Cabaret evening to benefit Sims Library and Columbia Theatre

Tuesday, January 24, 2017
by: Tonya Lowentritt


     HAMMOND – New Orleans singer and performer Raynel Shepard will star in an upcoming cabaret-style fundraiser to support two good causes at Southeastern Louisiana University’s Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts on Saturday (Feb. 4) at 7 p.m.
     “Breakfast in Paris, Martinis in Manhattan: A Cabaret” is a unique fundraiser and musical program organized by the Friends of Sims MemorialLibrary and the Columbia Theatre, said Sims Library Director Eric Johnson. The cabaret-style show will take place in the Columbia Theatre Conference Center.
     Johnson said Shepard will sing the immortal songs of Paris and New York, accompanied by New Orleans entertainer Harry Mayronne on piano. Guests will be treated to such favorites as “C’est Si Bon,” “I Love Paris,” “La Vie en Rose,” “Autumn in New York,” “I Get a Kick Out of You,” and “The Lady Is a Tramp,” evoking the sights, sounds, and sensations of both cities.
     “Shepard comes from a musical family with deep roots in New Orleans. A singer and performer since the age of 14, she has recently returned to her familial and musical roots, dividing her time between New Orleans and Boston and performing regularly in both venues,” Johnson said. “Her repertoire includes cabaret, show tunes, jazz standards, bossa nova, and blues. With her sultry voice, beautiful sense of rhythm and haunting interpretation of ballads, she offers a musical experience you will never forget.”
     Mayronne is the composer/co-producer of the long-running musical comedy “Waiting Around—The Restaurant Musical,” written with Ricky Graham, which was performed both in New Orleans and off-Broadway, Johnson added.
     “As a pianist and musical director, Mayronne has played in many venues, from New Orleans and New York to West Virginia’s Greenbrier Resort and Berlin,” Johnson said. “A skilled marionette designer and puppeteer, he recently had his first gallery showing of marionettes in the French Quarter.”
     Tickets for the cabaret are $40 each and, in addition to the show, include two signature cocktails created by Jacmel Inn. Additional beverages also will be available at a cash bar.
     Tickets may be purchased online or via check payable to Southeastern Foundation and mailed to Friends of Sims Library, SLU 10896, Hammond, La. 70402.
     Since seating is limited, advance reservations are required by Monday, Jan. 30. Tickets will be held at the box office of the Columbia Theatre. No tickets will be sold at the door.
     For more information, call Janie Branham at Sims Library at 549-2186.




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