ELLA FITZGERALD SONGBOOKS Fundraiser Comes to Austin Shakespeare
The performance will take place on Sunday, August 24 at 6:30 p.m.
By: Emmy Rice Aug. 02, 2025
Austin Shakespeare will bring the spirit of jazz and the elegance of Ella Fitzgerald to life at its upcoming fundraiser, Ella Fitzgerald SONGBOOKS, on Sunday, August 24 at 6:30 p.m. at Parker Jazz Club. This special evening will feature four outstanding vocalists and a pianist performing selections made famous by the Queen of Jazz. Tickets start at $60 and are available at www.austinshakespeare.org.
Set in the intimate and stylish Parker Jazz Club, Ella Fitzgerald Songbooks promises a sophisticated, high-energy evening of unforgettable tunes, from sultry ballads to toe-tapping swing. Proceeds from the event will support Austin Shakespeare’s professional productions and education programs throughout Central Texas.
Ella Fitzgerald Songbooks will feature four vocalists, each bringing their own stylish flair to Fitzgerald’s timeless repertoire, as well as Dan Redner on the piano. Tara Smith, UT Austin professor of philosophy, will be the emcee.
Tim O’Brien has appeared with Austin Shakespeare in West Side Story, Kiss Me Kate, and A Little Night Music, and is known for his extensive work in opera.
Pamela Hart, hailed as Austin’s First Lady of Jazz and a 2018 inductee into the Austin Jazz Society Hall of Fame, brings decades of acclaimed performance, including collaborations with national jazz legends and leadership of the Women in Jazz Concert Series.
Chelsea Manasseri is a versatile actor and singer whose recent Austin Shakespeare credits include Jane Eyre and Romeo & Juliet, with additional standout performances across Austin stages including The Vortex and Different Stages.
Kara Bliss McGregor, an Austin native with 50 years of performance experience in theater, film and music, has earned multiple local awards and nominations for her dynamic stage roles spanning opera, jazz and dramatic theater.
Dan Redner, music director and accompanist, is a jazz pianist and composer whose career spans performances with Andrea Bocelli and Andrew Bird, international tours and Broadway accompaniment, in addition to teaching and directing from his Austin studio.
“Don’t miss this unforgettable night of live music,” said Ann Ciccolella, artistic director of Austin Shakespeare. “We’ve brought together some of Austin’s finest vocalists to celebrate the timeless songs of Ella Fitzgerald. It’s the perfect way to enjoy a night out while supporting the arts—get your tickets now and be part of it.”
Tickets are limited. To purchase tickets or learn more about sponsorship opportunities, visit www.austinshakespeare.org.
ABOUT AUSTIN SHAKESPEARE
Audiences love this company for surprising and entertaining heightened-language productions at The Long Center’s Rollins Studio Theatre in the Fall and Spring, as well as Free Summer Shakespeare in Zilker Park. The only professional classical theater company in Central Texas, Austin Shakespeare stages performances that are fresh, bold, imaginative, thought-provoking and eminently accessible — connecting the truths of the past with the challenges and possibilities of today.
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