Duplex Hosts Kristy Cates on 6/6 and Karen Mason on 6/13

It is with great pleasure that The Duplex Cabaret Theatre announces the continuation of the celebrated BROADWAY DOWNTOWN series during the month of June. Broadway Downtown was launched in early 2005 as a program to celebrate Broadway talents in special, one-night-only concerts. Past participants have included Barbara Walsh, Sally Mayes, Christiane Noll, Darius DeHaas, Judy Blazer and Barrett Foa. This June, The Duplex is pleased to welcome:

June 6 @ 7pm Wicked's Kristy Cates in her farewell to NYC performance, before leaving the Broadway production of WICKED to assume the role of Elphaba in the Chicago production.

June 13 @ 7pm Mamma Mia's Karen Mason in BETTER DAYS, a tribute to songwriter Brian Lasser

Tickets for Broadway Downtown are $20 each, and are available via Smarttix: www.smarttix.com, or 212.868.4444. Please note there is a two-drink minimum at each performance, and no one under 21 will be permitted. The Duplex Cabaret Theatre is located at 61 Christopher Street, in the heart of New York's West Village.

Kristy Cates is currently making her Broadway debut in the ensemble of the Broadway production of Wicked, and as understudy for the role of Elphaba. Earlier this year, Kristy was rushed to Toronto to perform the role of Elphaba for several weeks, when leading lady Stephanie J. Block was injured during final rehearsals for the national tour of the hit Broadway musical. Immediately following her performance at The Duplex Cabaret Theatre, Kristy will head to Chicago to participate in the sit-down production of Wicked, where she will stand-by for leading lady Ana Gasteyer. Kristy made her Off-Broadway debut in Boobs! The Musical and also appeared in the 2005 revival of Love Letters at The Duplex Cabaret Theatre. Favorite regional roles include jon and jen (Jen) and Into the Woods (Witch). Holding a BFA from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Kristy's earlier cabaret work in New York includes her own solo show at Don't Tell Mama, as well as numerous appearances with The Storefront Theatre Company at The Duplex Cabaret Theatre. Phil Geoffrey Bond will direct the show, with Musical Direction by Ray Fellman.

Karen Mason's illustrious career has included appearances on Broadway and on concert and cabaret stages throughout the world. Notably, Karen originated the role of Tanya on Broadway in ABBA's Mamma Mia!, for which she was awarded a 2002 Drama Desk nomination. She is also known for playing the starring role of Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, which she performed to critical acclaim and standing ovations on Broadway and in Los Angeles for three years. Other Broadway credits include: Jerome Robbins' Broadway, Play Me a Country Song and Torch Song Trilogy. Off Broadway, Karen appeared in Carnival (1993 Drama Desk Award nomination), And the World Goes Round (Outer Critics Circle Award) and Karen Mason Sings Broadway, Beatles and Brian. Regionally, she starred in the world premiere of White Christmas (St. Louis Muni Opera), Side by Side by Sondheim (Coconut Grove Playhouse), Gypsy (Sundance Theatre Institute), Heartbeats (Goodspeed Opera House) and Company (Boston's Huntington Theatre). An acclaimed vocalist, Mason has headlined Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Russian Tea Room, Rainbow and Stars, The Algonquin, Arci's, Eighty Eights and The Ballroom in New York, The Cinegrill and the UCLA/ASCAP Concert Series in Los Angeles, The Plush Room in San Francisco and Davenports in Chicago. Her recent CD, When the Sun Comes Out, received the 2002 MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs) Award for Major Female Recording. Other recordings include Christmas! Christmas! Christmas!, Better Days (which includes the Emmy award-winning song, Hold Me) and Not So Simply Broadway (all on Zevely Records). She can also be heard on the soundtrack for the film Jeffrey (Varese Sarabande), the studio recording of Wonderful Town (JAY Records), the original cast recording of And The World Goes Round (RCA Victor), The Child in Me, Vol 1 (Harbinger Records) and Lost in Boston II (Varese Sarabande). Recent television appearances include Ed (as Judge Patricia Hedges) and Law and Order SVU (as Librarian Giddens). More recently, Karen received the 2005 MAC Award for a major engagement. For this special performance on June 13, Karen will celebrate the music of her former collaborator, the late and brilliantly talented Brian Lasser, with musical Direction by Christopher Denny. www.karenmason.com