Scott Raneri Brings THE MARVELOUS MR. MARZO to Don't Tell Mama

When Actor/Singer Scott Raneri was pondering a theme for his New York Solo Cabaret Debut Show, he decided to go back to his roots-literally.

Last December, Raneri registered to take a DNA test with the ubiquitous genetic testing company 23andMe. Raneri wanted to learn more about his ancestry and his health profile. When he found he was a genetic match with a cousin he didn't know he had, that led to a more startling discovery-that his grandfather was NOT the man who was married to his grandmother, but was a family friend named Butch Marzo. Hence, the show's title.

"I've wanted to create a solo cabaret show for years, but I didn't want it to be a show about my love life or a tribute to a singer," Raneri says. "I wanted to develop a show based on a really original idea. When I took that DNA test, I never thought that family secrets taken to the grave would be revealed though science and it would end up being the catalyst for a show. Once I discovered the truth about my grandmother's husbands and lovers, I knew this was a story I needed to tell."

Featuring songs by Stephen Sondheim, Cy Coleman, Peggy Lee, Andre Previn, Amanda McBroom, David Friedman, Fred Barton, and more, Scott Raneri's THE MARVELOUS MR. MARZO is written by Joey Virgo and directed by Mark Corpron, with musical director Brad Ross on piano, David Ashton on woodwinds, Marco Panascia on bass, and orchestrations by Ben Morris.

THE MARVELOUS MR. MARZO will premiere at Don't Tell Mama (343 West 46th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues) on October 14 at 7 pm. The four-show run will continue with shows on October 27 at 1 pm, November 14 at 9:30 pm, and December 7 at 4 pm, all at Don't Tell Mama. Cover charge: $15 plus 2-drink minimum per person (cash only). For reservations, go to the home page at: www.ScottRaneri.com or call 212-757-0788 after 4 pm.

SCOTT RANERI BIO: A member of Actors' Equity and the Screen Actors Guild, Scott Raneri's most significant work has been on the theater stage. Among more than two dozen roles in plays and musicals, he has played "Ariel" in The Tempest and "George" in Of Mice and Men, both at the Fairbanks Shakespeare Theater, "Bob Cratchit" in A Christmas Carol at the Walnut Street Theater, "Lumiere" in Beauty and the Beast at Theatre West Virginia, and "Mr. Erlanson" in A Little Night Music at the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre. www.scottraneri.com

For more information, contact Stephen Hanks, CPR at stephenhanks41@gmail.com