Tickets are now on sale for the Thursday, Aug. 10, performance of the American Patchwork Quartet, the group which will launch the next half-season of The Cabaret.
A major highlight of the season comes in September with veteran Broadway, movie and television star Brooke Shields, An Intimate Evening. Other highlights include Tony Award-nominee Kerry Butler, Tony-winning composer Jason Robert Brown with Grammy Award-nominee Mykal Kilgore, Billboard chat-topper Lizz Wright, and Emmy Award and Golden Globe winner Darren Criss
Tickets for the jazz series go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday, July 17, with all over shows on sale at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 14. For prices and to purchase, go thecabaret.org/shows.
The coming lineup:
AMERICAN PATCHWORK QUARTET (Christel DeHaan International Series).7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 10. Folklorist Allan Lomax said, “America has a patchwork culture made up of the dreams and songs of all its people.” For generations, these songs have absorbed influences from America’s ever-evolving melting pot. That’s what American Patchwork Quartet draws from, and they’ve made it their mission to reclaim the immigrant soul of American Roots Music. Made up of Grammy-nominated vocalist Falu Shah; Grammy-winning guitarist/vocalist Clay Ross (founder of the Billboard chart-topping band Ranky Tanky); 3-time Grammy-winner and one of the world’s most sought-after drummers, Clarence Penn; and highly acclaimed bassist Kanoa Mendenhall, APQ showcases the dynamic diversity of contemporary culture by reimagining timeless songs from America’s past.
APQ draws on a repertoire of centuries-old American folk songs that highlight America’s immigrant roots. They showcase America’s dynamic present by combining the diverse talents of four U.S. citizens, each with a unique cultural background. In this group, old songs are made new through creative arrangements that highlight the exceptional and well-honed skills of each member.
BROOKE SHIELDS: An Intimate Evening (Glick Philanthropies Broadway at The Cabaret Series). 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Sept. 8-9. Spend an intimate evening of song and stories with star of stage and screen, Brooke Shields. Shields has starred on Broadway as Ruth Sherwood in Wonderful Town, Roxie Hart in Chicago, Sally Bowles in Cabaret, and Rizzo in Grease (for which she won a Theatre World Award) and as Morticia Addams in The Addams Family.
She starred opposite Raul Esparza in Alan Menken’s Leap of Faith at the Ahmanson Theater in L.A. Her work in Roger Kumble’s Girls Talk won her rave reviews. She was nominated twice for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy and was also nominated for The American Comedy Awards’ Funniest Female Performer in a Television Series Leading Role for her hit comedy show, Suddenly Susan. She is the recipient of five People’s Choice Awards.
A Princeton University honors graduate, Shields is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression. She has also penned two highly acclaimed children’s books: Welcome to Your World, Baby and It’s the Best Day Ever Dad for Harper Collins. She can currently be seen in the HULU documentary Pretty Baby.
VERONICA SWIFT (Jazz at The Cabaret Series). 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 18-19. Having made her mark on the international jazz scene as one of the star vocalists of her era, Veronica Swift has now expanded her style, establishing herself as a skilled rock and soul singer as well as a dynamic performer. Her third album TransGenre (2023) ventures into mixing jazz and classical with rock, soul, and funk paying homage to greats like Janis Joplin, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, and Duke Ellington. Veronica’s ability to transcend different styles, and fully embody them with authenticity to tell a story makes her one of the most skillful singers in any genre and displays her theatrical approach as a performer and artist.
Swift is a Mack Avenue recording artist whose debut album Confessions was released in 2019. Her second release, This Bitter Earth (2021), earned her a five-star review in DownBeat magazine including the front cover of their November 2021 issue, the JazzTimes December cover, and L’academie du Jazz “Best Vocal Album” award in 2021.
Raised in Charlottesville, VA, and having grown up on the road with her parents (jazz pianist Hod O’Brien and vocalist Stephanie Nakasian), Veronica began her performing and recording career at age nine. As a child, she headlined Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club and appeared at major US festivals such as the Telluride Jazz Fest. She went on to receive a Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music.
Placing second in the 2015 Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition put Veronica on the map, contributing to her landing a weekly residency at the historic jazz venue Birdland. It was there where she captured the attention of jazz icons Chris Botti and Wynton Marsalis who featured her on their tours throughout the following years as Veronica also toured extensively with her own band.
LIZZ WRIGHT: Holding Space (Jazz at The Cabaret Series). 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24.Through an inimitable voice that The New York Times touts as, “a smooth, dark alto possessed of qualities you might associate with barrel-aged bourbon or butter-soft leather,” Wright draws on her Southern heritage to craft a unique sound that incorporates jazz, folk, gospel, and R&B. She got her start as part of a Billie Holiday tribute and broke out on her own to produce multiple critically acclaimed albums.
At 23, she signed with Verve Records. Her first two albums, Salt and Dreaming Wide Awake, topped the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz chart when they were released, and her subsequent albums, The Orchard, Fellowship and Freedom & Surrender continued to top the charts with her single Lean In (from Freedom & Surrender) landing on President Obama’s 2016 Summer Playlist.
KERRY BUTLER: Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust (Glick Philanthropies Broadway at The Cabaret Series). 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 6-7. Tony Nominee, Broadway royalty and Disney Princess Kerry Butler will take the audience on a musical journey through Disneyland and beyond, transporting listeners to a land filled with hope and wonder.
Kerry boldly reimagines Disney classics such as Bare Necessities and When You Wish Upon a Star in ways that will make audiences feel like they are hearing them for the very first time. She will also introduce you to the Disney-hits-that-could-have-been by singing Call Me a Princess and This Only Happens in the Movies, two songs written by Alan Menken that were cut from Aladdin and Roger Rabbit respectively, and generously provided by the author to Kerry when she was recording her album.
Kerry has had an amazing run of Broadway smash hits as the original Penny in Hairspray, Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors, her Tony-Nominated turn in Xanadu, and originating starring roles in Catch Me if You Can, Mean Girls, and Beetlejuice. But to paraphrase Walt Disney, Kerry has never forgotten that it all started with a princess. Yes, Kerry’s first star turn on Broadway was as Belle in Beauty in the Beast.
MAGOS HERRERA (Christel DeHaan International Series). 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Born in Mexico City and currently based out of New York City, Magos Herrera is a dazzling jazz singer-songwriter, producer, and educator declared as “One of the greatest contemporary interpreters of song” by The Latin Jazz Network. With a sultry voice and an unparalleled presence in the contemporary Latin American jazz scene, she is best known for her eloquent vocal improvisation and her singular bold style, which embraces elements of contemporary jazz with Ibero-American melodies and rhythms in a style that elegantly blends and surpasses language boundaries.
“She gets way under the skin of the song, recalling great communicators like Edith Piaf or Billie Holiday” is how NPR describes Herrera’s talents who has recorded 9 albums including joint collaborations with producer Javier Limón in addition to having participated as a guest artist of several recordings and albums. An accomplished artist, Magos has performed in leading international cultural venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York City; Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City; Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid; Union Chapel in London; Palau de la Musica in Valencia; and has been part of the line-up of some of the most memorable jazz festivals including Montreux Jazz Festival and Montreal Jazz Festival. Included as one of the most creative Mexicans in the world by Forbes Magazine, throughout her career, Magos has garnered important awards and recognitions, including a Grammy short-list nomination in the Best Jazz Vocal Album category for her album Distancia (2009), and received the Berklee College of Music’s Master of Latin Music Award.
BRITNEE KING: Please Clap. (the Incubator Series). 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27. The Cabaret’s very own communications and marketing manager, Britnee King, is debuting her first-ever solo performance at The Cabaret – and she is both thrilled and terrified. Not terrified of being on stage, mind you – trust us, she loves the attention – but terrified of what her parents are going to think as they sit in the front row of a very raw and real show about her last few years of growth.
In an evening of music and laughter, Britnee will share about life as an angsty (and exhausted) millennial, dating in your early 30’s, and the general absurdity of this beautiful dumpster fire we call life. From Queen to Hozier to Idina Menzel, she delivers a wide variety of songs that have captivated her and that she hopes will captivate you, as well. She also guarantees a lot of laughs throughout the evening – whether the laughs come from the audience or herself, however, has yet to be seen.
JASON ROBERT BROWN with Mykal Kilgore (Glick Philanthropies Broadway at The Cabaret Series). 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov 3-4. Jason Robert Brown – a living legend of musical theater as a contemporary composer, director, orchestrator, and lyricist – will share an evening of his songs in an intimate setting. Filled to the brim with songs from an impressive repertoire, fans, and newbies will get what has been called a “spectacular glimpse into one genius’ undeniable gifts.”
The Tony Award-winning composer of Parade and The Bridges of Madison County has been quite busy; the music he composed for a new Broadway stage adaptation of Billy Crystal’s Mr. Saturday Night played on Broadway in 2022, the film adaptation of his youth-centric musical 13 was released by Netflix, and, currently, Brown is enjoying a rediscovered hit with the brand new, critically-acclaimed revival of his 1998 musical Parade featuring Ben Platt.
His extensive and impressive résumé also includes creating the music for shows that have received quite a cult following, beginning with Songs for a New World, followed by The Last Five Years, Urban Cowboy, and Honeymoon in Vegas. Brown won three Tony Awards including Best Original Score and Best Orchestration, and his contributions to contemporary musical theater have earned him countless accolades.
Grammy Award-nominee Mykal Kilgore was a part of the company of Brown’s Songs for a New World at New York City Center’s Encores! Off-Center series and can be heard on the composer’s new recording of the song cycle.
Kilgore’s other theatre credits include Motown: The Musical, The Wiz Live!, and Hair. Kilgore released his debut album A Man Born Black in 2019. The album debuted at number-two on the iTunes R&B charts and on five different Billboard charts. In 2020, Kilgore received an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding New Artist, as well as a SoulTracks Readers’ Choice Awards nomination for New Artist of the Year. The lead single from A Man Born Black, “Let Me Go,” received a Best Traditional R&B Performance nomination for the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021.
THE BIG BROADWAY SING-ALONG – Holiday Edition. (Uniquely Cabaret Series) 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 7. Back by popular demand, it’s the Big Broadway Sing-Along. Join The Cabaret for an evening of music, pageantry, and the magic of Broadway show tunes, as local favorites Scott Semester and Sean Baker “the Music Maker” team up for The Big Broadway Sing-Along – Holiday Edition! Originated by John Mays at the former Downtown restaurant, Chef Joseph’s, Scott and Sean continue this audience-favorite series at The Cabaret.
The evening of audience participation will include songs, laughs, and surprises – featuring guest appearances by some of Indy’s best voices – but the most important voice is the audiences.
DARREN CRISS: A Very Darren Crissmas. (Glick Philanthropies Broadway at The Cabaret Series) 8 P.M. Saturday, Dec. 16, and 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 17. Since bursting onto the pop-culture landscape from Fox’s hit show, Glee, over a decade ago, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Darren Criss has embodied the kind of kaleidoscopic artistry that’s entirely uninhibited by form or genre. The multi-hyphenates illustrious career spans television, film, music and stage.
Kicking off the Christmas season Criss will perform songs from his recent holiday album, A Very Darren Crissmas. His first-ever full-length project includes a wildly eclectic collection of songs from big band Christmas classics to novelty tunes to modern-day folk-pop ballads. Made with Ron Fair, multi-Grammy nominee and producer of numerous Grammy-winning hits, A Very Darren Crissmas showcases his artistry delivering both thrillingly unpredictable moments and a timeless sense of Christmas magic. In 2015 his songwriting also landed an Emmy nomination for Best Original Music and Lyrics, from penning the song, This Time, for the series finale of Glee.
As an actor, Criss is a veteran of the stage whose Broadway credits include the titular role in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2015), How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (2012), and the most recent 2022 revival of David Mamet’s seminal play American Buffalo alongside Laurence Fishburne and Sam Rockwell. In 2018 his work in Ryan Murphy’s The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story received wide critical acclaim, earning him a Primetime Emmy, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and Critics’ Choice Award. He was also recently seen starring in Netflix’s hit series Hollywood, for which he also served as executive producer.
ARTWORK ABOVE: The Cabaret is an intimate performance space at 924 N. Pennsylvania St, a building it shares with the Indy Arts Council and Gallery 924 at the Arts Council.
