The Cabaret (924 N. Pennsylvania St.), Indianapolis’ intimate hub for Broadway stars, is ready to welcome audiences back to its sumptuous vibe.
Tony, Grammy and Emmy winner André De Shields will kick off the 2021 fall-winter season with his cabaret show, Black By Popular Demand, Thursday, August 12, Friday, August 13 and Saturday, August 14 at 8:00 p.m.
Catch the 2019 Tony Award-Winner of Broadway’s hit musical Hadestown (Hermes) before he returns to the show! De Shields was the triple crown winner of the 2019 award season, securing a Tony, Outer Critics Circle, and Drama Desk Award. In an illustrious career that has spanned more than half century, he has distinguished himself as an actor, director, and educator, getting his start as the title character in The Wiz. De Shields picked up an Emmy for his performance as the Viper in the NBC special Ain’t Misbehavin’, two Tony nominations for Play On! and The Full Monty, and has established himself as a veritable cabaret king — choreographing two shows for Bette Midler and creating six solo theatrical concerts. In 2019 he was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame. With profound wit, elegance, and charm, this silky veteran of the stage proves why his star is still on the rise.
De Shields starred in his breakout role, the title character in The Wiz, which ran for more than 1,600 performances and won seven Tony Awards – including best musical. He starred in the original cast of the Fats Waller musical Ain’t Misbehavin’, a role he later revived, directed, and choreographed for the 30th anniversary run. Andre’s first Tony nomination was for Play On!, a musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, featuring Duke Ellington’s music. He received another Tony nomination in 2001 for The Full Monty. De Shields’ other Broadway credits include Impressionism and Prymate.
The 2021 fall-winter season will also include:
- Friday, Aug. 20 @ 8pm, Saturday, Aug. 21 @ 7pm & 9:30pm: Grammy winner and Two-time Tony nominee Eva Noblezada: Flower Pow-Her (“Yellow Rose,” “Hadestown,” “Miss Saigon”)
- Friday, Sept. 10 @ 8pm, Saturday, Sept. 11 @ 8pm, Sunday,Sept. 12 at 7:30pm: Tony winner Ali Stroker, of “Oklahoma!” and “The Glee Project,” along with guest starring appearances on CBS’ “Blue Bloods” and The CW’s “Charmed,” among other shows.
- Friday, Sept. 17 @ 8pm: Lasana Kazembe, who stars in “The Voodoo of Hell’s Half Acre – The Travelin’ Genius of Richard Wright from Natchez to Chicago.” A live performance of the blues poetry opera, which had been filmed previously for WFYI.
- Friday, Sept. 24, Saturday, Sept. 25 @ 7pm & 9:30pm, Sunday, Sept. 26 @ 5pm & 7:30pm: Megan Hilty, of “Wicked,” “9 to 5: The Musical” and NBC’s “Smash.”
- Friday, Oct. 8 @ 8pm: Flor De Toloache, Grammy award-winning, all-female mariachi group that has performed at Coachella and for an NPR Tiny Desk Concert.
- Friday, Oct. 22 @ 8pm, Saturday, Oct. 23 @ 7pm and 9:30pm: Telly Leung with the Telly Leung Quartet, of “Aladdin,” “Allegiance,” “Godspell,” “Rent” and “Glee.”
- Saturday, Oct. 30 @ 7pm and 9:30pm: The Skivvies: The Rocky Horror Skivvies Show,known for performing in their underwear,will bring The Rocky Horror Skivvies Show.
- Saturday, Nov. 13 @ 7pm and 9:30pm: Well-Strung, singing string quartet that fuses classical and pop music.
- Friday, Nov. 19 @ 8pm, Saturday, Nov. 20 @ 7pm and 9:30pm: Beth Leavel, of “The Prom,” “The Drowsy Chaperone” and “Mamma Mia!”
- Saturday, Dec. 11 @ 7pm and 9:30pm, Sunday, Dec. 12 @ 5pm and 7:30pm: Ana Gasteyer, best known for her comedic prowess on “Saturday Night Live” and TV, she has multiple musical theater credits to her name, including “Wicked” and Fox’s “A Christmas Story Live!”
Tickets for the fall season
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. June 22 for the general public. Subscribers and donors of more than $250 can buy starting at 10 a.m. June 15. Visit thecabaret.org or call 317-275-1169.
Individual ticket prices range from $25 to $120, depending on the show. Student tickets are $25. In a departure from previous seasons, tickets will be sold in quantities of two or four. The Cabaret also won’t seat different parties at the same table. A limited number of single tickets are available, and those who are interested can email info@thecabaret.org.
Masks will be required for audience members when they’re not seated, eating or drinking. The venue’s capacity will be reduced to 100 or less from 200.
Lia Chang is an actor, a multi-media content producer and co-founder of Bev’s Girl Films, making films that foster inclusion and diversity on both sides of the camera. Bev’s Girl Films’ debut short film, Hide and Seek was a top ten film in the Asian American Film Lab’s 2015 72 Hour Shootout Filmmaking Competition, and she received a Best Actress nomination. BGF collaborates with and produces multi-media content for artists, actors, designers, theatrical productions, composers, musicians and corporations. Lia has appeared in the films Wolf, New Jack City, A Kiss Before Dying, King of New York, Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Dragon, Taxman. She stars in and served as Executive Producer for the short independent films Hide and Seek, Balancing Act, Rom-Com Gone Wrong, Belongingness and When the World was Young (2021 DisOrient Film Audience Choice Award for Best Short Narrative). She is also the Executive Producer for The Cactus, The Language Lesson, The Writer and Cream and 2 Shugahs.
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