Chicago Cabaret Professionals’ 17th Anniversary Gala Benefit To Honor Joan Curto

Nonstop musical entertainment by many of Chicago’s finest cabaret performers will make “Sentimental Journeys…Musical Tours of the Heart” an unforgettable evening. Chicago’s own nationally lauded singer/director Joan Curto will be honored at this 17th Anniversary Gala Benefit.

WHEN: Sunday, October 16, 2016

WHERE: Park West Theater, 322 W. Armitage, Chicago

TIME: Doors open at 5:45 pm., Cocktail show begins at 6:15 p.m., Main Show starts at 7 p.m.

MAIN SHOW at 7:00 PM, with musical direction by Beckie Menzie, featuring Anne Burnell, Mark Burnell, Cynthia Clarey, Barbara Lee Cohen, Jeff Dean, Elizabeth Doyle, David Edelfelt, Hilary Ann Feldman, Cathy Glickman, Carla Gordon, Sophie Grimm, Scott Gryder, Nan Mason, KT McCammond, Tom Michael, Bob Moreen, Paul Motondo, Daryl Nitz, Suzanne Petri, Judy Rossignuolo Rice, Johnny Rodgers, Denise Tomasello, Denise Mc Gowan Tracy, Girls Like Us (Laura Freeman, Beckie Menzie and Marianne Murphy Orland,) and Honoree Joan Curto.

COCKTAIL SHOW at 6:15 with musical direction by Elizabeth Doyle, featuring Anna Besserud, Bill Dyszel, Jennifer French, Natalie Myre, Patricia Salinski, Kat Victoria, and The Boomer Babes (Pam Peterson and Jan Slavin).

TICKETS: Advance sale: $60 for Reserved Table and Booth Seating; $32 for General Admission, Balcony and Bar Seating. Tickets are available at www.chicagocabaret.org, Park West Box Office at (773) 929-5959 or the CCP Hotline, (312) 409-3106.

After Sept. 20, tickets are ONLY available at www.etix.com or (800) 514-ETIX (3849).

Tickets at the door are $65 for Reserved Seating; $32 for General Admission.

More information can be found on the Chicago Cabaret Professionals’ website, www.chicagocabaret.org.

AWARD RECIPIENT

Called a “cabaret icon” by NBC news Chicago, and “an artist with clout” by the Huffington Post, CCP President Emeritus Joan Curto has appeared across the nation often celebrating the music of the Great American Songbook. She is a favorite of Chicago audiences, garnering a reputation for her thoughtful interpretations and powerful voice. Joan has performed in many Chicago theaters and clubs including: the Auditorium Theatre, The Harris Theater, The famed Empire Room, Victory Gardens, Davenports, The Drury Lane Theater, Park West, The Thorne Auditorium and the Claudia Cassidy Theater. She has been seen in numerous Chicago Humanities Festivals and the Mabel Mercer Foundation’s Cabaret Conventions. Nationally, Joan has performed in some of the top cabaret clubs and concert series including New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Metropolitan Room, The Sharon Lynne Wilson Center in Milwaukee, and The Overture Center in Madison, The Gardenia in Los Angeles and the Colony Hotel, Palm Beach.

Awarded the Chicago After Dark Award for Outstanding Cabaret Artist, she continues to explore the songs of both the Classic and the New American Songbook. She has performed shows across the country featuring the music of Cole Porter, George & Ira Gershwin, Richard Rodgers and Jerry Herman. Recently, Joan garnered extensive praise, and sold out shows featuring the music of Stephen Sondheim. Howard Reich from The Chicago Tribune has praised Joan’s work describing her as “a seasoned interpreter who makes every note count.” Under Curto’s direction, the Auditorium Theatre celebrated the 125th birthday of Cole Porter, featuring many of the songwriter’s most beloved songs, as well as some of his lesser known gems.   These Porter treasures were performed by Paul Marinaro, Tammy McCann, Beckie Menzie, and Tom Michael. You can find Curto’s music on CDBaby.com, ITunes and Amazon or though her website: www.joancurto.com