-Courtesy of En Route Marketing
photo by Alan Mercer
February 12 marks the return of the sold-out cabaret dining experience called An Evening with Me, modeled after the famed events at New York’s Café Carlyle. The event series launched in December at Rittenhouse Grill (inside the Warwick Hotel Rittenhouse Square Philadelphia, 1701 Locust Street) and featured a stunning performance by award-winning Broadway headliner and Tony and Astaire Award winner Tony Yazbeck. February’s show is the second of four produced by Randy Swartz, hosted at Rittenhouse Grill, and sponsored by Mishka Premium Vodka.
The series continues on Monday, February 12, with a Valentine’s Day-themed performance by Tony Award nominee and Theatre World Award winner for Nine, Karen Akers. Akers is an acclaimed pop, jazz, and blues vocalist. One of the world’s quintessential cabaret stars, she was awarded the 2005 New York Nightlife Award for Outstanding Female Cabaret Vocalist in a Major Engagement for her performance in her show Time After Time and the 2009 Nightlife Legend Award.
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 won 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 120 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 Premium 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 – Premium seating includes a three-course dinner, premium show seating, and a post-show meet-and-greet
· $180 – Standard seating includes a three-course prix fixe dinner and show
· $75 – Bar seating (beverage service only)
Seating for dinner begins at 6 p.m. on the night of An Evening of Me. Bar seating begins at 7:45 p.m. The show begins promptly at 8 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online here. In addition, tickets may be purchased in person at Rittenhouse Grill 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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