CCP Honors Karen Mason at 2009 Gala 10/11

Chicago Cabaret Professionals presents its eleventh anniversary Gala Benefit 2009: "Put on Your Sunday Clothes" Honoring Karen Mason

Be part of an amazing evening with the Chicago Cabaret Professional's annual Gala, "Put On Your Sunday Clothes" at the Park West. This year's national honoree is Chicago native, Drama Desk Award nominee, Broadway Star of Hairspray, Mama Mia and Manhattan Association of Cabaret award winner, Karen Mason. Being celebrated along with Ms. Mason are local honorees After Dark Award winner, Suzanne Petri, Lifetime Award Winner singer, arranger, Bob Moreen and Bradford Thacker for his dedication to our organization. This talent-filled evening features over 25 of your CCP favorites.

WHEN: Sunday, October 11, 7:00pm

WHERE: Park West Theater 322 West Armitage Ave, Chicago

TIME: Doors Open at 5:45pm, Cocktail Show begins at 6:15pm, Main Event 7pm

CAST:

Cocktail Show: Sami Scot, Carole Holmes, Carol Moss, Carolyn Wehner and Pam Peterson

Anne & Mark Burnell, Joan Curto, Rob Dorn, Elizabeth Doyle, David Edelfelt, John Eskola, Laura Freeman, Carla Gordon, Michelle Greenberg, Claudia Hommel, KT McCammond, Alma Mendoza, Beckie Menzie & Tom Michael, Heather Moran, Daryl Nitz, Marianne Murphy Orland, Hilary Ann Feldman, Jeanne Scherkenbach, Cheryl Szucsits, Robert Whorton, Denise Tomasello and our honorees, with special guest Audrey Morris and our host Nan Mason.

TICKETS: $45.00 Reserved Table Seating & $25 General Admission in advance only, $50 for reserved and $30 for general admission at the door.

Reserved table seating ONLY available at www.chicagocabaret.org or by calling 312.409.3106 or email ccpgala2009@gmail.com

General admission tickets available ONLY at www.Ticketmaster.com and the Park West Box Office, 322 W. Armitage Ave.Parking information can be found on our web site at www.chicagocabaret.org

Award Recipients

Karen Mason- Although her remarkable entertainment career began in Chicago, most recently Karen Mason was seen on Broadway as the conniving Velma von Tussle in Hairspray. Mason originated the role of Tanya on Broadway in Abba's Mamma Mia!, for which she received a 2002 Drama Desk Best Actress nomination. Other leading roles include Norma Desmond inSunset Boulevard, which she performed on Broadway and in Los Angeles; Mazeppa in Jerome Robbin's Broadway; Rosalie in Carnival ( Drama Desk nomination). Mason performed featured roles in Broadway's Torch Song Trilogy; and Play Me a Country Song. She won the Outer Critics Circle Award for performance in And the World Goes Round, and starred Off-Broadway in her own show,Karen Mason Sings Broadway, Beatles and Brian. Ms.Mason is a 9-time MAC Award winner, having won the Award for Major Female Vocalist of the Year six years consecutively.. She also won the 2006 Nightlife Award for Major Female Vocalist and three Bistro Awards. Mason headlined at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Feinstein's at The Regency, Rainbow & Stars, the Algonquin, Arci's Place, The Supper Club and The Ballroom in NYC; The Cinegrill and the UCLA/ASCAP Concert Series in Los Angeles; The Plush Room in San Francisco; and Davenport's in Chicago. Symphonic performances include The New York Pops with Skitch Henderson, The Oklahoma Philharmonic with Joel Levine, the premier of The Chicagoland Pops, The Indianapolis Philharmonic, and the St. Louis Symphony with John McDaniel. Mason recently released her 6th CD, Right Here/Right Now, garnering the 2009 MAC Award for Best CD. Other CDs include Sweetest of Nights; When the Sun Comes Out (2002 MAC Award for Major Female Recording of the Year); Better Days (featuring the 1998 Emmy winning song "Hold Me" by Brian Lasser); Not So Simply Broadway; and her live recording Christmas! Christmas! Christmas! (all available on Zevely Records). Visit her website at www.karenmason.com.

Suzanne Petri- "Noted Chicago actress and cabaret darling," Suzy is in high demand at venues all over town. She recently starred in Marlene Muzik at the Skokie Theatre and delighted listeners in A Little Touch of Coward in the Night at Maxim's and in Three More Divas at the Wilmette Theatre.. Her debut studio CD Das Grand Tour, with musical direction by Bob Moreen, was released in 2007. Petri was featured in the Mabel Mercer Foundation's Chicago and NYC Cabaret Conventions. She was honored with the After Dark Award for Outstanding Cabaret Artist. Suzanne is the president of Chicago Cabaret Professionals and is extremely grateful for the support of all our fans and friends. Please visit suzannepetri.com.

Bob Moreen- For over 35 years, Pianist/Arranger/Vocalist Bob Moreen has appeared in most of Chicago's finer entertainment venues, ranging from Rush Street's cozy Punchinello's to the Auditorium Theater. Not merely a solo performer, Mr. Moreen has accompanied many of Chicago's top vocalists, including a 25 year musical partnership with singer/actress Kari Howard. Cabaret Scenes Magazine wrote on Moreen's musical salute to Fred Astaire, "Natty in tails, Moreen delivered all with aplomb. So, forget Fred and Ethel. Forget Fred and Ginger, even. For my money, it's Fred and Bob." He is a founding member of Chicago Cabaret Professionals and a recipient of After Dark's 2007 Outstanding Cabaret Performer award. Moreen is a respected vocal coach/teacher and actor. Critics have called him, "the complete entertainer", and "the quintessential cabaret singer-pianist".

Bradford Thacker- As co-chair of the Chicago Cabaret Professionals Advisory Board, Bradford Thacker has produced and performed at venues such as The Park West, Davenport's, Millennium20 Park, The Whitehall Club Room, the Storefront Theater, The Wilmette Theatre and Angelo's Taverna. Most recently, he is Co-producer of the Cabaret at the Mette series at the Wilmette Theatre. A former Project Administrator for the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and former Program Director for Maxim's: The Nancy Goldberg International Center, Thacker hosted and produced Rick Kogan's TV programConversations With Extraordinary Peopleand also received an Emmy nomination for his own TV interview show Your Town Chicago. Thacker produced and co-wrote Chicago's first cabaret murder mystery, The Case of the Dying Divas. Mr .Thacker has continued to broaden opportunities by introducing cabaret to new venues, encouraging performers and by creating artistic, crowd-pleasing shows..

More information on CCP can be found at www.chicagocabaret.org

Photo credit: Genevieve Rafter Keddy

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