Review: Hi Ho, that's the Jensen way

Rick Jensen

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Although he's based in New York City, singer/songwriter/teacher Rick Jensen has been a frequent visitor to St. Louis, both as a performer and as a music director and pianist for a number of local singers. So it only seems right that he came to St. Louis to celebrate his 60th birthday on Saturday, October 6th, with a special show at the Kranzberg Center.

For the audience of cabaret lovers (including several members of the Jensen clan) it was a festive occasion indeed.

Titled "60 Years in 60 Minutes," the show is a mini-biography liberally illustrated with 14 original songs that demonstrate Mr. Jensen's wide range as both a songwriter and performer, as well as his virtuosity at the piano. "Long Cold Fall" (with its Randy Newmanesque harmonies), for example, muses poetically on autumn as both a meteorological and personal season. "Coney Island" and "Tonight New York City" are lyrical tributes to his adopted hometown that echo Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen while still being uniquely Rick Jensen. And "Amanda Sang," the more straightforward story song of the evening, includes a lyric that could serve as a mini-lesson for cabaret singers: "She could never go wrong / Because her heart was in her song".

Singer/artist Dionna Raedeke
Photo courtesy of Mariposa Artists

"Happy Birthday Boy" is a loving tribute to his mother who "didn't have a musical bone in her body" and "After All Those Love Songs" is a powerful ballad that was made even more so by the voice of St. Louis's own Dionna Raedeke (a fine singer as well as a visual artist). There were also many lighter moments in the show and one outright comedy number inspired by "certain events that took place in the Jensen household" in Minnesota, "Hi Ho, That's the Jensen Way."

That one, by the way, started out life as "Hi Ho, That's the German Way." Mr. Jensen gave it a re-write for this show, presumably because he knew he'd have family members in the audience. That could have been the musical equivalent of home movies, but Mr. Jensen is too good a songwriter for that. It was a hoot.

Linking all of them were anecdotes about his childhood in rural Minnesota and his coming of age--literally and musically--in New York City, delivered with self-deprecating wit and wisdom. Mr. Jensen is a performer who engages quickly and easily with his audience, so that his show soon felt like friendly chat.

Lina Koutrakos

The show was expertly directed by Mr. Jensen's long-time collaborator (and cabaret legend in her own right) Lina Koutrakos. Like Mr. Jensen, she has taught cabaret master classes and done many solo shows of her own, and her expertise was clearly visible in the pacing and dramatic shape of the show.

"60 Years in 60 Minutes" concluded with one of my favorite Jensen originals, "In Passing Years." I liked this meditation on the enduring value of friendship so much I learned it and performed it with him two years ago during the master class he and Ms. Koutrakos offer every fall on the island of Mykonos. But nobody does it quite like him.

Rick Jensen's show was presented by Mariposa Artists, a wholly owned subsidiary of St. Louis cabaret artist Robert Breig, who has brought many local and national artists to St. Louis stages. Upcoming Mariposa shows include "An Evening With Nina Gabinelli" on Saturday, October 20 and "Merry Keller: It's Personal" on Friday, October 26. Tickets are available via MetroTix.

Review: Old friends, new cabaret

This article originally appeared at 88.1 KDHX, where Chuck Lavazzi is the senior performing arts critic.

Bob Wetzel and Craig Becker

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"What do you say, old friend, are we or are we unique?" So runs the lyric of Sondheim's "Old Friend," the song that, in combination with Simon and Garfunkel's "Old Friends," served as the opening number in "A Fine Bromance," the new show by Bob Wetzel and Craig Becker presented by Mariposa Artists July 13th.

It was a perfect choice because, while their decades-long friendship may not be unique it is, at least, rare. And it informed every minute of this unfailingly charming evening.

That opening number was just a bit deceptive in that it began with the two singers seated with their backs to each other, dimly lit, as they wistfully sang Simon and Garfunkel's melancholy lines ("Old friends, winter companions, the old men / Lost in their overcoats, waiting for the sun"). But then they turned face to face, the lights brightened and the tempo quickened. They smiled as if reconnecting for the first time in years and launched into a breezy run through the Sondheim.

That set a celebratory tone the show maintained to the end, with just the right number of ballads for contrast.

Indeed, under the knowing direction of Lina Koutrakos, a cabaret legend in her own right, Mr. Wetzel and Mr. Becker assembled an exceptionally well-balanced mix of show tunes old and new, some Great American Songbook standards, and even pop classics like James Taylor's "The Secret of Life," a thoughtful performance of which brought the show to a close. Each selection was carefully tailored to the strengths of its respective performer by the evening's music director and pianist, the infallibly creative Rick Jensen. The result was an example of what a well-turned-out cabaret evening should be.

Messers Wetzel and Becker provided a nice balance of performing styles as well. Mr. Wetzel was the "old smoothie" of the duo, delivering standards like "Moonlight in Vermont" with suave assurance. Mr. Becker, in contrast, proved a dab hand at lyric-heavy comedy numbers like Kander and Ebb's "Coffee in a Cardboard Cup" and Maltby and Shire's trenchant commentary on breaking up, "You Want to be My Friend?" When they sang together, whether on self-deprecatingly funny numbers like Jerry Herman' s "Elegance" or on easy-going standards like Simon and Garfunkel's "59th Street Bridge Song," they had the cozy camaraderie that comes from long acquaintance.

L-R: Rick Jensen, Bob Wetzel, Craig Becker
Photo by Gerry Love

In fact that lifelong friendship, during which Mr. Wetzel and Mr. Becker have managed to combine successful careers in the business world with after-hours lives as actors and singers, was the main theme of "A Fine Bromance." The biographical details sprinkled throughout the show were just substantial enough to provide a narrative thread without ever deteriorating into the cabaret equivalent of home movies.

Their stories also allowed them to personalize their songs and make the lyrics their own. Mr. Becker preceded his high-wattage performance of Sondheim's "Everybody Says Don't," for example, by talking about how, as a young man, he decided to take a life path different than the one he was expected to follow. It turned a song about challenging authority into a kind of personal declaration of independence. In the same vein, Mr. Wetzel put a personal spin on his rendition of "Luck Be a Lady" by talking about how important luck has been in his life.

"A Fine Bromance" had only one performance at the Kranzberg Center here in St. Louis, but New York cabaret lovers will be able to see it at Don't Tell Mama on September 30th; visit their web site for more information. For upcoming Mariposa Artists shows, visit their Facebook page.

Review: Katie McGrath does cabaret to perfection in 'Significant Others' at the Gaslight Theatre

This review originally appeared at 88.1 KDHX, where Chuck Lavazzi is the senior performing arts critic.

Rick Jensen and Katie McGrath

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If you wanted to write a "How to Do Cabaret" textbook, you could easily start with Significant Others, the latest show by former St. Louisan Katie McGrath, which had its local premiere at The Gaslight Cabaret Festival on Friday, November 10.

With a great song list ranging from Bon Jovi to Cole Porter, perfectly tailored arrangements by Rick Jensen, ideally paced direction by Lina Koutrakos, and Ms. McGrath's powerfully genuine stage presence, this was a show that hit all the right notes, literal and figurative.

From the moment Ms. McGrath stepped on stage in a sleek basic black outfit that nicely set off her striking blonde hair and silver earrings, she grabbed the audience's attention with the haunting lyrics Steve Porcaro wrote for the Michael Jackson hit "Human Nature": "Looking out / Across the nighttime / The city winks a sleepless eye." By the time she got to "If this town / Is just an apple / Then let me take a bite" there was little doubt that she was singing not just about her new home town of New York City, but about her entire approach to life as well -- a view confirmed by the next song, a giddy run through Frank Loesser's "If I Were a Bell" from Guys and Dolls. As we say over at the Church of the SubGenius, she's not just going to eat that apple, she's gong to eat the hell out of it.

I should pause here to point out that I have known Ms. McGrath for over a decade, going back to when we both attended an early edition of the St. Louis Cabaret Conference. Even then, before experience and training had allowed her to polish her craft, it was obvious that her singing had the immediacy and emotional truth that is at the heart of cabaret performance. No wonder that Gerry Geddes, in a review of the NYC debut of this show, wrote that Ms. McGrath has now "pursued, captured, and pretty much perfected cabaret performance."

The "significant others" of the title, as Ms. McGrath points out, goes back to the original psychological definition of the term as anyone who had a strong influence on one's self-concept. For her that includes not only her current partner Chet (the subject of a charming original song by Ms. McGrath and Alex Rybeck near the end of the show) but also her parents, her many siblings, her favorite babysitter, and even Sen. Kamala Harris, whose pointed questioning of Jeff Sessions she praised with Frank Loesser's "I Believe in You" (from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying).

Memories of how her babysitter introduced her and her siblings to the joys of Motown in the 1960s led to an ingenious bit in which Ms. McGrath and Mr. Jensen sang only the backup parts of "Heat Wave" and "Come See About Me" (because only her babysitter could be Diana Ross or Martha Reeves) while she channeled her inner child trying (and failing) to execute the dance moves. That child stayed with us in the next song, Dar Williams's poignant "The Babysitter's Here," which views a failing relationship through the eyes of someone young enough to understand pain, but not yet old enough to understand its source.

Ms. McGrath touched on her family's struggle with alcoholism early on, but did so in a way that not only completely avoided self-pity, but also turned the pain into art with a wistful version of Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies." That led to a story about encountering Irving Berlin himself during a youthful trip to New York City, which in turn served as the basis for Rupert Holmes's "People That You Never Get to Love." It was an example of the solid dramatic structure of Significant Others, in which the experienced hand of Ms. Koutrakos was evident.

The show closed with a little something they didn't get in the Big Apple: James Taylor's "Sweet Baby James" sung in harmony with St. Louis singers Jeff Wright and Dionna Raedeke as a tribute to the late Neal Richardson, whose work as an arranger, music director, and educator enriched the lives of so many here in St. Louis before his own life was tragically cut short by illness earlier this year. It was a moment of true beauty.

Significant Others was, in short, a perfect blend of laughter and tears delivered by a singer who is now a master of her art, riding on Mr. Jensen's impeccably tailored arrangements. Our loss has been New York City's gain, and it was nice to see Ms. McGrath once again holding forth on her home turf. Let us hope she returns soon.

Significant Others was produced by The Presenters Dolan as part of the fall edition of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival, which concluded on November 11.

Cabaret Review: The dyanmic duo of Rick Jensen and Lina Koutrakos entertain at the Gaslight Cabaret Festival October 25, 2015

Rick Jensen
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Lina Koutrakos and Rick Jensen have become familiar figures on the local cabaret scene over the years, first as regular faculty members in the St. Louis Cabaret Conference, and then as directors and advisers for many local performers. So their "Two for the Road" show last Sunday as part of the fall edition of the Gaslight Cabaret Festival was something of a homecoming.

And what a joyous homecoming it was! Ms. Koutrakos and Mr. Jensen have been performing as creative partners for decades, giving their work on stage the kind of easy camaraderie that comes only with experience. It makes for an evening that easily draws the audience into their musical conversation and quickly dissolves the fabled fourth wall. Together, they unfailingly deliver a mix of passion, wit, and polished musicianship that's just unbeatable.

The evening opened with a set of Mr. Jensen's original material that showed his versatility as a songwriter. Straightforward patter songs like "Hi Ho, That's the German Way" rubbed shoulders with introspective ballads like "Long Cold Fall" (with its Randy Newmanesque harmonies) and the inspiring "Go Ahead and Dream," from the 2011 film "That's What I Am."

I found "Amanda Sang," a little character study inspired by Mr. Jensen's youth in Minneapolis, particularly noteworthy, in part because of a lyric that could serve as a mini-lesson for cabaret singers: "She could never go wrong / Because her heart was in her song." And the ballad "In Passing Years" (part of the encore set), with its ruminations on the enduring value of friendship, remains one of my favorites.

Lina Koutrakos

Having worked with Mr. Jensen in St. Louis Cabaret Conference sessions in the past, I already knew about his skills as a songwriter and pianist. What I didn't realize was what an engaging and funny storyteller he was. The between-songs patter in his set was consistently entertaining and often hilarious.

Ms. Koutrakos brought her share of humor to the show as well, most notably with the Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh classic "When in Rome (I Do as the Romans Do)." But as anyone who has seen her perform would know, she was at her most formidable in torch songs like "What Are You Doing New Year's" and power ballads like "Life is What You Do" from Kander and Ebb's "Zorba."

Her medley of Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind" and Mr. Jensen's "New York City is My Home" was a remarkable combination of poignancy and affirmation. And her dark, smoky voice was an ideal match for the elusive tragedy that lurks just beneath the surface of Bobbie Gentry's "Ode to Billy Joe." When Ms. Koutrakos unleashes the smoldering passion that is her musical forte, she is without equal.

Lina Koutrakos and Rick Jensen will have moved on to their next projects by the time you read this, but their strong local connections pretty much guarantee that they'll come to St. Louis again. Don't miss them when they do.

The Gaslight Cabaret Festival continues through November 21 at the Gaslight Theater on North Boyle in midtown. For more information: gaslightcabaretfestival.com.

Chuck's Choices for the weekend of January 10, 2014

As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.

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New this week:

James Joseph O'Neil as Elliot and
Rachael Jenison as Grace
©Photo by Jerry Naunheim, Jr.

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Michael Hollinger's Opus through February 2. "With only four days to rehearse for their most important performance ever, a world-class string quartet takes a chance by hiring a gifted but inexperienced young woman. Onstage the Lazara Quartet is pitch perfect but behind the scenes they're coming unstrung as the four artists battle the sweat, tears and pain that go into making extraordinary music seem effortless. This fascinating play is a passionate look at the delicate and complex relationships between artists' lives and their art." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org.

My take: I'm on the board of West End Players Guild, the group that did the St. Louis premiere of this play last April. I was a big backer of Opus in the WEPG play reading committee and remain a fan of this funny, literate, dramatic, and informed look at the often less than beautiful reality behind the performance of so much beautiful music. It's easy to be transported by (say) a late Beethoven quartet and lose sight of the fact that the performers are doing their jobs as well as creating art. Opus explores what happens when the worlds of commerce and art collide.

Mariposa Artists presents Shades of Blue—Lina Koutrakos, on Saturday, January 11th, at 8 PM. "Mixing pop, standards, originals and more with Rick Jensen at the piano and on arrangements, Lina Koutrakos's bluesy-hued voice lends itself to stories, melodies and feelings in Shades Of Blue." The performance takes place at the Kranzberg Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/530853.

My take: As someone who attended the St. Louis Cabaret Conference for (if I recall correctly) all of the years when Ms. Koutrakos was on the faculty, I'm clearly not a disinterested party here. That said, it was impossible not to be impressed by the depth of her emotional connection with the music she performs as well as her understanding of how to make that connection click with an audience. Her music director, Rick Jensen, is a powerful performer and songwriter as well as a gifted arranger. Although New York based, he has helped shape the cabaret shows on several local singers.

First Run Theatre presents Whatever Remains, a new Sherlock Holmes mystery by Jason Slavik, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, January 10-19. Performances take place at First Run Theatre at De Smet Jesuit High School Theatre, 233 N. New Ballas Rd. For more information, call (314) 352-5114 or visit www.firstruntheatre.com.

My take: I admit it; I'm a Sherlock Holmes fan (a Sherlockian, as we call ourselves) and have been for a long time. You'll even find some Sherlockian papers that I've written over the years at my old personal home page (now mostly abandoned). I don't know whether I'm gong to be able to see this or not (the next two weekends are pretty heavily booked for me), but I look forward to at least finding out what it's about. For those of you curious about the title, it comes from something Holmes says in "The Sign of Four": "How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?" He repeats that point in "The Beryl Coronet," "The Bruce-Partington Plans," and "The Blanched Solider" (and says something very similar in "Silver Blaze") so it's a safe bet he meant it. The dictum even inspired one of my own Sherlockian essays.  What does Jason Slavik mean by it? We'll just have to see, won't we?

St. Louis theatre calendar for the week of January 6, 2014

Looking for auditions and other artistic opportunities? Check out the St. Louis Auditions site.]

For information on events beyond this week, check out the searchable database at the Regional Arts Commission's ArtsZipper site.

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The Pub Theater Company presents Bye Bye Liver: The St. Louis Drinking Play, a comedic romp through the joys and pitfalls of The Gateway to the West's favorite pastime. Performances take place on Saturdays at 9 PM at Maggie O'Brien's, 2000 Market Street. For more information, you may call 314-827-4185, email stlouis at byebyeliver.com, or visit byebyeliver.com/stlouis.

The Bissell Mansion Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre presents Flaming Saddles through April 27. The Bissell Mansion is at 4426 Randall Place. For more information: bissellmansiontheatre.com

The Lemp Mansion Comedy-Mystery Dinner Theater presents its Bullets in the Bathtub through April 27. The Lemp Mansion is at 3322 DeMenil Place. For more information: lempmansion.com

The Theatre Guild of Webster Groves presents Crossing Delancey January 10-19. Performances take place in the Guild theatre at Newport and Summit in Webster Groves, MO. For more information: theatreguildwg.org or call 314-962-0876.

The Black Rep presents Jeff Stetson's The Meeting, based on a supposed meeting between Malcom X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., January 8-26. Performances take place at the Emerson Performance Center on the campus of Harris-Stowe State University. For more information: theblackrep.org

©Photo by Lon Brauer

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis presents Michael Hollinger's Opus January 8 – February 2. "With only four days to rehearse for their most important performance ever, a world-class string quartet takes a chance by hiring a gifted but inexperienced young woman. Onstage the Lazara Quartet is pitch perfect but behind the scenes they're coming unstrung as the four artists battle the sweat, tears and pain that go into making extraordinary music seem effortless. This fascinating play is a passionate look at the delicate and complex relationships between artists' lives and their art." Performances take place at the Loretto-Hlton Center, 130 Edgar Road in Webster Groves, MO. For more information, call 314-968-4925 or visit repstl.org.

Mariposa Artists presents Shades of Blue—Lina Koutrakos, on Saturday, January 11th, at 8 PM. "Mixing pop, standards, originals and more with Rick Jensen at the piano and on arrangements, Lina Koutrakos's bluesy-hued voice lends itself to stories, melodies and feelings in Shades Of Blue." The performance takes place at the Kranzberg Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/530853.

The Midnight Theatre Company presents the St. Louis premiere of Solemn Mockeries, the Notorious True Story of the Great Shakespeare Forgery by Rick Creese Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, through January 18. “Solemn Mockeries tells the true story of William Henry Ireland, who as a teenager in 1795, ignored by his father, detested by his stepmother, despised by his teachers, became an expert Shakespearean forger, producing dead-on facsimiles of the Bard's signatures,and creating his business papers, love letters, a rewritten KING LEAR and the “lost” Shakespeare play VORTIGERN. Taking London by storm, his VORTIGERN by William Shakespeare was scheduled to play the Drury Lane, the finest theatre in London, with a cast of the greatest performers of the day, including John Phillip Kemble, Mrs. Siddons and Mrs. Jordan, with the Duke of Clarence as his benefactor. In SOLEMN MOCKERIES, Ireland has returned to England thirty years later to proudly confess the literary crime of the century -and remember the one, wild, unforgettable staging of his “Shakespeare” play at the Drury.” Performances take place at Stray Dog Theatre's Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee. For more information call 314-487-5305 or visit www.midnightcompany.com.

First Run Theatre presents Whatever Remains, a new Sherlock Holmes mystery by Jason Slavik, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM, January 10-19. Performances take place at First Run Theatre at De Smet Jesuit High School Theatre, 233 N. New Ballas Rd. For more information, call (314) 352-5114 or visit www.firstruntheatre.com.

Would you like to be on the radio? KDHX, 88.1 FM needs theatre reviewers. If you're 18 years or older, knowledgeable in this area, have practical theatre experience (acting, directing, writing, technical design, etc.), have good oral and written communications skills and would like to become one of our volunteer reviewers, send an email describing your experience and interests to chuck at kdhx.org. Please include a sample review of something you've seen recently.

Minterview: Liz Murphy

Minterview = Mini interview

This Friday and Saturday (November 22 and 23) at 8 PM, Mariposa Artists presents The Best is Yet to Come, the first solo cabaret show by St. Louis singer and actress Liz Murphy, at the Kranzberg Center in Grand Center.  The show is directed by cabaret luminary Lina Koutrakos, with music direction by MAC Award-winning singer, songwriter, arranger Rick Jensen.  I asked her a few questions about the show and how her life experiences had influenced its development.

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Q: I think of a cabaret show as a plant that grows from a small seed.  What was the seed that started The Best Is Yet to Come?  What inspired this show?

A: We have such a wonderful cabaret community here in St. Louis, and my friends actually encouraged me to plan a show.  I always thought I could do it but that personal enthusiasm for the project really began when I started making new and healthier life-style choices.  I suddenly has the enthusiasm and energy to want to try new things and gained that new "the best is yet to come" attitude!

Lina Koutrakos

Q: How do feel your experience as a middle school teacher has influenced your cabaret and musical theatre work, and vice-versa?

A: My classroom experience has helped immensely.  I entertain a captive audience every day!  My students are also very curious about the projects I work on and encourage me as well.  They even frequently ask me to sing. (...of course that may be to get out of doing work but I appreciate their vote of confidence!)

Q: Your music director Rick Jensen and your director Lina Koutrakos are both New York-based.  How did the three of you manage to get together for rehearsals?

A: I was so lucky to be able to work out a plan to have Lina and Rick as my directors!  I was able to have time with them here in St. Louis when they were in town doing other shows.  I also was fortunate enough to go to NYC last Easter and had a couple of great and very intense sessions with both of them. I also participated in the Chicago Conference in June and had time with them there as well.  In addition to that, I had phone meetings and music tracks from Rick so that I could practice my songs with his amazing arrangements.

Q: You've been performing with the Community Gospel Choir in St. Louis for the past seven years.  How do you feel that background influences what you do on stage?

A: My gospel choir experience has had a HUGE impact on my stage work.  I am a rehearsed singer and rely on the music to "read" my part. In gospel choir I was asked to begin to improvise and do solos where I had to put my music down and "let the spirit move me."  It was terrifying!  But through the support and encouragement of my fabulous director/vocal coach, Cecelia Stearman, and the members of the amazing choir, I found the ability to take chances and gain confidence.  I think that confidence is the key!

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Mariposa Artists is an independent cabaret production company founded by St. Louis cabaret singer Robert Breig.  For ticket information on Mariposa's The Best is Yet to Come, visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/470878

Chuck's Choices for Thanksgiving weekend, 2012

As always, the choices are purely my personal opinion. Take with a grain (or a shaker) of salt.

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New this week:

Orli Shaham with the Tessera Quartet
photo by Ali Winberry)

The Centene Charitable Foundation presents Baby Got Bach on Saturday, November 24, at 10:30 am. “The acclaimed interactive concert series for children age 3 to 6 returns to town with a free show at Centene Plaza, 7700 Forsyth, at the corner of Forsyth and Hanley Roads in Clayton. Hometown musician and internationally renowned concert pianist, Orli Shaham, is the founder and artistic director of this innovative program. Ms. Shaham will be joined by St. Louis Symphony percussionist Thomas Stubbs and friends. This community event is free of charge and reservations are required, and can be made online at www.BabyGotBach.org.”

Mustard Seed Theatre presents Imaginary Jesus through December 2 at the Fontbonne Fine Arts Theatre, 6800 Wydown Blvd. "This hilarious, faced-paced show follows Matt on his journey to discover the true face of Jesus. Along the way he makes friends with St. Peter, a talking donkey and a modern Magadalen; while facing down 'Magic Eight-Ball Jesus,' 'Social Justice Jesus,' 'Legalist Jesus,' and 'King James Jesus' just to name a few." I don't know whether the Church of the SubGenius's "Fightin' Jesus" shows up or not, but even without him still still looks sufficiently demented to merit your attention. For more information, call (314) 719-8060 or visit the web site at www.mustardseedtheatre.com.

Mariposa Artists presents Love Grows Here, an eveing of songs by cabaret star Lina Koutrakos performed by local cabaret artists Shauna Sconce, Robert Breig, Dionna Raedeke, and Katie McGrath, on Saturday, November 24, at 8 PM. Rick Jenses in pianist and music director. Koutrakos's music is powerful stuff and Jensen is one of the best in the business. The performance takes place at the Kranzberg Center, 501 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/285124 or email mariposa.artists at gmail.com.