Lisa-Marie Newton Makes Her Triumphant Return To The Bay Area With A New Solo Show: SONGS OF MIDLIFE SADNESS

Songs of Midlife Madness, a new solo show with music, written and performed by Lisa-Marie Newton will play at The Gateway Theater in San Francisco on May 21 & 22, 2022.

Directed by Daren A.C. Carollo with music direction by Tom Shaw and accompanied by the Tom Shaw Trio (Tom Shaw on piano, John Greitzer on bass, and Roberta Drake on drums), Songs of Midlife Madness is a surprisingly exuberant coming-of-middle-age story that follows Newton as she confronts the age when her month had a 'nervous breakdown' wondering, "is it my turn now?"

Featuring a diverse list of songs from artists like Patsy Cline, The Rolling Stones, and Billie Holliday, and from a wide range of shows, such as the opera Tales of Hoffmann, New York, New York, and Dear Evan Hansen, Lisa-Marie traces the sources of her own breakdowns, including a mean voice teacher, a cancer diagnosis, and a global pandemic, with humor and fun amidst the chaos.

After the global breakdown of the past two years, Songs of Midlife Madness is a chance to look back on uncertainty and even tragedy with new eyes and maybe, just maybe, hope for the future. "I had a significant birthday just before the pandemic," says Newton, who recently returned to the San Francisco Bay Area after 8 years living in New York City and Ashland, OR, "and there are so many songs about going a little crazy. I wanted to use all that great music to explore how my own midlife crisis was going."

Director Carollo, Artistic Director of 42nd Street Moon in San Francisco, has previously directed Newton on stage and says, "the show is a coming-of-middle-age drama with a lot of laughs and a kick-ass band."

Learn more and purchase tickets at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/306194123867

Lisa-Marie Newton (performer/writer/producer) (she/her) is an award-winning actor and singer who has performed on stage and screen for 20 years. She has been nominated for Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Awards 3 times: for playing Meredith in Bat Boy, the Musical at Foothill Music Theatre, Diana in Next to Normal at Custom Made Theatre, and winning for playing Sarah Jane Moore in Assassins for Ray of Light Theatre. Her other solo and cabaret shows include the self-produced Befriending Shirley and Real and Spectacular for Solo Performance Workshop in San Francisco. She is a two-time cancer survivor and a Type 1 Diabetic and is thrilled to be living back in the San Francisco Bay Area, which feels like home.

Tom Shaw Trio (musicians) Formed in 2008, Tom Shaw Trio (Tom Shaw, piano/vocals; Roberta Drake, drums; and John Greitzer, bass) performs for weddings and special events, musical theatre productions, and films. They also collaborate with numerous singers and performers at San Francisco Bay Area venues, including Feinstein's at the Nikko, Society Cabaret, SF Oasis, Martuni's, Cafe du Nord, Cafe Claude, Sheba Piano Lounge and the Rrazz Room. Tom Shaw Trio has been nominated multiple times for a Bestie by the Bay Area Reporter for Best LGBT Band/Musician.

Daren A.C.Carollo (director) An award-winning director and producer with over 175 credits, Daren has been a leader in the San Francisco Bay Area arts scene for two decades previously serving as the Producing Artistic Director of Berkeley Playhouse, Executive Director of Broadway By the Bay, and Artistic Director for Diablo Theatre Company/DLOC. His 42nd Street Moon directing highlights include A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, New Girl in Town and many in-concert productions. Daren has directed for Diablo Theatre Company, Pacific Coast Repertory Theatre, Napa Valley Opera House, Ohlone and Solano Colleges, Town Hall Theatre Company, DRAA's On Broadway, El Campanil Theatre and Contra Costa Civic Theatre. He is a proud member of Actors' Equity Association and Theatre Bay Area's Theatre Services Committee. For all that Daren has been blessed and honored to accomplish theatrically thus far, he is most proud of his greatest accomplishment: being the father of his son, Jack.

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