Megan Hilty, Norm Lewis, Chita Rivera and More Set for Bay Area Cabaret's 10th Season
By: BWW News Desk Jul. 01, 2013
Bay Area Cabaret, devoted to presenting audiences with top performers who expand the definition of cabaret, enters its 10th season this fall with a gala series at the Fairmont San Francisco's historic Venetian Room. To celebrate this significant milestone, Bay Area Cabaret presents a star-studded lineup of performers making their Bay Area Cabaret debuts, as well as the return of a few favorites from the past decade. Opening the season Saturday, September 21, 2013 with a bang is Broadway's Megan Hilty, known to millions as the powerhouse "Bombshell" on NBC's television program Smash. The season continues October 20, 2013 with Tony nominee Norm Lewis (The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess) and November 10, 2013 with "America's romantic piano sensation," multi-platinum selling recording artist Jim Brickman, joined by special guest Broadway heartthrob David Burnham.
After a short break for the holidays, Bay Area Cabaret resumes in 2014 with the return of the critically-acclaimed cabaret duo John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey, bringing their critically acclaimed new show This Must Be the Place? to San Francisco, January 19, 2014. Ever-youthful Broadway legend Chita Rivera will unveil her new 80th birthday celebration show Chita Rivera: A Legendary Celebration at the Venetian Room February 23, 2014, and Grammy-nominated chanteuse Stacey Kent will perform March 15, 2014 with selections from her brand new album The Changing Lights. Rounding out the season is the San Francisco debut of the "remarkably soulful" rising star Morgan James, performing April 6, 2014, and a season finale by ten-time MAC Award-winning Broadway and cabaret diva Karen Mason, May 18, 2014.
After several seasons of presenting shows in a variety of elegant showrooms, Bay Area Cabaret found a permanent home three years ago when it was invited to reopen the Fairmont Hotel's historic Venetian Room, which had been dark as an entertainment venue for over 21 years. Following a gala opening (featuring Oscar, Grammy, Tony, and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch), the company went on to present such musical legends as Anika Noni Rose, Lillias White, Elaine Paige, Tommy Tune, and the Bay Area Teen Idol competition, with judges from American Idol and Wicked. Having been awarded exclusive music booking rights to the Venetian Room, Bay Area Cabaret has continued to provide stellar lineups, and now begins its fourth year in residence, to present Bay Area Cabaret's Tenth Anniversary Season.
From 1947 to 1989, the Venetian Room reigned supreme as the city's premier showroom. It was here that Tony Bennett introduced his signature song, 'I Left My Heart in San Francisco' and show business legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Marlene Dietrich, Tina Turner, Peggy Lee, Nat 'King' Cole, and many others held forth for more than four decades. Said Marilyn Levinson, Founding Executive Producer of Bay Area Cabaret, "The city's music patrons have given an enthusiastic reception to Bay Area Cabaret in the Venetian Room, and visitors to the hotel seem thrilled that the grande dame of showrooms has been brought back to life. With performances by top caliber artists, and a renovation of the Laurel Court restaurant and its menu, San Franciscans are flocking to Nob Hill to enjoy the glamour reminiscent of the city's golden age."
Subscribers are invited to choose six shows, receive substantial ticket discounts, reserved seats, and are allowed to exchange tickets. For all patrons of Bay Area Cabaret, the Fairmont Hotel offers a lavish buffet supper in the Laurel Court for $40 (plus tax and tip), plus free parking for all who dine in the Laurel Court.
Bay Area Cabaret (BAC) is a not-for profit organization founded by Marilyn Levinson, a fifth generation San Francisco native. Through its concert series and wide-ranging outreach activities, BAC aims to expand the definition of cabaret and broaden the audience for intimate entertainment, featuring Great American Songbook offerings from George and Ira Gershwin and Stephen Sondheim to Antonio Carlos Jobim and Joni Mitchell. Past seasons have featured Peter Gallagher, Laura Benanti, Sutton Foster, Barbara Cook, Christine Ebersole, Nellie McKay, Alan and Marilyn Bergman,
Jane Monheit, and the high school vocal competition Bay Area Teen Idol.
Tickets for individual concerts are available at www.bayareacabaret.org or by phone at City Box Office (415) 392-4400. Subscriptions, and discounts for groups of 8 or more, are available directly from Bay Area Cabaret at (415) 927-4636. For Bay Area Cabaret 2013-2014 season subscriptions and more information, visit www.bayareacabaret.org.
INDIVIDUAL CONCERT INFORMATION:
Tenth Anniversary Smash-ing Opening Night
featuring television and Broadway star
When: 8:00pm Saturday, September 21, 2013
Where: Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco
950 Mason Street, atop Nob Hill, San Francisco
Tickets: $95 (subscribers receive preferred seating)
(415) 392-4400 or www.bayareacabaret.org
Bay Area Cabaret's Tenth Anniversary season opening night gala will feature Broadway and television star Megan Hilty. Fans of NBC's Golden Globe-nominated television series Smash will recognize the "blonde bombshell" from her role as the talented triple-threat "Ivy Lynn," though Ms. Hilty is no stranger to the live stage. Even before her featured role on primetime television, she had established herself as one of Broadway's brightest rising stars with her critically acclaimed debut as "Glinda" in Wicked. She has delivered standout performances in productions including her Drama Desk-nominated portrayal of "Doralee Rhodes" in 9 to 5: The Musical, and Bay Area audiences may remember her performance as "Mary" in TheatreWorks' 2006 World Premiere production of Vanities, which transferred to New York. Last March, Ms. Hilty released her first solo album It Happens All the Time, which featured a variety of genres ranging 70's pop to modern soul. Starting in the fall of 2013, Ms. Hilty will co-star with Emmy-winning actor/producer Sean Hayes (Will & Grace, Hot In Cleveland) in the new NBC comedy Sean Saves The World.
Tony Award Nominee
When: 5:00pm Sunday, October 20, 2013
Where: Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco
950 Mason Street, atop Nob Hill, San Francisco
Tickets: $48 general/$43 subscribers
(415) 392-4400 or www.bayareacabaret.org
Bay Area Cabaret presents Tony Award nominee Norm Lewis in his West Coast concert debut. A commanding yet affable presence,, Lewis took Broadway by storm, starring opposite Audra McDonald in the highly-acclaimed The Gershwin's Porgy and Bess. , His performance not only brought the singer/actor critical praise, but also earned him Best Leading Actor nominations from the Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, and Outer Critics Circle Awards. Since his Broadway debut in Miss Saigon, the powerful baritone soon earned notable roles in The Who's Tommy, Side Show, Dreamgirls, Chicago, Dessa Rose (Drama Desk nomination), and The Wild Party. While co-starring with Barbara Cook and Vanessa Williams in Sondheim On Sondheim, critics singled out Lewis' performance of "Being Alive" as one of the highlights of the production. Lewis received such critical praise for his role as "Javert" in LES MISERABLES, he was asked to reprise the role in the 2006 West End production, the all-star 25th anniversary concert version filmed at London's O2 Arena in 2010, and again at the St. Louis MUNY Opera this summer. In fall 2013, Lewis will begin a tour of Scandinavia with Sweden's biggest musical theatre star, Peter Jöback (Phantom of the Opera). Lewis can also be heard on his solo album, This Is The Life, as well as a number of cast recordings. On TV, the dynamic actor has had roles on several shows, including All My Children and As the World Turns. He currently stars as Senator Edison Davison on ABC's hit political-drama Scandal.
"America's Romantic Piano Sensation"
(with special guest David Burnham)
When: 5:00pm (with David Burnham) 8:00pm Jim Brickman solo performance
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Where: Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco
950 Mason Street, atop Nob Hill, San Francisco
Tickets: $48 general/$43 subscribers
(415) 392-4400 or www.bayareacabaret.org
Jim Brickman is considered America's Romantic Piano Sensation. Revolutionizing the sound of solo piano with his pop-style instrumentals and star-studded vocal collaborations, the Grammy nominated pianist/songwriter has produced a new album nearly every year since his debut in 1994. Scoring six gold and platinum records along with three #1 radio hits, Brickman currently holds the record for the most appearances by a male artist on Billboard's Adult Contemporary charts. His hugely popular radio program, Your Weekend With Jim Brickman, has been nationally syndicated since 1997 and on television he has recorded three of his own concert specials with PBS. Among the many artists who've collaborated with Brickman are Tony Award winner Billy Porter, TV star Wayne Brady, Olivia Newton-John, Michael Bolton, Dave Koz, Martina McBride and country pop group Lady Antebellum. At the Venetian Room, Brickman will share the stage with Broadway heartthrob David Burnham. Lauded for his performances as "Fiyero" in the hit musical Wicked, and "Fabrizio" in the original Broadway cast and national tour of Light in the Piazza, Burnham has charmed critics and audience members alike, being called "a knockout both visually and vocally" by The Miami Herald and "joyously electric" by the San Francisco Chronicle. Having recorded two albums, David Burnham and One Day, Burnham continues to tour the world with his solo concerts and performs with symphonies around the country.
John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey in
THIS MUST BE THE PLACE?
When: 5:00pm Sunday, January 19, 2014
Where: Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco
950 Mason Street, atop Nob Hill, San Francisco
Tickets: $48 general/$43 subscribers
(415) 392-4400 or www.bayareacabaret.org
Bay Area Cabaret celebrates the New Year by welcoming back renowned jazz guitarist/vocalist John Pizzarelli and his wife, Broadway actress/singer Jessica Molaskey. Whether performing together or solo, the Grammy nominated Pizzarelli and Nightlife Award winner Molaskey have received constant praise and admiration from critics and peers alike, from Frank Sinatra to Sir Paul McCartney to Stephen Sondheim. The charming duo will perform their critically acclaimed Café Carlyle show This Must Be the Place?, which The New York Times called, "brilliant, " praising Ms. Molaskey as "a singer whose radar yields infallible insight into a song's emotional crosscurrents." Pizzarelli and Molaskey have perfected the art of performing together, as their on-stage interaction resembles a musical conversation more than a rehearsed performance. This Must Be the Place? explores the idea of "home" and all that it entails with expert musicianship, singular wit, and a painstakingly crafted set list featuring songs of artists ranging from Stephen Sondheim to Tom Petty.
Chita Rivera: A LEGENDARY CELEBRATION
When: 3:00pm and 7:30pm Sunday, February 23, 2014
Where: Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco
950 Mason Street, atop Nob Hill, San Francisco
Tickets: $48 general/$43 subscribers
(415) 392-4400 or www.bayareacabaret.org
Bay Area Cabaret invites audiences to celebrate a theatrical icon and one of Broadway's greatest triple-threat talents as Chita Rivera returns in a unique solo concert event celebrating her 80th Birthday. The nine-time Tony nominee, two-time Tony Award winner (Kiss of the Spiderwoman, The Rink) and first Hispanic ever to receive the Kennedy Center Honor, will share perspectives and recreate signature moments from her legendary career, including showstoppers from West Side Story, Sweet Charity and other musicals she made famous. In addition to a special tribute to her dear friends John Kander & Fred Ebb, Ms. Rivera will perform the timeless music of Leonard Bernstein, Charles Strouse, Jerry Herman and Stephen Sondheim. Still drawing rave reviews for her Broadway and concert performances, "Chita Rivera is more than a musical theatre star. She's a force of nature." (Associated Press)
Stacey Kent in
THE CHANGING LIGHTS
When: 8:00pm Saturday, March 15, 2014
Where: Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco
950 Mason Street, atop Nob Hill, San Francisco
Tickets: $48 general/$43 subscribers
(415) 392-4400 or www.bayareacabaret.org.
Bay Area Cabaret is happy to welcome back the platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated vocalist, Stacey Kent to celebrate the release of her upcoming album, The Changing Lights, and kick off her 2014 world tour. Since the release of her debut album in 1997, Ms. Kent has become one of the world's foremost jazz singers. With her fresh approach to lyrics and her beguiling, lightly swinging style, she has received critical praise and worldwide popularity, recording also in French and Portuguese, and selling out concert halls from Paris to Hong Kong and all around the globe. With more than nine albums to her credit, including one platinum and two gold albums (her Raconte-Moibecame the second biggest-selling French language album worldwide in 2010), Stacey will release The Changing Lights, her first studio album in three years, in Fall 2013. This month's Birdland show caused the The New York Times to praise Ms. Kent and her husband Jim Tomlinson as "sophisticated, cosmopolitan jazz impressionists."
When: 7:30pm Sunday, April 6, 2014
Where: Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco
950 Mason Street, atop Nob Hill, San Francisco
Tickets: $48 general/$43 subscribers
(415) 392-4400 or www.bayareacabaret.org
Bay Area Cabaret presents Broadway and rising pop star Morgan James. Hailing from Modesto, the Juilliard-trained opera singer turned jazz-pop vocalist and Broadway actress has wowed audiences with her powerful vocals and versatility as a performer. After graduating from Juilliard, Ms. James quickly developed a reputation as one of the most talented young performers on Broadway - being cast in Broadway productions of The Addams Family (with Nathan Lane), Wonderland (with Bay Area Cabaret's Karen Mason), the 2011 revival of Godspell, and can currently be seen in the hit Broadway production of Motown: The Musical. In December 2012, she further expanded her vocal portfolio, signing with Epic Records and releasing her first solo album Morgan James Live, a live tribute to Nina Simone which JazzTimes magazine declared "big-voiced and remarkably soulful." Attracting attention from music-industry legends like Clive Davis and Sony's Doug Morris, Morgan James is currently working on her first studio album. Her on stage performances have left critics in awe, with The Wall Street Journal describing her as "the most promising young vocalist to come along so far for this century" and The New York Times' Stephen Holden declaring Ms. James "a phenomenal talent whose feel for classic soul music is bone deep...This woman is on fire."
Karen Mason in
SECRETS OF THE ANCIENT DIVAS
When: 5:00pm Sunday, May 18, 2014
Where: Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco
950 Mason Street, atop Nob Hill, San Francisco
Tickets: $48 general/$43 subscribers
(415) 392-4400 or www.bayareacabaret.org
Bay Area Cabaret will conclude its Tenth Anniversary Season by welcoming back another favorite - Broadway star Karen Mason. In her latest show, Secrets of the Ancient Divas Ms. Mason will pay homage to her personal idols, performing the songs of such iconic singers as Judy Garland, Peggy Lee, Barbara Streisand, and more. On Broadway, Karen Mason has received critical acclaim for her many starring roles, including Tanya in the original cast of Mamma Mia! (receiving a Drama Desk nomination for Best Featured Actress), Velma von Tussle in Hairspray, The Queen of Hearts in Wonderland and as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. Besides her commanding performances on the Broadway stage, Karen Mason has had a record-breaking career in cabaret. First rising to prominence in Chicago and then conquering New York as one of its most elite cabaret singers, Ms. Mason has earned a staggering 10 Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs Awards, including the award for Major Female Vocalist six years in a row. Up next, Ms. Mason is scheduled to perform the role of Mrs. Danvers in the highly anticipated Broadway premiere of Rebecca, in 2014.
Pictured: Megan Hilty. Photo Credit: Richard Ascroft.
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