Ocean State Theatre Company Sets Summer Cabaret Club Lineup

Ocean State Theatre Company (OSTC), the not-for-profit professional theatre company, which recently completed its fourth season in its state-of-the-art theatre in Warwick, is pleased to announce the continuation of the Cabaret Club.

"When we began the Cabaret Club in the fall, we had no idea it would become so popular," said Amiee Turner, Producing Artistic Director of Ocean State Theatre Company. "In order to meet the demand, we had to purchase additional tables and stools - twice this season, in order to increase the capacity. We are thrilled with the response from the community!"

Hosted by Rhode Island's own Ida Zecco, the Ocean State Theatre lobby will be transformed into the OSTC Cabaret Club and will welcome a guest artist each month for an hour of professional cabaret entertainment and an hour of open mic, which will be open to any cabaret artist, seasoned or new, giving them the opportunity to perform in a live audience setting. (An accompanist will be provided. Performers must bring music in the correct key.)

A native Rhode Islander, Ms. Zecco is a professional actress and a member of Actors' Equity Association (AEA). She is a one-woman performance artist who combines music, theater and stand-up comedy, which entertains, enlightens, and inspires. Her unique storytelling offers down-home humor with heart-felt narrative. Boston audiences will recognize her from her roles as Barbara DeMarco, Mrs. Shubert, and Sgt. Mikey Thomas in Shear Madness at the Charles Playhouse. Other local performance venues include Jordan Hall, Regattabar, Scullers Jazz Club, Stoneham Theatre, PPAC, Columbus Theatre, and in NYC: Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Danny's Skylight Room, The Duplex Cabaret Theatre, Town Hall, and numerous stages and opera houses throughout the world, particularly in Europe and Asia.

This summer's Cabaret Club will feature Jim Rice on the piano with the following performers:

June 14 - Michelle Currie

Ms. Currie is best known for her work at some of New England's premier piano bars, including the Front Porch in Ogunquit, Maine; The Encore Lounge, Club Café and The Napoleon Club in Boston; and The Kennebunkport Inn in Kennebunkport, Maine. Her one woman cabaret show, At Last, was nominated for a prestigious IRNE Award (Independent Reviewers of New England) for best female cabaret performer in 2005. In addition, Michelle has performed all over New England in benefits, showcases and Cabaret Revues, including Forest for the Trees at Emerson's Cutler Majestic Theatre. She is featured on several cuts on A Seam of Song and Halleluja, CDs showcasing musicians from the Union Church in Biddeford Pool, Maine.

July 12 - Valerie Sneade

Ms. Sneade has performed to packed houses across the nation on stages ranging from The Grand Ole Opry to top-level nightclubs in New York City and Boston. She has been cast in Equity musical theater productions where she shared the stage with Broadway stars and has sung with symphony orchestras from Massachusetts to Florida. Valerie's voice and style have often been compared to the likes of Barbra Streisand, Liza Minnelli and other megawatt stars, but she has a sound and style all her own. A belter and a soprano - with a two-and-a-half-octave range! - she can just as effectively whisper a lilting ballad as knock a show tune out of the ballpark. Valerie won an IRNE Award (Independent Reviewers of New England) for the Best Cabaret Show and was also nominated for her show The Streisand Songbook. ValerieInConcert.com

August 9 - Brian De Lorenzo

Mr. De Lorenzo, an award-winning actor and cabaret singer, is equally at home in theatres, concert halls, and cabaret rooms. He has sung at clubs in New York, San Francisco, New Hope, PA, London, and Massachusetts. Brian earned the title "Performer of the Year" in Talent America's 27th Annual "Talent of the Year Awards." His debut recording Found Treasures was nominated for the "Recording of the Year Award" by the Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs (MAC). Brian was nominated for an IRNE (Independent Reviewers of New England) Award for "Best Cabaret Show" for Marry Me (a Little). Other nominated shows include Mama, a Rainbow and How Was I To Know? Brian is a founding member of the Boston Association of Cabaret Artists (BACA). briandelorenzo.com

Jim Rice (pianist) of Boston, MA, is an accomplished and diverse music director, arranger, and pianist of many styles. Jim has performed in hundreds of theaters and concert halls throughout Europe and in every state except Hawaii. Abroad, Jim has been the musical conductor for the European-Broadway tour of Ken Hill's Phantom of the Opera, as well as pianist for the Broadway production of Grease in Zurich. He has also toured nationally with Man of La Mancha and Camelot. jimricelive.com

OSTC's Cabaret Club will take place on the second Tuesday of every month from 7:30 - 9:30 pm in the theatre's lobby. The theatre is located at 1245 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick, RI. The $12 cover charge includes one beverage from the lobby bar and parking is always free. (Cabaret Club entrance will be through the Box Office doors only.) Seating is limited, so reservations are encouraged and can be made at the box office Monday through Friday from 12 noon - 6:00 pm, Saturdays from 12 noon - 4:00 pm, and from 12 noon until curtain on performance days. Reservations can also be made online 24 hours a day at www.OceanStateTheatre.org and via telephone during normal box office hours by calling (401) 921-6800.

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