to Daddy."

Eartha Mae Kitt was an international star who gave new meaning to the word 'versatile.' She distinguished herself in film, theater, cabaret, music and television. Miss Kitt was one of only a handful of performers to be nominated for a Tony (three times), Grammy (twice), and Emmy Award (twice). She regularly enthralled New York nightclub audiences with her intimate performances at The Cafè Carlyle, captured in her recording, Eartha Kitt, Live at The Carlyle. Her outstanding vocals along with her curvaceous frame will forever be cherished for generations to come and her successes celebrated by thrilling tributary artists like René Marie.

For René Marie, success means shining attention on important issues in America and on bold artists like Eartha Kitt who helped change America's landscape for the better. René has become one of those bold artists. It's hard to believe it all started after she turned 40.

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