FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COCKTAILS & CABARET
FUNDRAISER TO SUPPORT ARTS EDUCATION

Twin Cities choral group,
VocalEssence, celebrates Nov. 18 at the Metropolitan

MINNEAPOLIS—Philip Brunelle, artistic
director and founder of celebrated Twin Cities choral ensemble VocalEssence,
will put down his conductor’s baton and take his place at the piano for the non-profit’s
annual Cocktails & Cabaret fundraiser to support arts education —
Mon., Nov. 18 at 5:30 p.m.

Brunelle
will be joined by Twin Cities musical theater stars Simone Perrin, Bradley Greenwald, Greta Oglesby and Dieter Bierbrauer for an evening cabaret performance,
special VocalEssence-created cocktails and delicious hors d’oeuvres at the
Metropolitan Ballroom and Clubroom in Golden Valley.

All
proceeds from the evening will benefit the innovative educational programs of
VocalEssence including WITNESS and ¡Cantaré!, which promote cultural diversity through music education. Each
year, thousands of Twin Cities-based youth are exposed to the choral arts with
the help of teaching artists, artist residencies and school group tickets, all funded
by VocalEssence.

“Our
mission is to engage audiences of all ages and actively foster new talent
through a culturally rich educational menu,” says Philip Brunelle, founder
and artistic director, VocalEssence. “Cocktails & Cabaret is one of my
favorite events of the year—it’s a great way to celebrate with and entertain
our biggest supporters while raising funds to make our aspirations reality.”

Cocktail
hour will commence at 5:30 p.m., followed by the cabaret program at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are available for $80 for general admission (theater-style seating).
For more information about this event and to purchase tickets, visit www.vocalessence.org/cabaret2013.

Directed
by Peter Rothstein, Theater Latté Da’s Artistic Director,
the event will feature solos, duets and full-group numbers including Sondheim’s
“No One Is Alone,” Shannon’s
“Dance for Hannah,” Hazelwood’s “These Boots are Made for Walking” and
Lehmann’s “There are Fairies at the Bottom of our Garden”. Also on the roster
will be classic favorites like “On the Street Where You Live” from My Fair Lady, “Something’s Coming” from West Side Story, “Bring Him Home” from Les Miserables, and a show-stopping duet
from Greenwald and Bierbauer performing “Agony” from Into the Woods.

VocalEssence
is comprised of the 100-voice VocalEssence Chorus, the 32-voice professional
Ensemble Singers, as well as guest soloists and instrumentalists, and offers
audiences a broad series of concerts. Called “one of the irreplaceable
music ensembles of our time” by Dana Gioia, past chairman of the National
Endowment for the Arts, VocalEssence was founded in 1969 by artistic director
Philip Brunelle. VocalEssence has championed the vocal experience in
unconventional ways through concerts, commissions, and community engagement,
and has debuted more than 150 commissions and world premieres. Beyond
performances and recordings, VocalEssence impacts thousands of students,
singers, and composers each year through its initiative
programs, contests, and support for innovative art. For more information, visit
www.vocalessence.org.

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