Feinstein's at the Nikko Announces New Wednesday CITY SINGERS Series

Hotel Nikko San Francisco and Michael Feinstein are proud to announce "City Singers," a new weekly concert series featuring a wide range of performers from throughout the San Francisco Bay Area held every Wednesday at Feinstein's at the Nikko. In addition, Feinstein's at the Nikko will also present the return of the wildly successful Broadway Bingo at the Nikko the second Wednesday of every month! Additional performers will be announced at a later date. All performances begin at 7 p.m. (Doors open at 5:30 p.m.). Tickets for all performances are $15 and available now by calling 866.663.1063 or visiting www.ticketweb.com.

Located within Hotel Nikko (222 Mason Street, San Francisco), Feinstein's at the Nikko presents a wide range of entertainers from stage and screen all within an intimate 140-seat cabaret setting. There is a $15 food and beverage minimum per person inside the showroom which guests can use towards cocktails as well as a variety of small plates crafted exclusively for Feinstein's at the Nikko by Executive Chef Philippe Striffeler, through Restaurant Anzu. Cheese and dessert platters will also be available in the showroom.

The performance schedule is as follows:

BROADWAY BINGO AT THE NIKKO
HOSTED J. CONRAD FRANK AND JOE WICHT AND FEATURING WILLIAM GIAMMONA

August 13, 2014
September 10, 2014
October 8, 2014

Broadway Bingo at the Nikko is a standing event on the 2nd Wednesday of each month hosted by cabaretist J. Conrad Frank (AKA Katya Smirnoff-Skyy) and pianist Joe Wicht showcasing the best and brightest talent from the San Francisco Bay Area musical theater community. Audience members can play along, by testing their knowledge of show tunes and Broadway trivia for the chance to win terrific prizes including Feinstein's at the Nikko merchandise, cast album recordings, and tickets to upcoming performances at Feinstein's at the Nikko.

BETTY ROI · "UNDER PARIS SKIES"
August 20, 2014

Betty Roi is an authentic French chanteuse. Born in Paris, her interest in dance took her to New York, where she studied at the Alvin Ailey Dance School. When her travels brought her to San Francisco in 1983, Betty knew she had found a new home. She quickly became known for dramatic versions of French cabaret music and has been heard performing at Bay Area venues such as Tosca Café, De Young Museum, Herbst Theater, Café Claude, Alliance Francaise, and Yoshi's. Beyond chansons, Betty has immersed herself in diverse musical disciplines, including jazz, improvisation, and Hindustani Classical. She has released three CDs: Enchanté, a collection of jazz serenades; La Chanteuse de Paris, chansons françaises celebrating the music that first fed her dreams and led her to a life of exploration; and La Lumière du Son, a mix of raga-style drones, Sanskrit chants, soundscapes, jazz and classical inflections and the pure sonic qualities of the French language.

Betty will present a collection of French cabaret songs from the 30's to the 60's which evoke feelings and memories of Paris, love, longing, and happiness. Songs made famous by singers like Edith Piaf and Josephine Baker. She will also pay homage to beloved jazz standards sung in French and English. The lyrical poetry and exquisite melodies of these compositions convey touching emotions and transcend time, language and the boundaries that seem to separate us. Betty will be accompanied by her Kingtette trio.

CLAIRDEE · "THE MELODY MAKERS"
August 27, 2014
September 24, 2014

Clairdee's captivating interpretations of the Great American Songbook are irresistible. While drawing inspiration from artists including Lena Horne and Carmen McRae, Clairdee has established her own distinctive voice, delving into a song's narrative. Join us for a delightfully swinging celebration of timeless music.

Clairdee is an international touring artist acclaimed for her inventive artistry and magnetic stage presence. Her lustrous voice and soulful delivery hearkens back to a time when jazz, pop, and rhythm and blues often blended seamlessly together. Combining scene-stealing charisma with heartfelt humility and a sincere belief in the transformative power of music, Clairdee has honed a repertoire of standards set to state of the art arrangements that are equally smart and entertaining.

The recipient of many enthusiastic reviews, Clairdee has recently performed at the Edinburgh Jazz Festival and toured extensively throughout Russia with the Philharmonic Jazz Society. Highly regarded in the USA, she has appeared across the nation from Jazz at Lincoln Center to the Monterey Jazz Festival performing with her quartet and numerous artists as diverse as Bucky Pizzarelli, Boz Scaggs, Cyrus Chestnut, and clarinet virtuoso Ken Peplowski, and opening for David Sanborn, the Count Basie Orchestra, and the late, great Etta James.

Clairdee's stylistically encompassing approach is beautifully documented on her third album, "Music Moves," recorded live in concert at the famed Yoshi's night club in Oakland, CA. Her knack for pairing songs that enhance each other is perfectly embodied in a mashup of the Joe Williams/Count Basie hit "All Right, Okay, You Win" with the lean instrumental funk of Les McCann and Eddie Harris', "Cold Duck Time." It's a fascinating counterpoint to her first release, "Destination Moon," a luminous collection of beloved standards, such as "Star Eyes" and "Time After Time."

JASON BROCK
September 3, 2014

Best known as a finalist on Simon Cowell's "THE X FACTOR," Jason Brock is not only a singer, but an exuberant cabaret and theatre performer. He's preformed jazz, pop and R&B songs at venues such as San Francisco's Martuni's Piano Bar, Rasselas Jazz Club and he has acted at both the Magic and Boxcar Theatres. Jason has entertained alongside some major Broadway, film and recording stars and has been in films such as 'Love is Not Enough" which was shown in both the Melbourne and Frameline film festivals. Some of Jason's other roles include Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, as well as a demented flower girl in Taylor Mac's The Lily's Revenge .

TOM REARDON · "AS I WAS SINGING"
September 17, 2014

After selling out his previous solo engagements--"Who I'd Be," "What's Love Got to Do With It?" and "It's Later Than You Think"-Tom Reardon's back with a few more thoughts on life and love. "As I Was Singing" marks his debut at San Francisco's premier cabaret nightclub, Feinstein's at the Hotel Nikko. Don't miss this latest installment of Tom's unique story and song stylings.

CASEY BREVES • "CASEY BREVES: BACK IN TOWN!"
October 1, 2014

Casey Breves has performed across the United States, Europe, and Asia as both a classical and pop vocalist. A NYC native, he toured for three seasons with the Grammy Award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer -- his first engagement after graduating from Yale University, where he was a member of the centennial class of the Whiffenpoofs. He was a featured soloist in the world premiere of the oratorio A Melancholy Beauty at the Kennedy Center and Avery Fisher Hall, starred in The Fall of the House of Usher at the NYC Fringe Festival, sang the title role in Monteverdi's Orfeo at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, and appeared as the principal soloist in Too Hot to Handel: The Gospel Messiah with the Symphony Silicon Valley.

He currently lives in New York City, where he is writing, recording, and performing regularly- most recently in a featured solo spot as the voice of Andrea Bocelli on Saturday Night Live in the sketch "Christmas Album". Casey is a fixture on the NYC club scene, and can also be found on YouTube.

LINDA KOSUT • "EASY COME, EASY GO: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY GREEN"
October 15, 2014

Backstage Magazine's Bistro/BMI award winner, Linda Kosut, easily sings a repertoire from the standard to the obscure with fresh interpretations. Linda has performed across the country from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and Seattle. Linda is also a performers' coach teaching performance technique, among other creative programs for singers.

Linda is very excited to be releasing her third CD, "Easy Come, Easy Go -- the music of Johnny Green" on the LML Music Label, this October with a CD release party at Feinstein's at the Nikko, San Francisco. Produced by Mike Greensill, pianist and arranger, this CD represents a 3-year long research project into the life and music of John W. Green composer of the number one song on the Jazz Standards Charts, "Body and Soul".

Her first two CDs received national acclaim. "Life is but a dream", was named one of the Top 10 CDs of 2003 by Cabaret Hotline; and, "Long As You're Living: the songs & poetry of Oscar Brown Jr.", paying tribute to the late jazz singer, songwriter and activist, received Backstage Magazine's prestigious Bistro Award - the BMI Award for Outstanding Recording, plus two MAC nominations (Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs) for Best Female Jazz Singer and Best Jazz Recording.

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