Elvira Tortora: "The Bookmaker's Daughter" at Don't Tell Mama

Elvira Tortora makes her highly anticipated nightclub debut with The Bookmaker’s Daughter, the story of her childhood as the daughter of a bookie living and raising a family in Brooklyn where nothing was unusual… Tortora tells her story through the songs of John Kander and Fred Ebb, Frank Loesser, Stephen Sondheim, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, and a few more from the soundtrack of the 60's to today. Featuring musical director/arranger Gregory Toroian on piano, the show is directed by Lina Koutrakos.

Tortora returned to her first love, musical theatre, after a 23-year career at Jones New York. A new-found devotion to the study of acting and improv led to various roles in independent films and eventually to voice teacher Celeste Simone. After Simone encouraged Tortora to enroll in the cabaret workshops of Lina Koutrakos, she found her calling: Telling her own stories and this lady has a story to tell!

Tortora began writing her tale in 2022 and that July performed a piece of the then work-in-progress at Don’t Tell Mama in a group show directed by Koutrakos. Writing about the show for BroadwayWorld, Stephen Mosher noted, “Elvira Tortora was completely connected to everything around her. The lyrics, the audience, the piano, the pianist, the melody - nothing was left in the air.” That kind of support and encouragement convinced Tortora to take a chance and finish writing her debut show, The Bookmaker’s Daughter.

Saturday, October 14 at 8:00 PM (doors open at 7:15 PM)

Sunday, October 29 at 3:00 PM (doors open at 2:15 PM)

Sunday, November 5 at 3:00 PM (doors open at 2:15 PM)

Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W 46th St, NYC, shows.donttellmamanyc.com

$20 cover; $20 minimum (must include 2 drinks) per person. Food menu available. CASH ONLY. No credit cards.