Feinstein's at the Nikko to Celebrate First Anniversary Throughout May

Hotel Nikko San Francisco and Michael Feinstein are thrilled to announce the one-year anniversary of Feinstein's at the Nikko with a lineup of stars from stage and screen, along with local luminaries, during the month of May. Since opening its doors in May 2013, Feinstein's at the Nikko has quickly been embraced by locals and tourists alike and was recently named one of the "Top 10 Best Music Venues in San Francisco" (SFist). Located within Hotel Nikko (222 Mason Street, San Francisco), Feinstein's at the Nikko has played host to a wide variety of entertainers, including Sutton Foster, Tommy Tune, Paula West, Linda Eder, Steve Tyrell, Mitzi Gaynor, and Cheyenne Jackson to name a few! Tickets for all upcoming performers are available by calling 866.663.1063 or visiting www.ticketweb.com.

"The past year has been a monumental experience for all of us at Feinstein's at the Nikko. We have grown into a nationally recognized venue, offering some of the world's finest performers to enthusiastic audiences," says Anna Marie Presutti, Vice President and General Manager of Hotel Nikko San Francisco. "As our venue celebrates continued success, we look forward to an enduring partnership with Michael Feinstein and bringing even more first-class entertainment to the great city of San Francisco."

The anniversary month kicks-off with Tony Award nominee JEREMY JORDAN (May 1-4) who will perform music from Broadway's Newsies, NBC's "Smash," and his upcoming film, "The Last 5 Years," along with many of his personal favorites. Often hidden behind the guise of his characters, Jordan makes his solo concert debut exclusively at Feinstein's at the Nikko to tell us a bit of his own fascinating story. Jordan starred this past season as an upstart songwriter in NBC's musical drama, "Smash." He recently completed shooting the lead role opposite Oscar nominee Anna Kendrick in Richard LaGravenese's "The Last 5 Years." Born and raised in Corpus Christi, Texas , Jordan earned a BFA with honors in performance theatre from Ithaca College. In 2009, he got his professional start as understudy to the lead in Broadway's Rock of Ages. Jeremy then starred as 'Tony' in Broadway's revival of West Side Story and played the lead role of 'Clyde Barrow' in the Frank Wildhorn's Broadway musical, Bonnie & Clyde. He starred alongside Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton in the Warner Bros. film, "Joyful Noise," directed by Todd Graff. He originated the role of 'Jack Kelly' in the Tony-nominated Broadway show, Newsies, for which he was nominated for a Tony for Best Actor in a Musical.

Tickets for Jeremy Jordan range in price from $45 - $60.
The performance schedule is as follows: Thursday, May 1 at 8 p.m.; Friday, May 2 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, May 3 at 7 p.m.; Sunday, May 4 at 7 p.m.

The beloved Bay Area cabaret singer WESLA WHITFIELD (May 8-9), accompanied by her husband, pianist and arranger MIKE GREENSILL, will debut their new show, Who Cares (What Banks Fail in Yonkers!), at Feinstein's at the Nikko for two-performances only. The challenges of the world can make it tough to keep a smile in place. Let Wesla and Mike's new show take you on a delightful journey through the Great American Songbook that will re-unite you with your hopes and dreams.

Wesla Whitfield inhabits that indeterminate zone where jazz and cabaret meet. Trained in classical music and opera, Whitfield has toiled for more than three decades to become one of the most gifted performers breathing life into that exquisite body of Broadway tunes, movie songs and Hit Parade numbers known collectively as the Great American Songbook. In 2006 Wesla and Mike moved to St Helena in Napa Valley but still spends much of their time in New York and San Francisco, working such noted rooms as the Algonquin Oak Room, The Rrazz Room, The Metropolitan Room and Joe's Pub at New York's Public Theater, Wesla has also appeared in concert at NY Town Hall, Avery Fisher and Carnegie Hall. In 1996 Wesla had the honor to perform at the White House for Hillary Clinton. With her deft sense of time and uncanny ability to connect with the emotional truth in a lyric, the jazz world has had no qualms about embracing her as one of its own. Working with pianist/arranger Mike Greensill, the two released their 19th recording 'Message from the Man in the Moon' in December of 2007. Together Whitfield and Greensill conduct scheduled Master Classes at Notre Dame De Namur in Belmont and Napa Colleges in Napa Valley and throughout the country as well as teaching privately. Whitfield and Greensill have garnered numerous national television, radio and written media credits including, All Things Considered, Fresh Air with Teri Gross, People Magazine, CBS Sunday Morning, New York Times Sunday Magazine, DownBeat Magazine profile and a feature in 'O' Magazine.

Tickets for Wesla Whitfield range in price from $30 - $45.
The performance schedule is as follows: Thursday, May 8 at 8 p.m.; Friday, May 9 at 8 p.m.

Called "legendary" and a "San Francisco institution," Feinstein's at the Nikko welcomes vocalist KIM NALLEY (May 10-11) for two performances only. With an international reputation as one of world's best jazz & blues vocalists, she has graced concert halls from Moscow to Lincoln Center. A true Renaissance woman, Kim Nalley has also been a featured writer for JazzWest and San Francisco Chronicle's "City Brights," shortlisted for a Grammy nomination, a produced playwright, a former jazz club owner, an accomplished stage actress, a history academic, and an avid lindy hop & blues dancer. Her many philanthropic endeavors include founding the Kim Nalley Black Youth Jazz Scholarship.

In looks, Kim Nalley exudes the aura of a diva from a by-gone era. Vocally, she has pipes to burn packing a 3 1/2 octave range that can go from operatic to gritty blues on a dime, projection that can whisper a ballad yet is capable of filling a room with no microphone, and the ability to scat blistering solos without ever losing the crowd's interest or the intense swing. She has been compared to all the greats, but in the end, it's Kim Nalley and no one else - an unforced instrument with clarity and jazzy musicality, effortlessly delivered, and a sense of humor to boot.

Tickets for Kim Nalley range in price from $30 - $45.
The performance schedule is as follows: Saturday, May 10 at 7 p.m.; Sunday, May 11 at 7 p.m.

After playing a series of sold-out shows last year, Feinstein's at the Nikko welcomes the return of singer-songwriter-pianist, SPENCER DAY (May 15-17). Day will perform tracks off his two critically acclaimed albums - The Mystery of You and Vagabond - as well as tracks off his upcoming album Daybreak, coming out on May 6, 2014. Day has been a perennial favorite in the San Francisco Bay Area since exploding on to the music scene as a performer at the 2007 San Francisco Jazz Festival. Since then, he has performed at some of the nation's most prominent venues, including Joe's Pub and Town Hall in New York City as well as Yoshi's and the Great American Musical Hall in the San Francisco Bay Area. Day has headlined at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., The Sheldon Concert Hall in St. Louis, and the Dakota in Minneapolis. Recently, Day opened for Rufus Wainwright at the Napa Valley Opera House and has appeared at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival, by the invitation of Jazz legend Marian McPartland in celebration of her 90th birthday. Day's creativity also includes composing musical theater. In 2005, he collaborated with Rafe Chase on a full-length musical, "Someday, Love," which was performed at San Francisco's New Conservatory Theater. Spencer starred in the show in addition to writing its score.

Tickets for Spencer Day range in price from $40 - $55.
The performance schedule is as follows: Thursday, May 15 at 8 p.m.; Friday, May 16 at 8 p.m.; and Saturday, May 17 at 7 p.m.

For one-night-only, San Francisco-based jazz and cabaret vocalist VERONICA KLAUS (May 18) will bring her new show, Lee à la V, to Feinstein's at the Nikko. Featuring a collection of personal favorites written, co-written or recorded by the one-and-only Peggy Lee, Veronica will be joined by her pianist and musical director Tammy L. Hall along with her quartet. This performance serves as the official CD release for her new album of the same name. A San Francisco resident since 1986, Veronica Klaus grew up in Gillespie Illinois, home of Black Diamond Days, the original festival of coal-population 3,200-in a large middle class family and was the youngest of 5 children. While earning a degree in music education at the University of Illinois, she began to diligently search out recordings of jazz and blues artists such as Etta James, Billy Holliday, Dinah Washington and more. She has garnered many accolades over the years, including an SF Weekly Whammie Award for "Best Blues/R&B," a Cable Car Award, a San Francisco Bay Guardian title "Best Chanteuse" and a coveted opening gig for the legendary Ohio Players! Veronica's other recordings include her 2013 release "Something Cool," which the San Francisco Chronicle calls "a sizzling collection of stylish standards!" Her other recordings include her debut CD in 1997 titled "All I Want," which earned her a NYC GLAMA Award nomination for "Female Artist of the Year" and her 2006 live release, "Veronica Klaus - Live at the Lodge."

Tickets for Veronica Klaus range in price from $30 - $45.
The performance schedule is as follows: Sunday, May 18 at 7 p.m.

The anniversary month culminates with the return of the multi-platinum-selling, two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy Award-nominated entertainer MICHAEL FEINSTEIN (May 29-June 1) who will be joined by special guest PAULA WEST who recently completed a sold-out residency at Feinstein's at the Nikko. Together they will perform a range of classics from the Great American songbook. Dubbed "The Ambassador of the Great American Songbook," Feinstein is considered one of the premier interpreters of American standards. His 200-plus shows a year have included performances at Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House and the Hollywood Bowl as well as the White House and Buckingham Palace.

More than simply a performer, Feinstein has received national recognition for his commitment to celebrating America's popular song and preserving its legacy for the next generation. In 2007, Feinstein started The Michael Feinstein Great American Songbook Initiative, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to increasing the appreciation for the Great American Songbook amongst young people today and preserving it for future generations. This is done through the following initiatives: An annual regional and national high school vocal academies and competition, which awards scholarships and prizes to students across the country; multi-disciplinary curriculum for elementary through high school students, preservation of the physical artifacts of the creators, performers and publishers of the music; Research facility for scholars, historians, and performers; and multimedia gallery for exhibiting our collections to the public. Michael serves on the Library of Congress' National Recording Preservation Board, an organization dedicated to ensuring the survival, conservation and increased public availability of America's sound recording heritage.

Tickets for Michael Feinstein with Paula West range in price from $65 - $95.
The performance schedule is as follows: Thursday, May 29 at 8 p.m.; Friday, May 30 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, May 31 at 7 p.m.; Sunday, June 1 at 7 p.m.

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