Acclaimed New York City cabaret singer and actress Klea Blackhurst will bring her signature show "An Evening with Klea Blackhurst" to the Milford Center for the Arts as part of it's Nite Spot Nights series produced in conjunction with Pantochino Productions Inc. tonight, November 7th at 8 p.m.
Blackhurst most recently appeared in Connecticut as Dolly Levi in "Hello Dolly" at Goodspeed Musicals. The gifted singer has also brought her touring tribute to Ethel Merman, "Everything The Traffic Will Allow" to several stages in the area.
"An Evening with Klea Blackhurst" is a wonderful celebration of classic American popular songs, from "A Cockeyed Optimist" to "The Yodeling Muchacha." Filled with Broadway show tunes as well as a few contemporary surprises, Klea invites audiences to listen and laugh the lyrics of Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer, Yip Harburg, Ira Gershwin, Oscar Hammerstein and Dorothy Fields.
In addition to her multiple appearances at NY's famed Birdland, Klea's nightclub engagements include tributes to composer Vernon Duke at the Café Carlyle with a subsequent sold-out engagement at Joe's Pub; and "Dreaming of a Song: The Music of Hoagy Carmichael," a collaboration with Billy Stritch. Klea has performed concert engagements nationwide and abroad including the London Palladium presentation of Jerry Herman's Broadway with Angela Lansbury, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra tribute to Marvin Hamlisch, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, 14 Mabel Mercer Foundation Cabaret Conventions, New York's Town Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and New York's 92nd Street Y Lyrics & Lyricists.
Blackhurst's New York theater credits include A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Bingo, Radio Gals, Oil City Symphony. Klea starred in the premiere of the Marvin Hamlisch/Rupert Holmes musical, The Nutty Professor, directed by Jerry Lewis. Klea is currently participating in the development of a new musical creating the title role in Hazel, based upon the iconic maid, with music by Ron Abel and lyrics by Chuck Steffan and directed by Lucie Arnaz.
Nite Spot Nights offers six night club style evenings of entertainment. Evoking the feeling of New York City cabaret rooms, the series is a varied collection of musical performances by some of the city's hottest acts. To enhance the experience, the Center for the Arts will be set with tables and chairs inviting patrons to bring along the food and drink of their choice.
Tickets for "An Evening with Klea Blackhurst", and all other Nite Spot Nights performances are $25 and available online at milfordarts.org or by calling 203-878-6647.
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