Rubicon Theatre Company Features Daniel Tatar, 6/11

Rubicon Theatre Company's Producing Artistic Director Karyl Lynn Burns today announced the next performance in the company's Broadway Cabaret Benefit Series, which takes place on Monday, June 11 at 7:00 p.m. Ovation and NAACP Award-winner Daniel Tatar kicks off the evening with solo renditions of Broadway hits and contemporary favorites. Following intermission, Tatar will be joined by other members of the singing group The Company Men, who will mash the hits of six decades in tight four-part harmonies with choreography.

Rubicon's Broadway Cabaret Benefit Series brings stage stars of national renown to Rubicon's intimate 185-seat setting. Previous artists include Tony-Award winner and star of Rubicon's upcoming production of Gem of the Ocean Lillias White; the Tony Award-winning star of Million Dollar Quartet Levi Kreis; stars of Les Misérables, Randal Keith & Joan Almedilla; local favorites Amanda McBroom & George Ball; Phantom of the Opera stars Davis Gaines and Teri Bibb; and many more.

Proceeds from the Broadway Cabaret benefit series go to Rubicon's Education and Outreach program, which has provided more than 45,000 talented youth with a nurturing environment to grow and explore through acting classes, performances of Shakespeare's classics and popular musicals.

Following the performance, guests are invited to a post-show reception where they will have the chance to mingle with their fellow audience members and meet Tatar and The Company Men. With the final Broadway Cabaret Benefit performance of their 14th season, Rubicon brings together the classic and the contemporary with the performer Backstage dubbed "exemplary, [with] a sensational singing voice."

Daniel Tatar was last seen on the Rubicon stage as Perchik in Fiddler on the Roof. Tatar garnered an Ovation Award for Havok Theatre's Kiss of the Spider Woman (in which he played Valentin), as well as an Ovation nomination for his work as Barfee in McCoy-Rigby's The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. He was also honored with an NAACP Award for Ray Charles Live at the Pasadena Playhouse, where he performed as Ahmet Ertegun.

Tatar has appeared at many theatres throughout Southern California, showcasing his talents at venues such as Laguna Playhouse, The Theatre @ Boston Court, and Reprise. He appeared in Hairspray at the Hollywood Bowl and in Eric Whitacre's Paradise Lost: Shadows & Wings at Carnegie Hall. Tatar has also been featured in television shows such as "90210," "CSI:NY," "Grey's Anatomy" and the new pilot "HOA."

When choosing songs for this event, Tatar said he strove to bring the same diversity to his music that Rubicon brings to each of their seasons. "The music is eclectic, ranging from Broadway to contemporary artists like Josh Groban and Michael Bublé," says Tatar.

"I am excited to return to Rubicon," continues Tatar, "and especially excited to help the theatre and raise money for Rubicon's Education and Outreach summer camps for young people, which are in their 10th year during 2012."

Co-founded and produced by Daniel Tatar, The Company Men made their debut in February, and Rubicon will be one of their first engagements. The group melds classic pop favorites from artists like The Four Tops, Frankie Lymon and The Temptations with recent hits from Bruno Mars, Beyoncé, Michael Bublé and more, to create a unique musical experience appealing to all generations. Their talent for blending the personality and showmanship of 60s' groups with today's current sound led to recent performances at "Michael Cerbelli's Hot Event and Entertainment Ideas 2012." With their complex four-part harmonies, sharp choreography and original song mash-ups, The Company Men offers modern interpretations of favorite classics and current hits.

Ventura audiences will recognize another familiar face in The Company Men with Stuart Ambrose, who can often be heard singing during the services at the Ventura Center for Spiritual for Living. Shawn Perucca and Brian Purcell complete this group of "modern gentlemen."

Tatar and his fellow band members came up with The Company Men as a means to take control of their careers and "be proud of what we created." After spending night after night together listening to "hundreds of songs," they noticed a strong connection between the artists of yesterday and today. Tatar found that most of the contemporary artists "were influenced by older artists – they would even talk about those influences in interviews." Once they discovered this connection, they came up with the idea to take the music of the contemporary artists and "mash them together" with the songs of their major influences – leading to The Company Men's trademark sound.

The Presenting Title Sponsors for Daniel Tatar and The Company Men are Jan and Hal Wasserman. The Premier Sponsors are Barbara Meister and Barber Ford, Volkswagen, Subaru and RV. Broadway Sponsors are Janet and Mark Goldenson, Hilda and Ed Warren and Busy Bee Café.

Daniel Tatar and The Company Men come to Rubicon Theatre Company on June 11, 2012 for one night only at 7pm. Seating is limited. Tickets may be purchased in person through the Rubicon Theatre Company box office, located at 1006 E. Main Street (Laurel entrance). To charge by phone, call (805) 667-2900 or visit Rubicon online at www.rubicontheatre.org. Twenty-four-hour-a-day ticketing is also available online, thanks to a grant from the Irvine Foundation's Regional Arts Initiative.

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