-Courtesy of En Route Marketing
Beginning Monday, December 11 at 6:30 p.m., a new cabaret dining experience called An Evening with Me, modeled after the famed events at New York’s Café Carlyle, launches at Rittenhouse Grill (inside the Warwick Hotel Rittenhouse Square Philadelphia, 1701 Locust Street). An Evening with Me is produced by Randy Swartz and sponsored by Mishka Premium Vodka. The inaugural ticketed event is an intimate cabaret performance by award-winning Broadway headliner, Tony Award and Drama Desk nominee and Astaire Award winner Tony Yazbeck. He brings his signature song and dance style to the venue, offering his take on classic and contemporary standards and holiday favorites. The evening also includes a three-course prix fixe dinner.
On December 11, ticket holders can experience Tony Yazbeck’s gifted voice. Throughout his acclaimed career, he has starred in 11 Broadway shows, including roles as Gabe in the revival of On the Town, Billy Flynn in Chicago, J.M. Barrie in Finding Neverland, and as Cary Grant in Flying Over Sunset. He also starred in Prince of Broadway. Yazbeck is a triple threat, entertaining audiences as a singer, tapper, and performer. “Tony Yazbeck is a gift. Tony Yazbeck has a gift,” raved Stephen Moser from Broadwayworld.com, describing Yazbeck’s September 2023 show at New York’s 54 Below.
The series continues on Monday, February 12, with a performance by Tony Award nominee and Theatre World Award winner for Nine, Karen Akers. Akers headlines a special Valentine’s Day-themed An Evening with Me. Akers is an acclaimed pop, jazz, and blues vocalist and one of the world’s quintessential cabaret stars.
On Monday, April 15, Philadelphia’s sweetheart, Tony Award nominee, and one of the most universally loved vocalists, Andrea McArdle, best known for her iconic role as Annie, will appear at Rittenhouse Grill in what promises to be an unforgettable night. On Broadway, she originated the roles of Ashley in Starlight Express and Margy in State Fair, and was seen as Belle in Beauty and the Beast and as Fantine in Les Miserables.
Finally, on May 20, Tony Award and Grammy winner John Lloyd Young, known for his award-winning role as Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys, brings his vocal talent to Rittenhouse Grill. As Valli, Young garnered unprecedented accolades from New York and national media, including one of the most exciting New York Times reviews ever written for an actor making a Broadway debut. Young went on to win Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, and Theatre World Awards, becoming the only American actor in history to win all four Leading Actor awards for a Broadway debut. Young has played to sold-out crowds of more than 17,000 as Marius in Les Misérables at the Hollywood Bowl and has appeared at prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, the White House, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the U.S. Congress, and Lincoln Center.
Known as a Philadelphia premier dining destination, Rittenhouse Grill is the perfect venue for the cabaret series. The restaurant resembles a 1940s swanky supper club that can accommodate upwards of 220 guests across a multi-level dining room accented by a leopard print rug. The restaurant is celebrating its 25th anniversary and is known for its signature award-winning dish, roast prime rib.
During An Evening with Me, a three-course prix fixe dinner is included in the VIP and Standard tickets before the performance. The menu offers patrons a choice of roast prime rib, ½ rack of lamb, Iberico pork chop, fillet of salmon, dessert, and appetizer. Guests may also choose between four appetizers, including clams casino, roasted tomato soup, two salads, and one of four house-made desserts, completing the dining experience. Tax and gratuity are included in the price of each ticket.
Ticket opportunities for An Evening with Me are as follows:
· $200 – VIP Experience includes a three-course dinner, premium show seating, and a post-show meet and greet
· $180 – Standard Ticket includes three-course prix fixe dinner and show
· $75 – Bar Ticket; limited bar seating with a two-drink minimum. Seating for ticket holders begins at 7:45 p.m.
Tickets may be purchased online HERE. In addition, tickets may be purchased in person at Rittenhouse Grill (Inside the Warwick Hotel Rittenhouse Square Philadelphia, 1701 Locust Street) or by phone (215- 772-1701) Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 10 p.m. An Evening with Me is produced by Randy Swartz and sponsored by Mishka Premium Vodka. Swartz was Artistic Director of Dance Celebration and Next Move Dance and enjoyed a decades-long collaboration with the Annenberg Center, where he produced over 2,500 performances. Swartz retired in 2020, leaving a legacy of dance presenting and commissioning in Philadelphia that Penn Live Arts has carried forward at The Annenberg Center.
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