New Songwriter Series At The Jungle To Feature Connie Evingson 9/20

Jazz at The Jungle! "The Songwriter Series" Part 1 will star Connie Evingson on Saturday, September 20 with two shows. The early show will take place from 4:30-6:30 and the evening show will be held 7:30-9:00. Evingson will be performing songs by Peggy Lee and The Beatles.

Acclaimed jazz vocalist Connie Evingson kicks off a new concert series at The Jungle Theater, Jazz at the Jungle! The Songwriters Series, on Sunday, September 20th, 2009. The three-part series exploring the work of various songwriters opens with Happy with the Blues - Singer/Songwriter Peggy Lee, featuring the lyrics of jazz/pop icon Peggy Lee. Lee, a prolific songwriter, authored over 500 published songs including "He's a Tramp" from the popular Disney film Lady and the Tramp. In the intimate setting of the 150-seat Jungle Theater, Evingson will sing selections from the Lee catalog accompanied by Tanner Taylor on piano and Terry Burns on bass.

Tickets cost $25. Call 612.822.7063 to order or visit www.jungletheater.com.

The mission of the Jungle is to produce high quality theater in an intimate setting. The Jungle seeks to maintain a high standard of artistic excellence; to present works that preserve our theatrical heritage as well as contemporary works that build on that heritage; to encourage and support established and emerging artists in all areas of theater production; to broaden access to the theater through education and outreach activities; and to contribute to the vitality of the community, especially to the neighborhood surrounding the theater.

The Jungle Theater was founded in 1991 by Artistic Director Bain Boehlke. His vision statement is that "The Jungle Theater believes that a stage for the performing arts is and should be, first and foremost, a sanctuary of free artistic expression; a stage whose mission is the presentation of works of art which mirror the tragic-comic nature of the human condition, a platform upon which we celebrate the joys, sorrows, hopes and dreams of the human endeavor, seeking only to reveal and acknowledge our common humanity through the various mediums of the performing arts: plays, music, storytelling, film, performance art, and dance."

Founded by Bain Boehlke in 1991 in a storefront space at the corner of Lake Street and Lyndale Avenue in South Minneapolis, the Jungle Theater quickly established a loyal following and received widespread critical acclaim for its productions. In 1999, the theater moved into its permanent home: an intimate 150-seat space around the corner from its original location. In addition to the Jungle's main stage productions of classic and contemporary plays, the theater also maintains community arts education and outreach programs which serve the Greater Metro area, and reflect the theater's ongoing commitment to neighborhood and community.

Over the past eighteen years, the Jungle Theater has had a substantial impact on the Twin Cities theater scene, having established a reputation for excellence that stems from a commitment to high artistic standards and the contributions of many respected and celebrated local artists. A flagship example of the transformative power of the performing arts, the Jungle plays a continuing and vital role in the Lyn-Lake neighborhood's economic, social, and cultural development.