Lesli Margherita, Sharon McKnight, and More Join Broadway Concert Series at Rubicon Theatre

Rubicon Theatre Producing Artistic Director Karyl Lynn Burns today announced programming for the company's JANET AND MARK L. GOLDENSON 2018-2019 Broadway Concert Series. According to Burns, the series offers an opportunity for audiences to enjoy the talents and personal stories and insights of some of the best and brightest concert and cabaret stars of the West End, Broadway and the West Coast.

This Broad's Way The series kicks off November 17 and 18 with Olivier Award-winner and Broadway star Lesli Margherita making her Rubicon debut in a brand-new concert entitled "This Broad's Way." Margherita won an Olivier Award for her magnificent star-turn as Inez in Zorro on The West End and took Broadway by storm in her critically acclaimed debut as Mrs. Wormword in Matilda.

She's done it big. She's done it loud. She's done it her way. Featuring time-honored classics, Broadway showstoppers and new twists on what will become old favorites, Margherita takes the stage with her signature sass and wit and shares stories about how she's managed to carve her niche in the business of show. Written and starring Margherita, "This Broad's Way" is directed and produced by LAUREN BASS, featuring musical direction and arrangements by Brett Ryback. The concert is presented at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 17, and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 18.

Red Hot Mama

The Goldenson Series continues in January with "Red Hot Mama: The Sophie Tucker Songbook," starring Tony nominee Sharon McNight in what the L.A. Times described as "the performance of a lifetime."

The concert follows the remarkable story of the first lady of show business, whose career spanned sixty years. "Red Hot Mama" encompasses the music and history of Burlesque, Vaudeville, Broadway and Las Vegas. Tucker was the consummate performer on stage and film. She was part of the Ziegfeld Follies, a radio and television star, a musical recording artist and a great humanitarian. The show features over two dozen songs made famous by Tucker - tunes by Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin, Henderson, DeSylva & Brown, and her 1928 million-record seller "My Yiddishe Mama."

This concert version won the Bay Area Critics Circle Award and BroadwayWorld.com Award for Best Show. "Red Hot Mama" runs Saturday, January 19 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, January 20 at 2:00 p.m.

Side by Side (by Side by Side) In the spring, Rubicon brings two talented married couples (and four best friends) together for a new concert called Side by Side. Kim Huber and Roger Befeler, and KIRSTEN AND Stan Chandler, are creating a newly conceived concert about the trials, tribulations and joys of friendship, love and marriage, expressed in solos, duets and quartets. The concert is directed by KIRSTEN CHANDLER.

The Side by Side performers have appeared at Rubicon in productions including Lies and Legends: The Musical Stories of Harry Chapin, Jacques Brel... and She Loves Me. Audiences may also have seen them in starring roles on Broadway, tour and in regional productions of Beauty and the Beast, Marie Christine, Sunset Blvd., Forever Plaid and many others. "Side by Side" plays Saturday, March 2 at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, March 3 at 2:00 p.m.

Lady Macbeth Sings the Blues Golden Globe Award-Winner Amanda McBroom ("The Rose") is best known as a singer/songwriter and cabaret star. However, her diverse career also includes work at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and innumerable roles in comedies and dramas at theatres including The Pasadena Playhouse, The Old Globe in San Diego and Rubicon. In this concert, McBroom melds her multiple talents in a concert version of her 2004 play "Lady Macbeth Sings the Blues." The concert is a potpourri of favorite songs from the production, such as "Ophelia," "In His Hands," "The Hard to be a Fairy Blues" and "The Bitch is Out."

McBroom's songs have been recorded by Barbara Cook, Manhattan Transfer, Judy Collins, Barry Manilow, and many others. She received a Golden Globe, a Grammy nomination, and Johnny Mercer Songwriter of the Year Award. She has written lyrics for 16 Universal Animation features, including "The Land Before Time" series. She was a featured lyricist for the TV classic series "Cop Rock." She has performed in concert from London to Sydney, and Carnegie Hall to the Kennedy Center. McBroom will be accompanied by Musical Director Michele Brourman and instrumentalists LARRY TUTTLE and STEPHAN OBERHOFF.

"Lady Macbeth Sings the Blues" is offered Saturday June 8 at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, June 9 at 2:00 p.m.

Final Concert TBA The 2018-2019 Goldenson Broadway Concert Series concludes on Saturday, August 24 at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday, August 25 at 2:00 p.m. with the show to be announced at a later date. Says Burns, "We are working on a very special event and look forward to sharing the news soon."

Tickets Now on Sale The Janet and Mark L. Goldenson Broadway Concert Series tickets are now on sale and available through the Rubicon Theatre Box Office, located at 1006 E. Main Street (corner of Main and Laurel) in Ventura's Downtown Cultural District. Tickets are $55 per person, with a 20% savings for those who purchase the series - the equivalent of one free show. The Sunday matinee series includes talkbacks with the artists, where the audience members are invited to participate in a facilitated conversation with the artists. Discounts are available for military, Equity members and students. For information, go to www.rubicontheatre.org or call (805) 667-2900.

Now in its 20th Anniversary Season, Rubicon Theatre is the region's premiere professional theatre company. Rubicon was founded in 1998 by Artistic Directors Karyl Lynn Burns and James O'Neil and a board of social and civic leaders. The company has since presented nearly 140 productions to over 450,000 audience members in an intimate 180-seat historic former church. Rubicon creates a nurturing environment for artists where exploration and experimentation are encouraged and supported. As a result, luminaries including Alison Brie, Susan Clark, Dana Delany, Michael Learned, Jack Lemmon, Linda Purl, John Ritter, Joe Spano, Stephanie Zimbalist and others have graced the Rubicon stage. The company is committed to telling stories which illuminate our shared humanity. Rubicon presents bold, reimagined productions of classics; innovative productions of contemporary dramas, comedies and musicals; and develops and produces World Premieres.

Rubicon has been the recipient of the L.A. Drama Critics' Circle Margaret Harford Award for Sustained Excellence, the NAACP Award, a New York Drama Desk Award, multiple Indy, Robby and Scenie Awards, and 18 Ovation Awards. The company recently won the Ovation for Best Production of a Play, Larger Theatre for Gulf View Drive. Rubicon offers extensive education and outreach programs under Beverly and Kirby Ward. The company is governed by a Board of Directors and further supported by a regional Board of Advisors and an active volunteer auxiliary. For more information, call 805.667.2900 or visit the website at www.rubicontheatre.org.

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