Arlington Heights native and Broadway star returns to celebrate new album with concerts at Davenport's Nov. 13-16
Arlington Heights native, award-winning vocalist, Broadway star and recording artist, Karen Mason, returns in concert to celebrate the release of her new CD “Karen Mason … And All That Jazz!” at Chicago’s premier cabaret Davenport’s, from Wednesday Nov. 13 through Saturday, Nov. 16. Mason was the first performer to headline the club when it opened its doors in Wicker Park, November 1998.
Noted Chicago Tribune critic Howard Reich said of one of Mason’s Davenport’s performances: “Mason performs with a ferocity of spirit and improvisational freedom that are immensely appealing.”
The new album is a personal and singular compilation of the music of John Kander and Fred Ebb, with whom she worked during the hit off-Broadway show “And The World Goes ‘Round.” Mason, with her longtime collaborators Christopher Denny (music director) and Barry Kleinbort (director), revels in this glorious music, perfect for that glorious combination of an actress and an entertainer.
With a score of songs ranging from intimate ballads to epic showstoppers, celebrate the music and voice of this multi-award-winning star! Davenport’s is located at 1383 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago. These four special performances will take place Wednesday, Nov. 13-Saturday, Nov. 16 at 8 p.m. There is a $40 cover charge, plus two-drink minimum.
Due to the demand for these special shows, advance tickets are highly suggested and available online at DavenportsPianoBar.com.
Mason’s dazzling take on Kander & Ebb’s songs, which have been lighting up Broadway since the 1960s are the perfect mix of intimacy and excitement. While Mason puts her unique spin on classics like “All That Jazz,” “Maybe This Time” and “A Quiet Thing,” she also delves into less often performed shows such as The Visit (“Love and Love Alone”), The Scottsboro Boys (“Go Back Home”), and The Happy Time (“The Life of the Party”). Another highlight is “My Coloring Book,” one of rare entries in the Kander & Ebb oeuvre not taken from the musical theater, but a stand-alone hit, with recordings from Barbra Streisand, Sandy Stewart and Kitty Kallen. Karen also revisits the song “Colored Lights,” which she had sung years ago in the off-Broadway revue “And The World Goes Round.”
With her Broadway and off-Broadway stage performances, TV appearances, CD recordings and live concerts, Mason “has few peers when it comes to ripping the roof off with her amazing voice that knows no bounds” (TheaterScene.net), which her performances always reaffirm. The multi-MAC and Backstage Magazine Bistro Award winner, including the MAC Lifetime Achievement Award, her most recent CD release, Let The Music Play received the MAC Award for Album of the Year and it’s title cut earned Song of The Year. Karen’s recordings are available on the web at karenmason.com, amazon.com and iTunes and all streaming platforms including Spotify (where she has garnered 3 million streams) and Apple Music.
It will be “coming home week” for Mason, who began her career in Chicago and became a favorite of the Windy City’s nightclub scene, before heading off to the bright lights of New York. Since that time, Mason has forged a career that has been filled with many triumphs including the original “Mamma Mia!,” playing Velma Von Tussle in “Hairspray,” portraying the Queen of Hearts in “Wonderland,” Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sequel to “Phantom of the Opera” in “Love Never Dies” and replacing Glenn Close as Norma Desmond, in the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical “Sunset Boulevard.” TV viewers may also recognize her from her recurring roles on the hit NBC shows “ED” and “Law & Order SVU.” Most recently she was seen on Netflix’ award winning series “Halston.”
An internationally acclaimed vocalist, Mason has performed throughout the world including Great Britain, Scotland, Sweden and Brazil. She has headlined at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, the UCLA/ASCAP Concert and has shared concert stages with such musical luminaries as Luciano Pavarotti, Rosemary Clooney, Liza Minnelli, Michael Feinstein, Jerry Herman and John Kander & Fred Ebb. Most recently performed with the CSO, Jesse Mueller and Norm Lewis at Ravinia with the “Salute To Mancini at 100.”
You can visit her website www.karenmason.com for further information.