Francesca Amari: A Love Song to Gilda Radner (cabaret)

Thursday March 14                               Content Guideline: RRR

7:00p                                                         $15.00 (General Admission)

Wealthy Theatre

 

A musical biography of Gilda Radner: her loves, life and brave battle with cancer told through song and Gilda’s own words.

To commemorate the 10^th Anniversary of Gilda’s Club in Grand Rapids, Michigan, popular cabaret vocalist Francesca Amari created a new cabaret show for the first annual LaughFest in 2011.

Amari developed the show with the input of nationally-renowned cabaret star Andrea Marcovicci, known as “the Queen of Cabaret,” who served as her creative consultant. The show highlights moments of Gilda’s fascinating life, including her rise to stardom, her marriage to Gene Wilder and her struggle with cancer. Much of the material comes from Gilda’s autobiography, It’s Always Something and her Saturday Night Live writing partner and friend, Alan Zweibel’s account of their relationship, Bunny Bunny.

Also on the creative team for the show is Marcovicci’s long-time collaborator, Shelly Markham, who serves as Music Director; and cabaret producer/director Clifford Bell and comedy writer Shelly Goldstein. The show features music from the American Popular Songbook, pop music, Broadway and the cabaret world, and includes such gems as “Pure Imagination,” Markham’s “You Make Me Laugh,” “My Pa” and “Honey (Touch Me With My Clothes On.” Amari cites Gilda Radner as one of her long-time heroes, since discovering her on SNL during her high school years. Amari has performed throughout the country, making her cabaret debut in NYC at The Metropolitan Room in 2007.  In Grand Rapids, she will be accompanied by popular pianist Mark Kahny.

 

Bar available for Wealthy Theatre members.  Patrons may purchase a CMC membership to get bar privileges for $12.  See the Wealthy Theatre website (http://www.grcmc.org/theatre/) for more info.