Monday, July 16, 2012

St. Louis Cabaret Festival set for Friday, August 10 - Saturday, August 12

The St. Louis Cabaret Conference and co-sponsors The Presenters Dolan have announced the lineup of public performances for the 2012 St. Louis Cabaret Festival, which will take place starting Friday, August 10 through Sunday, August 12 at the Bistro at Grand Center, 3536 Washington Ave.

Cabaret and Broadway star Karen Mason (pictured) will kick off the weekend with a performance at 8:00 p.m., Friday, August 10 at the Bistro. Mason, who will be making her St. Louis cabaret debut with this show, has headlined at nearly every major nightclub and concert hall in New York and is the winner of 10 MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs) Awards, 3 Bistro Awards, and the Nightlife Award.

Her Broadway performances include lead roles in Hairspray, Mamma Mia, and Sunset Boulevard, for which she received standing ovations on Broadway and in Los Angeles for her portrayal of Norma Desmond. Mason also has performed musical theater in St. Louis, starring at The Muny as Mama Rose in Gypsy.

At 8:00 p.m. on Friday, the Festival will present a diverse bill of performers including Barbara Fasano, Eric Comstock, Jason Graae and Rick Jensen that is designed to showcase "the breadth and depth of cabaret."

Fasano and Comstock - her husband, performing partner, and pianist - will team up to present their take on Great American Songbook standards, while Graae's approach emphasizes his skills as a comic performer. Singer and music director Jensen will round out the show with some of his original pop material.

The Festival concludes at 7:00 p.m. Sunday with the annual St. Louis Cabaret Conference Showcase. Directed by Graae and Fasono, the showcase will feature 20 singers from in and around St. Louis who have taken part in the Conference's four days of intensive workshops and master classes.

Tickets are priced at $35 each for the Friday and Saturday shows, and $20 each for Sunday's showcase. Tickets can be purchase online at http://www.licketytix.com or by phone by calling 314-725-4200, ext 10.

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