Nancy Hays and Mary Heffernan Will Perform a Mother's Day Concert Next Month

Actress and musical entertainer Nancy Hays and her daughter Mary Heffernan will perform a special Mother's Day Concert on Saturday, May 7th and Sunday, May 8th, presenting songs from the famed "Live at the London Palladium" concert which featured Judy Garland on stage with her own 18 year-old daughter - Liza Minnelli, in November of 1964.

Nancy Hays is a veteran stage performer who has played leading roles in Chicagoland musicals including Mame, Gypsy, How To Succeed in Business, Pirates of Penzance, Steel Magnolias and The Boy from Oz. Nancy has also worked as an opening act in Las Vegas and elsewhere with such legends as George Burns, Danny Thomas, Tommy Tune, Rita Rudner, Conway Twitty and many others. Her country song Come Dance with Me is an international hit. Nancy has made five tours of the UK with her original music and plans to return in 2023.

Nancy's daughter, Mary Heffernan, is a remarkable talent and an inspiration. Despite suffering from epilepsy and mild cerebral palsy as a result of a stroke at birth, she has become an accomplished entertainer. She has performed in numerous professional and community theatrical productions and was most recently seen in Beauty in the Beast in December of 2021 with the Wheaton Drama Group. Mary has a Master's Degree in social work and spends her days assisting seniors coping with memory loss and dementia, stimulating their minds by recalling favorite songs and melodies from their younger years.

Award-winning music director Robert Ollis will accompany the duo along with a jazz combo. Robert has gone to great lengths to re-create the vocal arrangements of Judy and Liza from the original London Palladium concert. In addition, the show will feature several beloved Broadway songs, including a number from the classic musical Gypsy. Nancy and Mary have appeared on stage together accompanied by an orchestra for Chicago's Summerdance. They were also cast as mother and daughter in the critically acclaimed Glass Menagerie in 2017 and have recorded holiday songs along with other Heffernan family members, including sister Caroline and brother Matthew. The family band Nancy Hays & the Heffernans has appeared as guest artists on popular morning television shows prior to the Covid pandemic including ABC, WCIU and WGN.

Shows will be presented on Saturday, May 7th at 7 pm at Theatre of Western Springs, and on Sunday, May 8th at noon (combined with a Mother's Day brunch) at Le Piano jazz club in Rogers Park as part of the Chicago Cabaret Week. Tickets: theatreofwesternsprings.com and lepianochicago.com https://www.choosechicago.com/event/judy-liza-and-more-a-mothers-day-concert/