Palm Springs: January/February 2015 News

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Happy New Year! While much of the country is stormy, Palm Springs is sunny and hopping with cabaret, and we love visitors from all over the world, so consider this your personal invitation. While you are here, you’ll want to check out some of the local live entertainment, starting with the Jazz and Cabaret Supper Club Series presented by Bill Lanese Entertainment and Vicky’s of Santa Fe in Indian Wells, where it looks like I will be helping out with some lights and sound. January 5 has jazz vocalist/lyricist Mark Winkler with Grammy-winning vocalist Cheryl Bentyne in West Coast Cool, and on 1/26, Iris Williams performs A Romantic Musical Journey. Eric Comstock and Barbara Fasano celebrate Valentine’s Day with This Thing Called Love: A New York Valentine 2/16.

The Purple Room continues to add more cabaret: Jimmy James in Divas Are Forever 1/16; Michael Airington Oh My Goodness, It’s Paul Lynde 1/22-24; Michael Holmes in The Judy Show every Sunday night; and it looks like the musical revue, Palm Springs Jump which stars Francesca Amari, Michael Holmes, Darci Daniels, and Charles Herrera, has found a home there once a month. Speaking of Darci Daniels, last month Palm Springs honored her talent and work for local charities with a Star on the Walk of Fame, placing it directly in front of ThreeSixty North where she appears every Saturday night with David Ring on piano.

The Copa Room at Tropicale brings cabaret and comedy on weekends such as Iliza Shlesinger 1/9 & 10, former Mouseketeer Lindsey Alley 1/16 & 17, Frenchie Davis 1/18, X-Factor finalist Jason Brock 1/23 & 24, Leslie Jordan 2/13 & 14, and Laura Benanti 2/15. In addition to Bella Da Ball’s Tuesday night Cabaret Variety Revue, Alibi Azul is featuring some weekly shows, including Fleet Easton, Paul Mackey and Julie Rosser, plus rotating nights for Rose Kingsley in Simply Rose, Cat Lyn Day in Remembering Marilyn, and more. Annenberg Theatre at Palm Springs Art Museum will present Kevin Earley 1/13 & 14, Betty Buckley with The Vixens of Broadway 1/17, Billy Stritch 2/17 & 18, and, already sold out, Christine Ebersole (who’s there on my birthday) 2/21. On the open mic scene, pianist Joel Baker and I are having great nights at ThreeSixty North with Applause Wednesdays, and on Saturday nights I am now teamed up with Wayne Abravanel on piano for Cabaret on the Green at AJ’s on the Green, where things are going equally great. AJ’s is now featuring live entertainment seven nights a week and a Sunday brunch. New on the scene is Phillip Moore hosting Backstage Open Mic at Hunters Nightclub, turning its disco into a cabaret room every Thursday night. You will also want to check out these other venues for nightly entertainment: The Back Room at Woody’s Burgers; Melvyn’s at The Ingleside Inn; Oscar’s Cabaret ‘O’; Bernie’s Supper Club; Tropicale, where Derrik Lewis performs with his duo on Tuesdays and his trio on Thursdays in the Coral Seas Lounge; and Studio One11 with rotating Fridays featuring cabaret-style performances.

If live theater is your thing, then look no further than McCallum Theatre which has a full line-up with Willie Nelson 1/7, A Musical Tribute to The Bee Gees 1/9, Palm Springs Legends II 1/10, Jeffrey Siegel 1/12, Tommy Tune 1/15, Jackie Evancho 1/16, Vanessa Williams 1/17, Sing-Along Grease 2/1, The Supreme’s Tribute 2/5, Michael Feinstein 2/7, Jeffrey Siegel 2/9, the National tours of Memphis 2/10 & 11, and Guys and Dolls 2/13-15, and Gino Vannelli 2/27. Palm Canyon Theatre brings back A Chorus Line 1/23 – 2/8, I Totally Know What You Did Last Donna Summer 2/13-15, and A Funny thing Happened on the Way to the Forum 2/20 – 3/ 8. Desert Ensemble Theatre Company at Pearl McManus Theatre will premiere Esperanza by Ken Luber and Saverio Rappezzi 1/24. David Green is doing big things these days with Musical Theatre University at Rancho Mirage High School with free professional level classes and training in dance, acting, singing, scenic design, production, writing and band, available to PS Unified students grades 8 – 12, with opportunities to perform in Broadway-caliber shows with some top name stars in their new Helen Galen Performing Arts Center. Also calling the Galen its new home is Coyote Stageworks, which will present Side by Side by Sondheim as a fund-raising gala 1/17.