Alice Ripley Jeff Goldblum, Christine Ebersole, and More Bring Cabarets to The Wallis

For two weeks in December, the Lovelace Studio Theatre at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts will be transformed into the intimate nightclub world of Cabaret. This brand-new series will bring some of today's most heralded cabaret acts today to The Wallis for the first time including Amanda McBroom, Christine Andreas, Alice Ripley, Freda Payne, Melissa Manchester, Ute Lemper and Jeff Goldblum.

Photo of Lovelace Studio Theater.
Click on the image for the high-res version. Tickets Now on Sale:
Tickets range from $50.00 - $135.00 are available at www.thewallis.org, by calling 310-746-4000, or in person at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Ticket Services located at 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

About the Performers Amanda McBroom: Let's Fall in Love

Let's Fall in Love is an evening of romantic standards and "Amandards" by cabaret legend and songwriter Amanda McBroom, writer of the hit song "The Rose."

The New York Times said of Amanda McBroom, "I've heard Ms. McBroom sing 'The Rose"' dozens of times over the years, and each time her interpretation gets deeper into the song's mysterious heart. Ms. McBroom has a beautiful voice that has become more expressive as it has steadily lowered. And on Wednesday evening she poured more anguish into the song than I've ever heard her summon before. The show is a carefully chosen blend of originals and standards wrung from the inside out by a singer who has the dramatic focus of a method actor. For all the naked emotion on display, Ms. McBroom is anything but grim. She has a ripe sense of humor and conveys an innate good cheer. Everything she sings feels grounded in her life experience. As much as any pop singer I can think of, Ms. McBroom is an American Everywoman sharing her personal wisdom with down-to-earth directness that is easily understood and deeply felt."
Amanda McBroom. Photo by Mary Ann Halpin

Love is Good: An Evening with Christine Andreas and Martin Silvestri at the Piano

After a triumphant run at 54 Below in New York, Christine Andreas brings her highly personal show Love is Good to the Lovelace Theater. Originally conceived for a command performance at the White House in the intimate setting of the presidential living room, Christine and her husband, award-winning composer Martin Silvestri, have created a sophisticated, romantic evening crafted to show the power of brilliant lyrics set to unforgettable melodies. Expect Rodgers & Hart, Lerner & Loewe, Gershwin, Piaf, and a few surprises that will lighten your spirit and make your heart sing.

"She delicately kills with the sheer beauty of her voice." -The New York Times
Christine Andreas. Photo by Stacy Sullivan
Click on the image to view the high-res version. Alice Ripley: All Sondheim

In Alice Ripley: All Sondheim, the multi-talented star of Broadway's Next to Normal, Sunset Boulevard, The Who's Tommy, Side Show, and The Rocky Horror Show explores the provocative lyrics and enduring melodies of songs written by the legendary Stephen Sondheim. Ms. Ripley has gathered some of her favorites - and will even revisit classic Sondheim characters she's played, remembering anecdotes along the way. From "Worst Pies In London" to "Getting Married Today"... from "Losing My Mind" to "Rose's Turn"... from "Being Alive" to "The Ladies Who Lunch"... this is a show you won't want to miss.
Alice Ripley. Photo by Dirty Sugar Photography
Click on the image to view the high-res version. Freda Payne: A Tribute to the Ladies of the Great American Jazz Songbook

Freda Payne got her start singing with the big bands of Duke Ellington and Quincy Jones. Known for her R&B hits Band of Gold and Bring the Boys Home, as well as the Broadway musical Jelly's Last Jam, Payne returns to her jazz roots with her latest album Come Back to Me Love.
Freda Payne. Photo by Raj Naik
Click on the image to view the high-res version. Melissa Manchester: Joy

Melissa Manchester's extraordinary career began when the native New Yorker signed her first publishing deal at 17. Soon she was backing up Bette Midler as a founding member of the Harlettes and studying songwriting with Paul Simon at New York University. In her new holiday show "Joy", the Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter will include songs of the season and selections from her new You Gotta Love The Life album, as well as her enduring classics like "Midnight Blue," "Whenever I Call You Friend" and "Don't Cry Out Loud."

"A gospel-influenced belter with a smoky lower register, her versions of standards and old hits had a raw, devil-may-care exuberance." - The New York Times
Melissa Manchester. Courtesy of Melissa Manchester
Click on the image to view the high-res version. Ute Lemper: Last Tango in Berlin

This concert is sort of "The Best of Ute Lemper," as it touches on all the different musical chapters of her main repertoire, yet also leaves a lot of space for open improvisations and great moments of virtuosity. It also celebrates Ute's inspiration and play with Jazz and ethnic musical influences.

The journey starts in Berlin with Ute's root repertoire of Brecht and Weill and the Berlin Cabaret songs. It continues into the poetic universe of the French chansons by Brel, Piaf, Ferre and further to the Argentinian world of Tango by Astor Piazzolla. Ute walks through the backstreets of Paris, Berlin, New York and Buenos Aires and lets ancient ghosts with new faces tell the stories of the lost, of love, survival, passion, dreams, societies, the past and the future. Ute also performs her own songs to connect the yesterday with the today through her own stories about these places and about life.

"Fierce and Fiery." - The New York Times
Ute Lemper. Photo by Lucas Allen
Click on the image to view the high-res version. Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra: Holidays. No Ice.

With film credits including Jurassic Park, The Fly, and The Grand Budapest Hotel; theatre performances including The Pillowman, Speed the Plow and Domesticated; and television appearances including "Portlandia" "Inside Amy Schumer" and "Will & Grace," Jeff Goldblum now brings his jazz band, The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, with whom he performs regularly at Los Feliz's Rockwell Table and Stage, to The Wallis.

The evening will feature Goldblum on piano, John Storie on guitar, James King on tenor saxophone, Tim Emmons on bass and Kenny Elliot on drums.

"A fun ride." - NPR
Jeff Goldblum. Courtesy of Jeff Goldblum
Click on the image to view the high-res verson. Christine Ebersole: Big Noise from Winnetka

Tony Award-winner (42nd Street and Grey Gardens) Christine Ebersole will headline the new cabaret series this winter in the Lovelace Studio Theater. Big Noise from Winnetka features both classic and reimagined Broadway hits, pop and jazz classics and anecdotes about growing up.

"This singer and actress, who is at the top of the cabaret food chain, is unafraid to take chances"
- The New York Times
Christine Ebersole.
Click on the image to view the high-res version. About The Wallis
Located in the heart of Beverly Hills, California, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts ("The Wallis") brings audiences world-class theater, dance and music, performed by many of the world's most talented and sought-after artists. With eclectic programming that mirrors the diverse landscape of Los Angeles, and its notability as the entertainment capital of the world, The Wallis offers original and revered works from across the U.S. and around the globe. The mission of The Wallis is to be a vital cultural hub that uses unique arts events and education programming to entertain, enlighten and inspire children and adults in our community and across the nation. Nominated for 26 Ovation Awards, four L.A. Drama Critic's Circle Awards and the recipient of five architectural awards since opening in 2013, this fall marks The Wallis' third season, which includes its prestigious Arts & Ideas series, conversations with guests from the realms of culture, literature and politics. Housed in a breathtaking 70,000-square-foot venue designed by Zoltan E. Pali, FAIA of Studio Pali Fekete architects, The Wallis celebrates the classic and the modern. The building features the restored, original 1933 Beverly Hills Post Office (on the National Register of Historic Places) that serves as the theater's dramatic yet welcoming lobby, and houses the 150-seat Lovelace Studio Theater, GRoW at The Wallis: A Space for Arts Education (a gift of Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family and the Annenberg Foundation) and the contemporary 500-seat, state-of-the-art Bram Goldsmith Theater. Together, these structures embrace the city's history and its future, creating a performing arts destination for L.A.-area visitors and residents alike. For more information, visit www.thewallis.org.

Amanda McBroom: Let's Fall in Love
Wednesday, December 9 at 7:00pm

Love is Good: An Evening with Christine Andreas
Featuring Martin Silvestri at the Piano
Thursday, December 10 at 7:00pm

Alice Ripley: All Sondheim
Friday, December 11 at 7:00pm

Freda Payne: A Tribute to the Ladies of the Great American Songbook
Saturday, December 12 at 7:00pm

Melissa Manchester: Joy
Wednesday, December 16 at 7:00pm

Ute Lemper: Last Tango in Berlin
Thursday, December 17 at 7:00pm

Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra: Holidays. No Ice.
Saturday, December 19 at 7:00pm

www.thewallis.org