Crowd pleasers

Stellar performers earn applause, belly laughs at theater fundraiser

Some of the city’s most talented singers provided guests of The Weekend Theater with morsels from past productions at Chardonnay & Cabaret on Nov. 22 at the theater. The evening got underway with a reception featuring hors d’oeuvres and a wine tasting. Just prior to the show, Patti Airoldi warmed up the audience with a performance of “When You’re Good to Mama,” from the musical Chicago. James Norris, executive director of the theater, did likewise with his rendition of Billy Paul’s 1972 R&B hit “Me and Mrs. Jones.”

Then came performers Karen Clark, Jay Clark, Erin Murphy Martinez, Dustin Baylan, Micah Qualls and Seth Kinney, who kept the audience applauding — and, at the appropriate times, guffawing — with such songs as “La Cage aux Folles” ( La Cage aux Folles), “Over the Rainbow” ( The

Wizard of Oz), “Just Not

Now” ( I Love You Because),

“A Stud and a Babe” ( I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now

Change) and “Glitter and Be Gay” ( Candide) and “As We Stumble Along” ( The

Drowsy Chaperone). Norris and Airoldi rejoined them for the finale, “Seasons of Love” ( Rent).

The event raised more than $2,000 for the theater, according to Norris. Qualls, along with Andy Hall and Julie Atkins, served as producers.

The theater’s current production, Other Desert

Cities, opened Friday and runs through Dec. 20. Tickets, $12-$16, can be purchased at weekendtheater.org.

Rent. Seth Kinney, James Norris and Micah Qualls perform “Seasons of Love” from the musical

Ann Norris, Marla Johnson and Ruth Eudy

Micah Qualls, Kaye Lynn Wilcox and Andy Hall

Elizabeth Bowles Bravo with her husband, Rafael Bravo, and Lyn Norris

Jeremy Brumbelow of Washington and Patti Airoldi

Ryk St. Vincent and Akasha Hull

Jay Clark prefers “La Cage aux Folles” from the musical of the same name.

Mark Hotchkiss and Patty Whaley