Parks, Hodgman Set For CYNTHIA HOPKINS SONGBOOK at Joe's Pub 3/27

Five years ago (on March 26, 2004 to be precise) "Accidental Nostalgia" premiered at St. Anne's Warehouse to enthusiastic reviews and packed houses. The show's star, Cynthia Hopkins, became a celebrated figure in New York's alternative theater community, and the success of the show gave rise to "The Accidental Trilogy," which includes "Must Don't Whip 'Um" (2007) and the forthcoming "The Success of Failure (or The Failure of Success)," the third and final show in the trilogy which plays at St. Ann's Warehouse May 22 - June 7, 2009.

To mark the 5-year anniversary of "Accidental Nostalgia's" New York premiere - and a full decade of Hopkins' band, Gloria Deluxe - independent curator and producer Earl Dax presents "The Cynthia Hopkins Songbook," the next in an ongoing series of songbook shows that showcase the art and craft of select songwriters by pairing them with an eclectic array of singers who cover their work in an intimate concert setting. (Previous songbook subjects include Stew and Nick Hallett.) The roster of artists interpreting select tunes from the Hopkins catalog includes: Pulitzer prize winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks (yes, she sings!); Ars Nova Composer-in-Residence Novice Theory; author and humorist John Hodgman; internationally celebrated performer Taylor Mac; crooner Ethan Lipton; chanteuse Susan Oetgen; teen singing sensation Maria Ventura and legendary drag performer Flotilla Debarge.

Coinciding with the 10-year anniversary of the inception of Gloria Deluxe, the band releases its seventh full-length album this April, at the opening of "The Success of Failure" at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. A limited number of advance CDs will be available for purchase after the performance at Joe's Pub.

The Cynthia Hopkins Songbook plays for one performance Friday, March 27 at 10:00 pm at Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette, New York, NY. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased in advance at www.joespub.com. Table seating available when you make dinner reservations by calling (212) 539-8778. "The Success of Failure (or the Failure of Success) opens at St. Ann's Warehouse on May 22 and runs through June 7, 2009. Visit www.stannswarehouse.org for full details.