Kelly & Rick

Kelly Carey and Rick Santamaria are coming into their 7th season with the Dunes! Over the years they have become an audience favorite in the Cabaret Room. Kelly is an award winning actress and singer from Grand Rapids. Her extensive theatrical resume includes several performances at Mason Street Warehouse (in Saugatuck), and appearances along side performers like Jill Larson (ABC's All My Children), Kim Zimmer (Guiding Light), acclaimed Broadway actor, Timothy Shew, and Tony Award winner, Sutton Foster. She is also the co-owner and artistic director of Creative Edge Productions which is a West Michigan based production company that provides customized entertainment for corporate and private events.

Rick Santamaria has spent much of his career as a pianist, touring Europe with his own show on Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. He has also served as music director for local theaters for musicals and special engagements. He is also owner of Windsor Cottage - an upscale furniture consignment shop in Cascade, MI. The two have performed as a cabaret act for nearly 10 years and have become a staple in cabaret rooms all over the state. Kelly's dynamic range and versatility as a performer set her apart from even the best singers. The two have a combined repertoire of nearly 200 songs - always something for everyone! www.creativeedgeproductions.net
www.windsorcottageonline.com

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Jackie Beat!

Drag superstar JACKIE BEAT has been entertaining audiences across the U.S. and in Europe for over ten years with her razor-sharp comedy and hysterical song parodies. Jackie not only warps hits by Britney Spears, Madonna, Mary J. Blige, Christina Aguilera, Cher and many others, but she flawlessly sings her twisted new versions LIVE -- hitting every last note.

Her one-woman show “Jackie Beat Is A Whole Lotta’ Love” ran a record 18 months at NYC’s premiere cabaret, Fez, and she returns every year with her award-winning, standing-room-only Christmas show
Jackie’s stand-up has been featured in comedy clubs across the country and on Comedy Central, VH-1 and MTV. She was recently a staff writer for the WB comedy series “Hype!”, has written for the Sci Fi Channel, is one of US Magazine’s Fashion Police top cops and is currently the voice of Bertha on Nickelodeon’s animated series “Kung-Fu Spy Troll”.
She has appeared on many TV shows and in several movies including “Flawless” with Robert DeNiro and the cult hit “Wigstock The Movie”.

Jackie has also been in many off-Broadway productions, performed on cruises ships, and is lead singer of the popular electroclash band Dirty Sanchez.

Whether you’re looking for one or two show-stopping, jaw-dropping numbers -- or a full 90 minute set of music and comedy -- Jackie Beat is your “girl”!www.jackiebeatrules.com
www.myspace.com/jackiebeat
www.wearedirtysanchez.com

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Sam Fazio
with Chris White on piano

Sam Fazio made his return to the Chicago music scene in 2009.  Over the years, Sam has performed at many venues throughout Chicago and Las Vegas.  He currently performs at several Chicago nightclubs, with regular engagements at Davenport’s Piano Bar and Cabaret and the historic Drake Hotel.
Sam’s music is hip, elegant and bold.  He puts a wonderful new spin on the songs we love.  Whether he’s singing a swing standard, pop classic or love ballad, his soulful yet classic style comes shining through.  Sam has been described as Michael Buble', Josh Groban, and Michael Feinstein all in one. His music is fresh and nostalgic at the same time.
Sam is joined by Chris White on piano. Chris’s jazz styling is a perfect complement to Sam’s rich and playful voice.  Chris has performed at many Chicago venues including The House of Blues, Navy Pier, The Drake Hotel and The Palmer House Hilton.  The duo brings new life and energy to the classics.

Visit www.samfaziomusic.com to hear sample of Sam’smusic.

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Storyteller/monologist Miss Coco Peru aka Clinton Leupp grew up in the Bronx on City Island and got his/her start as a downtown favorite in the cabaret world of NYC after he wrote, produced, directed, and starred in his first show “Miss Coco Peru in My Goddamn Cabaret” in the early 90’s. On screen, Miss Coco is best known for her roles in Jim Fall's trick (Sundance 1999) and Richard Day's comedy Girls Will Be Girls.  Other film appearances include To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar and Straight-Jacket. Coco can be heard in the Disney animated feature, The Wild as Mamma Hippo! Coco has appeared on TV in Arrested Development, Twins, Will and Grace, Bravo’s Boy Meets Boy, Bravo’s Sexiest Moments in Film, Bravo’s Welcome to the Parker, and in an Orbitz commercial that was nominated for a 2005 GLAAD Media Award. On MTV’s Gay network, LOGO, Coco can currently be seen in her very own half-hour comedy special taped as part of the “Wisecrack” series and in the recently released: One Night Stand-Up – DRAGTASTIC which debuted in January.

Coco’s live one-person shows include: “Miss Coco Peru in My Goddamn Cabaret”, “Miss Coco Peru: A Legend in Progress” (’92 MAC and Bistro Award), “Miss Coco Peru at the Westbeth Theatre” (’95 MAC Nomination), “Miss Coco Peru's Liquid Universe”(‘98 NY GLAAD Nomination), “Miss Coco Peru's Universe” (’99 LA GLAAD Nomination), “Miss Coco Peru’s Glorious Wounds…She’s Damaged” (’01 LA GLAAD Nomination) “Miss Coco Peru is Undaunted” (’04 LA GLAAD Award Winner, Ovation Nomination), and most recently “Ugly Coco.” These shows have been performed to sold out audiences in Theatres, Clubs, Restaurants, Ballrooms, Yachts, Living Rooms, Nudist Camps and Cabarets throughout the US and abroad.
Misscocoperu.com

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Anthony Micheletti
with special guest Melinda Towns

If you don't know Tony, you will. You may remember him from his time with Gentry and Gentry on Halsted, or other Chicago clubs in past years. His big voice, big attiutude and big heart have given way to the smooth baritone jazz,broadway and pop styles that have shaped the humorous but robust vocals he can sing.

Tony has been seen barely dressed in Bailiwick's "Self-Help and the Tower of Psychobabble" as the lurid sex-minded Clack Boyand adversley as a young but timid Duke in the Jacobean epic, "Revenger's Tragedy" for Strawdog Theater both of Chicago.

Tony also played the Pharaoh in "Joseph & the Amazaing Technicolor Dreamcoat" for Theater on the Lake and belted outCanadian mountie songs in Light Opera Works recreation of "Rosemarie". Tony has also been seen doing commercial workon WTTW as well as sing the National Anthem for Chicago's Annual Columbus Day Parade.Don't let a pair of tight jeans fool you, this boy can sing.Tony brings with him special guest Melinda Towns for an evening of songs, banter and bad boy charm.

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Amanda Lucas

Amanda Lucas and Audrey Cecil are singer/songwriters.
They play guitars; really play them. They play other things too.They harmonize to the moon.They laugh. They work hard. They love it. You can tell. You can tell because when you watch them, they make you love it too. You’ll find your foot tapping before you realize it’s doing it. You’ll find yourself lost in lyrics before you know what they mean.

Amanda Lucas and Audrey Cecil, both formerly parts of other bands, could not pass up the chemistry they found when they started playing as a duo. Music served as the driving force for the reconnection of these childhood friends, after they had been out of touch for over a decade. With their catchy tunes, heartfelt lyrics, and tight harmonies, AL/AC has gained quite a following in the south/midwest region. After taking some time off to write and arrange after joining forces as a duo, AL/AC dove right in, gained a fanbase, and now plays over 150 shows per year. They have shared the stage with the likes of Garrison Starr, Trina Hamlin, Eric Himan, Nini Camps, Ben Sollee, Tracy Rice, Brooks Ritter, Nervous But Excited, and many more talented musicians. Amanda Lucas

www.sonicbids.com/alacmusic
www.myspace.com/amandalucasmusic

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Beckie Menzie & Tom Michaels

“One of the most compelling duos in cabaret today!” - Chicago Tribune

One of cabaret's most in-demand duos, Beckie Menzie and Tom Michael offer a unique blend of whimsy, nostalgia and unquestionable talent that translates into pure entertainment.  Their imaginative musical twists on jazz favorites, standards, contemporary pop, Broadway show tunes and film gems, have won them audience and critical acclaim across the country and around the globe.

Hailed by Cabaret Scenes Magazine as one of the “Top Ten Cabaret Acts,” Menzie & Michael have appeared on some of the country's most prestigious stages, including New York's Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.  Their recording efforts have been praised by Billboard Magazine, BackStage, Show Business Weekly and Playbill and their latest CD, “Better Two-gether,” has been hailed by critics as “magic,” “sensational,” and “…the year's best recording.”

In what they call a “musical marriage,” Menzie & Michael delight audiences with their rare chemistry, inventive arrangements and genuine love for music and for one another. 

Menzie's rich voice and expert piano stylings sizzle on everything from sassy swing to smoky torch songs.  A three-time winner of After Dark Chicago's “Outstanding Cabaret Artist” award, Menzie is a diva-in-demand whom WGN radio has praised as “one of the city's finest performers.”  Her critically-acclaimed solo CD “Real Emotional Girl” garnered national radio play and was praised by Cabaret Scenes as “one of the year's finest.”
With a voice that Billboard Magazine describes as, “…a revelation,” Michael's warm, expressive style and charismatic tenor breathe new life into cabaret standards and reveal why BackStage Magazine has called him “one of the most striking singers to emerge in the last few years.”  His most current solo CD, “Written in the Stars,” received international critical praise and was named “Best CD of the Year” by ShowBusiness Weekly Magazine, After Dark Chicago and WDVR-FM radio.
Together, their playful, passionate performances produce what critics have called “sizzling,” “pure brilliance,” and “cabaret at its best!”
www.beckiemenzie.com
www.tommichael.net

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Rubi Girls

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Jimmy James
The Many Voices of Jimmy James

The one and only JIMMY JAMES has used his real voice to channel celebrities for years before he sent talk-show ratings off the charts for appearances on Donoghue, Sally Raphael and Maury Povich. Jimmy's Elvis impersonation makes you wonder if the King is still alive somewhere inside Mr. James. Other personalities that emerge from his vocal instrument include Bette Midler, Stevie Nix, Ertha Kitt, Bette Davis and 326 other characters! Jimmy James is the lyricist and vocalist on the Billboard chart-topping Dance Hit, FASHIONISTA having sold millions of copies Worldwide. With millions of fans this rising star is a singer, songwriter, vocal impressionist and dance-music Diva! James on stage transcends drag and goes way beyond some of the most entertaining cabaret shows... Warning: If you close your eyes you might swear Judy Garland is lurking somewhere in the background!
www.JimmyJames.com

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Melissa Young
Out: A Rainbow Icon Celebration
Lucky Star: Madonna at 50

Melissa "Madonna" Young- Actress, Singer, Comic has been touring the East Coast with her solo Cabaret show Lucky Star Madonna at 50 and Beyond and performed a five-week run in Chicago of her new show OUT: A Rainbow Icon Celebration following 40 years of the Gay Rights movement. She is a Philadelphia native, but has called Chicago home for many moons. She will not tell you how many moons, because that would require math. In Chicago she has performed at Drury Lane Water Tower, Backstage Theater Company, Open Eye Productions, Second City and also studies at the Conservatory at Second City. Melissa is the Voice of "Lilly" from a new kids animated show called The Ebos Adventures. Melissa is a Point Park University graduate and performed at the Valentine Theater in Toledo, Ohio with Miss America Susan Powell and Broadway's Nat Chandler. Melissa has appeared in New York City at The Duplex and Don't Tell Mama. TimeOut Chicago calls Melissa Young "A Cabaret Diva" and Cabaret Hotline Online says "Ms. Young is among the best!". Miss Young serves on the Board for The Chicago Cabaret Professionals. In addition to singing and making people laugh, Melissa is a Madonna expert and is available for Madonna parties as well as any Madonna emergencies. www.melissayoung.com

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Pleasantly Aggressive Folk Duo Nervous but Excited (Kate Peterson & Sarah Cleaver) equals genuinely crafted stories and a uniquely dead-on harmony. They are two songwriters and two singers, switching up acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, violin, ukulele, bass, harmonica and working in a whole lot of laughter inbetween. Their original repertoire ranges in topic from smart, introspective narratives to the tactfully political... interspersed with songs of love and loss that will undoubtedly tug on your heart.
Road warriors to the core, they are a lot less nervous these days, and their endless passion has landed them on stages with folks like Ani Difranco, Iron and Wine, Utah Phillips, Ben Gibbard, Catie Curtis and Cheryl Wheeler - to name a few.
In April 2009 they released Anchors: the first 100% carbon neutral CD release.
On Anchors, Kate and Sarah’s unique vocal harmonies are enhanced by many talented players including Girlyman, Lyndell Montgomery and Chris Bathgate among others who joined them to color in the lines of the songs with a sweet-tasting assortment of warming-your-feet-by-the-fire-in-the-wintertime kind of instrumentation. Of this, Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls says "ahhhh ... organic and rich like good soil ... makes me want to listen and hear it grow. The songs are honest and dimensional. It's music to my ears."
Since 2004, nbe has toured consistently and released 3 full-length albums and 3 EPs. They have played many established rooms and with artists such as Lucy Kaplansky, Melissa Ferrick, Ferron, Toshi Reagon, The Butchies, Alix Olson, Bitch, Girlyman, Pamela Means, Chris Pureka and Ember Swift among others. In July 2009, nbe's song Said and Done from Anchors was chosen out of more than 500 entries to be part of the Michigan made movie Annabelle & Bear. With the help of nbe's strong and loyal fan community, kate and sarah won a music competition to film a cameo in the movie.
Nervous but Excited is represented by Riot Grrrl Ink and distributed nationwide by Goldenrod Music.
www.nervousbutexcited.com

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Ronnie Nyles

Extraordinary energy, personal style, remarkable talent and magnetic personality are just the beginning. When Ronnie is on stage we find ourselves riveted by her vocal style and captivated by her lyrics. Audiences find themselves lost in their own world having identified with the words or lost in Ronnie's world having felt the emotion coming from deep within her soul.

So expressing and powerful is her performance that you feel you have been given a private look into her realm of music, a look into kingdom of talent. Each time Ronnie takes the stage, we given an intimate reflection, a very exclusive look at Ronnie, her music and her musical influences. It's no wonder why she was voted Wisconsin's Female Vocalist of the Year and was the recipient of the "People's Choice" award.

Ronnie's dynamic voice and phenomenal acoustic guitar talents along with her individual song writing style make her one of the most recognized women entertainers of the Upper Midwest.

Ronnie's enthusiasm on stage follows her off stage. Her "down to earth" character allows her to stop and say hello to friends and fans alike. And with the same eagerness, she make it a point to give her time helping favorite charities. So gracious and unaffected is Ronnie, her loyal following still grows day by day and show unconditional support of her music.

Inspired by her desire and love of music, Ronnie continues to follow and live her dream. Nothing can stop her! There is no limit!

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