If cabaret music is your interest, then attending one of the musical shows at Soleil, 5001 E. Skyline Drive, is a cool thing to do on a hot summer night.
Organized by Soleil and the Invisible Theatre, the Sizzling Summer Sounds series will run through July 8 and feature musical artists from Tucson as well as other cities.
Susan Claassen, managing artistic director of the Invisible Theatre, said the summer series started a dozen years ago at the Doubletree Hotel in Midtown and later moved to the Arizona Inn, also in central Tucson.
"This is the inaugural season at Soleil, which has the perfect room to host the shows," she said. "We constructed a small stage for the performers, installed a Steinway piano, and put in lighting and sound systems."
The series, which kicked off last week, features "Soleil Ole" at 8 tonight with Lisa Otey and special guests Elise Ackermann and Scott Black.
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Served seating is $26 plus the cost of dinner or brunch, while general admission (subject to availability) is $26 plus a $15-per-person minimum for food and/or beverage.
Show and dinner reservations are required and are being handled by the Invisible Theatre at 882-9721.
The summer series is a "showcase in an intimate setting for world-class talent from Tucson and from out of town," Claassen said.
Soleil's owner, Kelley Matthews, said she's found it very easy to dovetail the restaurant's schedule with that of the Invisible Theatre performances.
Matthews said she told her staff to enjoy the opportunity to see the performances.
"Many of the younger kids from Tucson haven't been exposed to this kind of performance before," she said. "My staff is really jazzed about the summer series."
Susan Artemis, who performs Tuesday, believes the performances are a great opportunity for musicians.
"My presentation is called 'Too Darn Hot,' which is a Cole Porter song, so I'll be singing that and other songs matching the title, like 'Summertime' and 'Fever,' " she said.
Joe Bourne, who sings in the Rat Pack show, is in his fourth season with the summer series.
"It's enjoyable," he said. "I performed two programs last year where I did a tribute to Nat King Cole. This year I'm doing Sammy Davis Jr. material."
Liz McMahon, a singer who will perform July 5 and 6, has done several summer series shows for Invisible Theatre.
"I did my first show with them in 1983, which was 'Side by Side by Sondheim,' " she said.
"In the mid-1990s I began performing at the summer series and have been doing so ever since."
McMahon thinks people will like the series "because it features ballads and standards in a range of material. Folks will recognize the tunes."
Sizzling Summer Sounds schedule
Here's the schedule for the Sizzling Summer Sounds series:
● Tonight, 8 p.m: "Soleil Ole" with Lisa Otey and special guests Elise Ackermann and Scott Black.
● Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.: "Boys' Night Out," a Rat Pack tribute with Jeffrey Haskell, Jack Neubeck and Joe Bourne.
● Tuesday, 8 p.m.: Susan Artemis will perform vocals and play the piano in a presentation called "Too Darn Hot," with special guests Greg Armstrong and Scott Black making appearances.
● June 28 and 29, 8 p.m.: "Ragtime and Romance" by Richard Glazier.
● June 30 and July 1, 8 p.m.; July 2, 2 p.m.: "Ain't Misbehavin.' "
● July 5 and 6, 8 p.m.: "Seasons of Love" with Betty Craig, Liz McMahon, Jeffrey Haskell and Jack Neubeck.
● July 7 and 8, 8 p.m.: Steve Ross in "Travels With My Piano".
Served seating is $26 plus dinner or brunch, while general admission (subject to availability) is $26 plus a $15 per person minimum for food and/or beverage. Show and dinner reservations are required and are being handled by the Invisible Theatre at 882-9721.
