Rebecca Spencer to Make Palm Springs Concert Debut, 8/9
Broadway performer and BackStage Bistro Award-winning recording artist Rebecca Spencer will celebrate her Palm Springs concert debut with a performance on Sunday, August 9 at 2:00pm, part of the Summer Series at the Arthur Newman Theatre in Palm Desert, CA. Unique arrangements that fuse both classical etudes as well as contemporary expressions of the art song, with the romantic American Songbook, Broadway, film and popular music, have become Rebecca's signature. Working with her long-time collaborator, virtuoso pianist Philip Fortenberry, their musical symmetry has been hailed by critics across the country, and heralded in BackStage as "collaboration at its finest".
In the midst of relocating to Los Angeles in 2013, Rebecca launched the 25th Anniversary World Tour of The Phantom of the Opera as part of an international cast, as Madame Giry. In Los Angeles, she has burst onto the theatre scene with roles as Eulalie Shinn in The Music Man, followed by a critically acclaimed performance in S' Wonderful, both at Musical Theatre West. She most recently starred in The Heir Apparent with the International City Theatre, in Long Beach. Last year, her Los Angeles concert debut was celebrated in BroadwayWorld.com's as "remarkably adept in every way, elegantly stunning - a truly unique artist on the cabaret scene, bound to leave her lasting mark on LA, just as she has everywhere else."
Rebecca created the role of Madame Giry for the $35 million production of Phantom -the Las Vegas Spectacular, under the direction of Harold Prince, who described her as "a consummate artist". She created the role of Emma Carew in the world premiere of Jekyll and Hyde and made her Broadway debut as an original cast member. Rebecca has appeared internationally as Carlotta in the Hamburg, Germany company of Hal Prince's Phantom of the Opera. She has co-starred on Third Watch and Law and Order: SVU.
As a crossover Artist Rebecca has been a guest soloist with numerous American opera companies and American symphony engagements that include Carnegie Hall's "Gershwin Centennial" recorded for PBS. Ms. Spencer also toured as guest soloist with the late, great, Marvin Hamlisch. In New York, she has been featured at Lyrics and Lyricists, Birdland Jazz Club, five seasons with Encores! at City Center, and the Mabel Mercer Foundation's NYC Cabaret Convention.
Rebecca's self-produced debut recording, WIDE AWAKE AND DREAMING, was honored with the BackStage Bistro Award for Most Outstanding Recording. Her second offering, FAIR WARNING, was noted by the Las Vegas Review-Journal as "a sensuous and passionate vocal performance". Both CDs appear on the LML Music label.
Philip Fortenberry was recently the Associate Conductor and pianist for Broadway's Rocky, and is currently the Associate Conductor for Jersey Boys in Las Vegas. He was the Liberace hand and body double for Michael Douglas in the HBO film, Behind the Candelabra.
The Arthur Newman Theatre is located at 73750 Catalina Way, in Palm Desert, CA. Tickets are available at the door. For more information call 760-325-2731.
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