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| New ’Cole Porter’ Show Laura Ainsworth and Michael Gott, will co-star in a romantic new revue, "Cole Porter: Elegance and Decadence, " debuting Friday, July 21, at the Stone Street Theatre in Dallas and featuring an array of the chic composer's greatest standards and wittiest comic songs. The duet promise a sophisticated date show for adults, something that has been absent from the downtown scene for years, with the closing of the Fairmont Hotel's famed Venetian Room and the flight to the suburbs. But in recent years, downtown Dallas has begun to experience a renaissance, with old office buildings being converted into luxury condos and top flight restaurants moving in to serve the new urban dwellers. The non-profit Stone Street Theatre was recently launched as a showcase for top Dallas talent and to help spur downtown revitalization by providing an entertainment venue with shows every weekend for both visitors and new residents. There is lots of comedy on the bill, but the owners also envisioned hosting New York-style cabaret music shows. Ms. Ainsworth was #1 on their wish list, thanks to the success of her one-woman show, "My Ship Has Sailed, " a musical lampoon of age and beauty obsession that has played top venues in North Texas and been spotlighted on both local and satellite television. She said, "When the owners of the new Stone Street Theater asked me to perform, I knew I had to create a show with Michael Gott. There's just something special about our blend that I knew would be perfect for this gorgeous new venue. I'm so happy he said yes. We both love the music of Cole Porter, so we are looking forward to putting our own unique spin on it." "Having grown up watching my dad (late Dallas saxophone legend Bill Ainsworth) accompany my idols, Ella Fitzgerald and Tony Bennett, at the old Fairmont Venetian Room, I can't tell you how excited we are about bringing that sophisticated sound back to downtown Dallas, both for older fans of this great music and for young people who have yet to discover it." Gott's sublime vocal and piano skills on the standards have prompted comparisons to many great performers such as Michael Feinstein, but his uniquely varied background in pop, musical theater, classical, jazz, opera and gospel resulted in a style all his own. Gott recently celebrated his 10th anniversary as the reigning song stylist of the posh Mansion Bar in Dallas, but he has also played top cabaret showrooms outside Texas, recorded six albums (his seventh, "Live At The Mansion, " will arrive in September), shared stages with internationally-known celebrities, and composed the critically-acclaimed musicals "Split Ends" and "All Stressed Up With Nowhere To Go." " write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |