SF International Festival Continues its 10th Anniversary Season with Lounge Cabaret Performances

Following the success of the International Festival Lounge during this year's San Francisco International Arts Festival, the organization has decided to expand on the concept by hosting a series of performance cabarets as a part of its 10th Anniversary Season.

The first cabaret includes a brilliant line-up of Bay Area performance artists including members of Latin world music ensemble La Gente led by Rafael Sarria, hip-hop performance artist and playwright Paul Flores, multidisciplinary performance ensemble inkBoat, accordion virtuoso Jet Black Pearl whose style has been described as a cabaret gypsy party where Nina Hagen, Edith Piaf and Kurt Weill meet, the opening scene of Stuck by by Amir Al-Azraki as presented by Golden Thread Productions at the Re-Orient Festival, chanteuse Allison Lovejoy and classical soprano Anneliese Messner accompanied by Elektra Schmidt.

Proceeds from the event will go towards underwriting the cost of inkBoat and Flores to attend the National Performance Network's Annual Meeting in Philadelphia in December. inkBoat will be one of four companies performing at the gathering. They will present The Crazy Cloud Collection that premiered at SFIAF as part of an NPN commission in 2010 and then went on a national tour in 2012. The company is looking to the Meeting for additional national touring and residency opportunities.

Flores' latest work PLACAS: The Most Dangerous Tattoo starring Ric Salinas that was also underwritten in part by the NPN, just completed an incredibly successful run at the 450 Post Street Theatre and will tour to NPN venues in Denver, Washington DC and New York next year. Flores is looking to book the work with other NPN Partners to augment the 2013 tour.