BAY AREA CABARET PRESENTS
TONY AWARD-WINNING BROADWAY SENSATION
LEA SALONGA
September 16 at The Fairmont San Francisco’s Venetian RoomSan Francisco, CA (August 10, 2011) --- Bay Area Cabaret opens its 2011-2012 season September 16, 2011 with Tony Award-winning singer/actress Lea Salonga, star of Broadway’s Miss Saigon and Les Misérables, and Disney films Aladdin and Mulan. In an intimate evening with the singer, who recently received accolades from The New York Times for her cabaret appearance in the big apple, Salonga shares a smartly conceived selection of Broadway tunes, standard classics, and today’s hits, as well as deeply personal stories of her life. This special one-night-only engagement, her first solo cabaret appearance in San Francisco since 2005, will take place at the historic Venetian Room at The Fairmont San Francisco (950 Mason Street). Tickets ($60 general / $50 subscribers) are available at www.bayareacabaret.org or by phone at City Box Office (415) 392-4400.
Salonga comes to San Francisco fresh from her critically-acclaimed run at New York's Café Carlyle where The New York Times noted, “Ms. Salonga’s bright, metallically edged voice is a shiny all-purpose instrument that confidently establishes its dominion over whatever musical setting surrounds it.” Salonga, on August 9, 2011, also released a brand new live version CD of her successful 2010 concert “Lea Salonga: The Journey So Far”, which since made its way to the top of the iTunes jazz chart. Salonga began her career as a child star in the Philippines, making her professional debut in 1978 at seven years of age in the musical The King and I. By the time she was 10, she had released her debut album, “Small Voice.” Worldwide acclaim came with her Olivier Award-winning role as “Kim” in the original London production of the musical Miss Saigon in 1989, at the age of 17. Opening on Broadway two years later, she swept the season by winning the Tony Award, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Theater World Awards. She has since become a musical theatre icon, starring in productions of Les Miserablés, Cats, Flower Drum Song, Cinderella, and Into The Woods. As an actress and singer, she has starred in numerous films and TV shows as well as performing in concert around the world.
Recently, Salonga appeared in the new musical, Allegiance, when it was workshopped in New York City this summer. Developed by actor George Takei, Allegiance tells the story of a Japanese-American family forced into an internment camp during World War II. This year, Salonga will be honored with the Disney Legends award, having created the singing voices for “Princess Jasmine” in Disney's Aladdin and “Fa Mulan” in Mulan and Mulan ll.
Honored with an appointment as a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Goodwill Ambassador in October of 2010, Salonga has vowed to act as advocate for the Youth and United Nations Global Alliance initiative led by the FAO. In her 30-year career, Salonga has performed for five Philippine presidents (from Ferdinand Marcos to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo), three American presidents (George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush), and for Diana, Princess of Wales and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
After several seasons of presenting shows in diverse elegant showrooms, Bay Area Cabaret found a permanent home last year when it was invited to reopen the The Fairmont San Francisco hotel’s historic Venetian Room, which had been dark as an entertainment venue for over 21 years. Following a gala opening, the company presented its most successful season to date, featuring such musical legends as Oscar, Grammy, Tony, and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch, Tony-winners Chita Rivera, Anika Noni Rose, and Lillias White, and its first ever “Bay Area Teen Idol” competition, with judges from American Idol and Wicked, and host Manoel Felciano. Having been awarded exclusive music booking rights to the Venetian Room, Bay Area Cabaret now presents its eighth season in the city’s legendary showroom.
Said Marilyn Levinson, Founding Executive Producer of Bay Area Cabaret, “The city’s music patrons have given an enthusiastic reception to Bay Area Cabaret’s first musical season in the Venetian Room. With performances by top caliber artists, and a classic renovation of both 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.” 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.
Bay Area Cabaret was founded by Levinson, a fifth-generation San Francisco native, and niece of James Schwabacher, Jr., founder of San Francisco Opera’s 27-year-old Schwabacher Debut Recital Series.Bay Area Cabaret (BAC) is a not-for profit, all-volunteer organization, which presents extraordinary performances at the Fairmont San Francisco’s legendary Venetian Room. Through its concert series and wide-ranging outreach activities, BAC aims to expand the definition of cabaret and broaden the audience for intimate entertainment, offering Great American Songbook entries from Harold Arlen and Stephen Sondheim to Jonathan Larson and Stevie Wonder. Past seasons have also featured Sutton Foster, Barbara Cook, jazz vocalists Nnenna Freelon and Jane Monheit, Broadway stars Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal, sopranos Patricia Racette and Karen Slack, and multi-platinum singer/songwriters Melissa Manchester and Ann Hampton Callaway.
Bay Area Cabaret’s fall line-up continues Saturday, October 22 by film (American Beauty, The Player), television (The O.C.), and Broadway star Peter Gallagher, and December 11, 2011 by Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist Stacey Kent. The series continues in 2012 with two-time Tony winner Christine Ebersole, jazz guitarist/singer John Pizzarelli, and Tony winner and star of NBC’s new series The Playboy Club, Laura Benanti. Subscribers to the six-show series receive substantial ticket discounts and reserved seats. For all patrons of Bay Area Cabaret, The Fairmont San Francisco offers a three-course dinner in the Laurel Court Restaurant & Bar for $40 (plus tax and tip), plus free parking for all who dine in the Laurel Court Restaurant & Bar. For Bay Area Cabaret 2011-2012 season subscriptions, or for more information including audio and video samples, visit www.bayareacabaret.org.
_____________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Carla Befera & Co.
650/327-1200
3800 West Bayshore Road, Suite 203, Palo Alto, CA 94303
info@cb-pr.com
Download the Press Release: PDF | Word
INDIVIDUAL CONCERT INFORMATION:
Bay Area Cabaret's 2011 / 2012 season
LEA SALONGA
When: 8:00 p.m., Friday, September 16, 2011
Where: Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco, 950 Mason Street, atop Nob Hill, San Francisco
Tickets: $60 general/ $50 subscribers (415) 392-4400 or bayareacabaret.org
Tony Award winner and international singing star, Lea Salonga received worldwide acclaim for her starring role as Kim in the original London production of the musical Miss Saigon. Ms. Salonga won the Olivier Award for "Best Actress in A Musical" while still a teen. Opening on Broadway two years later, she swept the season by winning the Tony Award, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Theater World Awards. This actress has since become a musical-theatre icon, starring in productions of Les Miserables, Cats, Flower Drum Song, Cinderella, and Into The Woods. As an actress and singer, she has starred in numerous films and TV shows as well as performing in concert around the world. In 2011, Ms. Salonga will be honored with the Disney Legend award, having created the singing voices for "Princess Jasmine" in Disney's Aladdin and "Fa Mulan" in Mulan and Mulan ll. She also just completed a critically-acclaimed run at New York's Café Carlyle where The New York Times noted, "Ms. Salonga's bright, metallically edged voice is a shiny all-purpose instrument that confidently establishes its dominion over whatever musical setting surrounds it."
____PETER GALLAGHER
When: 8 p.m., Saturday, October 22, 2011
Where: Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco 950 Mason Street, atop Nob Hill, San Francisco
Tickets: $45 general/ $40 subscribers (415) 392-4400 or bayareacabaret.org
Tony nominated actor/singer Peter Gallagher brings his critically acclaimed cabaret debut Songs And Stories to the Venetian Room to make his West Coast cabaret debut. Although well-known for his acting roles in films such as American Beauty, sex, lies and videotapes and The Player, as well as his role on TV's The O.C., Peter Gallagher also boasts an extensive background in musical theatre. After Broadway roles in Hair and Grease, he made his movie debut as a 50's teen idol in the cult classic, The Idolmaker. While his film success seemed to overshadow his musical roots, he has returned to Broadway many times, receiving rave reviews for his singing while starring in Guys And Dolls and Pal Joey (opposite Patti LuPone). And after surprising fans and critics alike while singing a cover of Solomon Burke's "Don't Give Up On Me" on a pivotal episode of The O.C., he was quickly signed by Sony Music to record his highly-praised and best-selling album, the soulful 7 Days In Memphis. In Songs and Stories, Mr.Gallagher reaches into the Great American Songbook as well as Broadway to cover his life and career. About Songs and Stories, The New York Times said, "What makes Mr. Gallagher's gift of gab so special is how naturally it extends to singing. He inhabits a song so comfortably that it flows directly out, a fusion of his own personality and the character he is playing." The review went on to describe his voice as "warm, flexible and unaffected ... powerful and expressive."
____STACEY KENT
When: 5 p.m., December 11, 2011
Where: Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco 950 Mason Street, atop Nob Hill, San Francisco
Tickets: $45 general/ $40 subscribers (415) 392-4400 or bayareacabaret.org
Grammy Award nominee and internationally-renowned jazz vocalist, Stacey Kent makes her Bay Area Cabaret debut and first Bay Area appearance in several years. Since the release of her first album, Close Your Eyes in 1997, Ms. Kent has achieved critical and popular success around the world, becoming a best-selling, award-winning artist performing in concert halls from Carnegie Hall, to the Olympia in Paris to Chiang Kai-shek Concert Hall in Taipei. She has more than eight albums to her credit, including the Grammy nominated and platinum-selling Breakfast On The Morning Tram and gold-selling albums In Love Again and Raconte-Moi (which was the 2nd best-selling French language album worldwide, outside of France, in 2010) and her July 2011 release, Hushabye Mountain. Among her numerous awards and accolades, are the BBC Best Jazz Vocalist, Backstage Bistro Award for best live performance and Chevalier Dans L'Order Des Arts et Des Lettres from the French Minister of Culture. Clint Eastwood, Sir David Frost, and Aerosmith front-man/American Idol judge Steven Tyler all list Stacey Kent among their favorite vocalists.
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BAY AREA CABARET REOPENS SAN FRANCISCO'S MOST HISTORIC SHOWROOM, THE FAIRMONT VENETIAN ROOMPresents Seventh Season of Nationally Renowned Vocalists
Season launches October 17 with Marvin Hamlisch and West End star Maria Friedman, continues with Broadway legend Chita Rivera, Rent's Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, Carlyle duo John Pizzarellei and Jessica Molaskey, Dreamgirl Anika Noni Rose and Tony winner Lillias WhiteSan Francisco, CA (3 September 2010) --- Bay Area Cabaret, the local organization devoted to presenting audiences with top performers who expand the definition of cabaret, announced it has been invited to reopen the Fairmont Hotel's historic Venetian Room as a showroom, and given exclusive music booking rights to present its musical series in the city's legendary showroom. Said Marilyn Levinson, Founding Executive Producer of Bay Area Cabaret, now in its seventh season, "The Venetian Room reigned supreme as America's premier supper club from 1947 to 1989. 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, Joel Grey, Bobby Short, James Brown, Vic Damone, Nat 'King' Cole, and many, many other performers held forth for more than four decades. We are thrilled and honored to be reopening this historic room as a music venue, where we will be presenting this generation’s top Broadway, pop and jazz performers."
Still thriving as the city's top destination for weddings and other elegant celebrations, but dark for 21 years as an entertainment venue, the Venetian Room will return to the spotlight with a gala reopening on 7pm Sunday, October 17. The evening's presentation, "Marvin and More," will feature Grammy, Emmy, Tony, and Pulitzer Prize winning composer Marvin Hamlisch, (A Chorus Line, The Way We Were, They're Playing Our Song), London's three-time Olivier Award winner Maria Friedman and Broadway's "Les Miz" star J. Mark McVey. This gala event kicks off the seventh season of Bay Area Cabaret, a nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting extraordinary solo performances by top Broadway, cabaret and jazz artists, and broadening the audience for high quality intimate entertainment. For those purchasing premium seats ($175), a reception with the artists follows the show in the Fairmont's spectacular Crown Room.Bay Area Cabaret's series continues Friday, November 5 with a 8pm concert by Chita Rivera, whose last appearance in San Francisco in 2008 was received by the San Francisco Chronicle with a rave review, calling her "irrepressible… the theatrical equivalent of a knockout punch." The two-time Tony Award winner will perform songs from her legendary Broadway career in her own concert Chita Rivera: My Broadway, featuring selections from her most celebrated musicals, including West Side Story ("America"), Sweet Charity ("Where Am I Going?" and "Big Spender"), Chicago ("All That Jazz" and "Nowadays"), Kiss of the Spider Woman, Bye, Bye, Birdie and The Rink, and featuring the music of Leonard Bernstein, John Kander & Fred Ebb, Charles Strouse, Stephen Sondheim and Cy Coleman among others. Broadways' original "Anita" of West Side Story, Rivera is the recipient of seven Tony Award nominations, including one for her most recent Broadway appearance in Chita Rivera: The Dancers' Life.
On Sunday, November 21, a 7 p.m., Bay Area Cabaret presents an acoustic and electric performance of re-imagined Broadway, pop and original music by Rent stars Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, followed by an exclusive party with the artists. Originally performed at Feinstein's at the Regency, Adam and Anthony Live kicks off their tour of Japan, New York's Town Hall, and other prestigious destinations around the country and the world.Next on the series, New York's Café Carlyle comes to San Francisco 5pm Sunday, March 13, 2011 with winners of New York's coveted Nightlife Award, jazz guitarist John Pizzarelli and his wife, Broadway star Jessica Molaskey (Tommy, Sunday in the Park with George). Having recorded over 20 albums, the latest a tribute to Duke Ellington, this duo blends musical genres seamlessly and intelligently. Says The New York Times' Stephen Holden: "In wit and musical savvy, nothing matches these smart conceptual shows, in which Mr. Pizzarelli's jazz guitar and crooning and Ms. Molaskey's theatrical jazz singing fuse into something that's greater than the sum of its parts."
Tony winner and Dreamgirls star Anika Noni Rose makes her San Francisco concert debut 5pm, Sunday, May 1, 2011. A Tony Award winner (Caroline or Change) also known for her role in the movie musical Dreamgirls, Ms. Rose was a graduate of ACT, who went on to star in productions of Aida, Three Penny Opera, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (with James Earl Jones) on Broadway. Her other films include Disney's The Princess and the Frog and the upcoming Tyler Perry film, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf.
The season will conclude with Broadway's finest vocalist Lillias White (FELA!, Dreamgirls, Chicago, Cats) performing 5pm Saturday, May 14, 2011 with a tribute to composer Cy Coleman. A winner of the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, People's Choice Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award for her role in Cy Coleman's musical The Life, this powerhouse singer pays tribute to the legendary songwriter (Witchcraft, Big Spender, The Best Is Yet To Come).
For patrons of Bay Area Cabaret, the Fairmont Hotel offers a three-course dinner in the Laurel Court for $40 plus tax and tip, plus free parking for all who dine in the Laurel Court. The hotel also offers a special "Take the Elevator Home" room rate of $179 per night plus tax, which also includes complimentary parking (valid until 12/31/10 and subject to availability).
Bay Area Cabaret was founded by Marilyn Levinson, a fifth generation San Francisco native and niece of James Schwabacher, Jr., founder of San Francisco Opera's 27-year-old Schwabacher Debut Recital Series. Bay Area Cabaret (BAC) is a not-for profit, all-volunteer organization, which presents extraordinary performances in a variety of elegant venues in the San Francisco Bay Area. Through its concert series and wide-ranging outreach activities, BAC aims to expand the definition of cabaret and broaden the audience for intimate entertainment, offering Great American Songbook entries from Harold Arlen and Stephen Sondheim to Jonathan Larson and Stevie Wonder. Past seasons have featured Sutton Foster, Christine Ebersole, Barbara Cook, television actors Michael Tucker and Jill Eikenberry, jazz diva Nnenna Freelon, Broadway stars Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley, sopranos Patricia Racette and Karen Slack, and multi-platinum songwriter and jazz vocalist Ann Hampton Callaway.
Tickets for individual concerts start at $45 general/$40 subscribers and are available at www.bayareacabaret.org or by phone at City Box Office (415) 392-4400. Subscriptions, discounts for groups of 8 or more are available directly from Bay Area Cabaret at (415) 927-4636. For Bay Area Cabaret 2010 / 2011 season subscriptions, premium seats with reception for opening night, or for more information including audio and video samples call (415) 927-4636 or visit www.bayareacabaret.org.
_____________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Carla Befera & Co.
650/327-1200
3800 West Bayshore Road, Suite 203, Palo Alto, CA 94303
info@cb-pr.com
Download the Press Release: PDF | Word
Below is a complete listing of
Bay Area Cabaret's 2010 / 2011 season
MARVIN HAMLISCH, with special guests Maria Friedman and J. Mark McVey — "Marvin and More"
When: Sunday, October 17th, 2010 at 7 p.m.
Where: Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco 900 Mason Street, atop Nob Hill, San Francisco
Tickets: Premium seating & post-show Crown Room reception tickets ($175) or subscriber tickets ($90) are available exclusively at Bay Area Cabaret (415) 927-INFO. A limited number of general ($100) tickets are at bayareacabaret.org or City Box Office (415) 392-4400
Grammy, Emmy, Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Marvin Hamlisch opens the season with London’s West End star Maria Friedman and Broadway ("Les Miz") tenor J. Mark McVey. The evening will feature compositions from A Chorus Line, The Way We Were, They’re Playing our Song and other selections from Hamlisch's vast Broadway and Hollywood repertoire. Mr. Hamlisch will also pay tribute to the work of Stephen Sondheim, Richard Rodgers and other musical theatre composers, accompanied by London’s Maria Friedman. This performance marks the West Coast debut of this three-time Olivier Award winner and National Theatre star.
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CHITA RIVERA — "My Broadway"
When: Friday, November 5, 2010
Where: Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco 900 Mason Street, atop Nob Hill, San Francisco
Tickets:$60 general/ $55 subscribers
An intimate evening of music with two-time Tony Award winner CHITA RIVERA performing songs from her legendary Broadway Career in her own concert CHITA RIVERA: MY BROADWAY comes to the Venetian Room. Accompanied by her longtime musical trio, Rivera will perform selections from her most celebrated musicals, including numbers from West Side Story ("America"), Sweet Charity ("Where Am I Going?" and "Big Spender"), Chicago ("All That Jazz" and "Nowadays"), Kiss of the Spider Woman, Bye Bye Birdie, and The Rink, and featuring the music of Leonard Bernstein, John Kander & Fred Ebb, Charles Strouse, Stephen Sondheim and Cy Coleman. "You leave this show walking on air!" raves the New York Times. "Shimmering show-biz perfection," cheers the Los Angeles Times. "Chita Rivera is more than a musical theatre star. She's a force of nature," raves the Associated Press.
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ADAM PASCAL and ANTHONY RAPP – "Adam & Anthony Live: The Guys from 'Rent'"
When: Sunday, November 21, 2010 at 7 p.m.
Where: Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco 900 Mason Street, atop Nob Hill, San Francisco
Tickets: $40 general/ $35 subscribers/ $20 students under 21/ $75 post-show party (415) 392-4400 or www.bayareacabaret.org.
Party tickets: (415) 927-4636 (limited availability)
Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, who co-starred in the original Broadway and London productions of "Rent" as well as in the film and touring versions of the show, perform an electric and acoustic concert with music from Spring Awakening, Aida and Rent, fresh interpretations of Sondheim songs and other familiar Broadway music, along with a mix of pop and original songs. Pascal created both the role of Roger in Rent, and Radames in the Disney adaptation of the Verdi opera Aida, and appeared in the Broadway production of Cabaret and London's star-studded production of Chess. Rapp's theatre credits include You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, Six Degrees of Separation, Hedwig & the Angry Inch, and film credits include A Beautiful Mind, Adventures in Babysitting, and Dazed and Confused. Originally performed at Feinstein's at the Regency, Adam and Anthony Live kicks off their tour of Japan, New York's Town Hall, and other prestigious destinations around the country and the world.
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JOHN PIZZARELLI and JESSICA MOLASKEY – "The Carlyle Show"
When: Sunday, March 13, 2011 at 5 p.m.
Where: Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco 900 Mason Street, atop Nob Hill, San Francisco
Tickets: $45 general/ subscribers $40 (415) 392-4400 or www.bayareacabaret.org
Winners of New York's coveted Nightlife Award, jazz guitarist and former RCA bandleader John Pizzarelli and his wife, Broadway star (Tommy, Sunday in the Park with George) Jessica Molaskey bring their most recent Café Carlyle show to the Venetian Room. Having recorded over 20 albums, the most recent a tribute to Duke Ellington, and currently hosting a music-themed radio show Radio Deluxe, Mr. Pizzarelli and Ms. Molaskey blend musical genres seamlessly and intelligently. Says the New York Times' Stephen Holden: "In wit and musical savvy, nothing matches these smart conceptual shows, in which Mr. Pizzarelli's jazz guitar and crooning and Ms. Molaskey's theatrical jazz singing fuse into something that's greater than the sum of its parts."
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ANIKA NONI ROSE – "In Concert"
When: Sunday, May 1, 2011 at 5 p.m.
Where: Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco 900 Mason Street, atop Nob Hill, San Francisco
Tickets: $45 general/ subscribers $40 (415) 392-4400 or www.bayareacabaret.org
Best known for her role in the movie-musical Dreamgirls, Tony Award winner (Caroline Or Change) Anika Noni Rose returns to San Francisco to make her solo concert debut with Bay Area Cabaret. After graduating from ACT, the actress-singer went on to star in productions of Aida, Three Penny Opera and Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (with Terence Howard and James Earl Jones) on Broadway. Other films include Disney's The Princess and the Frog and the upcoming Tyler Perry film For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf.
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LILLIAS WHITE – "My Guy Cy"
When: Sunday, May 14, 2011 at 8 p.m.
Where: Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco 900 Mason Street, atop Nob Hill, San Francisco
Tickets: $45 general/ subscribers $40 (415) 392-4400 or www.bayareacabaret.org
Bay Area Cabaret's season finale will star one of Broadway's greatest vocal talents, Lillias White. Having won the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award, People's Choice Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for her role in Cy Coleman's musical, The Life, the powerhouse singer pays tribute to the legendary songwriter with her special one-woman show, which played to rave reviews at New York's Lincoln Center. Nominated for a 2010 Tony Award for her featured role in Fela!, Ms. White's other credits include Dreamgirls (Dramalogue Award), Chicago, Cats, Funny Girl, Hair, and an Emmy-Award winning role on TV's Sesame Street.