Jackson, McPhee Win 2019 Denovan Residencies For Cabaret

Madame's Soiree (Drew Fornarola and Tyler Spicer, artistic directors) and The Duplex Developmental Stage (Thomas Honeck, General Manager) announce Amy Jo Jackson and Rachel McPhee as the recipients of the 2019 Madame's Soiree Denovan Residencies. The residencies and accompanying grants aim to give winners the most comprehensive development opportunity in cabaret. Jackson will use her residency to develop her one-woman show, The Brass Menagerie, a campy romp through the women of Tennessee Williams. McPhee and her collaborators Robert Benson and David Charles will develop Dick Whittington Cums to Hell's Kitchen, an American adaptation of the traditional British Pantomimes that are performed in England around Christmas. They follow last years recipients, Mary Theresa Archbold, whose solo show Anybodys Everybody: One Girl's West Side Story and Trevor Bachman whose musical Shapeshifters were developed in 2018.

Jackson's residency will run January through June, with McPhee's to follow from July through December. Each will culminate in the premieres of their shows. The artists will each receive a $2,000 grant to encourage their efforts. Artists will also receive weekly rehearsal space, the opportunity to present pieces of their work in progress at three consecutive Madame's Soirees in front of one of NYC's smartest and most supportive audiences, and access to the artistic and producing resources of The Duplex and the Soiree.

Funding for the Denovan Residencies comes from longtime Soiree supporter David R. Murray. "Many of the most emotional experiences of my life have come through the performing arts, either as a singer or an audience member," Murray said. "It's a privilege to support emerging artists finding new ways to reflect the culture around us." The Residency is named in memory of Murray's mother, Nancy Denovan Murray, a lifelong singer and visual artist. More on this year's artists below:

Amy Jo Jackson is an actor/singer/kabarettist who has had solo engagements at Feinstein's/54 Below, The Green Room 42, Club Cafe's Napoleon Room (Boston, MA), The Lobby Bar (Little Rock, AR), and Lake Dillon Theatre (Silverthorne, CO), in addition to performing in concerts and events at The Laurie Beechman, The Duplex, The Slipper Room, The Metropolitan Room, Don't Tell Mama's, Caveat, The Bell House, The Knitting Factory, and The Players' Club. As an actor, Amy Jo has worked at such theatres as Ensemble Studio Theatre, Prospect Theater Company, UCB, Syracuse Stage, SpeakEasy Stage, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Arkansas Rep, Wellfleet Harbor Actors' Theatre, Seven Angels Theatre, ReVision Theatre, Lake Dillon Theatre Company, and Festival 56. Also an accomplished Voice & Speech professional, Amy Jo is the dialect coach of the Broadway show Kinky Boots.

Rachel McPhee is an actor and producer. Favorite credits include: Boardwalk Empire, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Jessica Jones, Detective Chinatown 2, Vieux Carre w/ The Pearl Theater Company, The Footage at The Flea (former Bat) and her acclaimed one woman show Dead Shot Mary. Upcoming: Principal role in the comedic short Tumble Dry. www.rachelmcphee.com, www.deadshotmary.com Rachel will collaborate with Robert K. Benson, an actor, award winning writer and director originally from Bristol, England: In Your Image, The Snow Queen (residency at University Settlement), Borderline www.robertkbenson.com and David Charles, an NYC based director: SCOWL by Ashley Lauren Rogers at The Brick & Immortal by Russell Poole at the Hudson Guild Theatre. Proud associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. www.davidcharlestheatre.com

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