Upright Cabaret American Icon Series Presents HEART AND SOUL

By: Nov. 08, 2011
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Chris Isaacson has announced the performers for UPRIGHT CABARET's AMERICAN ICON SERIES' first show of their 3rd Season, beginning with, HEART AND SOUL, starring Broadway sensation Shoshana Bean, vocal powerhouse Sylvia MacCalla and American Idol Finalist Syesha Mercado, celebrating the music of Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick & Whitney Houston! "X-Factor" pianist Davy Nathan wil be musical directing. This highly acclaimed series will now perform in Hollywood at the Catalina Jazz Club and in Palm Springs at the Annenberg Theatre in addition to the previously announced dates at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and Thousand Oaks Scheer Forum Theatre!

L.A.'s famed Upright Cabaret showcases the "next generation" of world-class performers with this NEW series entitled the "American Icon Series"!

Now in its third smash year, these unforgettable evenings feature stars from American Idol to Broadway singing the #1 hits of our American Music Icons including Diana Ross, Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Carole King and more!

Your favorite songs will rouse your senses against a backdrop of dazzling multi-media and an ambience of great fun!

Upright Cabaret boasts one of the most extensive and diverse rosters of talent in the country with alumni including Frenchie Davis ("The Voice"), Adam Lambert ("American Idol"), Lea Michele ("Glee"), Neil Patrick Harris ("How I Met Your Mother"), Tony Award® winner Lea Salonga, Grammy® winners Paula Cole and Taylor Dayne plus cast members from over 75 Broadway productions including Wicked, Rent, Jersey Boys and Spamalot. 

Watch the official "American Icon Series" promo video: https://www.youtube.com/UprightCabaret

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS FOR "HEART AND SOUL"

Shoshana Bean made her New York City debut in the off-Broadway revival of Godspell, and her Broadway debut in the original cast of the Tony Award-winning production of Hairspray. She went on to be the first replacement for the green-skinned witch Elphaba in Broadway's Wicked later reprising her performance on the Wicked national tour. She performed in The Music of Andrew Lloyd Weber at the Kennedy Center, Joseph and the. . .Dreamcoat at Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera and headlined in the Las Vegas burlesque revue Peepshow opposite Holly Madison. Additionally she has performed solo concerts around the world from LA's Ford Amphitheater and New York City's Jazz at Lincoln Center, to Australia and Zurich and London's West End. Shoshana claims Dear John Mayer as her latest triumph, a musical she co-created, starred in and wrote the music and lyrics for, which recently made it's world premiere in Los Angeles at the Open Fist Theater.

Shoshana sang back-up for an endless list of superstars for Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration at Madison Square Garden and shared the stage with Grammy Award nominee Brian McKnight at the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards to honor Aretha Franklin.

Her debut solo album Superhero reached #5 on the iTunes R&B charts, making it the only independent album in the top 100. Shoshana has lent her voice to the film soundtracks for Hairspray, Enchanted, Dance Flick and Fox's GLEE. Her work as a singer/songwriter has been featured on The Hills, Mercy, The Big C, NBC and her debut single "Superhero" won an Independent Music Award for best R&B song. Superhero is available at itunes.com and amazon.com. www.shoshanabean.com.

Sylvia MacCalla is a native Californian. Her theater credits span over 15yrs most recently she reprised her role as Bette in the award-nominated Good, Bad But Beautiful. Sylvia played Joanne in the original Broadway Tour of Rent, Lorraine/Motormouth in the Broadway tour of Hairspray, Aretha Franklin in the award-winning Beehive, Jewel in Susan Anton's The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas, one of the Raelet's in the award winning Ray Charles Live, one of the 3L's in Princess and the Blackeyed Pea, Head Nurse in South Pacific at the Hollywood Bowl starring Reba McIntyre and Brian Stokes Mitchell, Sonia's voice in Jason Alexander's They're Playing Our Song to name a few. She has appeared on "The Wayne Brady Show," "Ellen Degeneres," "Jay Leno," "Scrubs" and "RENT the Movie." Sylvia has sang with such artists as Smokey Robinson, Debbie Gibson, Smashmouth and Kimberly Locke. She is the co-founder and member of the recording group LivinOutLoud.

Syesha Mercado was a finalist on the 7th season of the wildly popular Fox television reality show, "American Idol." She was the only female in the top three which left fellow contestants David Archuleta and David Cook a chance to compete in the finale. Following her third place finish, she toured with "American Idol Live" 2008 playing 53 performances in 49 cities across the United States and Canada. Among her performances in the tour, Syesha sang "Listen" from the recently released hit film "Dreamgirls."

With that Syesha landed the much sought after role of Deena Jones in the newly conceived production of the stage musical which opened at the Apollo Theater in Harlem in November 2009 and has toured all over the US and Japan. Los Angeles audiences welcomed her as she recently opened at the Americana at Brand in Glendale, CA for Jake Simpson in "Arena: Born to Rock." Currently, Syesha is writing and recording her first solo album which will debut in the spring of 2012.

DAVY NATHAN (Musical Direction) became an established keyboard player almost overnight and has worked with heavy-hitters in the industry, like Christina Aguilera, Sean Kingston, Jason Derulo, Travie McCoy, Natasha Bedingfield and was part of Brian McKnight's band for two years (two international tours, Leno, Ellen, Today Show, Regis and Kelly). The most impressive part about Davy is what often started with his keyboard skills developed into the title of Musical Director with world-class musical artists. As Musical Director: Patti LaBelle (2 years), Toni Braxton (2 tours, a two-year Vegas show, Ellen, Today Show, A&E Sessions, MD since 2005), Eric Benet (3 US tours and MD since 2005), and New Kids on the Block (two US tours). Davy is currently producing materials for artists like Carmit (Pussy Cat Dolls) to be released for the organization Operation Smile, of which she is an ambassador. Ariel Winter ("Modern Family") is also developing new music with Davy as a solo artist. Currently, Nathan is showing off this piano skills weekly on Fox's "The X Factor."

ABOUT Chris Isaacson AND THE "UPRIGHT CABARET" SERIES
Kicking off their 3rd Season, UPRIGHT CABARET, the pre-eminent Los Angeles hot spot for the next generation of world-class entertainers, brings its unique brand of cabaret entertainment to La Mirada, Thousand Oaks, Palm Springs and Hollywood!

This "young impresario" has created, produced and promoted over 450 events since forming his company in 2004.

From small clubs to major theatres, Isaacson has produced some of the most influential stars of his generation including Adam Lambert (American Idol), Lea Michele (Glee, Spring Awakening), Neil Patrick Harris (CBS's How I Met Your Mother & ABC's Doogie Howser, M.D.), Grammy Award-nominee Natasha Bedingfield, 3x Grammy Nominee Taylor Dayne, Grammy-winner Paula Cole and more.

Isaacson is also creator/founder of LA's renowned Upright Cabaret which has been redefining the cabaret milieu for a new generation of audiences in Los Angeles since 2005. Upright Cabaret seeks to celebrate old style cabaret while simultaneously turning it on its ear, bringing young Broadway and young Hollywood together in a live setting. Isaacson produces concerts and events under the "Upright Cabaret" banner including the successful "American Icon Series" which plays La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza and the Annenberg Theatre in Palm Springs, his critically acclaimed concerts "Shoshana Sings Streisand" starring Shoshana Bean, "Stephen Schwartz: Making Good" featuring Wicked creator/lyricist Stephen Schwartz, "Eden Espinosa: Me" starring Eden Espinosa and "New York's Finest: The Leading Men of Broadway" starring Tony Award-winner Levi Kreis, Tony Award-nominee Brandon Victor Dixon, American Idol's Ace Young and David Burnham with NBC's The Voice star Frenchie Davis under the direction of Tony Award-nominee Sam Harris at the Ford Amphitheatre.
This past summer, Isaacson produced Broadway sensation Jennifer Leigh Warren in the new show entitled "Diamonds Are Forever: The Songs of Dame Shirley Bassey" at the Renberg Theatre directed by Richard Jay-Alexander, and presented the West Coast debut of Saturday Night Live star Ana Gasteyer in "Elegant Songs from a Handsome Woman" at Catalina Jazz Club.

Most recently, Isaacson produced the 9th annual Summer Concert Series at The Grove in Los Angeles and The Americana at Brand in Glendale, CA starring guitar phenomenon Orianthi, Grammy Award-winner Richard Marx, NBC's The Voice star Frenchie Davis and Blake Lewis, Country super-group Lonestar, Latin Music Icon Sergio Mendes and the debut of Isaacson's new show entitled "Arena: Born To Rock" starring 2x Star Search Grand Champion Jake Simpson with special guest American Idol finalist Syesha Mercado. His concerts have been featured on Access Hollywood, EXTRA, ABC's On The Red Carpet, KTLA 5 Morning News, the L.A. Times and New York Post. Please visit www.ChrisIsaacsonPresents.com 

THE THIRD SEASON'S SHOWS INCLUDE:

THOUSAND OAKS at SCHEER FORUM THEATRE

HEART AND SOUL • November 4, 2011 • 8:00PM

Music of Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick & Whitney Houston
THE TROUBADOURS • January 27, 2012 • 8:00PM

Music of Bob Dylan, Carole King & James Taylor

RHYTHM IN THE NIGHT • May 5, 2012 • 8:00PM (Cinco de Mayo)

Music of Gloria Estefan, Santana & Ricky Martin

VIVA LAS VEGAS! • June 15, 2012 • 8:00PM

Music of Elvis Presley, Elton John & Cher

Ticket prices for Upright Cabaret's American Icon Series' are:

$29 - $49 with group discounts available.

Subscription prices for all four shows range from: $80 - $180

Tickets to these extraordinary shows are now available by calling the Box Office at 800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

LA MIRADA at LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR PERFORMING ARTS

HEART AND SOUL • November 6, 2011 • 7:30PM

Music of Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick & Whitney Houston
THE TROUBADOURS • January 29, 2012 • 7:30PM

Music of Bob Dylan, Carole King & James Taylor

RHYTHM IN THE NIGHT • April 29, 2012 • 7:30PM

Music of Gloria Estefan, Santana & Ricky Martin

VIVA LAS VEGAS! • June 10, 2012 • 7:30PM

Music of Elvis Presley, Elton John & Cher

Ticket prices for UPRIGHT CABARET are: Single Shows for the 2011-12 season are: $40 / $30 /$20

Subscription prices for all four shows are: $144 / $108 /$72

Tickets to these extraordinary shows are now available by calling the Box Office at 562-944-9801 or 714-994-6310 or online at www.lamiradatheatre.com.
PALM SPRINGS at the ANNENBERG THATRE

HEART AND SOUL • Friday, November 11, 2011 • 8:00PM

Music of Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick & Whitney Houston
THE TROUBADOURS • Sunday, February 5, 2012 • 8:00PM

Music of Bob Dylan, Carole King & James Taylor

RHYTHM IN THE NIGHT • Friday, April 27, 2012 • 8:00PM

Music of Gloria Estefan, Santana & Ricky Martin

VIVA LAS VEGAS! • Friday, June 8, 2012 • 8:00PM

Music of Elvis Presley, Elton John & Cher

Tickets: $35-55, by calling the Box Office at 760.325.4490 or online at http://www.psmuseum.org

Season tickets range from $100-$195, please call the Box Office.

Annenberg Theater, 101 Museum Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262

HOLLYWOOD at CATALINA JAZZ CLUB

HEART AND SOUL • Monday, November 14, 2011 • 8:00PM

Music of Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick & Whitney Houston
THE TROUBADOURS • Sunday, January 22, 2012 • 7:30PM

Music of Bob Dylan, Carole King & James Taylor

RHYTHM IN THE NIGHT • Sunday, May 6, 2012 • 7:30PM

Music of Gloria Estefan, Santana & Ricky Martin

VIVA LAS VEGAS! • Sunday, June 17, 2012 • 7:30PM

Music of Elvis Presley, Elton John & Cher

Tickets: $25 / Reserve your seat today! (323) 466-2210 or online at http://www.UprightCabaret.com.

Upright Cabaret at Catalina Jazz Club, 6725 West Sunset Blvd.Hollywood, CA 90028
*** SEASON TICKETS available. Visit http://www.UprightCabaret.com for more info. Tickets purchased online receive priority seating


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