Bay Area Cabaret Announces 2012-2013 Season: Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley, Peter Gallagher and More

Bay Area Cabaret, the local non-profit organization devoted to presenting audiences with top performers who expand the definition of cabaret, has announced its lineup for the 2012-2013 season. Opening the season Sunday, October 28, 2012 is Motown legend and founding member of "Supremes," Mary Wilson, followed Sunday, November 11, 2012 by 9-time Tony Award winning singer/dancer/director/choreographer Tommy Tune, and December 9, 2012 by television, film, and Broadway star Peter Gallagher. The series continues in 2013 with "Broadway's golden couple," Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley on February 17, 2013, "Britain's first lady of musical theatre" Elaine Paige on March 1, 2013, and a performance by singer/actress Nellie McKay featuring San Francisco's Grammy-winning a capella male chorus Chanticleer on March 23, 2013. Rounding out the season is a tribute to the late Marvin Hamlisch, with special guests to be announced, on June 2, 2013, which would have been the legendary composer's 69th birthday, with special guests to be announced.

After several seasons of presenting shows in a variety of elegant showrooms, Bay Area Cabaret found a permanent home two 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 presented its most successful season to date, featuring such musical legends as Chita Rivera, Anika Noni Rose, and Lillias White and its first ever 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 returned last season with another stellar line-up, and now begins its third year in residence, to present Bay Area Cabaret's Ninth 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's first two seasons 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 to five and six-show series receive substantial ticket discounts and reserved seats. 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. Bay Area Cabaret (BAC) is a not-for profit organization. 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 Harold Arlen and Stephen Sondheim to Jonathan Larson and Stevie Wonder. Past seasons have featured Sutton Foster, Barbara Cook, Christine Ebersole, Chita Rivera, jazz vocalists John Pizzarelli, Nnenna Freelon, and Jane Monheit, Rent stars Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal, and a high school vocal competition Bay Area Teen Idol.