Elaine Paige Plays Bay Area Cabaret Tonight

Bay Area Cabaret presents the Bay Area concert debut of Britain's dazzling Elaine Paige. Dubbed "The First Lady of Musical Theatre," Ms. Paige will perform an evening of the career-defining showstoppers that earned her a place among Broadway and the West End's most treasured performers. Winner of the Laurence Olivier Award for Performance of the Year in a Musical for her starring role in Evita, Ms. Paige went on to star in numerous West End musicals including Cats, Chess, Anything Goes, Piaf, and Sunset Boulevard, each of which earned her Olivier Award nominations.

This special one-night-only engagement will take place 8pm, tonight, March 1, 2013 at the historic Venetian Room of the Fairmont San Francisco (950 Mason Street). Tickets ($47 general/$40-45 subscribers) are expected to sell out quickly at www.bayareacabaret.org or by phone at City Box Office (415) 392-4400.

Elaine Paige has made major contributions to the world of musical theatre as an actress, recording artist, producer, and broadcaster. Her West End debut came at the age of 20, when she was cast in the 1968 production of Hair. She reached international fame with her Laurence Olivier Award-winning portrayal of Eva Perón in the original stage production of Evita. Paige went on to create the role of "Grizabella" in the original production of Cats, in which her performance of the song "Memory," became a Top 10 hit on the UK singles chart. Paige also originated the role of "Florence" for the concept album of Chess, and in 1985 released the Chess duet "I Know Him So Well" as a single, which occupied the number one position on the UK singles chart for four weeks and remains the best-selling record by a female duo of all time. Her extensive credits also include The King and I, Sweeney Todd, and most recently, the critically acclaimed Broadway and Los Angeles productions of Follies.

Paige has recorded over 20 solo albums, eight of which consecutively went Gold and four of which went multi-Platinum. Additionally, she has been featured on seven cast albums, most recently the Broadway Revival Cast Recording of Follies, which was nominated for a 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. In 1995, Paige was appointed an Officer of the British Empire for her contributions to musical theatre. Paige can be heard on her weekly BBC Radio 2 program Elaine Paige On Sunday, on which she interviews musical luminaries.

Bay Area Cabaret was founded nine years ago by San Francisco native Marilyn Levinson as a not-for profit organization. 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 the high school vocal competition Bay Area Teen Idol.

Following Elaine Paige, Bay Area Cabaret will present versatile singer, songwriter, and actress Nellie McKay with special guest Chanticleer. The multi-talented McKay will team up with Chanticleer, the Grammy Award-winning, San Francisco-based male chorus, for a unique performance at the Fairmont's Venetian Room on March 23, 2013 at 8pm.

Bay Area Cabaret will conclude its 2013 season with a gala tribute to the late Marvin Hamlisch, with special guests including Billy Stritch, Lisa Vroman, West End star Maria Friedman, Bay Area Teen Idol winner Bobby Thornton and other guest artists to be announced. This event will take place on June 2, 2013, which would have been the legendary composer's 69th birthday.

For Bay Area Cabaret patrons, The Fairmont San Francisco offers a delicious buffet dinner in the Laurel Court Restaurant & Bar for $40 (plus tax and tip), plus four hours of free parking for all who dine in the Laurel Court. For more information, visit www.bayareacabaret.org.

Photo Credit: Eva Mueller