Scott Raneri Continues Debut Run of Solo Cabaret Show THE MARVELOUS MR. MARZO

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.

After performing three highly-praised shows between mid-October and mid-November, Raneri will continue his run of THE MARVELOUS MR. MARZO at Don't Tell Mama (343 West 46th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues) on December 7 at 4 pm. 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.

"Raneri has a likeable stage presence, a deep, warm voice, and he holds our attention with his talents as storyteller and singer." -BistroAwards.com

"Smart, smart, smart . . . Scott Raneri is a good singer and a great host on stage . . . The arrangements were wonderfully unique and the interpretations of well-known tunes were spectacular . . . A show you must see and experience for all its surprises, twists and turns." -CabaretHotspot.com

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