Rita Wilson Returning to Feinstein's at the Nikko in April

After a sold-out engagement in 2013, musician, actress and producer Rita Wilson will return to Feinstein's at the Nikko for two performances only - Friday, April 1 (8 p.m.) and Saturday, April 2 (7 p.m.) - as part of a 20+ city sprint 2016 tour to promote her second studio album - self-titled "Rita Wilson," a collection of original songs that she co-wrote.

The tour will begin in March and cross more than 20 cities in the U.S. including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Austin, Boston, Nashville, Philadelphia and Chicago before concluding on May 4 in Milwaukee. Before kicking off her headline tour, Wilson will have a residency at the famed Café Carlyle in New York City beginning Feb 23 until March 5. Tickets for Rita Wilson range in price from $55-$75 and are available now by calling 866.663.1063 or visiting www.ticketweb.com.

Although Wilson is well-known as an actress ("It's Complicated," "Sleepless in Seattle," recurring roles on CBS's "The Good Wife," HBO's Golden Globe winning series "Girls," recently starring in Larry David's sold out Broadway hit Fish In The Dark) as well as a film producer (discovered "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," "Mamma Mia!"), few may be aware that her early show biz ambitions were actually musical. Born and raised in the Hollywood Hills (nearly above the Hollywood Bowl), Wilson harbored dreams of becoming a singer in the '60s and '70s after falling in love with The Beatles, The Mamas & the Papas, Janis Joplin, and The Supremes, among others. She even took a part-time job as a ticket-taker at what was then the Universal Amphitheatre as a way to see such popular acts of the day as Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, James Taylor, and The Eagles.

"I would watch these artists on stage and ache from wondering, 'How can I get up there? How can I get to do that?'" Wilson recalls. After achieving her dream in 2012 with the critically acclaimed "Am/Fm" - an intimate, elegant, and beautifully sung collection of classics from the '60s and '70s - Wilson has been focusing on a new component of her musical career as a songwriter.

During the past two years she has collaborated with a number of extremely talented and successful songwriters composing original material to be featured on Rita Wilson, scheduled for release on March 11, 2016. Some of this material was featured in Wilson's sold-out two-week residency at the famed Carlyle Café in New York City in late 2014.

Wilson's songwriting partners include Grammy Award winners/nominees Jessi Alexander, Matraca Berg, Kristian Bush, Nathan Chapman, Kara DioGuardi, Brett James, Richard Marx and Dan Wilson, as well as acclaimed songwriters Kelly Archer, Darrell Brown, Blair Daly, Eric Kaz, Stephan Moccio, Jon Randall, Jason Reeves, and The Warren Brothers. Producers contributing to Wilson's upcoming album include Ron Aniello, Mikal Blue, Nathan Chapman, Richard Marx, John Shanks, Dan Wilson and Babyface.

"I would have never attempted songwriting if I hadn't been encouraged by Kara DioGuardi to write." (Singer-songwriter DioGuardi's songs have appeared on albums which have sold over 160 million copies worldwide. She is a former judge on the "American Idol" and "Platinum Hit" TV shows.) "She and I had met through Chicago The Musical as we both played Roxie Hart, and she offered to write with me," Wilson continued. "With Kara and Jason Reeves, I wrote two songs and that gave me the confidence to keep writing." (Reeves is a singer-songwriter and long-time collaborator with singer Colbie Caillat and co-wrote her hits "Bubbly" and "Realize", among others) "I have truly loved writing songs. It's opened up a new way to discover what you feel about something or a way to create something that is deeply personal or, perhaps, isn't necessarily based on personal experience, but on an emotion or idea you want to explore. I'm excited to share these new original songs with the audience."

RITA WILSON - 2016 TOUR DATES

All dates, venues and cities below subject to change. Date City Venue Feb 23 - March 5 New York, NY Café Carlyle March 29 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern March 30 West Hollywood, CA Troubadour April 1 San Francisco, CA Feinstein's at Hotel Nikko April 2 San Francisco, CA Feinstein's at Hotel Nikko April 5 Beaver Creek, CO Vilar Performing Arts Center April 6 Englewood, CO Gothic Theatre April 8 Dallas, TX Kessler Theater April 9 Austin, TX Stateside at The Paramount April 12 Clearwater, FL Capitol Theater April 14 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Broward Center for the Performing Arts April 15 Ponte Vedra Beach, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall April 17 Athens, GA The Foundry April 19 Nashville, TN City Winery April 21 Durham, NC Carolina Theatre of Durham April 23 Annapolis, MD Rams Head On Stage April 24 Vienna, VA The Barns at Wolf Trap April 26 Boston, MA The Wilbur Theatre April 27 Ridgefield, CT Ridgefield Playhouse April 29 South Orange, NJ South Orange Performing Arts Center April 30 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live May 3 Chicago, IL City Winery Chicago May 4 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall Ballroom

Located within Hotel Nikko (222 Mason Street, San Francisco), Feinstein's at the Nikko presents a wide range of entertainers from stage and screen all within an intimate 140-seat cabaret setting. There is a $20 food and beverage minimum per person inside the showroom which guests can use towards cocktails as well as a variety of small plates crafted exclusively for Feinstein's at the Nikko, through Restaurant Anzu. Cheese and dessert platters will also be available in the showroom.

All seating at Feinstein's at the Nikko is cabaret style and available on a first-come, first-served basis within the section purchased. Guests who purchase the prix-fixe dinner at Restaurant Anzu will receive a complimentary section upgrade (subject to availability) and get to choose their exact seat locations within the upgraded section.

Guests of Feinstein's at the Nikko can enjoy a variety of food and beverage options before performances. Kanpai Lounge, located in Hotel Nikko's lobby, offers light cuisine, a full bar and specialty cocktails. Restaurant Anzu, Hotel Nikko's intimate restaurant located on the second floor, serves sustainable California cuisine enhanced with Asian flavors. Restaurant Anzu will also offer Feinstein's at the Nikko guests a special three-course prix-fixe dinner ($45 per person) prior to all performances. Reservations can be made by calling (415) 394-1100.

For additional information on Rita Wilson, visit: www.ritawilson.com.

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