Bay Area Cabaret Welcomes Mary Wilson, 10/28

Bay Area Cabaret kicks off its 2012-2013 season with Motown legend Mary Wilson, back for her first show in the historic Venetian room since performing there with the "Supremes" more than two decades ago. Legendary for her work as a founding member of the world's most famous girl-group, Mary Wilson also has an engaging storytelling ability which combines with her vocal prowess to create a warm and affecting cabaret show. "An Intimate Evening with Mary Wilson" includes not only Motown hits, but also more tender standards, revealing Ms. Wilson's emotional range. This special one-night-only engagement will take place at the historic Venetian Room of The Fairmont San Francisco (950 Mason Street) 7pm Sunday, October 28, 2012. Tickets ($40 - $75) are available at www.bayareacabaret.org or by phone at City Box Office (415) 392-4400.

Celebrating both Bay Area Cabaret's opening night and Ms. Wilson's return to The Venetian Room (this was the only venue where, in the span of their six engagements there, all eight Supremes ladies performed), Ms. Wilson's acoustic program features ballads like Stormy Weather, Yesterday when I was Young, Fields of Gold, and Tears in Heaven. Called "sparkling" by Cabaret Scenes, Mary Wilson's solo cabaret show, featured at Feinstein's in New York and at venues around the globe, explores a softer side of the Motown legend's repertoire. Her performance at Australia's Adelaide Cabaret Festival last summer prompted Australian newspaper The Age to say, "Ms. Wilson's master of vocal coloring was on display from a bottom register as dark and velvety as Guinness into a still agile top," andAustralian Stage to comment, "she brought home the core of why cabaret is so loved."

Best known as a founding member of the "Supremes," Ms. Wilson went on to launch her solo career in 1977 after 18 years with the iconic group. With four solo albums, a best-selling autobiography, multiple Lifetime Achievement Awards, and starring roles in theatre productions across the country including Leader of the Pack, Supreme Soul, and The Vagina Monologues, Ms. Wilson has is an entertainment icon. A former U.S. Cultural Ambassador, Ms. Wilson has traveled around the world encouraging women and young people to pursue their goals and "Dare to Dream." She continues to devote her time and talent to a diverse group of non-profit organizations, including the American Cancer Society, UNICEF, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and The Humpty Dumpty Institute.

Founded eight years ago by fifth generation San Francisco native Marilyn Levinson, Bay Area Cabaret is a not-for profit organization which presents 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 featured Sutton Foster, Barbara Cook, Marvin Hamlisch, Christine Ebersole, Chita Rivera, jazz vocalists John Pizzarelli, Stacey Kent and Jane Monheit, Rent stars Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal, and high school vocal competition Bay Area Teen Idol.