J/K CABARET Opens Pear Flambé Cabaret Series

Pear Theatre will debut its new Pear Flambé Cabaret series with J/K Cabaret's "Let's Hear It For The Boys!" on Friday, November 2 and Saturday, November 3. This evening of gospel, jazz, R&B, and cabaret standards will feature Bay Area performers Juanita Harris and Karyn Rondeau, joined for this event by Anthone Jackson and Brian Palac. Tickets ($25 in advance or $28 at the door) can be purchased by visiting www.thepear.org or calling (650) 254-1148.

Pear Flambé Cabaret is the newest addition to Pear Theatre's expanding programming, offering short engagements of diverse, local vocalists with minimal instrumental accompaniment throughout the season. This welcome addition of music at the Pear follows the well received production of "Oh, Coward!" and the wildly successful, sold-out "3D Cabaret." The Pear Flambé Cabaret series is being coordinated by Bay Area theatre icon Walter Mayes.

J/K Cabaret is the recent creation of Harris and Rondeau, who presented the sold-out and critically acclaimed Curvy Cabaret at City Lights Theater Company last summer (making an encore performance this October at SF Oasis). Both experienced performers in their own right, these ladies bring together jazz, musical theatre, cabaret, Motown, and R&B with passion, personal chemistry, and an inclusive and empowering feeling for audiences.

"Let's Hear It For The Boys!" pairs J/K Cabaret with two outstanding local male singers/actors: Anthone Jackson and Brian Palac. Jackson's rich baritone and joyously charismatic persona pairs with Palac's soulful tenor tones and ability to reach emotional heights through music. All four of these performers are well versed in Motown and gospel sounds, and the performance will be a mix of solos, duets, and group numbers that span many musical genres.

Juanita Harris was recently named Best Jazz Vocalist in the Bay, a new category in San Francisco Classical Voice's fourth annual Best of the Bay poll. A native of the Bay Area, Harris began learning piano at six, violin at eight, and guitar at 10. She studied music - and jazz in particular - at De Anza College, Humboldt State University, and Berklee College of Music in Boston. She performs with The Jack Conway Trio, has started her own choir the "Joyful Noise Gospel Singers," and can be seen with Big Bands "Tuesday Night Live" and the "San Jose Jazz Orchestra." She has been seen locally on stage in productions such as "Hairspray" and "Ragtime" with Children's Musical Theatre of San Jose, "Crowns" and "Stompin' at the Savoy" with Tabard Theater, and in non-musical roles as Tituba in "The Crucible" with Foothill Theatre and Mammy in "The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler" at Dragon Productions. Find out more at JuanitaHarrisVocals.com.

Also a Bay Area native, Karyn Rondeau has been performing for over 30 years as a stage actress, recording artist, national anthem singer, and cabaret performer. Recent stage roles include Lady of the Lake in "Spamalot" with West Valley Light Opera, Chaperone in "The Drowsy Chaperone" and Rona in "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" with Sunnyvale Community Players, Veronica in "God of Carnage" with South Valley Civic Theatre (a role she is reprising with City Lights Theater Company through October 14), Pennywise in "Urinetown" with Los Altos Stage Company, and Mme. Thénardier in "Les Misérables" with South Bay Musical Theatre. A regular national anthem performer, she has sung at Levi's Stadium, the Alcatraz Challenge, and the Wildflower Triathlon. Learn more at KarynRondeau.com.

Anthone Jackson has been singing since the age of four in church, and frequently performs on local stages, appearing as Mister in "The Color Purple" and Tom in "To Kill A Mockingbird" at Hillbarn Theatre; Curtis in "Dreamgirls" and Adrian in "Smokey Joe's Cafe" at Broadway By the Bay; Prince Charming in "Cinderella" with The African American Shakespeare Company; James in "Lord Why Can't I Do Right?" with Make You Famous Entertainment; Flick in "Violet" and Bobby in "Memphis" with Tabard Theatre; and most recently as Roland in "The Speakeasy" in San Francisco. When not acting on stage, Mr. Jackson enjoys singing with various church choirs and doing background vocals for artists throughout the Bay Area such as Tracy Cruz and Prince "Black Magic" Damons. Mr. Jackson graduated from Morehouse College and then acquired his Masters degree from JFK University.

Brian Palac began singing at a very early age, but in his early adult years was focused on education and career. After earning an engineering degree and beginning work in the tech industry, he was able to get back into singing by joining the Silicon Valley Gay Men's Chorus. By chance, he was heard at a concert by a local director looking to cast more ensemble in a musical theatre production, and began his musical theatre career. He has been seen on local stages as Malcolm MacGregor in "The Full Monty" and Clopin Trouillefou in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" at Hillbarn Theatre, Luntha in "The King and I" at Tri-Valley Repertory, the Balladeer in "Assassins" at Los Altos Stage Company, Thuy in "Miss Saigon" at Broadway by the Bay, Roger Davis in "Rent" at City Lights Theater Company, Jesus of Nazareth in "Jesus Christ Superstar" with Stage 1 Theatre, and Che in "Evita" at Sunnyvale Community Players, as well as appearances in "Bat Boy: the Musical" at Foothill Music Theatre and "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" at South Bay Musical Theatre, and has earned several TBA and BATCC award nominations.

Accompanist Nichole Boaz is a pianist and music teacher located in the South Bay Area. She received both her B.M. and M.A. in Jazz Studies from San Jose State University, where she studied piano with Frank Sumares and Dahveed Behroozi. Boaz has taught at San Jose State University, the Harker School, and at the San Jose Jazz Camp; and currently teaches private piano lessons at studios in Los Gatos and San Jose. She performs regularly in the San Jose area with the 7th Street Big Band and Bitches Brewin'. Learn more at JazzNichole.com.

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