Karen Mason, the acclaimed star of stage and screen, will make her Feinstein's at the Nikko debut for two performances only - Friday, May 6 (8 p.m.) and Saturday, May 7 (7 p.m.). - with her one-woman show, Mason's Makin' Music. Mason will perform songs from throughout her extensive career, including "As If We Never Said Goodbye" from Sunset Boulevard, as well as selections from her upcoming CD, including the title song, "It's About Time," written by Shelly Markham and Mason's husband, Paul Rolnick, for marriage equality! Tickets for Karen Mason range in price from $50 - $70 and are available now by calling 866.663.1063 or visiting www.ticketweb.com.
Karen Mason has starred on Broadway, Off-Broadway, television, and recording. A ten-time MAC Award winner, Mason has won the MAC Award for Major Female Vocalist of the Year for six consecutive years. She has also won the 2006 Nightlife Award for Major Female Vocalist and has three Bistro Awards.
Ms. Mason most recently garnered rave reviews starring as The Queen of Hearts in Wonderland on Broadway. She originated the role of Tanya on Broadway in Abba's Mamma Mia! and was awarded a 2002 Drama Desk nomination as Best Actress. Her other leading roles include Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard, which she performed to critical acclaim and standing ovations on Broadway and in Los Angeles for three years; Velma von Tussel in the final Broadway company of Hairspray; "Monotony" singer, Mazeppa in
Jerome Robbins' Broadway; Rosalie in Carnival (another Drama Desk nomination); plus featured roles in Broadway's Torch Song Trilogy and Play Me a Country Song.
Karen won the Outer Critics Circle Award for her performance in And the World Goes 'Round, and starred Off-Broadway in her own show
Karen Mason Sings Broadway, Beatles and Brian.
Her television appearances include the hit dramas "Ed" and "Law & Order: SVU." Film credits include "Sleeping Dogs Lie" and "A Chorus Line."
In regional theatre, Karen starred in the 1st National Tour of A Christmas Story as Miss Shields, in the world premiere of the stage production of White Christmas (playing the
Rosemary Clooney role at St. Louis Muni Opera), Side By Side By Sondheim (Coconut Grove Playhouse in Florida), Gypsy (
Sundance Theatre in California), the world premiere of One Tough Cookie (Apple Tree Theatre in Chicago), Heartbeats (
Goodspeed Opera House in NY) and Company (Huntington Theatre in Boston). Most recently in New York, Karen starred in the one-woman musical about Dorothy Parke, You Might As Well Live.
Karen has headlined
Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Feinstein's at The Regency,
Rainbow & Stars, the Algonquin, Arci' Place, The Supper Club and The Ballroom in NYC; The Cinegrill and the UCLA/ASCAP Concert Series in Los Angeles; The Plush Room in San Francisco; and Davenport's in Chicago.
She has shared concert stages with
Michael Feinstein,
Jerry Herman,
Chita Rivera,
Luciano Pavarotti,
Rosemary Clooney,
Liza Minnelli, and
John Kander &
Fred Ebb, among others. Karen has given concerts in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Brazil, Scotland, Tokyo and Osaka. Her starring symphonic performances include The Long Beach Symphony Orchestra with Maestro
Michael Berkowitz, The Philly Pops with
Peter Nero, The New York Pops with
Skitch Henderson, The Oklahoma Philharmonic with Joel Levine, the premier performance of The Chicagoland Pops, The Indianapolis Philharmonic, and the St. Louis Symphony with
John McDaniel.
Her highly acclaimed recordings include her newest single, "It's About Time," written by
Paul Rolnick and
Shelly Markham; her 2009 MAC Award-winning "Right Here/Right Now," 2005's "The Sweetest of Nights," the MAC Award-winning "When the Sun Comes Out," as well as three other CD's: "Christmas! Christmas! Christmas," recorded live at the West Bank Café; "Better Days," featuring songs by her longtime composer/arranger,
Brian Lasser (including the 1998 Emmy Award-winning song "Hold Me"); and "Not So Simply Broadway." Karen has been featured on the soundtrack of the original cast CD of Wonderland, Jeffrey (Varese Sarabande), the studio cast recording of Wonderful Town (JAY Records), the original cast album of And the World Goes 'Round (RCA Victor), The Child In Me, Vol. 1 (Harbinger Records), and Lost in Boston II (Varese Sarabande).
Located within Hotel Nikko (222 Mason Street, San Francisco), Feinstein's at the Nikko presents a wide range of entertainers from stage and screen all within an intimate 140-seat cabaret setting. There is a $20 food and beverage minimum per person inside the showroom which guests can use towards cocktails as well as a variety of small plates crafted exclusively for Feinstein's at the Nikko, through Restaurant Anzu. Cheese and dessert platters will also be available in the showroom.
Guests of Feinstein's at the Nikko can enjoy a variety of food and beverage options before performances. Kanpai Lounge, located in Hotel Nikko's lobby, offers light cuisine, a full bar and specialty cocktails. Restaurant Anzu, Hotel Nikko's intimate restaurant located on the second floor, serves sustainable California cuisine enhanced with Asian flavors. Restaurant Anzu will also offer Feinstein's at the Nikko guests a special three-course prix-fixe dinner ($45 per person) prior to all performances. Reservations can be made by calling
(415) 394-1100.
For additional information on
Karen Mason, visit
www.karenmason.com. For additional information on Feinstein's at the Nikko, visit:
www.hotelnikkosf.com/feinsteins.
